Valparaiso + Vina del Mar

You’ll be met by our private car, driver and guide at the airport or your hotel in Santiago. From the city, the scenic journey into the tranquil Casablanca Valley is only about 90 minutes, but it transports you into a world that feels far removed from the urban vibrancy of the capital. Set between the Andes Mountains and Chile’s Coastal Range and blessed with a temperate climate, the Casablanca Valley has emerged as one of Chile’s finest wine producing regions, hailed for its crisp white wines – in particular, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Your first stop will be at Loma Larga Vineyards, a relative new comer that has already garnered numerous awards and recognition from both wine connoisseurs and publications. Enjoy a guided tour of the vineyard and a tasting of their fine vintages, perhaps even their unique cool-climate Syrah. Continue into the lovely Rosario Valley for a tour + tasting followed by lunch at Matetic Vineyards, founded by a Croatian family that came to Chile at the end of the 19th century.

Enjoy dinner and an overnight here in the Rosario Valley at the Matetic Guest House, situated on the grounds of the vineyard estate in a restored colonial-era house. Or continue to Valparaiso and check in to the Palacio Astoreca, a luxury boutique hotel set in two historic landmark buildings in the heart of this colorful coastal town.  Meals B+L (Guests at the Matetic Guest House also enjoy dinner at the hotel)

With its scenic hills ringing the bay, seafaring history, charming Bohemian ambiance and colorful architecture, Valparaiso is a delight to explore. Your car and driver will be there as needed, but this morning’s privately guided sightseeing tour will generally proceed at a more leisurely pace, immersing you in the city’s culture and history as you walk its streets, climb its winding stone stairs or make use of the city’s system of funicular railways. Along the way, you’ll stop in a local bakery to sample a traditional Chilean empanada. Highlights of this guided tour included the Plaza de la Victoria, the famous Turri Clock Tower and the home of Chile’s Nobel prize-winning poet, Pablo Neruda. There will be free time for you to enjoy lunch on your own (our guide can make suggestions) before visiting the workshop of a local artist. Then continue up the coast to visit the popular and sophisticated resort town of Viña del Mar. Later this afternoon, our private car and driver will take you back to Santiago where our services end at the airport or your hotel.  Meals B

[Please Note: Hotel accommodations in Santiago are not included but can be arranged along with additional sightseeing in the capital]

Spend the day with Samrawit getting to know two tribes on the eastern bank of the Omo River. Numbering fewer than 2,000, the Karo are an agro-pastoralist society known for their highly-detailed body painting. Also on the eastern shores, the Hamer subsist with cattle herding and agriculture. Hamer men are celebrated for their traditional bull jumping, a rite of passage that is part of an event that can last three days. meals b+l+d