Chile's Famous Wine Valleys - 7 Days

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Santiago de Chile

Welcome to Chile! Upon arrival at Santiago International Airport, a driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. You'll have the rest of the day to explore the city at your leisure. 

Suggested activities include:

• Hike to the top of Cerro San Cristobal, where you can get your bearings by surveying the area from a high vantage point. Pathways lead 2,788 feet (850 m) up this central hill to a series of lookouts that offer wraparound views of Santiago. If you aren't the hiking type, not to worry: catch a scenic gondola instead.
  
  
• Stroll the cobblestone streets of Barrio Bellavista. On the north side of Santiago, you'll find this trendy enclave, at once fashionable and bohemian. Stroll past colorful houses adorned with graffiti art and choose between an eclectic array of eateries and bars—great for people watching. 
  
  
• Visit the Plaza de Armas, a stone plaza located in Santiago's historic center dating to 1541. There's also the impressive Catedral Metropolitana, a neoclassical church dating to 1748 whose towering twin bell towers dominate the north side of the plaza.
  
  
• Snap pics in front of the Palacio de la Moneda. Chile's opulent Presidential Palace (known simply as "La Moneda") is a short stroll from the Plaza de Armas. It was here in 1973 that Chile's armed forces, backed by the U.S. government, overthrew President Salvador Allende, kicking off a brutal right-wing military dictatorship that would last for 17 years. Visitors are welcome.

For dinner be sure to get out of the hotel and enjoy a culinary adventure in the city. In recent years Santiago has emerged as a global foodie destination. Chilean chefs are reinventing traditional dishes like empanadas, cazuelas (stews), and seafood with ingredients harvested all the way from the northern deserts and southern Patagonian regions. You can find great restaurants and wine bars not only in the Bellavista neighborhood but also in the revitalized historic barrios of Yungay and Italia.

Day 2: Santiago City Tour

You will start your tour in Santiago, a lively cosmopolitan city that sits in a valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Your guide will meet you at Santiago de Chile airport and accompany you to your hotel.

In the afternoon you will start your city tour, visiting some of the city’s most exciting attractions. You will enjoy a glass of wine at an old neighborhood restaurant, where your guide will tell you more about the city’s fascinating history. You will also visit the central market and downtown Santiago.

The tour will end at the Cerro San Cristobal lookout point, which affords incredible views of the city. Here you will enjoy a glass of wine while you soak in the spectacular panorama.

Day 3: Have a traditional wine experience in the Maipo Valley

Today you will travel to the Maipo Valley, renowned for its crisp Cabernet Sauvignon.

Nestled between two mountain ranges, the Andes and the Coastal Mountains, the Maipo Valley is an expansive and varied wine region, and the closest to Chile’s capital, Santiago. Winemaking in the Maipo Valley is exceptionally diverse. You will find small boutique producers alongside large-scale production centers, traditional versus modern winemaking methods, biodynamic and industrial-scale viticulture and everything in between.

You will visit Santa Rita, a classic old-school winery where you will enjoy a tour and wine tasting session featuring a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon.

Next, you will visit Perez Cruz, a small boutique establishment. With 140 hectares of vineyards planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes, Perez Cruz aims to produce fine wines with a strong territorial identity that express the core essence of the Maipo Alto, the birthplace of the Chilean wine industry. You will enjoy a tour of the vineyard as well as the main production building where you will sample two different varieties of wine.

For lunch, you will enjoy traditional dishes and excellent wines at a local restaurant.

Your final stop will be Cousiño Macul Winery, where you will take part in a winery tour followed by a wine tasting experience. Overnight again in Santiago.

Day 4: Andean wine experience in the Aconcagua Valley

Today you will travel to the Aconcagua Valley at the foothills of the Andes. Receiving between 240 and 300 days of sunshine per year, the valley offers the ideal climate for viticulture. Vineyards are concentrated around Panquehue, a town in the center of the valley that is hemmed in by coastal ranges. Characterised by north winds and marine currents, this valley corridor has a unique climate that favors the cultivation of red wines, allowing for the optimum and slow ripening of the grapes.

Your first stop will be San Esteban Winery, where you’ll take part in a guided tour and learn about the various stages of the winemaking process. You will taste four In Situ wines, including the award-winning blend Laguna Del Inca.

After your winery tour, you will visit a local artisan’s house where you will learn about his craft and be able to buy local handmade souvenirs. Here you will have the opportunity to create your own pottery as well as enjoy a glass of wine.

You will then travel to the famous Errazuriz Winery where you will savor traditional local dishes for lunch. You will take part in a vineyard tour and learn all about viticulture, and will have the chance to enjoy one of the most impressive views of the valley from the area’s new lookout point.

You will visit the vineyard’s Icon Winery and end your tour with a tasting of four wines of the Max Reserva range, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Carmenére, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Overnight at a hotel in the town of Los Andes. 

Day 5: Organic and biodynamic viticulture in the Casablanca Valley

You’ll spend the day exploring the Casablanca Valley. With a strong maritime influence from the Pacific Ocean, the valley’s climate is cool, with misty mornings that give way to crisp clear days. The cold climate is ideally suited to grow white wine grapes that are rich in color and aroma, producing excellent refreshing white wines.

Your first stop will be Emiliana Organic Winery, where you will learn all about organic and biodynamic viticulture using high-quality wines.

You will have the chance to taste four different wines: Novas Sauvignon Blanc, Novas Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay/Marsanne/Viognier, Novas Winemaker’s Selection Syrah/Mourvedre and the famous Coyam.

For lunch, you will enjoy local dishes paired with a selection of wines at the House of Morande Restaurant, owned by Morande Winery.

Bellies full, you will head on to Matetic Winery, where you will enjoy a tour of the premises and a wine tasting session. Dinner will be accompanied by a selection of top-notch wines. Overnight at Matetic Winery.

Day 6: The Colchagua Valley: Chile's most promising wine region

Today you will head to the renowned Colchagua Valley, the country’s most promising wine region.

At MontGras Winery you will enjoy a winery tour and taste a selection of their premium wines. Your next port of call will be Viu Manent Winery, which you will visit by horse-drawn carriage. The tour takes in the winery, vineyards, cellars and “La Llavería”, a telling example of Chilean epoch architecture. As well as taste a selection of wines during the tour, you will also have the chance to try reserve wines at La Llavería. You will have lunch at the winery restaurant, which serves traditional yet innovative cuisine that is particularly renowned in the area.

Next, you will travel towards the Apalta Valley and visit the famous Montes Winery, where you will experience a unique tour through lush vegetation that is typical of central Chile, taking in panoramic views along the way. From the vineyards producing Montes Alpha M, Montes Folly, and Purple Angel wines, you will be able to soak in gorgeous views of steep hillsides featuring a 45-degree incline.

You will learn about the terroir and will have the chance to observe the gravitational system used to move the wines in the bodega (winery). Overnight at a winery near Santa Cruz. 

Day 7: Visit a revolutionary winery in the Apalta Valley - Departure

After visiting the Santa Cruz Museum, you will head to Casa Lapostolle Winery, a revolutionary winery solely dedicated to the production of Casa Lapostolle’s world-class icon wine, Clos Apalta.

Consisting of five levels, the winery has a unique design. It is completely gravity-fed, allowing the wine to flow downward during every production stage, thereby eliminating the need to pump, a process that can affect the subtle flavors of the wine. Three levels are buried into the hillside granite, providing a naturally cool environment ideal for cellaring and aging.

Hand-harvested grapes are brought to the top level of the winery where they are painstakingly hand-destemmed. Wine is fermented in small French wooden vats.

During your tour, which will take a little over an hour, you will be introduced to the world of winemaking and will have the chance to sample Casa Lapostolle wines.

To round off your weeklong wine tour, you will enjoy lunch at Clos de Apalta Winery. In the afternoon you will be dropped off at Santiago’s SCL airport in time to catch your plane back home.