Crossing from Chile to Argentina

Fixed Departure Crossing the Andes Tour

8 Days

On this tour you will enjoy good company of other fellow travellers, while our local guides inform and enrich your experience. Travel in comfort, visiting both the highlights and hidden treasures of the continent, staying in good standard and well-located accommodation. Competitively priced, this itinerary is designed to offer you real value for money.
The highlights on this tour are: Santiago, Crossing the Andes Mountain Range, Mendoza and Buenos Aires.
Guaranteed departure on fixed dates, minimum 2 participants with local English speaking guide.

Hotels quoted are tourist, superior and first class categories (similar to 3*, 4* and 5* categories).  The hotels we use are clean, safe, with private facilities and are centrally located.

Day 1

Santiago - TUE

Transfer from Santiago airport to your hotel.
In the afternoon city tour of Santiago de Chile.
Santiago de Chile is a city of contrasts. With remains of its Colonial past to the ultramodern, high-rise buildings of the financial center, Chile’s capital city will surprise us. There is a predominantly European influence in the cities culture. More than 5 million of habitants live here.
The city tour starts passing the San Francisco Church built between 1572 and 1618 to head west towards the area of the Club Hípico, one of the most beautiful horseracing tracks in South America. Proceed towards downtown passing by the Cousiño Palace, several monuments and public buildings and the quarters of the government at the Constitution Plaza (The Constitution Square) visiting the Presidential palace known as  “La Moneda”. At the Plaza de Armas the Cathedral Church, the Main Post Office Building and the National History Museum can be seen. Proceed to Cerro Santa Lucía (Santa Lucía hill) from where one can appreciate the scenic view of Santiago’s downtown. Passing Mapocho River and the residential areas with beautiful houses, parks and malls on your way back to the hotel.

Day 2

Santiago - WED

Day at leisure – the following optional tour can be booked with BFirst Travel:
Optional (not included): Full day excursion to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar.
The tour leaves Santiago in western direction. Arriving in Valparaiso, you pass by the main square where you can view the monument honouring the Naval Battle fought in 1879. Driving towards the southern side of the city and seeing the old funiculars you will drive up a hillside for a most spectacular view of the bay seeing Valparaiso’s downtown district and its adjoining hills. Then proceed to the lower level of the city through the commercial heart of the port, where you’ll take the coastal highway that links Valparaiso with the resort city of Viña del Mar. Reaching the Concón beach, you can admire various fish stands displaying a great variety of seafood. Summer homes and restaurants are spread out along the coast. Afterwards, visit the main square Plaza Vergara and the shopping avenue before returning to Santiago.

Day 3

Santiago/Mendoza - THU

Transfer hotel/bus terminal - public bus from Santiago to Mendoza without guide (6-7 hours).
Today you are going on a full day panoramic bus journey crossing the majestic Andes and the border to Argentina. After breakfast, you will be picked up at the hotel and transferred to the bus terminal in Santiago downtown. Board the comfortable public bus to Mendoza. Enjoy an impressive drive offering spectacular mountain views. Passing the city of Los Andes, your bus continues upwards on “Ruta 60” along the hillside of the Andean Mountains, offering you panoramic views on the way. You drive past Portillo, Chile’s most important centre of winter sports. It is located at the foot of the Aconcagua, the highest mountain of South America. You are going to leave Chile crossing the Argentinean Border through a tunnel which was built in 1980. Now, the road starts to lead downhill. You see the “Puente del Inca” (“Inca Bridge”), a strange rock formation resembling a bridge crossing the Mendoza River. Your bus passes Los Penitentes, Argentina’s best-known ski resort, before reaching Mendoza, your final destination for today.
Arrival at the bus terminal in Mendoza and transfer to your hotel.
Remark: It might occur that the transfer by bus must be cancelled due to bad weather  conditions (spring/autumn). In this case passengers will need to take a flight from Santiago to Mendoza, which must be paid on the spot by themselves.

Day 4

Mendoza - FRI

You will visit the city sharing the culture and history of its foundation by the Spanish colonizers four centuries ago. It includes a visit to the Independence Plaza, the main avenues and the Civic Centre, The Founding area, The Aquarium (as optional), the General Martin Park and the Hill of Glory, a popular spot for a panoramic view.

Day 5

Mendoza/Buenos Aires - SAT

Transfer from the hotel in Mendoza to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires transfer from the airport to the hotel.

Day 6

Buenos Aires - SUN

After breakfast you will visit the most important sites during a city tour. You will drive to the Plaza de Mayo, with the Casa Rosada, the pink house, seat of the government, the Cabildo (town hall) and the Metropolitan Cathedral, home of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. The tour goes onto the district San Telmo. Until 1888 this part of the city was a river port, today San Telmo is one of the most modern and desired places to live in Buenos Aires. The worker district La Boca is famous for its colourful tin-houses and its history as living district of Italian seamen and dock workers in the 19th century. The Barrio Norte called Recoleta is the quarter of the rich of Buenos Aires. On the cemetery of Recoleta one will find the grave of Eva Duarte who became famous as Evita Perón. Continue along the widest avenue in the world, the Avenida 9 de Julio, to the Plaza Lavalle with the Federal Court of Justice and the Teatro Colón, to Palermo with its parks and gardens. Return to the hotel.

Day 7

Buenos Aires - MON

Day at leisure – the following optional tours can be arranaged by BFirst Travel:
Optional (not included in the price): Full day visit of a typical Argentinean Estancia with lunch included. 
Optional (not included in the price): Tango Show with dinner.

Day 8

Buenos Aires - TUE

Transfer to the airport.