Contrast-Rich Chile in Style

Morning light streams between the facades of the Lastarria arts district; the first café tables are being set out in front of the galleries, and the air is filled with the aroma of coffee, the sound of voices, and the clatter of small restaurants. Your boutique hotel is located right in the heart of this lively neighborhood, within walking distance of Santiago’s historic center, and the lush Cerro Santa Lucía hill is right next door. To the east, the snow-capped Andes define the skyline; to the west lies the Pacific Ocean. You’ll stay three nights in a standard room; each morning begins with a breakfast buffet; and a German-speaking tour guide will accompany you starting with your arrival transfer.

On the Plaza de Armas, the shadows of the colonial buildings stretch long across the cobblestones; from the viewpoints overlooking the city, the gaze wanders all the way to the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. The second day is dedicated to the Pacific coast: In Valparaíso, colorful houses cling to the steep slopes, old funiculars groan their way uphill, and the air is thick with the scent of salt and the history of the harbor—a UNESCO World Heritage Site of color and wind. Right next door lies the sophisticated seaside resort of Viña del Mar. If you’d like, you can follow up with a day in the wine regions around the capital. All excursions are privately arranged and accompanied by a personal guide; on-site admission fees are not included.

In the late afternoon, the light catches on the walls of a main house that has stood on the northeastern edge of the national park since 1906: dark wood, British-Patagonian colonial style, the creaking of old floorboards, the steppe outside the door, and the peaks of Torres del Paine on the horizon. One of the oldest estancias in the region, today a thriving puma conservation project where livestock farming and wilderness coexist. Just twenty-one rooms in three historic buildings, no buses pulling up, no clamor from tour groups, and private guides who have known the land for generations. You’ll stay for four nights on an all-inclusive basis: full board from the breakfast buffet to a three-course dinner, plus an open bar with house wine and standard beverages. If you arrive before 2:00 p.m., lunch and your first half-day excursion are already included.

While the morning dew is still fresh, the nature conservation team’s trackers read the trails in the grass and lead you in pursuit of the pumas across the steppe, to where the estancia’s land gives way to the wilderness. On other days, you’ll hike to Laguna Sarmiento on the park’s largest lake, where thrombolites rise from the water, or through the lenga forest to the Bosquecito lookout point. On horseback, you’ll ride across the vast expanses; in an off-road vehicle, you’ll head to the rarely visited northeast—to the Las Chinas Valley, the deep-blue Laguna Azul, and the Cascada Paine. There are also e-bike tours, a cultural tour to the manor house, an old sheep shearing shed, and an organic garden, as well as an archaeology tour in the Palique region, home to the first hunters and gatherers. The guides adjust the program and route daily based on the weather and season. The regular catalog excursions, national park admission, and on-site activities are included; the full-day Conservation Safari, boat trips, and fly fishing are available for an additional fee.

On the outskirts of San Pedro de Atacama stands a small lodge made of clay and adobe, built in the traditional style of the region. Outside the windows lie the desert plains and the silhouettes of the volcanoes; all around, nothing but silence. This is where you’ll set out on all your tours. You’ll spend three nights on an all-inclusive basis with an open bar until 11 p.m.; the shuttle to town is included. Spa treatments, laundry service, and premium wines are available for an additional fee.

In the first light of dawn, the geysers of El Tatio steam while the cold still hangs in the high-altitude air: a full-day tour, setting out at four in the morning and returning around noon. On other days, pink flamingos waddle through the shallow salt lagoons, or you can follow the rugged rock formations of the Moon Valley. As soon as darkness falls, your gaze turns upward: an astronomy tour beneath one of the clearest starry skies on Earth, in the same desert where the major observatories are located. Two half-day or one full-day tour daily in small groups, with local English-speaking guides and a picnic. Tours and shuttle service from the lodge are included.

The Pacific crashes against the rocks, and your lodging seems to have grown right out of the coast itself: an ecovillage right on the shore of Rapa Nui, inspired by the island’s culture and organically integrated into the landscape rather than towering above it. The rooms overlook the ocean. Four nights all-inclusive with an open bar, minibar, and a sunset cocktail at the hour when the sun sinks into the ocean. Lunch on the day of arrival, transfers, and national park admission are included; premium spirits, wine, spa treatments, and laundry are available at an additional cost.

In the morning light, they stand there—fifteen stone guardians of Ahu Tongariki, their backs to the sea, their faces toward the island. With your own guide, you’ll make your way up the slope of the Rano Raraku quarry, where hundreds of unfinished moai rest in the tuff, as if the sculptors had only just laid down their tools. High above the Rano Kau crater lies the Birdman ritual site of Orongo; at Ahu Akivi, seven figures—a rare exception—face the sea. Also featured are the palm-fringed beach of Anakena and the village of Hanga Roa, known for its local cuisine.

Every day, a dedicated guide will take you out—either for a full day or two half-days—along with other guests. Tours and national park admission are included.

You can read more about excursions on Easter Island in our travel magazine.