Santiago and Valparaiso Tours

[mike35]

We willl begin our South American cruise on 1/1/06, when we arrive in Santiago in the early morning. We depart Valparaiso the afternoon of 1/3/06. I have corresponded with two tour companies -- Santiago Adventures and Latin Trip -- for tour itineraries and price quotations. Both companies suggest touring Santiago, Concha y Toro winery, Vina del Mar, and Valparaiso, and both price quotations are similar. Can anyone recommend one company over the other? Or are there other sights that would be worthwhile in the short period of time that we have in that part of Chile?

 

Many thanks

 

Mike

[dileep]

I have a reasonable quote from Latin trip. Pick up at the port, sightseeing in Valpaiso & Vina del Mar and drop off at hotel in Santiago on Day 1, Santiago City tour and Concha winery tour on Day 2, drop off at airport on Day 3. All for $340 w/o hotel.

 

What kind of quote did you get from the other company? What is their contact info?

[mike35]

I received a quote for a similar itinerary from www.santiagoadventures.com. It was quite a bit more than www.latintrip.com's quote. So we've asked Ceci at latintours to confirm our tour with them. Dileep - is your quote of $340 a per person or per couple quote?

 

Mike

[cruzinforever]

I founfd this website http://www.chile-hotels.com/genlmap.htm

 

They have tours designed for cruise people that are quite reasonable.

Then I talked to a girl named Paula - she quoted me a price of just under $200 pp for:

Pickup at the ship with a city tour, winery tour and transportation to Santiago

One night stay at a 4 Star hotel in Santiago

Next day - a Santago tour and transport to the airport for an evening flight home

or, another night hotel would be an additional $35pp

Ron

[mike35]

Thanks for the info, Ron. Note that the tours are provided by Latin Trip, the company that we're booking with.

 

Mike

[cruzinforever]

Did not see that - does Latin Trip have a website?

 

Ron

[mike35]

http://www.latintrip.com

 

They seem to be very flexible - they're taking us to two wineries on day two, after I shared with them our interest in Chliean wines.

 

Mike

[dileep]

www.latintrip.com

 

They seem to be very flexible - they're taking us to two wineries on day two, after I shared with them our interest in Chliean wines.

 

Mike

 

They quoted me $90 more pp to visit 2 wineries. Did you deal with Ceci?

[mike35]

Mine went from $190pp with Concha y Toro to $230pp adding the second winery. Yes re Ceci.

 

Mike

[dileep]

I received a quote for a similar itinerary from www.santiagoadventures.com. It was quite a bit more than www.latintrip.com's quote. So we've asked Ceci at latintours to confirm our tour with them. Dileep - is your quote of $340 a per person or per couple quote?

 

Mike

 

My quote from Latin trip was $340 for 2 people which is consistent with the rates posted for different tours at their site. We had to use a group half day winery tour to keep the cost down. Adding a second winery would make it all a private tour and added $90 per person (may be she made a mistake and meant $90 total). We are going to Concha y Toro and I wanted to add Cousino Macul. The rest is private for 2 people. I need to send her a deposit by December 1.

 

We did add a brief stop at Veramonte Winery in Casablanca Valley on our way up from Valparaiso to the hotel in Santiago at not extra cost except for $6 pp tasting fee to be paid directly to the winery.

 

Just got a quote from Santiago Adventures for $370 per person for a similar itinerary.

 

I did get a quote for Iguazu Falls from BA from Latin Trip and they were only slightly higher than DeFrantur who are highly recommended on these boards.

So, I did not think that they were a cheap operator.

[pakitin]

To all interested in visiting a winery we recomend instead of Concha y Toro a visit to Santa Rita Winery and their beautiful gardens. Have lunch at their small gourmet restaurant Doña Paula which is located next to the gardens on a national historic building.

Your hotel concierge can set it up with one of their drivers or with a tour company.

If you take a private car tell them to drive along the mountain base road on the way to the winery and on the toll road on the way back. It is located in the Maipo Valley.

 

On the way back to your hotel have your driver stop at Pueblito Los Dominicos to shop handcrafts from all regions of Chile.

 

Paco