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The leading specialists in cultural walking tours
We specialise in guided cultural walking holidays with music festivals, opera, art & architecture, birdwatching, wildlife and gourmet food & wine.
For expert, friendly advice on this tour
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Argentine Gauchos

Trip Dates: 10 - 27 November 2010
Trip Dates: 18 days 
Trip Price: £3,990 per person
Single room supplement: £660 
Deposit: £400 per person
Chilean Andes

Activity level: 13 walking days (1.5 - 2.5 hours daily), swimming available most days.
Temperatures: November is the beginning of the southern hemisphere summer and temperatures vary between 19 and 28°C. It is cooler by the Pacific in Chile and somewhat warmer in northwest Argentina.
Vineyards in the Andean foothills
Wine bar in Mendoza

Meeting place: Santiago de Chile Airport
Meeting time:  10 Nov 2010 9.25 
Departure place: Buenos Aires Airport
Departure time:  27 Nov 2010 18.00 
A scene from rural Northern Argentina

Accommodation:
- 2 nights in Valparaiso, in a very comfortable historic hotel, once the home of Chile’s most celebrated naval artist
- 2 nights in Santa Cruz, in a colonial-style hotel on the main plaza
- 1 night in Santiago, in a comfortable, ideally located hotel
- 2 nights in Mendoza wine country, in a Jesuit mission-style lodge set in its own vineyards and with a swimming pool
- 1 night in Mendoza, in a stylish boutique hotel in the town centre
- 2 nights in Cafayate, in a welcoming hotel, charmingly set round a flower-filled courtyard and with a swimming pool
- 1 night in Cachi, in a hilltop hotel with a particularly good restaurant
- 1 night in Salta, in a classic hotel perfectly located on the main plaza
- 2 nights in Purmamarca, in an exclusive lodge with lovely gardens and a pool
- 2 nights in a classic, privately owned 18C estancia
- 1 night in Buenos Aires, in a 5 star colonial era hotel in El Centro district
Size of party: This trip will run with a minimum of 6 & a maximum of 14 guests.
Church in Jujuy province
Walking in the Andes
Tren del Vino

Visa and Health Requirements
Visitors from the UK and USA currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Chile and Argentina. Tourist Cards are issued on entry and it is important to retain your half until you leave. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassies of Chile and Argentina.
At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Chile and Argentina, but you are advised to consult your doctor at least 6 weeks before you travel about updating your immunisation against Hepatitis A, polio, tetanus and typhoid, or anything else they consider advisable. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.
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Chile & Argentina: Walks & Wine on a Journey across the Andes
Our journey begins in the Chilean capital, Santiago and we explore Valparaiso, the Pacific coast and the wine valleys before a spectacular drive takes us up and over the Andes (below the foot of 6,962 m Aconcagua). We discover the Malbecs and bodegas of Mendoza, then take a domestic flight to Salta and Jujuy provinces, close to the Bolivian border, to see traditional Quechua Indian culture and walk in extraordinary scenery.
After visiting an 18C estancia, complete with horses, gauchos and a classic Argentinian asado (grill) we conclude with a stay in an historic 5 star hotel in Buenos Aires and visiting an authentic tango milonga.
TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1 
L, D included
After meeting mid morning at Santiago de Chile’s international airport we have a road transfer (1.5 hours) west to Valparaiso, where our very comfortable historic hotel was once the home of Chile's most celebrated naval artist. We have some time to rest before setting out to walk by the Pacific Ocean, on the beach at nearby Viña del Mar. We may well see pelicans and sea lions, and dinner will naturally be seafood.
DAY 2 
B, L, D included 
Valparaiso is set in a sweeping bay, with brightly-painted houses clinging to the steep hillsides, and today we set off on foot to explore its picturesque architectural jumble, using the network of historic ascensores to go up and down the 42 cerros (hills), and enjoying fine views from the miradores. We visit the Casa La Sebastiana, former home of the writer Pablo Neruda, and the Naval Museum (housed in the old Naval Academy) before returning to our hotel for some free time before a pisco sour aperitif and dinner.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
We drive south to the Rosario valley for a walk in the vineyards and a visit to an award winning winery where proximity to the cold Pacific has produced notable pinot noirs. Driving on (3 hrs) to the picturesque town of Santa Cruz, we settle into our colonial-style hotel on the main plaza and have time to shop for textiles and silver jewellery before dinner in an excellent local restaurant.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
In nearby San Fernando we board the Tren del Vino, a vintage 1913 steam train, for a wine tasting trip through Chile’s celebrated Colchagua Valley - we also hear traditional music and have a tour and lunch in one of the historic wineries in the valley. Returning to Santa Cruz, we visit the Colchagua Museum, one of the most important private collections in Latin America.
DAY 5 
B, L, D included
Heading north to Santiago we first visit the French rococo mansion of the Cousiño family, then pause for coffee before seeing the superb collections of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. A funicular takes us to the top of San Cristobal hill for fine views after a seafood Sunday lunch in the colourful Barrio Bellavista. The remainder of the afternoon is free for relaxing in our comfortable, centrally located hotel, or exploring independently.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
An early start for the spectacular climb up into the Andes, looking out for condors soaring above the peaks - at the ski resort of Portillo we stop for lunch in an historic restaurant with views over the frozen lake. The 4 km Redentor tunnel takes us through to Argentina and we walk for half an hour or so (at almost 4,000 m) in the National Park for marvellous views of Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak in the western hemisphere (6,962 m). We see some unusual geology in Puente del Inca before gradually descending on a dramatic road. Our Jesuit mission-style lodge is set in the midst of its own Malbec vines and has a pool with a wonderful view across the vineyards to the snow-capped peaks.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
This morning we walk through nearby vineyards, learning about the snowmelt irrigation and micro-climate that result in such special wines, and taste their modern-style wines before a light lunch on the lawn. A relaxing afternoon at the lodge prepares us for our first typical Argentinian asado, the best grass-fed beef in the world grilled on a wood fire and accompanied, naturally, by their estate Malbec.
DAY 8
B, L, D included
A specialist guide accompanies us on a 2 hour walk up into the pre-cordillera for views of the 6,800 m peak of Tupungato, to look for puma tracks and to pick wild herbs to mix in our maté, the traditional Argentinian drink. We visit an old-fashioned, family-run bodega for a winetasting and lunch, then proceed to our stylish boutique hotel in the centre of Mendoza and have time to explore the centre with its broad tree-lined streets and shady plazas.
DAY 9
B, L, D included
Two domestic flights via Buenos Aires takes us up to Cafayate, in northwest Argentina, where we continue by road. Vineyards and farms give way to richly hued red sandstone mountains and we take a fascinating walk into a canyon to see the effects of water over the millennia. Our very welcoming hotel is charmingly set round a flower-filled courtyard and has a swimming pool.
DAY 10
B, L, D included
We drive south, disturbing raucous flocks of parrots, to Quilmes, Argentina’s best preserved archaeological site where a pre Inca group established a complex urban settlement around 1,000 AD. Our next stop is an innovative small bodega where we taste organic Torrontes wine before lunch - we round it off with a cabernet sauvignon sorbet! A late afternoon walk reveals ancient petroglyphs on the hillside and we finish our day with a memorable asado under the stars at a private finca.
DAY 11
B, L, D included
We leave early to drive the wonderfully scenic gravel road through the Valles Calchaquies, with pauses en route to walk in the rugged Quebrada de Flechas, to visit a vicuña farm and traditional weaving centre, and to see several interesting Spanish colonial churches as well as a surviving stretch of an Inca route. We walk through the cobbled squares and adobe houses of the village of Cachi and stay the night in a hilltop hotel with a pool and a particularly good restaurant.
DAY 12
B, L, D included
After a leisurely start we have a 2 hour circular walk beneath the 6,000 m Cachi mountain before lunch on the hotel lawn. Several hours of hairpin bends and wonderful views bring us to the colonial city of Salta where our classic hotel is perfectly located on the main plaza. We visit the extraordinary Museum of High Mountain Archaeology which documents Inca child sacrifices on the 6,739 m Llullaillaca volcano, and the elaborately decorated cathedral.
DAY 13
B, L, D included
The morning is free for shopping (silver, leather and traditional gaucho hats and cloaks) and enjoying the café life around the plaza. After sampling Argentina's best empanadas we drive north on the picturesque old forest road to our destination for the next two nights, the adobe village of Purmamarca. Our exclusive lodge is a tranquil retreat, with lovely gardens, a pool, and a restaurant specialising in "haute Andean cuisine".
DAY 14
B, L, D included
An early morning walk around the Hill of Seven Colours is a photographer’s paradise as the sun lights up the marvellously tinted rocks. An hour's drive north we visit the reconstructed pre-Columbian fort at Tilcara and the museum with its displays of ceremonial masks, before lunch. We cross the Tropic of Capricorn and see the remarkable paintings depicting angels armed with Spanish colonial guns in the 17C church in Uquia, then return to Purmamarca with time to shop for Indian handicrafts, especially llama and alpaca woollens.
DAY 15
B, L, D included
East of Salta and 700 m lower, we arrive at an 18C estancia, in the same aristocratic family for generations, in time for lunch, elegantly served in the shade of magnificent trees in the grounds. We can relax by the pool, learn about the history of the estate from the family, or walk to see alligators in the private nature reserve before drinks are served in the gallery, followed by a candle-lit dinner.
DAY 16
B, L, D included
This morning there are opportunities for a bird watching walk, riding on one of the estancia horses (an option for experienced riders) or strolling through the gardens to see the llamas in their grassy paddocks. After lunch we see an amazing display of horsemanship by the gauchos in their traditional red cloaks and leather chaps, and later the gauchos prepare a traditional asado for us.
DAY 17
B, L, D included
We have a guided walk around part of the estancia, seeing trees alight with the scarlet blossoms of the ceibo, Argentina’s national flower, before transferring to Salta airport for the internal flight to Buenos Aires. We settle into our 5 star colonial era hotel in El Centro district then walk in the renovated waterfront area and see the iconic Calatrava bridge and the historic Corvette "Uruguay". Following our farewell dinner we proceed to a milonga to watch and participate in genuine tango dancing.
DAY 18
B, L included
We continue our exploration of Buenos Aires by walking to the Plaza Roma through the embassy district and visiting the famous Recoleta cemetery (where Evita is buried) before reaching the state-of-the-art Modern Arts Museum (MALBA). There is some free time for shopping or individual pursuits before an airport transfer in the afternoon completes our South American journey.
Price includes:
All accommodation for Days 1 through 18 on a double shared basis
All meals with wine at lunches and dinners as listed in the daily notation
All land transportation in a private vehicle as described except during free periods
Scheduled internal flights between Mendoza and Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires and Cafayate and Salta and Buenos Aires
Tren del Vino trip, funicular and ascensore tickets
All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods
All winery tours and tastings as described
Services of specialist local guides and drivers, plus Kudu Travel tour leader
Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Please ensure that you are specifically covered for walking at high altitude (up to 4,000 m).
Kudu Travel Limited
Teffont Manor
Teffont Ewyas
Salisbury SP3 5RJ
Phone: 01722 716167

Registered in England
No. 03854049
AITO
Travel Trust Association
ATOL T7281
Guests’ comments on this trip:
‘An excellent trip, wonderful food, great variety in the programme and Patricia did not spare herself on our behalf.’
‘I had a wonder-filled time on the Chile and Argentina trip. Three weeks packed with dramatically different terrains, habitations and experiences - infinitely rewarding, thank you!’
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