Chile & Falkland Islands 6704
Chile & Falkland Islands 6704
Chile & Falkland Islands 6704
17 Days Starting and ending in London, UK
Visiting: Santiago, La Campana National Park, Torres del Paine National Park, Punta Arenas, Bleaker Island, Bleaker, Pebble Island, Stanley, Volunteer Point, London
Tour operator:
Tour code:
BCFK
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable wildlife adventure with the "Chile & Falkland Islands 6704" tour. Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin in La Campana National Park and marvel at the stunning landscapes and unique plant species of Torres del Paine National Park. Experience the awe-inspiring Grey Glacier on a boat trip and discover the vibrant native wildflowers on Bleaker Island. Get up close with penguins and other fascinating wildlife at Volunteer Point. This tour offers a perfect blend of nature and wildlife exploration, with comfortable accommodations and expert guidance throughout. Enjoy city tours, scenic excursions, and the chance to witness the incredible biodiversity of these remarkable regions. With return flights from London and all internal flights included, this tour promises an enriching and seamless travel experience.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Fly London To Santiago
Location: Santiago
Accommodation: Overnight Flight
Accommodation Name: Overnight Flight
We depart from London on an overnight flight to Santiago, Chile. Regional flight connections, flight upgrades and overnight accommodation before or after the tour available on request – please ask for a quotation.
Day 2
Location: Santiago
Accommodation Name: Hotel Marina Las Condes
Meals Included: Dinner
On arrival at the airport in Santiago we will be met and transferred to our hotel, the Hotel Marina Las Condes (or similar).
In the afternoon we depart on a half day tour of historical Santiago, Chile’s capital city. We will see the neoclassical La Moneda Palace, the seat of the government; the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by the 18th century cathedral, the National Historical Museum and the central post office notable for its lobby. We continue to the Parque Forestal and the bohemian area of Bellavista, where we climb San Cristobal Hill which offers excellent views of Santiago and the Andes beyond. A welcome drink is included this evening.
Day 3
Location: La Campana National Park
Accommodation Name: Hotel Marina Las Condes
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast this morning we depart for a full day excursion to La Campana National Park at Ocoa, to the north west of Santiago in the coastal ‘cordillera’ mountain range of Quillota province. The park is dominated by the mountains of La Campana and El Roble, both over 2000m above sea level. The National Park was created in 1967 to help preserve one of the most important ecosystems of the region, Mediterranean Esclerophic Scrub is now a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The park’s vegetation is predominantly made up of native esclerophic woods, such as Peumo, Quillay, Boldo, Litre, from which appear wonderful examples of native Oaks – the densest and largest in central Chile – and the endemic Jubaea chilensis or Chilean Palm. The area was also made famous by the English naturalist Charles Darwin who visited Campana on several occasions and was particularly taken with the views from the summit - on clear days it is possible to see the whole width of Chile from the coast to the high Andes around Aconcagua. Evening at leisure.
Day 4
Location: Torres del Paine National Park
Accommodation Name: Hotel Las Torres
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Following breakfast we check out of the hotel and transfer to Santiago airport for our flight to Punta Arenas. We will be met on arrival and transferred to Torres del Paine National Park. As we drive though the vast Patagonian steppes we will take the opportunity to look for some of the great array of plants endemic to this dry region of Patagonia as well as surrounding regions of southern Argentina and the Falkland Islands.
Our base for the next three nights is at the Hotel Las Torres (or similar).
Day 5
Location: Torres del Paine National Park
Accommodation Name: Hotel Las Torres
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we have a full day excursion to Torres del Paine National Park, where we can expect to find a very interesting array of plant species. Our first encounter with this stunning place will lead us to find striking species such as various Lady's Slippers of the genus Calceolaria including C. biflora and the striking C. uniflora. We will visit low-growing patches of Antarctic Beech (Nothofagus antarctica) and arid sectors with the presence of the endemic shrub Paramela (Adesmia boronioides). On the wildlife side we can expect to see herds of Guanaco (a relative of the Llama), Andean Deer and Culpeo Foxes. Pumas are relatively abundant here but we will need to be lucky if we are to spot one.
Day 6
Location: Torres del Paine National Park
Accommodation Name: Hotel Las Torres
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Following breakfast we transfer to the Grey area and take a boat trip across Lake Grey, which is fed by the Grey Glacier. Smaller inflatable boats will take us up to the glacier itself.
Later we continue our exploration of the Torres del Paine National Park and aim to discover representative species of the Patagonian steppes. We will try to find, among several others, the tiny Patagonian Alstroemeria (Alstroemeria patagonica) or the conspicuous Oxalis (Oxalis enneaphylla), both of which have a very restricted range. This afternoon we will continue across vegetative formations with the highest plant diversity of the whole region of southern Chile, known as the pre-Andean Mesophytic Scrub. Extensive shrubby areas hold stunning species such as the Chilean Fire-Bush (Embothrium coccineum) or the fragrant Escallonia (Escallonia rubra). We will also look for the most beautiful orchids of the region including Chloraea magellanica, Codonorchis lessonii and Gavilea littoralis. The grandeur of the scenery should make for a truly memorable day in this magnificent Biosphere Reserve.
Day 7
Location: Punta Arenas
Accommodation Name: Hotel Cabo de Hornos
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast we check out of the hotel and transfer to Punta Arenas where we will stay overnight at the Hotel Cabo de Hornos (or similar). A packed lunch is included today. The remainder of the day and the evening are at leisure.
Day 8
Location: Bleaker Island
Accommodation Name: Cassard House/Cobb’s Cottage
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Following breakfast, we check out of the hotel and transfer to Punta Arenas airport for our flight to Mount Pleasant International Airport on the Falkland Islands. On arrival a 30-minute internal flight will take us to Bleaker Island, which lies close to the south-east coast of East Falkland, at the entrance to Adventure Sound. Together with its outlying islands, the Bleaker Island Group is internationally recognised as an Important Bird Area. The northern part of the Island is a National Nature Reserve.
Day 9
Location: Bleaker Island
Accommodation Name: Cassard House/Cobb’s Cottage
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We will explore Bleaker Island today, beginning with an orientation tour. Bleaker was first known as Long Island (and referred to as such on the chart compiled by the Beagle survey of which Charles Darwin was a part in 1834). It subsequently became Breaker Island, after the large waves that crash against it, but since at least 1857 it has been called Bleaker Island – although it is far from bleak, with a varied coastline of low cliffs, sloping bedrock beaches, wide sandy bays and sheltered coves. For many years the Island was owned by the Falkland Islands Company and it has been a sheep farm for over 100 years. Now privately owned, and under organic sustainable management, it has 1,000 sheep and a nucleus of 55 Hereford breeding cows. Flowers on Bleaker include the yellow and dog orchids, lady’s slipper, common violet and vanilla daisy. Queen of the Falklands fritillary butterflies breed in the Pebbly Bay area, feeding on native violet flowers.
Day 10
Location: Bleaker
Accommodation Name: Cassard House/Cobb’s Cottage
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Our exploration of Bleaker and its wildlife continues today. Forty different breeding birds have been recorded, including Magellanic, southern rockhopper, macaroni and gentoo penguins and a very large colony of imperial cormorants. Peale’s dolphins reside in the bays south of the settlement year-round and sea lions can also be seen at this time of year.
Day 11
Location: Pebble Island
Accommodation Name: Pebble Island Lodge
After breakfast we fly to the penguin paradise of Pebble Island, and our accommodation at Pebble Island Lodge, originally built as a farm manager’s house in 1928. Pebble Island is named after the unusual and attractive pebbles that were once abundant on some of its beaches. For many years it was one of the most important wool producers on West Falkland. The island qualifies as an Important Bird Area, a global standard set by Bird Life International. Around 40 bird species have been recorded, including over 1,000 pairs of imperial cormorants that breed on Tamar Point.
Day 12
Location: Pebble Island
Accommodation Name: Pebble Island Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We have a full day excursion exploring Pebble Island, which is home to several large colonies of gentoo, Magellanic and southern rockhopper penguins. Eight of the Falkland endemic plants grow here, including vanilla daisy and lady’s slipper. Commerson’s dolphins are regularly recorded at Green Rincon and in Elephant Bay, and the Queen of the Falklands fritillary butterfly occurs on the heathlands.
Day 13
Location: Stanley
Accommodation Name: Malvina House Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we depart on an internal flight to Stanley, where we will stay for the next two nights at the Malvina House Hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore this little town of around 2000 inhabitants, which replaced Port Louis as the islands’ capital in 1845.
Day 14
Location: Volunteer Point
Accommodation Name: Malvina House Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we depart on a full day excursion to Volunteer Point, travelling overland in 4x4 vehicles. Volunteer Point is a stunning 3-mile long beach which is home to the Falklands’ largest colony of breeding King penguins, here at the northerly limit of their breeding range, along with Gentoo and Magellanic penguins. The birds are generally very tame and approachable and will not hesitate to come up and investigate their visitors!
Day 15
Location: Santiago
Accommodation Name: Hotel Maria Las Condes
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast we transfer from Stanley to Mount Pleasant Airport for our flight to Santiago, Chile, where on arrival we will be met and transferred to the Hotel Maria Las Condes. Evening at leisure.
Day 16
Location: Santiago
Accommodation Name: Overnight Flight
Meals Included: Breakfast
Following breakfast we return to Santiago Airport for our international overnight flight back to London.
Day 17
Location: London
On arrival in London the group will disperse or make onward connections.
What's Included
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Accommodation in Chile
Seven nights’ accommodation in Chile: three nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel Marina Las Condes (or similar), Santiago; three nights’ half board at the Hotel Las Torres (or similar), Torres del Paine; one night bed and breakfast at the Hotel Cabo de Hornos.
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Meals
Welcome drink and dinner and eight lunches are included.
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Accommodation in the Falkland Islands
Seven nights’ accommodation on a full board basis in the Falkland Islands: three nights at Cassard House/Cobb’s Cottage on Bleaker Island; two nights at the Pebble Island Lodge on Pebble Island; two nights at the Malvina House Hotel, Stanley.
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Flights
Return flights from London to Santiago; domestic flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas; flight from Punta Arenas to the Falkland Islands and from the Falkland Islands to Santiago; all internal flights within the Falkland Islands.
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Transportation
Comfortable coaching throughout the tour.
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Tours and Excursions
City tour of Santiago and tour of La Campana National Park; two full day tours of Torres del Paine National Park; boat trip on Lake Grey to the Grey Glacier; visits to Volunteer Point, Saunders Island, Sea Lion Island and Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
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Porterage
Porterage at all hotels (not on the Falklands) is included.
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Tour Manager and Guides
Services of Colin Crosbie as tour manager and local English speaking guides.
What's Not Included
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Personal Expenses
Personal expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and drinks are not included.
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Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is not included and is recommended for all travelers.
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Optional Activities
Any optional activities or excursions not mentioned in the itinerary are not included.
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Visa Fees
Visa fees and any related travel documentation costs are not included.
Mode of Transport
Travel includes return flights from London to Santiago, domestic flights within Chile, and flights to and within the Falkland Islands. Comfortable coaching is provided throughout the tour, along with 4x4 vehicles for specific excursions.
Accommodation
Enjoy seven nights in Chile with stays at Hotel Marina Las Condes in Santiago, Hotel Las Torres in Torres del Paine, and Hotel Cabo de Hornos in Punta Arenas. In the Falkland Islands, experience full board at Cassard House/Cobb’s Cottage on Bleaker Island, Pebble Island Lodge, and Malvina House Hotel in Stanley.
Check out our Q&As
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What kind of wildlife can I expect to see on this tour?
During the tour, you can expect to see a variety of wildlife including penguins at Volunteer Point, herds of Guanaco, Andean Deer, Culpeo Foxes, and possibly Pumas in Torres del Paine National Park. In the Falkland Islands, you may encounter Magellanic, southern rockhopper, macaroni, and gentoo penguins, as well as imperial cormorants, Peale’s dolphins, and sea lions.
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What are some of the unique plant species we might encounter on this tour?
The tour offers the opportunity to see unique plant species such as the Lady's Slippers of the genus Calceolaria, Antarctic Beech, Paramela shrub, Patagonian Alstroemeria, Oxalis, Chilean Fire-Bush, and various orchids like Chloraea magellanica, Codonorchis lessonii, and Gavilea littoralis in Torres del Paine National Park. On Bleaker Island, you might see yellow and dog orchids, lady’s slipper, common violet, and vanilla daisy.
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What kind of activities are included in the tour?
The tour includes a variety of activities such as a city tour of Santiago, excursions to La Campana National Park and Torres del Paine National Park, a boat trip on Lake Grey to the Grey Glacier, and visits to Volunteer Point, Saunders Island, Sea Lion Island, and Stanley in the Falkland Islands. There are also opportunities for wildlife observation and exploring the unique flora and fauna of the regions visited.
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What is the significance of Bleaker Island in the Falkland Islands?
Bleaker Island is recognized as an Important Bird Area and is a National Nature Reserve. It has a varied coastline and is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including breeding birds and butterflies. The island is managed sustainably and has been a sheep farm for over 100 years.
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Who will be guiding the tour?
The tour will be managed by Colin Crosbie, who will be accompanied by local English-speaking guides to enhance the experience.
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Will I receive more details of the holiday before I travel?
You will receive detailed joining instructions around 10 days prior to you departure, but you are of course welcome to contact us at any time should you have any queries.
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What facilities do your coaches have?
Generally, our coaches have reclining seats, air-conditioning and toilets, however this cannot always be guaranteed as sometimes we have to use smaller vehicles. Toilets are recommended for emergency use only and regular comfort stops will be made throughout your holiday while travelling around.
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Do I have to go on the included excursions?
Absolutely not. You are more than welcome to spend the day at your hotel or exploring independently should you wish. All we ask is that you inform your Tour Manager, so they are not left waiting for you to join the group.
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Is there time to relax?
Although our itineraries may seem jam-packed, boasting access to some of the most exclusive sites across the UK and beyond, a Brightwater Holiday is just that: a holiday. Each trip will counter in more than enough free-time for you to explore places at your own leisure. And with most nights and the majority of meals being included in our tour prices, you can relax in hand-picked accommodation.
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Do I need to be an expert?
Absolutely not! Although some of our tours are specifically focused on one thing, all you need to enjoy a Brightwater holiday is interest and bags of enthusiasm! Even on our most specialist tours, we take travellers from all skill levels, from experts to beginners.
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How fit or active do I need to be for one of your holidays?
You need to be able to get on and off the coach unassisted, and most – but not all – coaches have a kneel facility that lowers the front step for ease of boarding
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Do you have self-drive holidays?
Yes, we do – tailored to your exact requirements!
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What’s the luggage allowance on your coaches?
There’s no fixed limit, but we generally say one large suitcase to go in the luggage compartment and a smaller bag that you can take onto the coach with you. For flight-inclusive holidays, we include a luggage allowance of at least 20kg.
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Where are your departure points?
UK garden holidays generally depart from London, with additional pick-ups depending on the route of the coach, while holidays to Scotland depart from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth, with Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen sometimes included. All Eurostar holidays depart from London St. Pancras and flight-inclusive holidays depart from one or more of the main London airports, with regional flights .
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What about the company that will be kept?
For single travellers, those with a companion or even those travelling in a larger group, you'll find that the signature of any Brightwater Holiday is the company. You won't ever be travelling with a group of strangers, instead, you'll find yourself surrounded by like-minded people with a strong shared interest who will soon become your firm friends.
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What is a Brightwater Holiday?
Bursting with enthralling, educational and enlightening itineraries, a Brightwater Holiday, by its very nature, is packed with bucket-list-worthy destinations, behind the scenes passes and expert-led experiences. From creating bespoke quality garden and special interest tours for groups and individuals alike, we have made it our business to make our guests' travel dreams come true.
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Why is there a single supplement?
Unfortunately, single room supplements are charges that are often imposed on us as a company when we book rooms for group holidays. However, most hotels do charge less for single occupancy, and we always pass this saving on to our solo travellers in the form of a modest single supplement.
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How much are your optional excursions?
Prices start from as little as £20, but please contact our friendly team for questions about specific itineraries or excursions.
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Can I pre-book my coach seats?
Yes, you can. In the case of front seats, guests with limited mobility are given priority. Please get in touch with our friendly team to discuss any requirements you may have.
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How to get there? Easy!
With a Brightwater Holiday, the journey is just as important as the destination and we make getting you to your tour start point easy. From organising group flights and individual travel plans, to offering accessible local departure and pick-up points, we go out of our way to ensure that your journey is as convenient and hassle-free as it can be.
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Do I need to have travel insurance?
Travel insurance is required for all overseas holidays and is also strongly recommended for UK holidays – primarily to protect yourself against cancellation charges should you be unable to travel.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Brightwater Holidays allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform brightwater holidays, 25 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Brightwater Holidays requires a minimum deposit of 15% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 70 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of brightwater holidays charges.
At 40 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.