Wine & Ice
A beautiful, delicious tour combination!
Our 9-night Chilean Fjords and Wineries program offers great wine, stunning landscapes and encounters with southern cone nature and culture. The dates for the Patagonia fjords cruise are fixed, but you have the flexibility to enjoy the wine section of the trip after the cruise if this aligns better with your international flights. Simply speak to us, and we can adapt to your requirements.
Note: We offer different hotel levels for your time on dry land, plus a number of optional excursions. Please speak to us about your wish list, and we can customise the Wine & Ice package around the fixed date of the Patagonia fjords cruise.
Wine & Ice Highlights:
- Transfers, with a guide, between all of the locations on the trip.
- Two days of winery visits – with lunches included.
- Enjoy three wineries per day.
- 4- or 5-star hotels – for the nights in Santiago and Puerto Varas.
- Optional Puerto Varas excursion – Lakes and volcanoes.
- 5-night / 6-day Chilean Fjords cruise.
- Full board and open bar on the ship.
- Internet access and expert lectures during the cruise.
- Many different shore excursions.
Itinerary in Detail:
For the description below, we will assume that clients are taking the wine portion of the program first, then joining the cruise – but remember it can be the other way round if that is better for your dates.
Day 1 | Tuesday – Arrival in Chile
We will be waiting for you with your name on a sign when you land in Santiago. You will then be transferred to your hotel in the Las Condes or Vitacura districts of the city. The rest of the day will be yours to rest and relax after your flight.
Day 2 | Wednesday – Exploring the Maipo Valley
Today, you will visit some of the most prestigious wineries in South America and taste some excellent wines, with the option to sample from the ultra-premium and icon ranges should you wish.
After hotel pickup at 8:45 AM, we will drive for just over an hour to the Pérez Cruz winery. Here, you will enjoy a tour that includes driving through the vineyards in a golf cart, learning about regional viticulture, and exploring the history of the winery. You will then tour the production area to see how our favourite liquid is crafted. Along the way, you will enjoy a tasting of three wines paired with a charcuterie board. To wrap up the visit to Pérez Cruz, we head to the “Emporium,” where you may purchase a bottle before moving on if you wish.
Santa Rita is your lunch venue today, just a 15-minute drive away. The restaurant is located inside a historic 18th-century adobe hacienda featuring a lovely garden. You will select from a semi-set menu offering several dish options with wine included. After lunch, feel free to relax in the garden with a glass in hand before we depart.
A short 25-minute drive takes us to what is likely the most famous winery in Chile: Concha y Toro. A massive commercial success, Concha y Toro is one of the most recognisable wine brands in the world. We will walk onto the estate and take a seat at their newly constructed wine bar – a beautiful space with a high-end, sophisticated feel and an extensive wine list. Here, you will be free to choose from options ranging from affordable wines to high-end, iconic flights featuring Almaviva and Don Melchor.
You can then browse the wine shop for a bottle or two to take away for the cruise or home. From there, we will drive you back to your hotel (approximately 50 minutes away) and leave you free for the evening to enjoy Chilean gastronomy.
Day 3 | Thursday – Enjoying Cool Casablanca
Today, you will visit a cool-climate wine region known for producing outstanding wines. Casablanca’s climate is ideal for producing whites and rosés, as well as red varieties like Pinot Noir and Syrah. You will visit three wineries today and sample different expressions of several varieties and blends.
Following hotel pickup at 9:15 AM, we will drive for an hour to the Emiliana winery for a tour (tour organico) focusing on organic and biodynamic viticulture. Emiliana boasts the largest organic vineyard acreage in the world. Their biodynamic practices treat the vineyard as a living, self-sustaining organism – utilising cover crops, specialised compost preparations, and free-roaming animals instead of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilisers. After learning about these practices, you will enjoy a tasting of four of their excellent wines. You will have time to relax with a glass in these beautiful surroundings before we move on.
Our second stop is Casas del Bosque, which serves as our lunch destination. This is a lovely spot to eat, sitting on the terrace while enjoying several dish options with a glass of wine (feel free to order additional glasses or a tasting flight to share). You will have some downtime after eating to relax with a glass in hand.
Because today’s stops are close together, just a short drive brings us to our third and final winery, Bodegas RE. The cellar here is quite unusual as it houses several different types of fermentation and ageing vessels under one roof. You will enjoy a brief look around the photogenic underground cellar before tasting four of the unusual varieties and blends (the REcreacion tasting) that are the signature of this winery. Afterwards, we will return to Santiago and drop you off at your hotel, some 60-minute drive away.
Day 4 | Friday – Travel South to the Lake District
We will pick you up at the arranged time to transfer you to the Santiago airport for your flight to Puerto Montt (airport code: PMC). We recommend a morning flight so you can enjoy the late afternoon and early evening in the charming lakeside city of Puerto Varas.
There are several morning options for the 1-hour-and-45-minute flight. Upon arrival, we will meet you and drive you 30 minutes to your hotel in Puerto Varas. After checking in, you will have the rest of the day free to explore the town, take in the views of the lake and volcanoes, and sample local cuisine.
You also have the option to take a lake and volcano excursion if you wish; please let us know at the planning stage, and we will see how it matches with your flights.
Day 5 | Saturday – Board your ship and set sail.
We will pick you up from your Puerto Varas hotel and transfer you to the port. You will need to board before 12:00 pm. At noon, the ship will set sail from the Skorpios terminal in Puerto Montt and sail through the Llanquihue Archipelago. You will have views of the city of Calbuco while crossing the Ancud Gulf. At 4:30 pm you will arrive in Quemchi, located on the island of Chiloé. Disembarkation by small boat will deliver you to this picturesque town, where you will be able to visit the handicraft market, wander the streets and maybe try one of the cafés, as well as visit the museum of Chilean writer Francisco Coloane. At 6:30 pm, we will continue sailing south through the Chiloé Archipelago, crossing the Corcovado Gulf around midnight.
Day 6 | Sunday – Puerto Aguirre and Caleta Quesahuen
Around 8:00 am, we set off to sail through the Moraleda and Ferronave Channels. We will arrive at Puerto Aguirre at 11:00 am, where you will disembark. This fishing town is nestled in the Chonos Archipelago, and we will have time to explore its streets, viewpoints, and the trail through a forested area. At 1:30 pm, we set off again, navigating through the Ferronave and Pilcomayo Channels, and then the Casma Passage. At around 4:00 pm, we will arrive at the Barrientos Islet.
Here we will disembark by boat, quietly approaching this group of small rocky islands to visit the place that is home to the largest number of seabirds in the Aysén region, including Imperial and Red-legged Cormorants, Austral and Dominican Gulls. There may well also be some South American fur seals resting on the rocks or in the sea. At 5:00 pm, we will continue to head southbound, anchoring around 10:00 pm at Caleta Quesahuen or Punta Leopardos, around 20 miles from San Rafael Glacier.
Day 7 | Monday – San Rafael Glacier
Around breakfast time, we will arrive in the San Rafael Glacier area, after sailing through San Rafael Bay and Témpanos Channel. At around 9:00 am, the ship will anchor about 2 km from the glacier nose, and we will begin exploring the glacier wall and icebergs in small boats. (weather permitting). Later, the vessel will approach the Ice wall for another point of view and around 4:00 pm we will head to our night stop in the Quitralco Fjord.
Day 8 | Tuesday – Hot Springs and Northbound
We will spend the night docked at the Quitralco Pier. After breakfast, passengers can
disembark to enjoy the hot springs, pools with temperatures ranging from 32°C to 38°C, both indoor and outdoor. You will also have time to take short walks along the local trails. Weather permitting, motorboat excursions will be offered around the islands and fjord. At 5:00 pm, we will set sail northbound toward Chiloé Island, sailing through the Moraleda and Pérez Norte Channels.
Day 9 | Wednesday – Chiloe and Captains Dinner
Today sees us sailing through Leucayec Channel and crossing the Corcovado Gulf at approximately 5:30 am. In this area, weather permitting, there is a chance that we will see Blue Whales, also called Alfaguaras. Continuing along the eastern coast of Chiloé, we will anchor at the Conejos Islet in the Queilen Channel at around 11:00 am.
Here you will disembark for a motorboat excursion to take a look around this small island, home to Magellanic penguins and numerous local birds. At 1 pm, we will set sail again, sailing between the Lemuy and Chelín Islands and arriving in the afternoon at Dalcahue. You will disembark at this small town and have time to explore its craft fair, lovely church, and stroll along the waterfront promenade. In the evening, at 11:00 pm, we will head off on our last sailing leg toward Puerto Montt while all guests enjoy the farewell party and Captain’s Dinner.
Day 10 | Thursday – Departure day – Fly home or continue?
After breakfast today, you will disembark and be transferred to Puerto Montt Airport for your flight to Santiago. At Santiago Airport, you could choose to connect and fly directly home, or maybe you would like to try another location in Chile or South America.
