Day 01) Departure
Day 02)
Arrival in Santiago de Chile, money exchange, city tour. We see the palace of the president “La Moneda”, the artist quarter “Bellavista” and the main square “ Plaza de Armas”. We have a nice view on Santiago from the Cerro Lucia hill. Hotel in Santiago in a double-room with private bath.
Day 03)
Today we drive along the valley into the wine region , 250 km south of Santiago. Close to Talca we spend our night in a cosy hotel.
Day 04)
After one and a half hours drive we arrive at the national park “Gil de Vilches” with beautiful native forest of southern beeches, volcanoes and a waterfall. We will have nice views on the surrounding.
If time allows we will visit a vineyard on our way back to Talca.
Day 05)
We continue down south on the Panamericana. On our way we make a stop at the Chillan market where we can try a typical Chilean dish such as “Pastel de Choclo “ or “Cazuela”. Also there are nice handicrafts to buy. We put up our tents at the huge waterfall Salto de Laja .
P.N.Conguillio
Day 06)
We do a wonderful day excursion to the National park Laguna del Laja with gorgeous views. Here, at the foot of the Sierra Velluda and the volcano Antuco we will enjoy our 5 hours hike, crossing some lava fields. In that area the king of the Andes, the condor can be seen quite often. Transfer back to our camp.
Day 07)
We reach the region of the mapuche Indians. When sun shines we see up to 5 different, partly active volcanoes. Close to the Lonquimay volcano we put up our tents. Here we visit a forest that only has one species: the amazing araucaria (monkey puzzled tree)
Day 08)
The Conguillio National park definitely is one of the best parks of Chile. The araucaria trees - that can be 1000 years old and more – are a typical characteristic for this park. On our three hour hike we will also see “ the mother of the araucarias “ which is supposed to be about 1500 years old. The Captren lagoon was born through a big volcanic eruption where the rivers have been blocated.
Still today we can observe the drowned trees on the ground of this small lake. Camping.
monkey puzzle trees
Day 09)
On our hike of day nine we walk up the fantastic Sierra Velluda, from where we have splendid views over the 3000 meter high volcano . We might even have a good sight onto the Villarrica volcano. The big Conguillio lake is beautiful and ideal to have a swim after the excursion.
Camping.
Day 10)
We drive through the whole national park, leaving it at the western part. On this side we can see that in the last century the lava has been flowing several times, so there is no plant at all. We will be testimonies how the lava flow only left some trees at the side. In the background the smoking Llaima volcano - these are real inspiring photo motives. On our way to Temuco we can observe how farmers still work around here on their fields. We might meet some locals on their horses or on an ox carriage.
We reach Pucon at the Villarrica lake with its active volcano. Hotel.
Day 11)
The optional climb (not included in the price ) to the 2840 m Villarrica Volcano is definitively one of the highlights of the trip. You don’t need any climbing expertise but you do need to be in a good physical shape. The climb is led by specialized mountain guides and you are provided with the necessary equipment. After a 4-6 hour climb we reach the top and pluck enough courage to take a look down into the inside of the volcano! Given good weather conditions we have splendid views on the surrounding mountains (right into Argentina). Hotel.
Day 12)
Today you have spare time, there are several choices for optional excursions.
The surroundings readily invite mountain bike trips or horse rides. However, at the black lava beach of the lake you can relax with a view on the volcano. With a little bit of luck we are able to see the volcano glow at night . Hotel.
The center of the country has many national parks and spectacular sceneries to offer. Active volcanoes overtop old araucaria forests. Screaming parrots, hidden lagoons and the breathtaking Andes are inviting to be discovered by foot. We begin our tour in the capital and travel over the country until Temuco with private transport. On our way we visit the nature reserve “Altos de Lircay “ which is known for its natural forest; here we hike to the gorge of the Claro river. In the national park Laguna del Laja we climb the pass between the mostly snow-covered volcano Antuco and the glaciared Sierra Velluda. Here it is very likely to see condors. One of the nicest areas of the country is a little bit more to the south – in the heart of the araucaria region. A visit to the national park Conguillio with a hike up to the snowy mountain range is surely one of the highlights of this trip. Pucon is one of the touristic centers of the country. Here you have the great possibility to have a look into an active volcano which is the Villarrica. Good weather conditions on our flight to Punta Arenas will permit a great view on the continental ice. Patagonia represents adventure, great landscapes and pampa. Parts of this beautiful scenery have been declared national park, the so called Torres del Paine park, which invites many visitors to be explored. By foot on easy hikes we will get to know the flora and fauna of this park at the most southern part of the continent. We travel back home after three impressive weeks in Chile. 
