Arrival at Santiago International Airport. Immigration & customs formalities take around 1 hour. Outside after customs area, you will be met inside the Arrivals Hall by your local drive who will assist with the direct transfer to your hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, check-in formalities. During the afternoon, you will explore Chile’s capital city, a sophisticated, sprawling metropolis wedged between the Andes and Coastal Ranges. You will visit the Palacio de La Moneda Presidential Palace (outside), the Plaza de Armas, the city’s most famous square surrounded by some beautiful buildings including the impressive Cathedral and Central Post Office. Continue to San Cristobal Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the omnipresent Andes, before heading uptown to continue to the Pueblo de Los Dominicos Handicrafts Market. This charming shopping area resembles a colonial village, and the quality products on offer range from hand knit sweaters to lapis lazuli to art and even pet animals.

Guide: Included for the day

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: Solace Hotel Santiago

After breakfast, transfer to the meeting point of the activity. We will meet at Mercado Central where the gastronomic and culture tour starts. A gastronomic experience where you will have the possibility to discover the culture of our country through its cuisine. We will visit the traditional markets of Santiago and cook some typical dishes of the chilean gastronomy. The National Geographic Traveler magazine chose the Central Market of Santiago as one of the best in the world. Within its Top Ten list, the Central Market is exactly located in the fifth place. The gastronomy website www.thedailymeal.com listed the 45 best markets in the world and La Vega Central in Santiago was mentioned in place number 4. After lunch, return to your hotel. Rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: Solace Hotel Santiago

This morning drive to Las Vertientes in the heart of the Maipo Canyon. Located in the foothills of the Andes, with views of the River Maipo, this area is a popular weekend spot for santiaguinos. Our first stop will be at Haras de Pirque Vineyard for a visit to this unique winery. In 1991, after a highly successful business career in Chile's private sector, entrepreneur Eduardo Matte acquired this estate near Pirque, a prestigious winegrowing area situated in the Maipo Valley. The property – today covering 600 hectares – gently ascends the lower slopes of a spur of the Andes Mountains. The visit will include a tasting of premium wines. Continue to Santa Rita Winery's Casa Real Hotel, unquestionably one of the nicest places to spend the night near Santiago. Originally built in 1885, this wonderful property is surrounded by lush gardens. A stunning neo-Gothic chapel on the property offers a quiet place for reflection, as does the pretty patio with its bubbling fountain. There is also an old-fashioned game parlour with a piano and a billiards table imported from England. Innumerable statues, some of them of a mythological origin and others representing the four seasons, accompany the visitor, showing the beauty of each corner offered by this huge and pretty garden. Your tour includes a comprehensive visit through the premises of this vineyard. Lunch will be served at Santa Rita’s landmark restaurant, Doña Paula, where superb Chilean and international dishes are served with excellent Santa Rita wines.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• High-end Accommodation: Solace Hotel Santiago

Breakfast. If you have some free time, we recommend you to visit the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino). The museum's permanent collection includes a diverse assemblage of pottery, sculptures and textiles from Mesoamerica, the Amazon, the Caribbean and Central and Southern Andes. Highlights include pieces from the Inca and Aztec empires and Chinchorro mummies. At convenience time, transfer to Santiago Airport to board your next flight. End of our services

Meals: Breakfast