South America Part III: 3 Countries – Ecuador, Chile, Argentina (16-Day Tour)

On this day, gather at the international airport. With the assistance of our professional tour guide for check-in procedures, board and fly to Ecuador.

Ecuador is located on the equator and is known as the center of the world. It was once the northern capital of the Inca Empire and preserves many well-kept Spanish colonial and historic buildings. In 1978, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site. The Galápagos Islands are also world-renowned because of Darwin. Upon arrival, visit the Old Town including the Basilica, La Compañía Church, the Presidential Palace and the Virgin of El Panecillo. After dinner, check in at Mercure Alameda Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, proceed to the Equator Monument and the Intiñan Solar Museum. The guide will demonstrate many interesting experiments at the equator, such as balancing an egg, allowing you to experience the magic of the equator. This is the exact point where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet, and you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere. After dinner, check in at Mercure Alameda Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to the Galápagos Islands. It was here that Darwin, through his study of species, developed his world-famous theory of evolution. Upon arrival, you may have your passport stamped with the giant tortoise emblem, then take a private transfer to a unique hotel on the island. After lunch, visit the famous Darwin Research Station to see the giant tortoises up close. After dinner, check in at Silberstein Hotel or a similar accommodation.

On the islands you will find rare giant land tortoises, frigatebirds with inflated red pouches, and blue-footed booby that look as if they are wearing blue boots. Tropical iguanas and many other species can hardly be found anywhere else in the world. All 24 species of reptiles here are unique and endemic. After breakfast each day, take a speedboat to different islands for ecological tours. The Galápagos Islands are located in an exceptionally unique position at the meeting point of cold and warm ocean currents, where the cold Humboldt Current from the south and the warm equatorial current from the north converge, creating an extraordinarily rich marine ecosystem with both cold- and warm-loving animals. For two consecutive days, snorkeling equipment will be provided, allowing you to enjoy complimentary snorkeling and observe marine life up close. After dinner, check in at Silberstein Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador and a famous Pacific coastal city known as the Pearl of the Pacific. Colorful houses and historic Spanish colonial neighborhoods are the city’s landmarks. Upon arrival, visit sites such as City Hall, the Malecón waterfront, July 9th Avenue, San Martín Square and the colorful houses on Santa Ana Hill. After dinner, check in at Hotel Wyndham Guayaquil or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Santiago, the capital of Chile. After dinner, check in at Holiday Inn Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, take a flight to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, begin a city tour, then check in at the hotel. Torres del Paine National Park, praised as one of the world’s five great natural wonders, is located at the southernmost end of the Andes. It features pristine blue glaciers, clear lakes, waterfalls, forests and abundant wildlife. In 1978 it was designated by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site. See the famous Cuernos del Paine peaks. Stay overnight at a lakeside specialty hotel.

After breakfast, drive to explore the breathtaking scenery inside Torres del Paine National Park, including snowcapped mountains, lakes and waterfalls. See rare animals such as the Andean eagle and llama. Stay overnight at a lakeside specialty hotel.

After breakfast, continue to admire Lago Pehoe, famous for its sapphire-blue waters. Afterwards, pack your belongings and drive toward Argentina, passing through the towering Andes mountains and enjoying the magnificent snowcapped scenery along the way. Cross the border into Argentine Patagonia and proceed to Calafate, the base for viewing ancient glaciers. Surrounded by forests and lakes, the landscape at the end of the Andes is exceptionally beautiful. After dinner, check in at Lagos Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, drive to the famous Los Glaciares National Park. Upon entering the park, visit the renowned Perito Moreno Glacier (Glaciar Perito Moreno), which is 35 kilometers long, covers an area of 195 square kilometers, with a front width of nearly 5 kilometers and a height of 60 to 100 meters. Guests can approach the famous glacier viewing platform to admire the magnificent glacier up close, and witness the natural spectacle of ice calving, as huge blocks of ice break off into the lake. After lunch, guests may optionally join the Mini-trekking on Ice (Minitrekking) activity. Take a boat across the lake and through the forest, then, under the guidance of a professional guide, put on special crampons and walk on the glacier itself. After dinner, check in at Lagos Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, drive to the pier and board a special glacier boat to explore Argentina’s third largest lake, Lago Argentino. Both shores are lined with steep snowcapped mountains, glaciers, and dense forests, while countless huge icebergs of different shapes float on the lake, glimmering like blue crystals. The Upsala Glacier is the largest, covering 595 square kilometers, with a front width of nearly 7 kilometers and a height of 80 to 100 meters. As the boat approaches, its immense size is truly overwhelming. The boat then continues past the Agassiz Glacier into the picture-perfect Lago Onelli, where you can admire three major glaciers: Glaciar Agassiz, Glaciar Bolado, and Glaciar Onelli. After dinner, check in at Lagos Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, enjoy free time for shopping and explore a shopping street to purchase various local souvenirs. Around noon, transfer to the airport and fly to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. After dinner, check in at Hilton Hotel or a similar accommodation.

After breakfast, begin a city tour, visiting famous attractions such as the Colón Theatre, one of the world’s three major theatres, the Independence Monument, Congress Square, and the Presidential Palace (Casa Rosada). Afterwards, transfer to the airport and board a luxury flight to Toronto.

Welcome home! Arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport.