mortimer? / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
WHY TRAVEL WITH US Adventure travel trips specifically geared for working professionals from the same city. Odyssey Treks provides authentic cultural trips involving travel to remote, exotic areas with elements of physical participation and exploration of a new experience with optional volunteering opportunities. The great thing is everyone on the trip will be from the same city where you can share, relive, and get together back home after the trip.
What we want to create with this company is a community for you in your city where you can meet new friends, create meaningful relationships and have life time memories of unforgettable trips and journeys. We’ve met some truly remarkable people, shared some amazing experiences and have had some fantastic relationships through all our years of travel. The problem is all those people are scattered throughout the world. There’s amazing people, incredible friendships and wonderful relationships ready to be made right in your own city. Why not connect with them through travel and develop something meaningful and lasting. All of our tours will incorporate our trip essence. This trip essence includes adventure, culture and volunteering opportunities. As well we promise to follow our guiding principles and core values on all of our trips.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES QUALITY Our accommodations, local guides, pre-departure service and suppliers are constantly monitored and consistently evaluated to ensure we uphold the standard of excellence. We will always ask for traveler suggestions, requirements and any safety concerns you may have for all our trips to make this the most memorable experience possible. FLEXIBILITY All of our tours offer optional activities throughout with plenty of free time to do your own thing. Of course we want you to do as many activities as possible with the group but we also understand that having time on your own is important as well. Our small groups can venture beyond the well-worn tourist paths and experience a destination’s less publicized but equally rewarding attractions. Our itineraries are creative and responsive and make the perfect one or two week vacation so you can take full of advantage. SMALL GROUPS Limiting our groups to no more than 16 participants plus one Odyssey Treks Tour Leader means we can maximize cultural immersion while minimizing environmental disruption. www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
As food always plays an important role in the local cultural experience, we make a point of avoiding large hotel buffets in favour of smaller, local restaurants. VALUE Since we design, develop and work with local partners in each country no one is more familiar with the intricacies of our product than ourselves. When you book with us, you take advantage of this first-hand knowledge and an extensive network of worldwide contacts; you’ll be in good hands with Odyssey Treks.
What Odyssey Treks does is make everything easy for you from the moment you land in the country to the time you get back on that plane to go home. There’s no need to do hours and hours of planning. Let us take out all the stresses of traveling so you can enjoy your time away. Remember it’s a vacation for you. We’re going to make sure you have a fantastic time! If something were to go wrong going we will be there to help you, support you and make sure whatever challenges there are you won’t be alone. We’ve found our travel experiences sometimes things can go wrong unfortunately- that’s the nature of traveling in foreign countries.
Our CORE VALUES Develop Friendships and Community Create Happiness Responsibility Provide Opportunities Explore and Challenge We hope you choose to travel with a purpose and to travel with us! The quote above from the Dalai Lama- his words I truly believe in. “We’ve lost something along the way. Our society focuses on material things and for some reason people measure others by what they have instead who they are. I wish everyone happiness and finding it can be difficult. The happiest people I’ve met are those in villages that have nothing. It’s remarkable seeing these happy kids. For them they have family, friends and an imagination.” Ryan- Owner Odyssey Treks www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1 Upon arrival at Santiago de Chile's International Airport, you will be met by one of our representatives and driven to your comfortable hotel to check in. After a short time in the hotel to freshen up and unpack our guide will come pick us up and we'll head downtown in Santiago's modern metro to begin our Santiago City Walking Tour. We get off at metro stop Moneda and surface in front of Chile's famous presidential palace La Moneda, a symbol of Chile’s political past and its famously turbulent history. From here we head along Paseo Ahumada, a city center walkway famous for its crowds, shops, and diversity of people. At the end of the Paseo we reach Plaza de Armas which is Santiago's main square and Chile's kilometer zero (the point from which all distances in the country are measured). From here we head to Santa Lucia hill where Santiago was founded in 1541 by Pedro Valdivia and as we climb up we get great panoramic views of the city and the Andes Mountain backdrop.
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
Our tour finishes by visiting the bohemian Lastarria neighborhood at the bottom of the hill, lined with cafés, restaurants, small theaters, bookstores and boutique shops. Here we relax, chat with the guide and enjoy a coffee before taking the metro back to the hotel. Overnight Plaza El Bosque San Sebastian 4*, Santiago
Day 2 –Bike & Wine excursion In the morning we're picked up from our hotel and driven south to wine country. Once we arrive in the village of Alto Jahuel in the famous Maipo valley we offload the bikes and start riding. As we ride we have the opportunity to observe local people living and working in agricultural Chile before we head into the vineyards. We stop to visit three wineries, all varying in history and in the wine they produce. The first stop is one of the oldest wine cellars in Chile at Viña Santa Rita, where we discover the vineyard's rich tradition in wine making and find out about the important role it played during Chile's struggle for independence. We get back on our bikes and continue through the vineyards, riding past the very spot that the Carmenere grape of Bordeaux was rediscovered, long after it was thought to be extinct. The grape was reintroduced by Viña Carmen, which still produces some of the finest Chilean wines to this day. On reaching the winery, we take a tour through its state-of-the-art production facilities before moving on to our next stop. The third winery is the 100% organic Viña Nativa where we learn all about the delicate relationship between grapevines and flowers and stroll through the picturesque gardens full of swans, ducks, chickens, deer and even llamas. In the shade of a marquee we try two of the best wines that Viña Carmen and Viña Nativa have to offer. We then ride to the shop at Viña Santa Rita where we try our third wine of the day and have time to browse and buy wine to take home. After the final winery we drive to a countryside restaurant for lunch. Satisfied after great food, wine and the scenic bike ride, we return to our hotel in Santiago. Overnight Plaza El Bosque San Sebastian 4*, Santiago
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
Day 3 The group will be picked up from the hotel in the early morning and driven to the airport to check in for your onward flight. Upon arrival at Calama Airport we are driven straight to San Pedro de Atacama, past the impressive rock formations of the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountains). Once in San Pedro we check in to our hotel, have lunch on our own and then it’s time for the first excursion, in the vast desert ripples of Moon valley! In the afternoon you'll have a little time to acclimatize before being whisked off on a bike tour to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), located 13km/8 miles west of San Pedro in the Salt Mountain Range. The valley has beautifully strange lunar landscapes and is considered one of the driest places on the planet. Cycling towards Valle de la Luna in time to witness a spectacular sunset, you'll feel the immensity of the desert stretching out all around you. Light refreshments and a specialist guide will be provided. Overnight Hotel Altiplanico Standard room 4*, San Pedro de Atacama
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
Day 4 After breakfast we start our adventure by driving to Toconao, a beautiful Andean village. Toconao's lands are an oasis in the desert and are apt for growing fruits and vegetables nourished by water coming in through small channels. We visit its main streets and San Lucas church. We then continue to Quebrada de Jerez, a large canyon channeling the waters entering Toconao. The next stop will be Laguna Chaxa, a lagoon in the middle of the Atacama Salt Flat, home to beautiful Chilean and Andean flamingoes. We continue driving towards Miscanti and Miùiques Lagoons - undisputed highlights of the region - full of turquoise water that contrasts with the autumnal colours of the Altiplanic lands. A truly incredible landscape, creating an unforgettable memory of the region. Overnight Hotel Altiplanico Standard room 4*, San Pedro de Atacama
Day 5 The very early wake-up call from the hotel will be well worth it when we arrive at the amazing Geysers of Tatio and see them in action. From almost 900 meters below the earth, boiling www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
steam bursts up to 40 meters over the surface of the earth. A scrumptious breakfast will be served upon arrival before we walk through the geothermal fields with the geysers erupting nearby. As we drive back, there is a magnificent view of the Tocopurri and Sairecabur volcanoes. We arrive back in town in time to have lunch on own. The afternoon will be free to rest or explore San Pedro after the early start, high altitude and low temperature we faced in the morning. Overnight Hotel Altiplanico Standard room 4*, San Pedro de Atacama
Day 6 Today we're traveling from one extreme to another as we head from the dusty Atacama desert to Chile's luscious Lake District, lined with vast lakes and active volcanoes. After checking out from the hotel you'll be driven to Calama airport and board a flight to Puerto Montt, connecting in Santiago. Upon arrival in Puerto Montt you'll be driven to nearby Puerto Varas, a beautiful town with a marked German architectural style located on the shore of Lake Llanquihue, where you'll check into your welcoming hotel. Overnight Hotel Puelche 4*, Puerto Varas
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
Day 7 Today we visit a National Park named after the millennial Larch tree (Alerce tree in Spanish), native to the region and undoubtedly one of the most interesting species of tree in Chile. In this park some of the Alerce trees are more than 3,000 years old! We drive down Los Colonos route heading to the city of Puerto Montt, passing by the small town of Alerce, then we meet the Carretera Austral. This famous road, carved through Northern Patagonia, is lined with abundant fauna, flora and the beautiful lowlands of the Andean Cordillera. Along the road there are also small farming villages with a marked European look. We arrive at the 39,255 hectare park and start a beautiful hike on the different trails going through the Park. If we are lucky we see some of the interesting fauna that lives in the park including the Chilean deer (huemul), puma, pudú (the smallest deer in the world), condor, black carpenter bird and many other birds. We stop for lunch in one of the picnic facilities then continue hiking among the ancient trees, looking out over the lake. Overnight Hotel Puelche 4*, Puerto Varas
Day 8 After breakfast, we board the van that will take us to the Petrohue sector in Perez Rosales NP. We drive towards the Park, located at the foot of Osorno Volcano next to the flowing turquoise waters of the Petrohue river. Upon arrival we meet our skilled guides who will equip us will all the rafting gear needed (wet-suit, helmet, paddle jacket and life jacket) and then talk us through safety instructions. We mount the rafts and start paddling down this beautiful class III river, enjoying the rapids and the scenic views. After our adventure we have a snack on the river banks and then return to Puerto Varas. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight Hotel Puelche 4*, Puerto Varas
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
Day 9 Today we enjoy our final views of the Lake District before being driven to Puerto Montt airport to board our onward flight. The trip to Torres del Paine N.P. begins with you being picked up from Punta Arenas airport in the morning and driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. En route we make a couple of stops - First in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where we enjoy a hearty local lunch, and second at Cueva de Milodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890’s. The whole journey is very scenic, with plenty of wild birds and wonderful landscapes to be seen. The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of the park with a view of the Torres. During summer the sun sets around 11pm, so upon arrival there's plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Suite Dome, Torres del Paine
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
Day 10 During your Wildlife Safari you can choose between nature walks, treks and bike excursions depending on your mood, weather conditions and travel companions preferences!
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Suite Dome, Torres del Paine
Day 11 This day we will be doing a voluntary restoration activity inside the park with “AMA Torres del Paine” NGO. If there is time afterwards we can combine it with a trekking in the area. The AMA plan of restoration of forests considers successive stages of evaluation for damage caused by forest fires, detection and characterization of ecosystems for reference, exclusion of herbivores from sown areas, sowing plant-life, evaluation of the plantation and proposal of monitoring ecological variables for effect of the success of the restoration. *In case a passenger would not like to join the activity, you can choose an excursion from the Wildlife Safari excursion chart. Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Suite Dome, Torres del Paine
Day 12 www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas on time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. Once in Santiago we are driven back to our lovely hotel by private transfer and get some well-deserved sleep. Overnight Plaza El Bosque San Sebastian 4*, Santiago
Day 13 Morning at leisure At an agreed time we will be driven to the airport by private transfer with our guide, where we board our flight home...Hasta la proxima Chile!
TRIP/ROUTE MAP
PRICING $7799 USD WITH MY OWN ROOM ADD $2299USD www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
2014 DEPARTURE CITIES AND DATES Please check our website for the latest dates and departure cities. PHYSICAL CONDITIONING RATING: 3 out of 5 THIS TOUR IS FOR EVERYONE Cultural Rating: 3 out of 5 Accommodations 4 star boutique comfort hotels, guesthouses, Eco-Camp Meals Included All daily breakfasts at hotels are included. All meals included as indicated as in program: B: breakfast, L: lunch & D: dinner Meal Budget: Allow USD15-50 for meals and drinks (including bottled water) not included.
What’s Included All internal flight tickets (4 national one-way tickets: SCL/CJC, CJC/PMC, PMC/PUQ, PUQ/SCL) Santiago Private transportation as indicated in the itinerary Private walking city tour with bilingual guide (Guide ratio 1:12) Subway tickets and coffee or nonalcoholic beverage during the city tour Bicycle and helmet SIB transportation as indicated in the itinerary for the bike excursion Bilingual guide on excursion Tasting of three wines Lunch at the restaurant, with wine One mineral water bottle per person for each excursions Overnight in Santiago at Hotel Plaza El Bosque San Sebastian, or similar hotel San Pedro de Atacama One expert English speaking guide All ground transport as indicated in the itinerary. 3 nights at hotel in Hotel Altiplanico San Pedro de Atacama, or similar hotel Private excursions in San Pedro de Atacama Entrance fees to museum, national parks and indigenous communities visited Lake District www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
One expert English speaking guide All ground private transportation as indicated in the itinerary All excursions as indicated in the itinerary Rafting excursion on shared basis with expert English speaking guide 3 nights in Hotel Puelche, standard room, or similar if not available Parks fees
EcoCamp Patagonia All ground transfers indicated in the itinerary English speaking guide. Guide ratio 1:12. Max group size: 16 people. Park fees for Cueva del Milodon and Torres del Paine National Park. Boat ticket for crossing Grey Lake* and/or Pehoe Lake. (According to the excursion) Accommodation at EcoCamp’s Suite Dome Meals: Day 1: -Arrival Dinner Day 2: B, L Day 3: B Day 4: B, L Day 5: B Day 6: B Day 7: B, BL Day 8: B Day 9: B, BL,D Day 10: B, BL,D Day 11: B, BL, D Day 12: B, BL, D Day 13: B B: breakfast, BL: box lunch, L: lunch, D: dinner Accommodation Details Hotel Plaza El Bosque San Sebastian, Santiago Located in the financial district of El Golf neighborhood, 3 blocks from Tobalaba metro station. The hotel offers spacious apartments, near restaurants and shopping centers. Hotel Altiplanico San Pedro, San Pedro de Atacama This hotel offers maximum hospitality under the idea of hotels as a home, in parallel with respect for nature; architecture submits itself to nature and merges with it. To achieve this, our www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com
hotels have an excellent interior design and quality, beauty is considered the main luxury so we favor the honest, the simple, and the pure. This, combined with personalized attention, gives the visitor the feeling of being in a beautiful and efficient home. Hotel Puelche, Puerto Varas Puerto Varas' first boutique hotel has wonderful views of the lake & volcanoes and offers mountain-style architecture and spacious comfort. EcoCamp Patagonia Suite Dome, Torres del Paine (Heating & Private bathroom, 28m²/300ft²) Suite domes were designed for sleeping in the highest level of comfort allowed by sustainable development in a natural untarnished environment. The domes have comfortable double or twin beds, a modern low-emission wood stove and a private bathroom with a state of the art composting toilet. Guests can gaze at the stars through the ceiling windows while falling asleep each night, after enjoying a spectacular sunset from their private terrace.
What’s Not Included International flights, airport/departure taxes, visas, pre or post tour accommodation, optional tours sightseeing or activities during free time, transfers outside of the tour program, tips and items of a personal nature, laundry and any alcohol purchased or consumed. Some places that we visit charge additional fees if you are entering with a camera or camcorder - your city guide will advise on these and they can be paid for locally. Any travel vaccinations that are required. Travel Medical Insurance (this is mandatory and must be shown to our tour leader before trip begins) If you need travel insurance please go to our website and get a free quote
www.odysseytreks.com Phone: 1-855-888-8735 Email: info@odysseytreks.com