Chile and Argentina Rural

Assemble at India International Airport and depart for Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city. Our Chilean guide will meet you upon arrival at the airport and transport you to your hotel in the pleasant district of Providencia, where you can rest from the long trip. In the evening, enjoy a ‘Welcome to Chile’ cocktail – the chance to try the Chilean national drink, the Pisco Sour.

Take a walking tour of the city centre with visits to the Franciscan cloister (the oldest colonial building in the city) and the museum of Pre-Colombian art, a spectacular display of native American art, some of which bears uncanny resemblances to Maori artefacts. After lunch visit the Lapis-lazuli workshop and centre for artisans where many local arts and crafts are showcased. In the evening, we take a ride to the top of San Cristobal hill for a panoramic view of the city.

Overnight stay Santiago

We travel to the agricultural area to the south of the city, where we visit an export fruit grower (table grapes, wine grapes and stone fruit) or the established Undurraga vineyard for an insight into the Chilean wine industry. Then it’s off to the airport to check in for the 90 minute flight  to Puerto Montt. Transfer to scenic Puerto Varas, a resort centre on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. Enjoy dinner at one of the town’s finest restaurants with excellent wine matching.

This morning visit Puerto Montt, the port for southern Chile, to take a look at the local catch and the crafts, before heading north to visit a lakeside dairy which milks cows and fattens steers on pasture. Weather dependent, enjoy a bbq lunch with our charming hosts before travelling to the riverside town of Valdivia on the shores of the estuary.

This morning visit an orchard growing fruit such as nectarines, apricots or cherries. Meet local growers and learn about production in this sunny climate. Also visit a lavender operation for an insight into this ancient plant and its importance to Provence – it has been used in medicines and perfumes for over 4000 years. Continue to the picturesque village of Gordes, said to be one of the most beautiful villages in France, and enjoy free time for lunch and shopping. This afternoon visit an established olive grove and mill where we’ll meet the owners and learn about producing quality oil and other olive products. Tonight stay in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a pretty riverside village in Vaucluse, known for its stores and markets.

Today you can spend at leisure, taking in vineyards or perhaps getting active and enjoying the day cycling through local villages and canoeing on the Sorgue River from picturesque Fontaine de Vaucluse. Later, end the day with a visit to one of the highly regarded Rhone Valley vineyards such as Chateau Neuf de Pape – this region is second to none when it comes to producing wine! Return to L’Isle- sur-la-Sorgue for a free evening.

After breakfast, depart towards Lyon and visit a mixed cow and goat dairy farm in the Vienne region. This 7th generation farm is a great example of an added-value enterprise as cheese, yoghurt, butter and cream are all produced on the farm. Continue to Lyon with time for lunch at a local market. This afternoon we’ll explore this riverside city. Lyon, with its impressive architecture, was once known as the silk capital of the world. Today, it is a major centre of business with a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy!

After breakfast we visit a mixed farm of Charolais beef cattle and ‘Certificate of Origin’ Bresse chickens. After lunch nearby, we travel into the spectacular mountains, valleys and lakes of “picture-postcard” Switzerland. Arrive at beautiful Lucerne set amidst a scenic lake and mountainous peaks of Rigi and Pilatus. After checking into your hotel for a three night stay, take a walking through the old city with its narrow cobbled streets, medieval squares and charming covered wooden bridges. There are plenty of options for dinner within walking distance of your hotel.

A wonderful day in the spectacular Swiss mountains today! Highlights include a Swiss Brown dairy visit high in the mountains (and lunch with the family), a scenic hike to the farm (reasonable fitness required) and a magnificent gondola ride up Mount Pilatus. Finish the afternoon with a cruise on beautiful Lake Lucerne.

Enjoy the day in Lucerne. You are free to relax or perhaps explore nearby villages, mountains or rural areas of this delightful country. A Swiss-style dinner tonight.

This morning we depart south into Italy. In the productive north, visit a Mediterranean Buffalo farm with its own cheese factory – a chance to sample mozzarella in a country where it has been produced since the 12th Century! Learn about a profitable way of dealing with effluent. Continue south with a break for lunch en route. Upon arrival in picturesque Alba, a town in Italy’s Piedmont region, check into your hotel for a two night stay.

Today you will learn about the renowned ‘Slow Food Movement’ which was born in Piedmont. This concept was developed in opposition to that of ‘fast food’ after McDonald’s opened a store in the heart of Rome. Visit a butchery where fresh meat is transformed into premium cured products. Also see Piedmontese cattle which carry a unique gene mutation causing double muscle growth. This afternoon you will participate in truffle hunting! Alba is famous for white truffles, the most valuable truffle in the world. Return to Alba for the evening at leisure.

After breakfast, enjoy a fun cooking lesson and learn how to make pasta like an Italian! After devouring your tasty creation, depart south through the Emilia-Romagna region, famed for Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. Continue on to Bologna – a medieval city that celebrates its rich food legacy. Enjoy dinner tonight at a traditional family-owned restaurant in the city.

Continue south to the wonderful city of Florence. Take in sights including the captivating Duomo Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio bridge and the vibrant leather markets. The central food market with its beautifully presented fresh produce is a great place to taste your way through for lunch! Some free time after checking into your hotel for a two night stay. Dinner together at a local trattoria tonight.

Visit San Gimignano today – a small medieval hill town in the region of Tuscany. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, it is famous for its architecture and fresco paintings, its saffron, golden ham and white wine. Today’s lunch is arranged by a group who showcase quality local food. We end the day meeting a local wine producer – a chance to see how Italian wine growing differs to that you’ve seen in France and New Zealand. A free evening.

Depart this morning to the small city of Siena. Attractive Sie– na is famous for the annual ‘Palio di Siena’ horse race around the main square – quite an event! This afternoon we’ll visit an enterprise for an insight into fibre production – including New Zealand wool – in Italy. Later arrive into Rome where the river Tiber gently curves through the city with Ancient Rome on its left bank and the Vatican City and colourful Trastevere area on its right. Tonight you’ll be treated to an Italian pizza evening in this fascinating capital city.

Today we explore central Rome including the Vatican and marvellous St Peter’s Cathedral. We’ll spend time taking in highlights of ancient Rome via coach and foot with a break for lunch. You’ll also have an external view of the famous Colosseum. Later some time at leisure. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner in the heart of Rome!

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return journey to India or stay on for extra time in Rome or greater Europe – flexible return options.