2.5 week itinerary for Chile/Easter Island and Peru (MP)
Jul 30, 2014, 8:53 pm
#1
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2.5 week itinerary for Chile/Easter Island and Peru (MP)
My wife and I just booked a YVR-SCL cruise that ends in Valparaiso. We've given ourselves 15 whole days to see: Valparaiso, Santiago, Easter Island, Cuzco/Macchu Picchu.
We have 1.5 days in Lima on the way down from YVR so there's no need to go there again other than to provide an overnight buffer (and a day of shopping for our trip home (flight leaves in the wee hours the next morning).
Tentatively, we have:
Day 0 Arrive Valparaiso early, disembark, see Valparaiso
Day 1 Valparaiso (is this to much?)
Day 2 transfer to Santiago after day of sightseeing in Valparaiso and coastal area
Day 3 Santiago
Day 4 morning flight to IPC
Days 5-7 Easter Island - we're into photography so will be out at the statues dawn and dusk
Day 8 afternoon flight to SCL
Day 9 Morning flight to LIM connecting to CUZ arriving mid afternoon
Days 10-14 Cusco, MP and whatever else to see in the area
Day 15 fly to LIM afternoon
Day 16 last day in LIM, whole day available
Day 17 Leave in wee hours for home
Any recommendations to altering the itinerary?
One concern is that one of the days we'll be on Easter Island is Todos Santos.
We have 1.5 days in Lima on the way down from YVR so there's no need to go there again other than to provide an overnight buffer (and a day of shopping for our trip home (flight leaves in the wee hours the next morning).
Tentatively, we have:
Day 0 Arrive Valparaiso early, disembark, see Valparaiso
Day 1 Valparaiso (is this to much?)
Day 2 transfer to Santiago after day of sightseeing in Valparaiso and coastal area
Day 3 Santiago
Day 4 morning flight to IPC
Days 5-7 Easter Island - we're into photography so will be out at the statues dawn and dusk
Day 8 afternoon flight to SCL
Day 9 Morning flight to LIM connecting to CUZ arriving mid afternoon
Days 10-14 Cusco, MP and whatever else to see in the area
Day 15 fly to LIM afternoon
Day 16 last day in LIM, whole day available
Day 17 Leave in wee hours for home
Any recommendations to altering the itinerary?
One concern is that one of the days we'll be on Easter Island is Todos Santos.
Last edited by YVR Cockroach; Jul 31, 2014 at 4:07 pm
Jul 31, 2014, 1:32 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2007
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You've evidently got some experience in SA as this itin is realistic, unlike many I see posted in this forum.
IMHO two days in Valpo is one too many, although you note that you are into photography and Valpo is a great city to explore with a camera. It is pretty run down in many areas but if nothing else it's picturesque. But if one day is enough you could consider renting a car on day 1 and driving up or down the coast from Valpo. One scenic little town is Zapallar, along the coast to the north. You can also get easily to Viña del Mar (right next to Valpo) and to Isla Negra where the Pablo Neruda house is worth visiting.
I'm sure you're well aware you don't need a full day to transfer to Santiago. The bus ride from Valpo to Stgo is probably two hours. If you can manage it, you might consider stopping half way in the Casablanca valley, where most of Chile's good white wines (and Pinot Noir) are produced. Several wineries offer tours and have set up high end restaurants there. Hard to get to on the bus, though, so if you want to do this you should rent a car.
On days 8 and 9, I don't know if you have booked your flights yet but I have a couple of comments. First, there are direct flights between IPC and LIM, albeit probably not daily. If you can time it and LAN doesn't charge you an arm and a leg you could consider skipping the transit through SCL which would save time. Second, it used to be that all the flights from LIM to CUZ departed in the early morning and returned in the late morning or early afternoon. This may have changed but I'm not sure that it would be feasible to fly from SCL to LIM and then to CUZ in a single day. Of course, depending on the arrival time to SCL from IPC you could just connect to an evening flight to LIM on day 8 then stay over in LIM and take an early morning flight to CUZ.
I am also a photographer (a very amateur one) and I can tell you that Easter Island is a photographer's paradise. Enjoy!
IMHO two days in Valpo is one too many, although you note that you are into photography and Valpo is a great city to explore with a camera. It is pretty run down in many areas but if nothing else it's picturesque. But if one day is enough you could consider renting a car on day 1 and driving up or down the coast from Valpo. One scenic little town is Zapallar, along the coast to the north. You can also get easily to Viña del Mar (right next to Valpo) and to Isla Negra where the Pablo Neruda house is worth visiting.
I'm sure you're well aware you don't need a full day to transfer to Santiago. The bus ride from Valpo to Stgo is probably two hours. If you can manage it, you might consider stopping half way in the Casablanca valley, where most of Chile's good white wines (and Pinot Noir) are produced. Several wineries offer tours and have set up high end restaurants there. Hard to get to on the bus, though, so if you want to do this you should rent a car.
On days 8 and 9, I don't know if you have booked your flights yet but I have a couple of comments. First, there are direct flights between IPC and LIM, albeit probably not daily. If you can time it and LAN doesn't charge you an arm and a leg you could consider skipping the transit through SCL which would save time. Second, it used to be that all the flights from LIM to CUZ departed in the early morning and returned in the late morning or early afternoon. This may have changed but I'm not sure that it would be feasible to fly from SCL to LIM and then to CUZ in a single day. Of course, depending on the arrival time to SCL from IPC you could just connect to an evening flight to LIM on day 8 then stay over in LIM and take an early morning flight to CUZ.
I am also a photographer (a very amateur one) and I can tell you that Easter Island is a photographer's paradise. Enjoy!
Jul 31, 2014, 2:54 pm
#3
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Thanks for the reply.
I was reading the MEX-IPC Easter Island thread and have been searching for IPC-LIM flights. LAN.com is showing nothing for the 1st week of November so I presume the flight is seasonal. Is late October/early November considered low season for Easter Island? Can't find a way to get to LIM/CUZ efficiently other than IPC-SCL-LIM-CUZ.
Fortunately, there are a lot of flights between CUZ-LIM. Total block time + transit SCL => CUZ on LA is around 7-8 hours.
Since we arrive early in Valparaiso, we may just spend the first day walking around town and overnight there. The second day would involve more of the town and getting to SCL to overnight there. Have a car booked for $110 including the one-way fee for Valparaiso p/u and Santiago drop off.
I am wondering if we should fly SCL=>IPC on the morning of Day 3 and come back IPC on day 6, and then spending Days 7 and 8 in Santiago before resuming the planned schedule?
I was reading the MEX-IPC Easter Island thread and have been searching for IPC-LIM flights. LAN.com is showing nothing for the 1st week of November so I presume the flight is seasonal. Is late October/early November considered low season for Easter Island? Can't find a way to get to LIM/CUZ efficiently other than IPC-SCL-LIM-CUZ.
Fortunately, there are a lot of flights between CUZ-LIM. Total block time + transit SCL => CUZ on LA is around 7-8 hours.
Since we arrive early in Valparaiso, we may just spend the first day walking around town and overnight there. The second day would involve more of the town and getting to SCL to overnight there. Have a car booked for $110 including the one-way fee for Valparaiso p/u and Santiago drop off.
I am wondering if we should fly SCL=>IPC on the morning of Day 3 and come back IPC on day 6, and then spending Days 7 and 8 in Santiago before resuming the planned schedule?
Last edited by YVR Cockroach; Jul 31, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Aug 1, 2014, 11:28 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Late October / early November is low season for Easter Island. (High season is late December through February or March). We visited last year in late October. Weather was good with one rainy day (of 3.5 days we were there) and temps varying between 15C at night and 20-22C during the day. Ocean at the one nice beach on the island (Anakena) was swimmable but, ummm, bracing.
You will find prices high on the island except for fuel which is subsidized; but the benefit of traveling in October is that you won't get gouged like you would in February. Note, there's a Chilean holiday in late October which may affect pricing of flights on LAN.
I think your proposed itin change would work. SCL is on the western side of metropolitan Santiago and the airport is easily accessible from Hwy 68, the freeway from Valpo. If you can time it right and drop the car off at the airport you won't even have to go into the city.
Oops, it's not a freeway but a toll road. Carry cash. And make sure the car you rent in Valpo is equipped with a transponder for the electronic toll system in Santiago. I am pretty sure that to get from Hwy 68 to the airport, a distance of only a few km, you'll be paying toll twice, and it's really expensive if you don't have a transponder. Note, if your car isn't equipped with one you can buy a day pass online in advance, which is probably the cheapest way to do it.
You will find prices high on the island except for fuel which is subsidized; but the benefit of traveling in October is that you won't get gouged like you would in February. Note, there's a Chilean holiday in late October which may affect pricing of flights on LAN.
I think your proposed itin change would work. SCL is on the western side of metropolitan Santiago and the airport is easily accessible from Hwy 68, the freeway from Valpo. If you can time it right and drop the car off at the airport you won't even have to go into the city.
Oops, it's not a freeway but a toll road. Carry cash. And make sure the car you rent in Valpo is equipped with a transponder for the electronic toll system in Santiago. I am pretty sure that to get from Hwy 68 to the airport, a distance of only a few km, you'll be paying toll twice, and it's really expensive if you don't have a transponder. Note, if your car isn't equipped with one you can buy a day pass online in advance, which is probably the cheapest way to do it.
Aug 5, 2014, 10:59 pm
#5
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2.5 week itinerary for Chile/Easter Island and Peru (MP)
The IPC -LIM is seasonal as I was able to take it in April. Easter Island is amazing for photos especially the sunsets! I did a bike tour of the vineyards/wineries in Santiago and a great cooking class in Lima - many posts on my blog philatravelgirl.com which I started after my Easter Island trip - have fun!
Aug 6, 2014, 3:30 pm
#6
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Modified the itinerary to:
Day 0 Arrive Valparaiso early, disembark, see Valparaiso, maybe rent a car and stay in Vina del Mar
Day 1 Tour between Valparaiso and Santiago
Day 2 Tour Santiago
Day 3 AM flight to IPC, tour IPC
Days 4-6 Easter Island
Day 7 early afternoon flight to SCL, overnight SCL hotel (HGI but leaning towards HI at the airport itself)
Day 8 Early Morning flight to LIM connecting to CUZ arriving just after noon
Can we make the 1636 train from Ollyantaytambo to Aguas Calientes?
Day 9 Machu Picchu
Day 10 Return to Ollyantaytambo
Day 11 Transfer tour to Cusco
Day 12-14 Cusco and whatever else to see in the area
Day 15 mid/late afternoon flight to LIM
Day 16 last day in LIM, whole day available
Day 17 Leave in wee hours for home
Flight set in stone as we've bought tickets
Day 0 Arrive Valparaiso early, disembark, see Valparaiso, maybe rent a car and stay in Vina del Mar
Day 1 Tour between Valparaiso and Santiago
Day 2 Tour Santiago
Day 3 AM flight to IPC, tour IPC
Days 4-6 Easter Island
Day 7 early afternoon flight to SCL, overnight SCL hotel (HGI but leaning towards HI at the airport itself)
Day 8 Early Morning flight to LIM connecting to CUZ arriving just after noon
Can we make the 1636 train from Ollyantaytambo to Aguas Calientes?
Day 9 Machu Picchu
Day 10 Return to Ollyantaytambo
Day 11 Transfer tour to Cusco
Day 12-14 Cusco and whatever else to see in the area
Day 15 mid/late afternoon flight to LIM
Day 16 last day in LIM, whole day available
Day 17 Leave in wee hours for home
Flight set in stone as we've bought tickets