It was so easy to book this Humboldt Penguin Tour with Ecoturismo agency. You can contact them by phone and they send you all the necessary info by whatsapp/email. Very reactive and useful. Did not have to pay in avdance to book the tour, which was awsome since I arrived at La Serena late at night the day before the tour and did not want to waste time. Spent a great day with Felipe Torres, our Ecoturismo guide for the day, at Choros and Damas Island, with very useful and interesting informations shared the whole day long. Since it's winter time (nesting and migration period), the fauna is seen in fewer numbers. But fortunately we had the opportunity to see a variety of fauna: sea lions, pelican, penguins, bottlenose dolphins, piqueros etc. Very nice experience I do recommend. Felipe was really nice to share with some photos he took with his Iphone:-)

Worst experience ever. They are barely capable of serving 500 people but sell $50 tickets to 5,000 people. There are 3 hour lines for the attractions. You can barely do one thing in a day. It is a total scam. Don’t go.

The full day scenic drive with plenty of stops for photos and easy walks was appreciated by me. Our group was pleasant and cheerful.

Transfer was ok, but driver wanted to return too early, at 3pm. Farellones (and El Colorado too) are not prepared to handle the number of people that visit them. At Farellones, there is a single line to get in. Also, it takes at least an hour in line to go on any activity. Food is terrible. Bathrooms are small, old and dirty. At El Colorado, there are more lines for buying passes and classes, but yet, we took 2 hrs to buy a class for our kid, and there were only private classes left, which are too expensive and did not teach much. Not worth going. Santiago is great, but not the ski resorts.

Updated review. To clarify: The food poisoning disorder spoken of was from formerly visiting San Antonio by the River Walk, NOT from the Hamilton Hotel in DC. A kitchen staff member at the Hamilton was caring enough to provide a broth for us, since we could not consume any solid food - a real blessing.

We arrived airport before 6:30, and all other people came with us left with the minibus while the woman in charge of putting people into the car shooed my parents like a disgusting insects. I felt it rasism because we were the asians from the arrival group. We had to wait 1 hr and 30min to wait to catch the minibus with people from next flight. I asked why we have to wait, how long we had to wait, the woman told me not to speak english to her, so I started to talk in Spanish and she went away.

We had an awesome time, even though we had a couple of unexpected issues arrive during the trip. The reason I have included this in our review is not every trip goes exactly as planned; however, when you have a great tour guide like Nelly, who can handle issues that are out of her control, it can still be a great trip. Thank you Nelly.

we purchased certain seats so we didn't have to seat with another passenger. Our seats going to our destination and meals was great except departure back to SFO. When we were boarding I noticed a passenger seating on our number seat 57A, according to our itinerary documents seats are 57A and 57C, right away I informed the flight attendant she took a looked at my papers and didn't know what to say. At that time people was boarding and flight attendants are all busy too but I had to insist on our seats that they can move us elsewhere since we purchased our seats. Flight attendant contacted a Ground Handling Agent, English name Ellen Shen. Ellen Shen took a picture of our papers and didn't have an answer why the other passenger and me have same seat, she said she'll talk to her manager and that I should contact Eva Air on the website. Plane took off. Our meal going back was awful since we requested vegetarian but we got two meals with chicken and fish, meals were awful. The next day, that's when I started calling people I booked my flights with (ASAP) and went on Eva Air website, nothing could not contact anyone at Eva Air. I called the ASAP agency asking to help me out if they have another number of Eva Air and I was transferred 3x then finally a VIP customer number. I've been calling for two days no answer with the VIP customer service. What I want is just a refund of $100.00 going back seats we didn't get but paid for, this is a matter of principal. They are so bad! Why have a customer service if they don't answer their calls. Is it possible they changed plane since it seemed full. How is it possible they were able to print out same seat number?

Franco was an amazing guide with an incredible grasp of history and culture. He met us at our lodging and then tailored the tour to location and interests. He happily answered the hard questions about history and showed us his city. Santiago is much smaller and less vibrant than comparable cities like Buenos Aires, but it was incredibly modern and filled with things to see. Instead of coffee, Franco took us to try Mote con Huesilla, which was delicious. Lunch at the seafood market was also tasty. If you’re interested in history, culture, architecture, and food — this is a great tour for you.

The positive thing about this trip was our tour guide who spoke very good English and made sure that we understood his commentary. The negatives were as follows: 1. The bus was completely full, too small and exceptionally uncomfortable. 2. if you were fortunate enough to be picked up first, you could get one of the more comfortable seats. But those of us that got picked up last got stuck at the back of the bus in the most uncomfortable seats imaginable. My wife and I were crammed in a bench seat that was best suited For three people not four. If I had had the opportunity, I would’ve gotten off the bus and tried to get my money back. Naturally, the people that had the more comfortable seats were unwilling to give theirs up all day long. 3. The stop at the Falls was pleasant and we enjoyed the hikes and the waterfalls. 4. The trip to the top of the volcano was on eventful, but with all the switchbacks, braking and accelerating. It was really uncomfortable in the van.. 5. Our tour guide was unable to keep One family on time and they consistently held up the group at every stop including lunch. 6. The lunch was overpriced and really not very good. Several people complained about the poor quality of the food. 7. None of the stops and attractions on the tour are included in the price. The entire cost of the trip is for the bus ride. This is explained several times by the tour guide, but needs to be reiterated. All in all, you could do everything on this tour yourself if you had a Rent-A-Car or other transportation. That would also free you up to have a lunch somewhere else or a picnic if you bring your own food.

On a positive note, Anna, our tour guide was awesome! There were only five English speakers on the bus, but she made sure that all of us understood her commentary completely. The negatives were as follows ; 1. It’s advertised as a 10 hour trip but it took over 12 hours. 2. Most of the trip is spent on the bus that does not have a toilet, has a very uncomfortable seats with very little leg room, and has difficulty managing the temperature control. 3. The towns that we visited were just not that pretty or interesting. 4. We felt pressured to eat lunch with the entire bus at a private house. The food was not terrible, although the menu choices were limited. We cannot recommend the excursion.

So much depends on weather. I got lucky and there was little wind, for this part of Patagonia, and a mix of sun and cloud but no rain. What you get to see is pretty amazing. Spotted dolphins, condors, sea lions and cormorants. To cruise right up to a glacier and waterfalls from glaciers is amazing. The hike in O'Higgins national park is challenging for older and not so fit persons. Lots to eat at lunch but the salad was just iceberg lettuce.

The scenery is incredible. But I found this a bit expensive for what was or I should say what was not offered. Basically you get a beautiful boat ride which was incredible but nothing else. Perhaps my mistake that I didn't realize lunch was not included. The hotel is stunning with spectacular views, but the food was mediocre and expensive. Before you arrive they try to get you to purchase another tour. I think being more forefront about what is and is not offered, would've been helpful. Also, I changed my embarkation destination and therefore did not go to Saltos de Petrohue (included if you depart by bus from Puerto Varas) and should not have been charged the full amount. Lesson learned. I could've bought the tour for less than half the price on site at Lago Los Santos.

Great small area with beautiful scenery to relax and view the volcano & huge lake! This is a pretty area and the small town is built on a hill, if you go and are looking for a place to stay you might want to know how much of a "hike" it is from the lake to the accommodations.

We booked through Viator, a private tour with guide Franco and driver Pablo. The whole day was great from start to finish. Franco met us promptly and Pablo’s car was clean and comfortable. Franco was engaging throughout. We stopped for breakfast and a toilet stop and fed some llamas. On to Valapariso, some history about the city and a really enjoyable walking tour with lots of interesting facts that perhaps other guides won’t tell you. Plenty of murals and lots to see and learn. Lunch was a short drive on in attractive Vina Del Mar, looking out on to the Pacific Ocean. Before heading back to Santiago we enjoyed a spectacular viewpoint of both Valapariso and Vina Del Mar. Would highly recommend the tour and especially Franco and Pablo.