Food & Wine of South America: Chile & Argentina

• This tour visits Chile and Argentina (plus Uruguay on the tour extension). In order to enter these countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
• We recommend having at least two blank passport pages for entry stamps.
• Upon arrival in Chile, you will receive a Chilean tourist card that you must keep in your passport for the duration of your visit.
• There is no visa required for U.S. or Canadian citizens to enter any of the countries visited on this tour.
• Upon entry into Argentina, travelers are required to have and show proof upon of a travel coverage plan that protects you in the event you require medical assistance, hospitalization, and/or emergency evacuation.
• Should you have insurance coverage through Go Ahead, we will provide you with a Proof of Insurance letter anywhere from 2-7 days prior to departure via email.
• If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
• You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code TSM.

• Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Santiago and depart from Buenos Aires (or Montevideo, Uruguay, on the tour extension)..
• Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers.
• When you arrive in Santiago, a Go Ahead representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a Go Ahead sign or a sign with your name(s). If you don’t see a representative immediately, please be patient and stay in the arrivals area. They may be assisting another traveler who has also just arrived and will be back shortly.

Physical Activity Level

This is a high physical activity-level tour. You can expect vigorous activity throughout the course of the tour.

Tour Pacing

This is a steady-paced tour. The pace of a tour itinerary considers how often you’ll switch hotels, the amount of planned daily activities, and how you’ll get from place to place. You can expect:

• 3 full days of included activities in a row (more if you add excursions)
• Most transportation by motor coach with occasional transport by plane
• About 5 hours of bus time daily

Walking, Terrain & Physical Requirements

• Travelers should be prepared to walk 3-5 miles per day- this includes city streets, dirt and rock paths, stairs, and hills.
• Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance.
• Please Note: Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on tour.

Climate Considerations

• Travelers can expect hot, humid weather in Santiago and Buenos Aires.
• Countries visited on this tour are in the Southern hemisphere so their seasons are opposite of those in North America.
• Summer months are considered December- February, while winter is June - August.

Physical Activity & Tour Pace Questions

• Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special mobility or luggage handling assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group enjoys a smooth and informative journey, and they can’t be relied on to provide individualized assistance to any one traveler.
• This tour moves at a reasonable pace to avoid missing scheduled stops. The rest of the group cannot miss any scheduled activities because of the needs of an individual.
• Due to the pace and physical activity level of this tour, mobility aids such as wheelchairs or walkers will be difficult to use and are not recommended. Please notify Go Ahead Tours before your departure if you plan to bring these on tour with you.
• If you have mobility concerns or tour pacing questions, please visit our Help Center or send a message to our Customer Experience Team.

• This tour includes various modes of transportation, including planes and private motor coach. Some modes of transportation will have raised platforms or steps and often not provide access to ramps or lifts.
• A flight from Mendoza to Buenos Aires is included in the price of your tour. (The tour extension also includes a ferry transfer from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento.)
• All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.

• Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one personal item each due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers.
• Some airlines may impose additional charges if you exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you’re responsible for any baggage fees incurred.
• Contact your airline(s) for the baggage size and weight restrictions on your flights. Please note that the flights included on the tour may have baggage restrictions as low as 33lbs for checked bags and 17lbs for carry-on bags. You will be responsible for any costs associated with overweight baggage.
• Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
• Travelers must be able to manage their luggage throughout tour; porters aren’t guaranteed at hotels or airports.
• Luggage storage on trains is extremely limited, and often requires travelers to lift their suitcases onto storage racks, sometimes above the seats.

• We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket.
• Weather in Patagonia is prone to extreme variance. Snow and strong winds are common.
• A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
• A sun hat, sunglasses, and rain gear will help you stay comfortable in all types of weather. You may also wish to pack a swimsuit.
• Long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and insect repellent are recommended for certain activities.
• Binoculars are handy for a closer look at local wildlife and scenery.
• A small bottle of hand sanitizer may be helpful when other facilities are not readily available while on the road.
• You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
• It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
• We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
• In case of emergencies, we also recommend packing your medical insurance card in your carry-on.

• Go Ahead handpicks every hotel you’ll stay at, striking a balance between comfort, location, and local charm.
• Specific properties will vary based on your departure date, but are typically three-to-four-star hotels; always include private bathrooms; and usually have in-room safes for valuables. Additionally, your hotels will have Wi-Fi, but access may be limited to common areas. There may also not be elevators.
• Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that your accommodations will have laundry services or facilities. We recommend checking directly with your hotels once they’ve been confirmed, about 30 days prior to departure.
• Some hotels on this tour are situated on narrow streets; as such, our buses can’t drop you off right out front. In these instances, you’ll have to walk your luggage to the property, no more than a few blocks.
• Please be advised that the air conditioning in South American hotels and buildings is often not as strong or cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada.
• Chile operates on 220 volts and uses Types C or L plugs with two round pins or three round pins, respectively.
• Argentina (and Uruguay on the tour extension) operates on 220 volts and uses Types C or I plugs with two round pins or three flat pins, respectively.
• Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date.

• Excursions are available for purchase prior to departure, and most excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour directly through your mobile app for an additional $10 USD.
• We recommend purchasing excursions at least 3 days prior to your tour departure. Please note some excursions have advance booking deadlines. Check your tour itinerary for more information to ensure you don’t miss the deadline to add them.
• Optional excursions may be canceled on tour due to reasons like low enrollment, weather or unexpected closures. If an excursion you signed up for is canceled by Go Ahead Tours, you will be refunded the full cost of the excursion. Please note it may take up to 60 days for your refund to be processed.
• Your Tour Director may offer their own optional excursions which can only be purchased on tour via cash (in local currency).

• At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
• If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to your departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
• If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour and any possible delays encountered.
• Most of our itineraries include headsets used during certain sightseeing tours so travelers can hear their guides or Tour Director. If you use an assisted listening device, such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant, please visit our Help Center or contact our customer experience team. Please note that at this time not all our destinations offer headsets due to supplier limitations.
• Take proper care with sun exposure, as the sun can be especially strong in some of the regions on this tour.
• Drink bottled water only. Refrain from ingesting tap water, including when brushing your teeth.
• Avoid eating fresh fruits and vegetables unless they’re cooked or washed in clean water and peeled.

• This tour includes 3 lunches and 2 dinners: They may be set menus, buffets, or family-style meals, depending on the location. Dinners also include one glass of beer, wine, or a soft drink, as well as water.
• Breakfast each morning is also included at the hotel and is typically buffet style with hot and cold options.
• In Argentina, perhaps the most common dish is the asado, a series of salt-rubbed meats, ribs, and chorizo sausages cooked over a fire pit on metal grills and crosses. For dessert, try dulce de leche, a sweet honey-and-milk paste in pastries.
• With its lengthy Pacific coastline, it’s no surprise that Chile is one of the world’s seafood capitals. Ceviche, mussels with salsa verde, and seafood empanadas are all not to be missed.
• Argentina and Chile both have their own wine-production traditions, but share some similarities in the varietals they produce. Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s and is one of the world’s largest wine producers. Most of the country’s wine comes from the Mendoza region where Malbec has gained recent local and international popularity. Chile’s proximity to the mountains, desert, and coast provides a variety of climates that help the grapes thrive. In addition, French colonization led to the cultivation of Carménère and Sauvignon Blanc grapes in many areas, including the Aconcagua and Casablanca regions.
• On the tour extension, cuisine in Uruguay draws from European influences, but meat-based dishes are the most prevalent and popular. One must-try food is the chivito. This sandwich is one of Uruguay’s national dishes and commonly includes filet mignon, olives, hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella, and tomatoes, all served on freshly toasted bread. Family run wineries thrive outside of Montevideo in the Canelones wine region, which produces more than half of the country’s wine. Popular varietals include cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and chardonnay.

• At the conclusion of your tour, it is customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
• We recommend tipping $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and $4USD per person per day for your driver.
• If applicable, we also recommend $2USD per local guide.
• Tips can only be paid in cash.
• If you are traveling to multiple countries with different currencies and the same Tour Director, ask them what currency they prefer for their tip.
• The cost of porterage is included in your tour price, and it is not necessary to tip baggage handlers.

• You will use the Argentine peso in Argentina, and the Chilean peso in Chile (plus the Uruguayan peso in Uruguay on the tour extension).
• Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
• We strongly advise that you take debit and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
• While credit cards are accepted in Argentina, using credit cards typically comes with high upcharges/fees. To ensure a better exchange rate, travelers are recommended to convert USD and pay in cash where possible.
• You can use most cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
• International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you don’t already have at least one card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
• Plan ahead and bring cash to tip your Tour Director, local guides, and bus drivers.

• To help you feel prepared before traveling on tour, we strongly recommend downloading the EF Go Ahead Tours mobile app. It’s free and provides information about important deadlines and entry requirements, as well as your detailed itinerary, packing tips, and more. You can also connect with fellow travelers through the app’s chat feature.
• Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
• There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
• Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.

• Your Tour Director will be leading your group throughout your journey. You will have the same Tour Director throughout your tour.
• The role of the Tour Director is not only to provide information and context on the destinations you visit, but also to confirm services, coordinate inclusions, prepare each days’ activities and support travelers while on tour. As such, they must focus on the success of the group, and cannot provide individualized assistance to any one traveler.

• One of the benefits of traveling with EF Go Ahead Tours is our on tour emergency support team.
• Our extensive network of offices around the world, and our integration of ISO 31000: Risk Management Guidelines, help our dedicated 24/7 Emergency Service teams anticipate and address on-tour challenges in a flexible and iterative way.
• This team supports travelers and Tour Directors using a combination of extensive training, simulations, incident response planning, and decades of experience to help manage emergencies if they arise, ranging from personal health concerns or injuries to major world events.
• As needed, On Tour Support can facilitate additional support for travelers on tour, arrange assistance from outside specialists, and liaise with local and international authorities to help solve on-the-ground issues. In addition, the team is dedicated to supporting and facilitating communication between travelers and families in the event of an emergency while on the road or at home.

• Argentina and mainland Chile (plus Uruguay on the tour extension) are three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and two hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET). Uruguay and Chile stopped observing daylight saving time in 2015. Argentina currently does not observe daylight saving time, though the country decides on a year-by-year basis.
• From November through March, when it’s noon in New York City, it’s 2pm in Argentina and Chile (and Uruguay on the tour extension). From April through October, when it’s noon in New York City, it’s 1pm in Argentina, and Chile (and Uruguay on the tour extension).

• When you travel with Go Ahead Tours, you’ll make a positive impact on the places you visit and the people and animals you meet along the way. That’s because our three core Responsible Travel commitments—protecting the environment, supporting local communities, and promoting animal welfare—are at the heart of every tour we offer.
• Travel, when done responsibly, can have an enormous socioeconomic impact on communities. To maximize your impact, eat at locally owned restaurants and shop at small businesses. Ask your Tour Director to point out restaurants they recommend.
• Prepare for your trip: Be aware of monetary norms such as tipping and negotiating in a market; learn about the destination’s forms of etiquette; and take some time to learn a few words in the local language.
• When interacting with locals, make sure to ask people for permission before you take their picture, and approach cultural differences with empathy and an open mind.
• Go Ahead Tours encourages travelers to limit their waste while on the road, especially single-use plastics. You can cut back on generating plastic waste by packing your own toiletries, using electronic documents, and bringing a reusable water bottle and shopping bag. If you need to use plastics or paper, please recycle.
• When visiting national parks, reserves, or other protected areas, please do not remove anything from the natural environment or leave any litter. Carry out what you carried in.
• When you come across wild animals on tour, take the philosophies of World Animal Protection to heart: Don’t touch or feed them, and maintain a respectful distance. The animals you encounter on your trip should be able to exhibit natural forms of behavior.
• Furthermore, avoid buying exploitative animal products, like crafts made from tortoiseshell or meals such as shark fin soup.
• If you feel we aren’t meeting any of these commitments, please let us know.