Chile and Easter Island - Private Tour

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. Across South America we use a number of airlines for internal flights and they are subject to frequent changes. For this reason we have indicated approximate times of departure on days where an internal flight is required. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

To enter Chile, your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ after the day you plan to leave Chile. You can visit Chile for up to 90 days without a visa.

The Chilean immigration authorities will give you a tourist card (‘tarjeta de turismo’), an A5-sized white form. Keep it safe and give it to immigration when you leave the country.

All visitors are required to complete the online Rapa Nui Entry Form before travelling to Easter Island. The form can be completed between 21 days and 72 hours before your flight and must be submitted before departure. Once completed, you will receive a confirmation email, which should be printed or saved on your mobile device and carried with you when travelling. Our representatives in Chile can assist you with completing the form if required.

We require Advance Passenger Information (API - passport details), to meet local regulations. Some of your visited national parks and guided activities rely on government permits, safety‑tracking systems, and mandatory visitor registration. Providing this information in advance allows our resort teams to secure necessary permits and meet legal obligations set by authorities.

Please submit all passport information as early as possible, and no later than four months before departure.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

Altitude Sickness Altitude sickness is a fairly common condition that can occur when you ascend to a high altitude (generally higher than 2,500 metres above sea level) quickly. The decrease in atmospheric pressure can make breathing more difficult as the body is not able to take in as much oxygen. Most cases are mild with symptoms that can include: a headache, nausea, dizziness and exhaustion. Several places in Chile are located at high altitudes (over 2,500 metres above sea level). Therefore, you may find you experience some symptoms at this altitude. It is advised that at these high altitudes, you keep hydrated and avoid alcohol. If you begin to experience symptoms of altitude sickness during your tour, ensure you tell your guide immediately who will be able to advise the best thing for you to do. You can contact your GP before you travel for advice on medication for altitude sickness.

This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing often on foot and on a number of excursions there are climbing of steep steps and getting on/off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in Chile is the Chilean Peso (CLP), We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. Banks and post offices in the UK generally don’t keep Chilean pesos in stock so it’s best to pre-order if you wish to take cash with you. Major credit and debit cards are accepted are widely accepted in hotels and larger shops/restaurants.

ATMs and exchange bureaus in larger cities will offer the best exchange rate. Try to carry smaller denominations of pesos with you when heading to rural areas because you may struggle to find vendors with enough change. ATMs in rural areas also regularly run out of cash, so plan ahead

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £500-£600 should be sufficient for the duration of your tour.

Tipping is a common practice in South America and it is customary to tip approx. USD$3-$5 per person per day which is split between the driver and the local guide. Tips can be given at the end of each day, or at the end of the tour. Tips are accepted in US dollars and local currency.

This is an escorted tour, where we use local expert guides in each city. At times you will also be guided by a local specialist in some of the areas you visit.

For groups of 7 people or less you will have an English speaking Driver Guide or a Driver and Local/Monument Guides in each city.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and most hotels will have air-conditioning but not all. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. Triple Rooms are available, but please note that these are on a request basis and the 3rd bed is a “rollaway” bed and may reduce the overall floorspace of the room. Where an international flight arrives during early morning, we will endeavour to provide an Early Check In to your hotel, this is subject to availability. The usual hotel check in time is from 2pm onwards.

Meals will be provided as per the detailed itinerary. When included Breakfast will be of western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner when included will be a local restaurants or at your hotel, giving the opportunity to experience a variety of dishes and local flavours. For those days when dinner is not included your guide will be able to offer recommendations if you wish.

Vegetarian and Vegan meals can be catered for. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is important to note that drinking the tap water, even in developed counties, may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way as the UK. On your arrival into Chile, you will be given a reusable bottle to carry with you throughout your tour, filtered water will be available throughout your tour for you to refill your bottle.

Upon arrival at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, you will be met after exiting baggage claim and Customs by a Southbound representative holding a Mercury sign who will assist with your transfer to the hotel. Should you have difficulty locating the guide, please wait at “La Pica Restaurant” opposite the main exit between gates 3 and 4.

To ensure you meet the correct representative, always ask them to confirm your name; authorised guides will have it on their list. If in doubt, call Southbound Travel at (+56 9) 9639 1191 for assistance.

If you need to contact Southbound Travel during your stay the details are: Southbound Travel - Address: Av. Nueva Providencia 2353, 3rd floor Contact number - Operations Department: 00 562 2241 1049

Emergency contact information Please find below the emergency contact details for Southbound Travel in Chile: Telephone 24 hour: 00 569 9639 1191 E-mail: emergency@southbound.travel

• Sunglasses, Sunscreen and hat in summer
• Thermal/warm clothing (for the Atacama Desert)
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Camera and charger
• Loo paper for public WCs
• Binoculars
• Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters, stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• An electric plug converter - three different plug sockets are used, so it is best to bring a multi adapter