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Tauck's Essence of South America tour in 2009!

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, the four on-tour flights, entertainment, special dinners, sightseeing, luggage handling, and the services of local guides, drivers and the Tauck Director are included. A representative of Tauck will meet you outside of Customs at Santiago Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport on the first day of the tour. Tauck will provide you with transportation to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santiago, Chile, regardless of the date and time of your arrival, provided we have accurate flight arrival information at least two weeks before the start of the your tour. On the last day of the tour, Tauck will provide you with transportation from the Sofitel Rio de Janeiro to the Rio de Janeiro International Airport regardless of the time of your departure. You will also have ground airport transportation provided at the start or the end of your tour if you extend your stay at a hotel booked through Tauck.

Hotel Accommodations – The tour price includes all hotel accommodations with private baths. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality may differ slightly from place to place, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot where available and are not recommended for comfort.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

Tauck Director – Essence of South America is conducted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of Tauck.

Gratuities Included – All appropriate gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff, local guides and drivers are included.

No Options Sold – Your Tauck Directors will assist with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but they will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed and pleasant experience for you.

 

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, Tauck will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through Tauck. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to the Tauck Protection Plan for more information.

Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, airport departure taxes, individual airport transfers (when applicable), and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

U.S. citizens arriving by air from the U.S. must pay a reciprocity tax of $100 USD payable in cash or by credit card. The one time charge is good for the life of your current passport.

Tauck Director Gratuities - The customary gratuities for the Tauck Directors are not included. Gratuities should be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.

 

Airline Security Measures - In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.

If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.

Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times.

You may also visit the U.S. Transportation Security Administration Internet website to obtain more information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage items by clicking here.

Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. By using Tauck's air services, you agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier.

All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck's special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.

Holiday and Museum Closures – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed.

Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate your tour as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecasted at the time of publication.

Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking. The tour begins at 2:00 PM at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santiago on the first day of the tour. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. The tour ends at 5:00 PM with your arrival at the Rio de Janeiro International Airport on the last day of the tour. If you extend your stay through Tauck, transportation will be provided to the airport upon checkout. The Rio de Janeiro Airport requires that you arrive 3½ hours prior to your flight departure time.

Membership will be granted to all persons. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any person who is abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, we will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.

 

Air Conditioning - The hotels that provide air-conditioning are the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Caesar Park Buenos Aires, Sheraton Iguazú Resort & Spa and Hotel Sofitel Rio de Janeiro. The Hotel Cabañas del Lago, the Hotel Natura and the Llao Llao Hotel & Resort do not provide air-conditioning. The motor coaches are air-conditioned for your comfort.

ATM and Credit Cards – We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing on this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be ‘suspicious’ charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Clothing and Packing – Your journey through South America is casual. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. During the day, casual, comfortable, cotton clothing is recommended. Cool weather at higher elevations in the Andes and at nights along the shore will require warmer, layered clothing. For the welcome reception and farewell receptions, casual cocktail attire is appropriate.

Laundry service is available at all the hotels on this itinerary and valet dry cleaning is available at all hotels except the Hotel Natura (night 4).

We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor’s prescription, or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack for your journey to South America:

Elevation - The maximum elevation on this tour is 2,952 ft (900 m) at the Hotel Natura in Peulla, Chile.

Health - To fully enjoy this tour’s itinerary, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces. Our activities include hiking 1½ hours along the lakeshore of Puerto Blest, Argentina, taking the Campanario Chair Lift in Bariloche, Argentina, for 360° views of ‘Tiger Island’ National Park, and walking 2½ miles (4 km) on the metal-grated walkways and sidewalks of Iguassu Falls, in Iguassu, Argentina. Some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. The amount of walking you do, however, is at your discretion.

Unfortunately, walkers, wheelchairs, and motorized scooters cannot be accommodated on this journey. We also cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you need such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will help you.

While dinking water is generally is generally safe at all our hotels, bottled water will be available on motor coaches and boats.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises that there is a risk of contracting Yellow Fever in and around Iguazú Falls. Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever and rabies may be recommended.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

If you are a citizen of the U.S., no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Chile, Argentina or Brazil. However, an International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever is required for anyone arriving from an infected area within 5 days. For complete vaccination information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour, pre-recorded "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 877-394-8747 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on to the CDC Internet website at www.cdc.gov.

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact an embassy or consulate of each of the countries on the itinerary to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for you to visit.

 

Checked Luggage – General
While it is common for airlines to allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.

In addition, airlines have adopted more strict policies in enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.

Currently, many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage size and weight may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.

Tauck World Discovery cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage size, piece or weight policies.

Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home.

Carry-on Luggage - General:
Although oversized bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many intra-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not allow for access during daytime travel.

Travel Document Requirements – If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion of your tour to enter Chile, Argentina and Brazil. However, only Brazil requires that you obtain an entry visa.

When we have received your deposit, we will fax or email a Zierer Visa Service (ZVS) Visa Kit to you or your agent 120-90 days prior to your departure date. Over the years, Tauck has successfully partnered with ZVS for processing visas to destinations for which U.S. citizens are required to have entry visas. The visa fee, as well as any applicable consular fees and shipping fees, are not included in the tour cost, and payment should be mailed with the completed application directly to the ZVS. The amount of the visa fee varies by destination and is stated on the application.

For more information, or to download a ZVS application, please log on to the ZVS Internet website by clicking here. To speak directly with ZVS Customer Service, call 866-788-1100 (toll-free in the U.S.). Please note that visas cannot be processed more than 90 days prior to departure and that the process does take several weeks to complete.

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact a consulate or embassy of Chile, of Argentina, and of Brazil to determine if entry visas are required.

You will also need an International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever if you will be arriving from an infected area within 5 days.

We strongly recommend that your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour. In addition, we recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as both sides of your driver’s license. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Travel with Children –

Age Recommendations – Children 5 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, for each itinerary we have a minimum recommended age to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.

Babysitting – Tauck journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. However, our guests have occasionally inquired about babysitting services. If you are interested, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements, to ensure your precise needs are met. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer babysitting services that may be arranged on site; however, babysitting services are not guaranteed at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.

Safety and Welfare Responsibility – Tauck welcomes the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. For safety and security purposes, children under 18 years of age must be booked into a room with at least one accompanying adult. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with Tauck, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.

Special Travel Documentation for Children

Authorization for Travel

If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so.

CBP also suggests that this note be notarized. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.

If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.) any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., would be useful.

All children who are U.S. citizens should also have a certified copy of their birth certificate or baptism record for ID. Children over the age of 14 are also required to have a photo ID.

Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all guests to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information is available from each country’s consulate.

Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment

In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.

Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard for these letters, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.

Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask you to refrain from using your cell phone during motor coach travel, during group functions, when sightseeing, and when the Tauck Director addresses the group as a whole. You will have many opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not affect others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your cell phone service extends to Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Currency and Exchange Rates - The currencies in Chile, Argentina and Brazil are:

Chile Chilean Peso CLP
Argentina Argentine Peso ARS
Brazil Brazilian Real BRL

All of these currencies are subdivided into 100 centavos.

ATM machines are readily available in the major cities along this journey. Along the less traveled route of the Chilean coast, they are not as available. You may exchange currencies at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Caesar Park Buenos Aires and Sofitel Rio de Janeiro.

To obtain the most current exchange rates, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website www.oanda.com.

Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – Each country visited has its own Customs clearing process. You should familiarize yourself with each country’s specific required declarations before you travel. In general, you are not permitted to bring live plants, fresh fruits and other produce items into most countries.

 

Argentina – Argentina Customs
Brazil – Consulate General of Brazil
Chile – National Customs Service

If you are a U.S resident who will be returning to the U.S. at the end of the tour, current regulations permit bringing back $800 worth of items duty-free, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the amount of alcohol that can be a part of this exemption. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the United States. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs regulations as contained in their publication entitled Know Before You Go.

If you are a resident of another country, please refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return.

Chile currently levies a Value Added Tax (VAT) of approximately 19% on consumer goods and services; Argentina, 21%., and Brazil, a current maximum of 20%. (The tax rate may be higher for luxury items and lower for basic goods.) As a rule, if you are not a resident of the country (or of the country’s intergovernmental economic community, e.g., the European Union) in which the purchase is made, you may be entitled to a VAT refund and should inquire about the refund policy where you shop.

Electrical Current – In Chile and Argentina, electric power is provided at 220V, 50 Hz; in Brazil, 110Z, 60Hz. All three countries use European-style two round-pronged plugs. If you bring electrical devices that are not compatible with this system, you may wish to bring the appropriate adapters and converters.

Internet Access is available as indicated below:

Grand Hyatt Hotel – High-speed internet for a fee
Hotel Cabañas del Lago - WiFi and dial-up access for a fee; complimentary computer use in lobby
Hotel Natura – High-speed internet access in rooms; WiFi access in common areas
Llao Llao Hotel & Resort - WiFi and dial-up access; complimentary computer in the Business Center
Caesar Park Buenos Aires - WiFi, cable, and dial-up access for a fee
Sheraton Iguazú Resort - High-speed access in rooms; WiFi access in common areas for a fee; complimentary computer use in lobby
Hotel Sofitel Rio de Janeiro - WiFi and cable access for a fee

Time Zones – Chile is 4 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time); Argentina and Brazil are 3 hours behind. From October/November through February/March, Chile and Brazil switch to Daylight Savings Time (DST) and are 3 and 2 hours behind, respectively. In 2007, Argentina will begin DST on December 30th and end DST on March 15, 2008 and will be 2 hours behind. To determine current time in major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, www.timeanddate.com.

Weather – South America has a wide variety of climates. The principal cities we visit receive very light to moderate rainfall and are warm year-round.

Santiago has a mild Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 86 °F (30 °C) on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid with cold mornings and with typical maximum daily temperatures of 60 °F (16 °C).

Buenos Aires has a temperate climate (considered as "humid subtropical") with average temperatures in the afternoon ranging from 83 °F (28 °C) in January to 57 °F (14 °C) in July. Rain can be expected at any time of year.

Rio de Janeiro has a tropical climate with hot, humid summers (December to March) and temperate, pleasant winters (June to September). Rain tends to be short intense showers in the summer and long drizzly showers in the winter.

 

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, www.weather.com.

Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, Tauck will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in its Norwalk, CT office. To help limit your liability, Tauck offers a Tauck Protection Plan.

If you choose to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will have your cancellation penalties reduced. Click here for more details.

If you choose not to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

60 days or more before departure
$700 (the cost of the deposit)

59-30 days before departure
$1,400

29-1 days before departure
$2,000