Departure : Hotel Galerías in Santiago or Wine Market “Uno Markett” (Av. Tobalaba 911, Providencia)
Departures : Every Saturday
Colchagua Wine Train Tour description
Every Saturday, at 8:15 in the morning, we take a most beautiful trip to our historical roots.
The "Tren del Vino" or Wine Train will be our time machine and it will lead us to a time when steam engines were the main means of transport. We will experience emotions which will conjure us up to the beginning of the 20th century.
The tour starts with a transfer, at 8:15am from Santiago to San Fernando (140Km. - 87 miles to the south). Once there, we will board the Tren del Vino (1:30am) on a 20 minute ride to the Paniahue Station in Santa Cruz along the main vineyards of the Colchagua valley. During the ride, we will enjoy an exquisite wine* tasting of red and white wines accompanied by a selection of assorted cheeses while listening to a typical Chilean folk musician. There will also be a bilingual Spanish/English narration of the trip. From Santa Cruz station – where guests are welcomed by a young folk music group – we will go directly on a visit to a vineyard in the valley (according to program) where we will go deeper in the fascinating world of wine, learning about its making and some tasting techniques at the very source. A typical chilean lunch will then be served at the same place. After lunch we will visit the Colchagua Museum which is one of the largest private collections of a wide variety of exhibits in Latin America . The return to Santiago is programmed at 5:30 by bus and we will arrive at 8:00 pm. in the city.
*Wines from: Viu Manent, Montgras, Bisquertt, VOE (Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana), Estampa, Sutil y Santa Cruz.
The train
The average speed for this early 20th century locomotive is between 30 and 40 km/h (19 and 25 mph). It contains a type 57, #607 coal-fired steam engine, one of the last models built in Chile in the year 1913. The dining car is a series Y-19 with a capacity for 40 people, built in Germany in 1923 by Linke Hoffman Company. It arrived in Chile in 1929 along with three passenger cars series I-203, I-264, I-199, each one holding 80 people and also built by the same company.
Itinerary
08.00 hrs - Passengers presentation at Hotel Galerías ( San Antonio 65, Santiago Centro) or Tienda de vinos “Uno Markett” (Av. Tobalaba 911, Providencia).
08.30 hrs - Transfer Santiago - San Fernando.
10.30 hrs - Wine Train tickets. Bilingual guide, folklore show and tasting of varietal wines and local cheese on board.
12:45 - Visit to a winery. Includes tour to the wine caves with wine tastings.
14.15 hrs - Lunch at Winery.
15.45 hrs - Visit to the Cochagua Museum.
17.30 hrs - Return directly to Santiago by bus.
20.00 hrs - Arrival in Santiago.
