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This 'Discovery' trip to Chile is an action packed 9 day package with a focus on the cultural characteristics of this beautiful region of our world. Tour cities such as Santiago, Calama, San Pedro, and Puerto Natales.
Santiago (-)
Reception at Santiago’s airport and transfer to the hotel.
Afternoon tour around Santiago, visiting the city’s most outstanding attractions, including a walking tour downtown visiting the “Plaza de Armas”, the Cathedral, Ahumada Boulevard and the Government Palace “La Moneda” (outside). Then, by vehicle, visit the main avenues of old Santiago, crossing the bohemian neighborhood of Bellavista and drive up San Cristobal Hill, for a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the Andes Mountain Range. After this, the tour will take you to the modern part of Santiago, including its chic neighborhoods, shopping and financial centers. Return to the hotel and overnight.
Santiago – Viña del Mar – Valparaíso – Santiago (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
F/D Tour Viña del Mar & Valparaíso: Depart for the central coast traveling through the valleys of Curacaví and Casablanca. There is a stop to visit one of the vineyards in Casablanca and taste some wines. Continue to the coast and visit the beach area of Reñaca and the town of Viña del Mar, known as the Garden City for its pretty parks and flower-lined streets. Continue to the picturesque port of Valparaíso, built in the XVI century on a total of 43 hills, which are reached by narrow windy streets, staircases and a series of lifts (funiculars) which is now declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Site because of its eclectic architecture and urban development. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Return to Santiago and overnight.
Santiago – Calama – San Pedro de Atacama (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the agreed time, transfer to the airport to board your next flight to Calama. Reception and transfer to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama (1 hr 20 min drive). H/D Archaeological tour: The first stop is at Tulor, one of northern Chile’s oldest archaeological sites (3,000 years old). It was inhabited by a community that raised cattle, grew maze and had trading relationships with other settlements, paving the way for the later development of sedentary groups. Next comes a visit to the indigenous Pukará de Quitor (Quitor fortress), built by Atacama settlers more than 700 years ago to defend themselves from other communities in South America and declared a National Monument in 1982. H/D Moon Valley: We depart towards the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountain Range), a group of attractive natural stone and sand sculptures that millions of years ago formed part of a large lake. The next stop is the awesome Valle de Marte (valley of Mars) also known as the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley) with its peculiar stone formations and absolute desert landscape: no vegetation or insects to be seen in what is considered one of the country’s most barren regions. Next, the tour ventures on to Las Tres Marias (the three Marys), an interesting geological formation near an old salt mine. At sunset, the exploration ends atop a giant sand dune in Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), named this way because of its moon-like landscape where an amazing spectacle of different colors can be admired when the sun slips below the horizon.
Return to San Pedro de Atacama and overnight.
San Pedro de Atacama (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
F/D Atacama Salt Flat, High-Plateau Lagoons and Toconao: We will start by visiting the Atacama Salt Flat, which is Chiles biggest Salt Flat and among one of the largest in the world. Here we will find Chaxa Lagoon, where three different species of flamingoes live and breed. We will also have the chance of visiting the picturesque village of Toconao, where the most important attraction is its Bell Tower constructed in the classical atacamenian way. Afterwards, we will visit the village of Socaire and the High Plateau Lagoons of Meñique and Miscanti, located at 4,500 meters above sea level (14,850 feet above sea level). This area is part of the Flamingos National Reserve. These lagoons are surrounded by impressive volcanoes that were formed when the Andes Mountain Range rose from the sea through millions of years of evolution. Lunch included at Socaire. Return to San Pedro de Atacama and overnight.
San Pedro de Atacama (B)
Departure at dawn (4:30 Am) to the Tatio Geysers. Breakfast box in the Geysers before a gentle guided walk around the geothermal field with observation of the natural phenomenon of the steam columns, which are viewed at their best as the sun rises. Continue towards Caspana, a village located at 3,300 m a.s.l. in a fertile valley surrounded by an arid environment, located on the slopes of a deep ravine which is known for its terrace farming system. Then, continue to Chiu Chiu. The imposing church of San Francisco is the icon and symbol of this settlement, dating back to the 17th century, with an amazing structure that was declared a National Monument and is Chile’s oldest church, built in 1611. A visit to the Pukará de Lasana comes next, a pre-Columbian fortress and remarkable national monument built in the 12th century with an amazing construction technique. Made of uncut rocks with 110 structures built into it, its layout includes several rooms connected by narrow interior passages. Return to San Pedro de Atacama and overnight.
San Pedro de Atacama – Calama – Santiago (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the agreed time, transfer to the airport to board your flight to Santiago. Reception and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Santiago.
Santiago – Punta Arenas – Puerto Natales (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the agreed time, transfer to the airport to board your next flight to Punta Arenas. Reception and transfer to the hotel in Puerto Natales (3 hrs 15 min drive). Overnight.
Puerto Natales (B/L)
Breakfast in the hotel.
F/D Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers (SIB) with lunch: Early in the morning transfer to the pier (no guide included) to start sailing the Ultima Esperanza Fjord (Last Hope) and after a 3-hour navigation arrival to the thousand-year-old glacier of Mount Balmaceda, habitat of cormorants and sea lions. At the end of the fjord disembark and walk approximately 1 kilometer (3/4 mile) on a path through the middle of a wonderful native forest to the foot of the Glacier Serrano and from there, admire this huge natural wonder. Then, on the way back, we will stop at an Estancia for a typical lunch barbecue (box lunch during low season) before returning to Puerto Natales in the afternoon. Transfer to the hotel (no guide included). Overnight.
Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine – Puerto Natales (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
F/D Torres del Paine National Park: Departure from Puerto Natales through steppes and Patagonia scrub, full of abundant wild life and herds of sheep, up to Torres del Paine National Park declared world heritage by UNESCO. In the park, a large variety of native fauna especially large herds of guanacos can be observed. Visit the Salto Grande of the Pehoé River, with the impressive mountain massif of Torres del Paine in the background. Then visit to Lake Pehoé, Lake Grey and Grey Glacier. After lunch, on the way back to Puerto Natales, visit the Milodón Cave where the remains of a prehistoric animal were found in the last century. Return to Puerto Natales in the evening and overnight.
Puerto Natales – Punta Arenas – Santiago (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the agreed time, transfer to the airport in Punta Arenas to board your next flight.
