Chile
Day One: Discover Santiago
Arrive at Santiago airport for a private transfer to your hotel (30 minutes). Then get acquainted with Chile’s complex capital with your private guide. Start on San Cristobal Hill, for knock-out views over the city from 800m up, before moving into its heart at the grand, colonial Plaza de Armas. From there, take in the cobbled streets and crumbling mansions of the old, colonial barrios before exploring Santiago’s modern eastern suburbs. The rest of the day is yours to settle in. Be sure to leave some time for once - a traditional Chilean evening snack.
Overnight in Santiago
Classic - Hotel Novapark
Premium - Hotel Plaza San Francisco
Deluxe - The Singular Lastarria Hotel
Meals included: None
Day Two: Lush Country and Coastal Cities
Discover two not-to-be-missed coastal cities, on a drive from Santiago. Your private adventure takes you by car through the lush Curacaví and Casablanca Valleys, filled with vineyards, fruit plantations and forest reserves, towards lively Valparaíso. In this UNESCO World Heritage city, rainbow-hued homes climb the cliffs. The best way to explore is by foot, passing bright murals and funiculars that slope up steep alleys, as well as landmarks including grand Plaza Sotomayor and the busy, buzzy dockside of Prat Muelle.
Next, it’s time for contrasting Viña del Mar (‘Vineyard by the Sea’), a neatly-landscaped resort city that’s popular with Chileans and packed with pristine parks. You’ll visit some of these, as well as the skyscraper-topped seaside boulevard of Avenida del Peru, home to Chile’s oldest hotel, the del Mar. Then it’s time to return to Santiago for the night.
Overnight in Santiago
Classic - Hotel Novapark
Premium - Hotel Plaza San Francisco
Deluxe - The Singular Lastarria Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Three: Fine Vines
You’ll be picked up from your hotel to make the 45-minute drive Alto Jahuel, a sleepy village in the Andean foothills that’s home to the acclaimed Santa Rita winery. In a beautiful setting of perfectly-kept gardens surrounded by sloping hills, this winery was founded in 1880 and produces award-winning Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. You’ll spend half a day in its refined surroundings, learning about the wine-making process and tasting a selection of its wines. There’s also the chance to see a huge private collection of pre-Colombian art, collected by the businessman Ricardo Claro over 40 years, and housed in a slick, modern building in the midst of the vines. After your return to Santiago, the rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure – or take advantage of an optional excursion to Sky Costanera, the tallest skyscraper in South America (please see the Extras tab). This 300m mirrored towerblock has incredible views across Santiago and the soaring Andes mountains beyond the city. After a private transfer from your hotel, you’ll make the two-minute elevator ride straight to its vast viewing atrium. The 360-degree vistas are especially impressive at night, when Santiago’s lights make vast scribbles across the city.
Overnight in Santiago
Classic - Hotel Novapark
Premium - Hotel Plaza San Francisco
Deluxe - The Singular Lastarria Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Four: Salt Flat and Sunsets
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Santiago airport, ready for your onward flight to Calama. From there, you’ll transfer to the dusty desert town of San Pedro de Atacama, 2,407m above sea level and gateway to the incredible, arid landscapes of the Atacama plateau. In the afternoon, you’ll embark on a trip to the Cordillera de Sal, a vast mountain range dusted in white salt crystals. See the sweeping dunes of Death Valley before watching an unforgettable sunset among the sculptural sand formations of the Valley of the Moon, with a cocktail in hand.
During your time in the Atacama, there’s the chance to book an optional two-hour ‘Big Bang’ experience on any night, beginning at 9pm under an unpolluted sky lit up with stars (please see the Extras tab). The region is renowned as one of the best places in the world to stargaze and, over the course of two hours, you’ll learn more about the night sky from an incredibly knowledgeable guide who’ll help you spot stars with your naked eye and by telescope, as well as tell you more about the Big Bang, life and the universe. You’ll keep warm with a typically Chilean poncho and mug of hot chocolate, and you’ll finish your evening with a photo taken with the star-studded sky as a backdrop. Transfers to and from the hotel are provided.
Overnight in San Pedro
Classic - La Casa de Don Tomás or Diego de Almagro San Pedro de Atacama Hotel
Premium - Terrantai Lodge Andino
Deluxe - Cumbres San Pedro de Atacama Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Five: Adventure through Atacama
Spend the day exploring the lunar-like mountains and plains of the region. Your first stop is the Gran Salar de Atacama, the largest salt flat in Chile, where flamingos perch in plate-glass lagoons. You’ll break for lunch in Socaire, a tiny mining village with incredible views of the salt flat. Over a meal in a local house, you’ll learn about the ancient traditions of the villagers, who still revere Pachamama, the Inca ‘Mother Earth’ goddess. Then it’s on to the serene Altiplanic lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques, 4,000m above sea level and backed by green and purple mountains. At this height, you feel close to the mountains and volcanoes that inspired ancient legends. After your tour, you will transferred back to your hotel for the night.
Overnight in San Pedro
Classic - La Casa de Don Tomás or Diego de Almagro San Pedro de Atacama Hotel
Premium - Terrantai Lodge Andino
Deluxe - Cumbres San Pedro de Atacama Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch
Day Six: Hot Springs and Geysers
It’s an early start, as you make your way to the vast geyser field of El Tatio, 4,320m above sea level. Here, fumaroles soar up to 50m from huge craters, backed by unique fauna and mesmerising mountain scenery. The geysers are at their most dramatic in the early morning, when you’ll also see some of the region’s captivating wildlife – llama-like vicunas, ñandues (which resemble ostriches), and cute viscacha rodents. You’ll savour a breakfast made and served at the geysers, then journey onwards to the Puritama Hot Springs, eight staggered natural pools packed with minerals, 3,475m above sea level. Navigate between them on wooden walkways through a rambling, rocky landscape: the water is a comforting 25-35 degrees. After your soak, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel for the night.
Overnight in San Pedro
Classic - La Casa de Don Tomás or Diego de Almagro San Pedro de Atacama Hotel
Premium - Terrantai Lodge Andino
Deluxe - Cumbres San Pedro de Atacama Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Seven: Atacama living
After breakfast, you’ll transfer to Tierra Atacama. Then, it’s time to settle in, explore the hotel’s facilities and relax.
Overnight at Tierra Atacama
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day Eight & Nine: Time to Relax
The next 2 days are at your leisure and can be as active or as relaxed as you want them to be. Unwind in the hotel’s spa with knockout views of the Atacama, enjoy sumptuous north Chilean cuisine, or book onto an exciting excursion or two (2 half day or 1 full day included in tour price). For the full list of excursions, see https://tierrahotels.com/atacama/excursions/.
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Ten: Homeward Bound
After a final breakfast and dip in the spa pools (dependent on flight time), you’ll be transferred back to Calama Airport for your flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overall meals included: 10 Breakfasts; 4 lunch; 3 dinners
Accommodation
You will get a choice of hotel options for the duration of your experience:
Classic ★★★
Classic hotels provide mid-range accommodation (minimum three-star rated), with comfortable rooms and private facilities. We’ve selected these hotels based on positive client feedback.
Premium ★★★★
Premium hotels are typically upper mid range (usually four star), with more amenities than our classic choices. They all have comfortable rooms with private facilities and have received good client feedback.
Deluxe ★★★★★
Deluxe hotels are luxury hotels with excellent facilities and service, usually categorised as 4.5 or 5 star. Clients rate them extremely highly.
When booking an experience, please remember that the hotel category you select is for the whole tour. Please note that the actual hotel selection will be driven by availability at time of booking.
What's included:
- Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
- Private transfers and internal flights, unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Mandatory taxes and service fees
- Entrance tickets and permits unless stated otherwise
- Watch the sunset in the Valley of the Moon with a cocktail
- Hot springs relaxation
What's not included:
- International flights to/from the start/end point of our experiences
- Optional extras listed
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the tour
- We cannot guarantee the included hotel breakfast for early departures
- Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
What to pack: hiking boots; sun cream; swimsuit; warm layers
For Home Office travel advice to this country, read more here.
Note: This trip explores Santiago and the Atacama Desert. If you’d like your trip to also include Patagonia, please see our Head to Toe Chile extended itinerary.
If you would like the thrill but don't have time for the chill, check out our 7-day Atacama and Santiago experience here!
To check out all our Chile's trips, click here!
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £900 per person and take approximately 16 hours outbound, 22 hours inbound depending on exact flight configurations and layover times.
For this particular experience, we have found that the best option is to book a multi-stop flight from London - Santiago - Calama - London.
Experience start point: Santiago (SCL). Arrive by 12pm on first day of tour.
End point: Calama (CJC).
All tour departures up to 30th June 2019 are part of our Pioneers' Club promotion. Click here for more information.