The Chilean Altiplano in 11 days - 10 nights

DURATION: 11 DAYS.

PRICE USD 1600

We will go through the driest desert in the world till the plateau in this route, places with a unique wildlife while witnessing the Aymara indigenous communities. We will finish this trip at the coast of the pacific ocean.

Day 1 – Airport – Santiago-City Tour

Arrival in Santiago City, welcome by our staff and transfer to hotel, accommodation in the afternoon then will take a beautiful city tour of Santiago where we will visit the main attractions and we have some of the best views of the capital city of Santiago, between the places to visit include the historic town such as El Cerro Santa Lucia, La Plaza de Armas, El Palacio de la Moneda, the Central Market and the Cerro San Cristobal and others. After that we transfer to our hotel.

Observations:

  • PrivateTransferAirport –Hotel without guide.
  • Private city tour for Santiago.
  • Bilingual Guide.
  • Not Include: Ticket entry San Cristobal Hill.

Day 2 – Santiago – Valparaíso – Viña del Mar

Buffet Breakfast in your Hotel Pick up  at 08:30We begin our tourfrom your hotel inSantiago, a trip of 120 kilometers tothe Pacific Ocean.Here¬appreciatethe diversity of thelandscape of the ValleyofCuracavíto follow the Valleyof Casablanca knownforhigh production ofwhite wine fromSauvignonBlanc,among others.

Arriving to Valparaíso (legislative capital and main port of our country), declared by UNESCO as Cultural Patrimony of Humanity. This surprised us as their houses nestled in the hills make it a very picturesque city. Visit the main attractions of the city: Plaza de la Victoria, Plaza Sotomayor, the Navy Glories Memorial Walk 21 May (we will raise this viewpoint to appreciate this beautiful harbor, one of the most important in our country) also
We will hike through the hills as the emblematic Cerro Alegre getting on the various lifts to the environment. Also have time to visit the house of Pablo Neruda “La Sebastiana”.

Follow the trip until Viña Del Mar, known as the Garden City. Here we can see the flower clock, Casino Games and Reñaca, a place where we will stop for lunch and then take a brief walk along the beach. Returning to Santiago, on the coastal road show and visit Quinta Vergara, place known for its International Music Festival, to return to Santiago Finishing our tour in our hotel At 19:00 hrs

Observations:

  • Buffet Breakfast in your Hotel.
  • Full day Regular Tour.
  • Bilingual Guide.
  • Not Included: ticket entry usd 9

Day 3 – Santiago – San Pedro de Atacama – Moon Valley

Buffet Breaksfast in our Hotel Early in the Morning pick up from your hotel and transfer to Santiago Airport where we´ll take our flight to Calama, Arrive and reception in the Airport where we´ll take  transfer to San Pedro de Atacama  the archaeological capital in Chile, after 1H15 Minutes we´ll get to your hotel. Free time for rest

In the afternoon Moon Valley

Departure from our office at 15H00 pm visit the balcony ridge of salt, forming a landscape of desolation of the salt, wind sculpted mounds and hollows of salt, clay and plaster which does not grow any vegetation along to see the Salar de Atacama, death Valley, then we hike to salt cavern formations Tres Marias doing a hiking for 30 minutes. For watching the sunset in front to the mountains Return and arrival to 19:30 Hrs. San Pedro de Atacama

Observations:

  • Buffet Breakfast in your hotel.
  • PrivateTransferHotel in Santiago- Airport. Only driver.
  • PrivateTransfer from Calama -San Pedro deAtacama Only driver.
  • Half Tour in the afternoon.
  • Bilingual guide.
  • Not Included: Ticket Entry $ 8.000 Chilean pesos.

Day 4 – Salar de Atacama – Highland Lakes.

We leave San Pedro at 8:00am to start the sixth day of our tour. Our destination are the altiplanic lagoons Miñiques and Miscanti, natural sceneries of an intense blue color. To get there, we will take the route to Toconao, a colonial village with an unique architecture. All its buildings are made out of stone from volcanoes, so called Liparitas, including its old colonial church with its impressive bell tower.

Moving on, we will get to see the great peaks of the cordillera of the Andes at 4.300m over sea level on our way to the lagoons Miscanti and Miñiques, which approximately were formed a million years ago due to the eruption of the volcano Meñiques. This area is part of the National Reserve of the Flamingos, surrounded by impressive mountains and volcanoes that create an incomparable landscape. The trip goes on to the biggest treasure of the driest desert in the world, the impressive Salt Lake of the Atacama. Without doubt, this enormous lake with tons of salt implies an incredible majesty and a unique natural ambience. The intense color contrast and the numerous small canyons in this area will help to convert your trip into a lifetime experience. The salt lake of the Atacama is one of the biggest in Chile and also includes the main flamingo reserve of the country, the National Reserve of the Flamingos. We will visit the pre-cordilleran village Socaire, where you can enjoy a great view over the white sea of the salt lake. Also, this town is known for its hadcrafts mainly made out of cow or llama wool. Here you will have the possibility to taste the typical food of the region. Surprise yourself with the fantastic lagoon Chaxa, a place where ducks, alpacas, vicuñas, foxes and ostriches live. And of course, there are pink flamingos at the shore and flying at the sky of the highland over the salt lake of the Atacama .Finally we will reach our destination, the fabulous lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques that present a great variety of different colors. After experiencing this incredible places and enjoying a magic trip we will return to San Pedro de Atacama, one of the main tourist attractions in the world.

Observations:

  • Breakfast in your Hotel.
  • Full Day and regular tour.
  • Bilingual guide.
  • Box Lunch.
  • Not Included: Ticket Entry $ 8.000 Chilean pesos
  • Recommendation: Bring mineral water. Sun creen. Jacket.

Day 5 – San Pedro de Atacama – Geiser del Tatio

We leave at 04.00 a.m. and get to the Geyser of El Tatio around 06.00 a.m. At an altitude of 4.320 meters and 90 K. north east of San Pedro It’s a steamy experience when the water leaves the earth at 85 degrees C. and the steam can get as high as 15 meters. “El Tatio” contains about 40 geysers, has thermal baths and a natural swimming pool. After this miracle of nature we visit the Machuca village of with its impressing flora and fauna. Around noon we get back to San Pedro de Atacama. Free Afternoon for rest or enjoy the town of San Pedro de Atacama.

Observations:

  • Breakfast In Geiser del Tatio.
  • Regular tour
  • Bilingual guide for the tour.
  • Free afternoon.
  • Free Dinner.
  • Not Include: Ticket entry $12.000 cl

Day 6 – San Pedro de Atacama- Pica

Departure at 8:00 a.m We will take the route through the driest desert in the world where we can appreciate all its impressive majesty and beauty. Our destination is Pica, a precious oasis in the middle of the desert. To get there, we will pass one of the most important archaeological heritages of the zone, the Geoglyphs Pintados. These geoglyphs are unique in this part of the world and include about 400 figures painted in 66 panels that represent humans, animals, birds and abstract paintings. Without doubt, this example of the ancient culture will captivate you.

We are going to cross the National Reserve of the Pampa of Tamarugal, one of the biggest forests in the Atacama Desert that has the privilege to be surrounded by various salt lakes. This reserve includes more than 24 thousand hectare of artificial plantations of Tamarugo, and if you are lucky you can observe some reptiles that adapted to the climate and are able to survive the dryness and the heat of the desert.

Also we will be visiting the village of Quillagua, a small oasis located at the shore of the river Loa. Here you will find a church, a train station and the old customs building. According to the National Geographic, Quillagua is the most arid place in the world.

Finally, after enjoying these incredible landscapes of high cultural interest, we will cross the desert to get to Pica, a precious oasis in the desert, where the fouth day of our tour ends.

Observations:

  • Buffet Breakfast in your Hotel.
  • Private Tour.
  • Chauffeur/Guide in Spanish, specialist in the routes.
  • All your meals.
  • Not Included: Ticket Geoglifos: (5 usd per person).

Day 7 – Pica – Atacama Giant- Cariquima – Colchane

We will leave Pica in the morning, this oasis in the middle of the desert which results very attractive for its unique ecosystem, containing different landscapes like the pampa, the highlands and the desert. Our next stop is one of the most impressive nitrate mines of Chile. The offices of Santiago Humberstone and Santa Laura were constructed in the middle of the driest desert in the world and were declared World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO in 2005. Theses ghost towns have been converted to a tourist attraction visited by hundreds of people every year. Rust and ruins symbolize the beauty, remoteness and silence of these ex-nitrate-mines.

Leaving behind these ghost towns we will get to Huara, a place with excellent climatic and geographic conditions that convert it to a paradise for adventure- and eco-tourism. Here we will have lunch.

Afterwards, you will get to know the biggest representation of a human being in the world: The Giant of the Atacama, located at the flanks of the Cerro Unita (Unita Mountain) some kilometers of the village Huara. This geoglyph attracts thousands of tourists every year and is considered one of the most impressive geoglyphs in the north of Chile. Appreciate this figure that measures 86 meters, representing a pre-inca human. There are many interpretations due to the mystic of this place, for example people say that the geoglyph represents a god of an ancient culture that habited the area around 1.000 and 1.400 a.C.

We are going to stop in the village of Cariquima, a different model of the ancient Aymara life where the central meeting point of the indigenous cultures is located. It is famous for many centuries for its handcrafts. Also we are going to visit Chusmiza, a paradise at 3.200m over sea level surrounded by marvelous nature. Our tour continues to Colchane, where close to the border on the flanks of the mountains you will discover the giant cactuses that reach about 10 meters and can only be found in this area at an altitude of more than 3.700m. Finally we will get to Colchane, located at 212 km from Iquique at an altitude of 3.730m in the highlands.

Observations:

  • Breakfast- Lunch.
  • Private Tour.
  • Chauffeur/Guide in Spanish, specialist in the routes.
  • Dinner
  • Not Included: Ticket Humberstone: (6 usd per person).

Day 8 – Colchane – Isluga – Surire- Putre

Leaving Colchane in the morning we will be visiting the altiplanic communes of Enquelga and Isluga that are located in the middle of a bofedal where Llamas and Alpacas feed themselves. Also, the churches are very beautiful to see, they are made out of adobe and date from the 17th century.

We will continue the tour to the Nationl Park Vulcano Isluga, located more than 4.000m over sea level, crossing the paths of the highlands, the desert and the pampa. The diversity of ecology is impressive and allows you to appreciate different landscapes within the park, such as the lagoon Arabilla, surrounded by small bofedales (wetlands) and forests of Queñua (typical tree of the highlands). We will visit the thermal baths of Polloquere, where you will have the perfect panorama full of flamingos and we will take the time to enjoy a Picknick.

The trip continues, reaching the most captivating destination of this tour, the salt lake Surire. It is located at 4,200 m above sea level. Surire was declared national monument and is characterized by its enormous majesty. The presence of salt deposits of intense white color contrast with the pure blue of the water of the lagoons, without doubt a delight to your eyes. The salt lake of Surire also preserves the existence of valuable species such as the ostrich (ñandu), flamingo, vicuña, alpaca and the llama, among others.

Also you will get the opportunity to appreciate majestic sceneries like the villages of Ancuta and Gualltire located at 83 km of Putre at the foot of the volcano Guallatiri. Here you can enjoy the beautiful view of its peak white of snow. The route continues to the National Reserve of the Vicuñas which as its name implies, was created to preserve the vicuña. The flora and fauna of this place are very attractive as they offer a great variety species, besides being surrounded by beautiful scenery of the Chilean Altiplano. Finally, after enjoying unforgettable landscapes and an impressive flora and fauna we will reach Putre, where the second day of our tour ends.

Observations:

  • Breakfast in the Hotel.
  • Private Tour.
  • Chauffeur/Guide in Spanish, specialist in the routes.
  • Lunch – Dinner.

Day 9 – Putre- Lauca National Park – Arica.

We leave for the National Park Lauca with an expanse of 137.883 hectare, a biosphere reserve that covers the foothills and the highlands in the northeast of the region of Arica and Parinacota. To get to this wonderful world in the height, we start with a hike through the sector of the caves. In this district you can get to know the paradisiacal landscapes of the highlands, 4.300m over sea level, and you can observe the so called Vizcachas that come out at dusk and dawn. What makes this hike special is the mystical ambience that surrounds the region. It’s said that there are men living in this area that are over 9000 years old, and sometimes they are still seen, walking the ways of the highlands. They are said to be the very first visitors who appreciated the beauty of the landscapes.

Our journey continues to the viewing point of Chucuyo, which is located in the center of the National Park Lauca that contains a unique ecosystem and an extraordinary flora and fauna. Also, we will stop at the viewing point lagoon Cotacotani. This lagoon consists of different lakes and vulcano islands that are evidence of the high volcanic activity of this zone. The viewing point is placed in the middle of the wetlands and is perfect to observe the great variety of plants and animals, such as the parinas, ducks, vicuñas, vizcachas and taguas.

We will be moving on to one of the most beautiful attractions of the National Park Lauca, the lake Chungara, which is located over 4.500 meters over sea level and is on eof the highest lakes in the world. It’s magical beauty and the marvelous reflection of the volcano Parinacota amaze thousands of tourists every year. On the other side of the lake you can see the famous volcanoes Payachata (twins), about which many legends are told due to their mystical appearance. For example people say, that they house an old treasure of the Inca, and others say that they are a couple in love. Furthermore we will visit the village of Parinacota, which was declared national monument. Here you can discover the ancient architecture of the highlands. The old houses are all made of adobe and have a great historical value, for they contain relicts of the time of colonialism and are symbols of the Aymara-culture. At the end of our excursion we enjoy a bath in the thermal springs of Jurasi, located in the middle of a small canyon. They are well known for its medicinal purposes, for example they are recommended in case of rheumatism.  After enjoying all these different landscapes and regaining our strength with a warm thermal bath, we will return to the city of the eternal spring, Arica, known for its architecture and thanks to its mild climate an attractive destination for thousands of tourists every year.

Observations:

  • Breaksfast
  • Private and Personalizad Service.
  • Chauffeur/Guide in Spanish, specialist in the routes.
  • Free dinner in Arica.

Day 10 – Arica- Santiago – Concha y Toro – Santiago.

Breakfast at the hotel and pick up from our hotel flight to Santiago,  Reception in the Airport and transfer to our Hotel.

One of the most classic tours in Santiago, the first after our transfer pick us up at our hotel we will go to Concha y Toro to arrive after 40 min at Pirque where the tour starts in the Plaza Don Melchor, where tourists will be greeted by a guide who will be invited to enjoy a panoramic view of Pirque vineyard with a glass of wine, for you to soak aromas and flavors that arise step by step in this centennial warehouse.

With the cup in his hand will be part of a walk through the old park, back in time to appreciate the Casona de Pirque, family residence Concha y Toro. Here was born over 100 years the largest wine company in our country.

In the vineyards of Pirque we know the development of the vines, cultural and technological management are responsible for superior performance. For the old facilities and witness the legend, Concha y Toro offers a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Observations:

  • Buffet Breakfast in your hotel
  • Private transfer Hotel in Arica – Airport.
  • PrivateTransfer Airport in Santiago –Hotel.
  • Regular Tour to Concha y Toro Wineyards.
  • Ticket entry included.
  • Wine tasting in Concha y Toro.
  • Bilingual Guide.

Day 11 – Santiago- International Airport

Buffet  Breakfast in your hotel after that picks up and transfers to Airport

.End of services

Observations:

  • Buffet Breakfast in your hotel.
  • Private transfer Hotel – Airport.
  • Day without guide.

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