Tour of Chile’s Travel Highlights

Arrive Calama.

Shared transfer to San Pedro de Atacama with Spanish-speaking driver only.

Approximately 90 minutes drive, overnight at hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Morning free to explore the town, church and Museum.
Afternoon shared tour to the Valle de La Muerte (Valley of Death) and Valle de La Luna (Valley of the Moon).

Depart from your Hotel in San Pedro of Atacama and head to the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountain Range), where you will visit the Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna) that forms part of the National Flamingo Reservation. This unique place is famous for its natural mineral sculptures, one of them being “Las Tres Marías” (The Three Mary’s) formed by the wind erosion, resembling a lunar setting.

Next, visit Death Valley, a place that invites sand boarders to practice their favourite sport. Its salt formations appear to be sculptures and works of art. Finally, end your trip with a magical sunset at the Kari Viewpoint, one of the highest points of the “Cordillera de la Sal” (Salt Mountain Range); before returning to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Full day shared tour with English speaking guide, Atacama Salt Flatas and altiplanic lakes Meñiques and Miscanti. Box lunch included.

Depart from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama heading for the Atacama Salt Flat, one of the largest in the world.

Within the Salt Flat, in the area known as Soncor and the Chaxa Lagoon, you find the three species of native pink flamingos.

Continue and travel further within the Altiplano, reaching 4,300m/14,108ft above sea level. Arrive at the Miñique and Miscanti lagoons, sitting at the foothill of the Miñique and Miscanti volcanoes, and admire the solitary beauty of the place.

After this visit, we return to Socaire for lunch at one of the rustic village kitchens where they use the ingredients cultivated from the ancestral agricultural terraces.

Finally, we make a stop in the village of Toconao, where we visit the main square, the bell tower built in 1750 and made of cactus wood, mud and straw, and the church of San Lucas. Both of these have been National Monuments since 1951.

Return to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Shared Tatio geysers tour. Pick up at dawn from your Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Depart towards the Altiplano, reaching an altitude of 4,320m/14,173ft above sea level, to visit The Tatio Geysers; one of the most important geothermal fields in the world.

The extreme cold temperatures mean that the fumaroles can easily reach 10 metres high and the geysers up to 8 metres. After witnessing the geothermal show there is time for a swim in the nearby natural hot spring pool.

On the return journey there is a stop at the wetlands of Putana, to admire the view with the Colorado Volcano in the background and then continue to the village of Machuca, a village that reflects the original Altiplanic architecture particularly in its church.

Return to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, arriving early afternoon.

Afternoon free.

In the evening shared star-gazing tour, English commentary, with transfers there and back. This is a real highlight of any trip to Atacama. Whether using telescopes or your own eyes, if the skies are clear then Atacama offers some of the best views to space from anywhere on earth.

Note: Please check the lunar calendar with us before booking, as tours cannot run close to full moons.

Shared transfer to Calama airport, Spanish speaking driver only.

Fly to Santiago and connect with flight to Punta Arenas. Total flying time approximately 6 hours plus connection time in Santiago.

Private transfer to hotel, Spanish speaking driver only.

Transfer from the hotel to the bus station.

Scheduled bus to Puerto Natales, 3 hour bus journey and transfer to the hotel.

Full day shared sailing on the 21 de Mayo to the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers with barbecue lunch.

Transfer to the port to board the 21 de Mayo.

Set sail on the Last Hope Sound heading for the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers.

Late morning arrival to visit the Glaciers.

Continue to the Estancia Perales for a typical Patagonian Barbecue lunch before sailing back to Puerto Natales.

Full day shared tour to the Torres del Paine National Park.

We’ll take a van or bus into the park with our guide and visit some of the highlights of Torres del Paine National park.

First is the Natural Monument Milodon Cave. The largest of these caves houses the replica of the extinct Milodon, a giant herbivore that has probably been extinguished in the late Pleistocene era.

Then, we visit the National Park Torres del Paine, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful natural places in the world, and recently chosen as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Amarga Lagoon, overlooking the Horns of Paine, Salto Grande and Grey Lake are on the list of stops.

At noon we enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the park (not included in the price).

At the end of the tour drop off at Laguna Amarga / Sarmiento Administration Centre.

Transfer to the hotel. Overnight, breakfast included, hotel in Torres del Paine Serrano area.

Day free to organise excursion/trek direct with hotel or explore under your own steam.

Day free to organise excursion/trek direct with hotel or explore under your own steam.

Transfer to administration centre.

Scheduled bus to Puerto Natales, transfer to hotel.

Transfer to the bus station, scheduled bus to Punta Arenas airport.

The journey time is approximately 3.5 hours.

Fly to Santiago, approximately 4-hour flight.

Met on arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Half day private walking tour of Santiago including downtown and funicular up San Cristobal Hill.

English-speaking guide – this tour can be Tuesday to Sunday.

Departure from our hotel in Santiago to visit the Santa Lucia Hill, where the city was founded in 1541. This hill is located in the heart of the city and it gives us an overview of the centre of Santiago.

Then, we walk to Lastarria neighbourhood, a cultural, gastronomic and tourist centre and continue through the Parque Forestal reaching the bohemian Bellavista neighbourhood.

From here we take the funicular railway up San Cristobal Hill, and from the Immaculate Conception Sanctuary, where a huge statue of the Virgin Mary looks over the city, we have great views of Santiago.

Return to the hotel.

Transfer from the hotel to the airport, fly to Easter Island, approximately 5 hour flight.

Arrive Easter Island, transfer to the hotel.

Full day shared tour along the Moai Route visiting:

• Ahu Vaihu, a ceremonial site with scattered fallen “moais” (statues);
• Ahu Akahanga, where the first king of the island was buried;
• Rano Raraku Volcano where the natives carved the giant statues from the volcano’s quarry as well as the largets Moai on the island;
• Ahu Tongariki, the largest Ahu (platform) on the Island with 15 Moais;
• Te Pito Kura, ancient settlement;
• Anakena Beach. Box lunch included.

In the afternoon, return to the hotel.

Half-day shared tour to Rano Kao Volcano and its large fresh-water lake covered by totora.

Perched on the top of the crater is the Ceremonial Centre of Orongo, where every year the Birdman or Tangata Manu ceremony is celebrated. Here we see more than 100 petroglyphs representing the Make-Make god and the Manutara seabird, amongst others.

We visit the Ana Kai Tangata cave, a cavern housing a large array of prehistoric paintings where the Easter Island people took refuge during times of war.
In the afternoon, shared tour to Ahu Akivi, a large platform with 7 Moais facing the sea; the Ana Tepahu Caverns and the quarry of Puna Pau, where the Pukaos, top part of the Moais -Pukao, means “typical hairstyle”-, were sculpted.

Finally, we visit the Ahu Tahai.

Return to the hotel.

Transfer to the airport, fly to Santiago – approximately 5 hours flying time.

Private transfer to the hotel in Santa Cruz (approx. 3.5 hours).

Santa Cruz is a typical rural town in the heart of the Colchagua Valley in Chile’s wine district.

Half day shared tour to Santa Cruz winery.

Tour of the winery and tastings included.

Overnight, breakfast included, hotel in Santa Cruz.

Day free to explore.

Visit a winery, explore the Colchagua Muesuem or just soak up the sun by a pool, weather and season permitting.

Overnight, breakfast included, hotel in Santa Cruz.

Transfer to Santiago airport, tour ends

Chile is the land of contrasts, from verdant vineyards to driest desert, deep fjords and towering glaciated volcanoes.

A narrow but incredibly long, snake-like country, Chile’s unusual geography features more than 5,000km of South Pacific Ocean coast. The country is almost 4,400km long but barely more than 160km at its widest.

It is best divided into general regions, all of which offer spectacular landscapes and identities of their own.

This variety means Chile is the land where almost every activity is possible. Hiking, biking, rafting and kayaking.

Or climbing, cruising, fishing, horse riding, wine tasting.

Or simply eating great food, relaxing and exploring.

Patagonia

Trekking heaven. Paine National Park lies in Patagonia and features some of the best trekking in South America. With no altitude worries here, hikers enjoy an unrivalled mix of access to wild flora and fauna that exists in this massif. It is at once windswept, and then balmy. Paine National Park is a must see for walkers visiting South America.

Northern Patagonia is the least densely populated part of the country – spectacular virgin scenery make this a hidden gem and superb area for trekking, boating and horse riding.

And that’s before you think about possibly cruising through fjords, or kayaking them, flying to Antartica or staying at a working hacienda.

Easter Island

Iconic, Easter Island is an archaeological treasure. Here you will find the famous Moai stone statues, as well as caves and rocks decorated with etched petroglyphs and painted pictographs.

Northern Chile

Northern Chile features the Atacama, the driest desert with the clearest skies in the world, is alive with active volcanoes replete with spitting geysers mixed with archaeological wonders and fantastic rock formations.

Central Chile is the heart of Chile and includes the capital Santiago. With its Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers and mild wet winters, this central valley produces some of South America’s finest wines, Colchagua Valley to name but one.

Here, the Andean mountain chain soars more than 6,000m above sea level. Chile’s traditional symbols such as huaso (cowboy) and cueca (national dance) originate here, an area which is rich in agriculture and produces most of Chile’s export fruit.

In winter, skiers are attracted to this tasting the promise of some fabulous snow on the huge peaks which overlook Santiago.

Southern Chile and the Lake District

Lush and verdant, The Lake District area is the place to climb snow-capped volcanoes by day while relaxing next to stunning glacial lakes by evening. You can walk, bike, raft, cruise and drive your way around this beautiful region.

Central, southern and Patagonia Andes all present different challenges to mountaineers and trekkers. Options are varied in the central Andes with many of the Patagonian peaks remaining unexplored and unsummitted.

Chile’s climate varies greatly, owing to its sheer length, variation of terrain and varying altitudes and latitudes.

Lake District and Patagonia

In the south of Chile, here temperatures drop a little compared to the rest of Chile.

It can be better to go in the Austral summer (Oct-March). Daylight hours are much longer at this time, with Nov-Feb being popular times to visit. October and March can be very colourful and vivid with less visitors, but weather can be more blustery.

In Patagonia, the weather is, putting it mildly, variable, and variable on a daily basis. It is usually cool and windy all year round but seldom does the temperature fall below freezing point. Some days start with snow and end in balmy sunshine. It is always interesting, and can range from 10°C-20°C in the summer, although the wind can make it feel chilly.

The vast unbroken stretch of ocean to the west and south of the South American continent leaves the Patagonian Andes very exposed to the saturated winds that circle the Antarctic landmass. Also the South Patagonia Ice field influence makes the weather hard to predict. In spring or early summer fine weather may deteriorate almost without warning, bringing rains and eventually snow. Even in summer (Dec-Mar) you should come prepared to find cold, strong winds (up to 130 km/hr) and rainfalls. The summer’s average temperature is 11ºC/52ºF (24ºC max, 2ºC min).

Winter visits to these southern areas are possible, but many hotels close and not all trips are possible. Daylight hours can be very short, but the lack of visitors can greatly improve chances of seeing wildlife in parks such as Paine.

The Lake District’s temperate climate can be said to resemble that of the UK, with rain possible but also enjoying long spells of fine, fresh weather in the summer (Oct-March).

Easter Island

Although sub-tropical and essentially a year-round destination, Dec-Feb are the most popular times to visit Easter Island as it is summer there and temperatures average 24°C. There can be colder days and it can be humid too.

The winter months (Jun-Oct) on Easter Island are not overly cold, but they can be cool. The average low temperature is 16°C but there is usually a wind at this time of year that makes the temperature feel cooler than it really is.

The wind rarely stops blowing at this time of year.

Northern Chile

The north of the country lies in the tropical zone, but in the main is desert. It is dry and sunny all year round, but does get cold at night time in the high altitude areas.

In winter (June-Aug) the average daytime temperature is 22°C (72°F) and by night 4°C (39°F), descending to -2°C (28°F) in extreme cases.

During summer (Jan-Mar) the temperature fluctuates between 27°C (81°F) and a minimum of 16°C (61°F) at night, reaching maximums of 32°C (90°F), with occasional showers.

Central Valley

The wine growers love the central valley, which has a suitable Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers (Nov-March).

Then, temperatures range from 17°C in the evening and can go up to 30°C inland. It is cooler during the day on the coast.

During winter (May-Sept), which is essentially mild and wet, temperatures inland can vary from 5°C to 18°C during the day, and a bit warmer on the coast.

Autumn (Mar-April) and Spring (Oct-Nov) are lovely times to visit, although hotels in Santiago can book out in March, October and November, as it is conference season.

Good kit is vital for every trip.

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Overview

Chile has a wide range of climates from arid deserts to bracingly cold Patagonia.

When planning for these changeable climatic conditions you will encounter across Chile, layering is the most practical and versatile clothing system.

The sun is very strong throughout the country, so good sun cream, a hat and sunglasses are vital.

It can also get very cold at night time especially in the mountains. Jumpers, fleeces and warms hats – which you can buy there – are also essential.

Give plenty of thought to kit selection, and try to keep weight down.

Below is a more detailed guide.

Detailed kit list

• Medium weight parka or a down jacket.
• Waterproof jacket and trousers. The jacket needs to be water proof and roomy. Side-zip pants are recommended.
• 2-3 long-sleeve shirts – no cotton
• 2-3 short-sleeve T-shirts – no cotton
• 2 pair of hiking trousers- cotton or synthetic material (no jeans)
• 1 fleece or sweat trousers (for cold evenings)
• 2 pair hiking shorts
• Long thermals – synthetic or wool – light to medium weight top & bottoms.
• 2-3 mid-weight (wool or synthetic) socks.
• 2-3 liner socks if needed
• Athletic-type socks, several pairs, city use
• Hiking boots that are waterproof and well broken-in.
• Running/tennis shoes or sandals are very comfortable when you are in cities
• 1 lightweight wool sweater or windproof fleece
• 1 wool or synthetic warm hat.
• 1 light sun hat with a wide brim.
• 1 pair of medium-weight wool or synthetic gloves
• Broad-brimmed sunhat, essential.
• Sunglasses with UV filter.
• Scarf for cold.
• Bandanna – to protect neck from strong sun.
• Daypack (at least 30 litres). Comfortable and with waterproof lining or cover.
• Water bottle (2 litres approx.) & purification tablets.
• Personal first-aid kit to include: painkillers, plasters (band-aids), moleskin, anti-biotic cream, general antibiotics (ask your GP), after-bite (tiger balm), anti-diarrhoea tablets, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts & personal medication.
• Insect repellent (just in case)
• Towel & wash-kit.
• Wet Wipes/antiseptic hand-wash cream.
• Sunscreen (factor 30+) and lip salve.
• Head-lamp (plus spare bulb and batteries).
• Penknife.
• Travel alarm clock.
• Plastic bags – ‘Zip-loc’ & tough bin liners.
• Camera and film / memory cards (take at least twice the amount you think you will need!).
• Book, e-book, mp3 player/ipod or other to help pass the time.
• Binoculars.
• Spanish/English phrasebook.
• Extra snacks i.e. cereal bars or favourite chocolate bars.

Miscellaneous others

• Money belt.
• Passport.
• U.S. dollars cash, mixed-denomination notes, undamaged and unmarked.
• ATM cash/credit card.
• Any inoculation certificates.
• Personal & medical insurance certificates.
• Presents e.g. Postcards from home.
• Comfortable clothes for travel, smart clothes for night life, especially in big cities.

Andean Trails has 25 years of experience of putting together the best South America holidays.

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And  ‘air package holiday’ is defined as including a flight and some ground services (hotel, transfer, trek etc). This is also known as an ‘ATOL-protected holiday’.

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I’m not ATOL covered, what protection do I have?

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