Santiago and Atacama Desert Adventure

Visit beautiful and historic Santiago, a dynamic city in the shadow of the Andes. Santiago is the largest city and the capital of Chile. Explore its culturally rich buildings and monuments. Take an excursion to the Andes to find the Atacama Desert. Perhaps nowhere on Earth does a landscape remind us so vividly that there was a time before humans. Atacama is one of the best stargazing locations on earth. You won’t even need a telescope to see the breathtaking light show above. Explore the Salt Mountain Range, the lagoons, the flora and fauna. Ride up the mountains to enjoy the scenery and bluish waters at the foothill of volcanoes. At sunrise admire nature at its best at the Tatio Geysers, one of the highest in the world.

DAY 1 | Welcome to Santiago, Chile!

Upon arrival at Santiago International Airport, transfer to the hotel of your choice in Santiago for a three-night stay. Have the rest of the day to enjoy at leisure on your own and to rest.

• Standard Class: Hotel Neruda Express
• First Class: Torremayor Providencia Hotel
• Deluxe Class: Fundador

DAY 2 | Discover Santiago | B.

After your breakfast, depart the hotel in Santiago to start an interesting visit to the center of the city in the Andean mountains. During the visit you will have a chance to get a panoramic view of Barrio Bellavista, a cultural and bohemian neighborhood, the central market, Mapocho station, a former train station that since 1994 has been refitted as a cultural center that hosts many kinds of events and the Bellas Artes Museum.

Following the tour of Bellavista, you will enjoy a guided visit at Santa Lucia Hill; a small hill in the center of Santiago. At its highest point there is a viewpoint popular with people visiting the city. Afterwards, the visit continues on to the main square of Santiago: Plaza de Armas, surrounding the square are some historical buildings such as Santiago’s Cathedral, a neoclassical church built in the late 1700s, the Municipality, a building that serves as the seat of the local government for Santiago, the Central Post Office Building, and the Chilean National History Museum, located in the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago. The trip continues with a panoramic view of the site of the former National Congress and then to La Moneda, the Presidential Palace of Chile.

The excursion continues with the visit to the Club Hipico de Santiago, a thoroughbred horse race track in Santiago which opened in 1870, and is Chile’s oldest racetrack and home to South America’s oldest stakes race. From there, follow thru Barrio Universitario, the University neighborhood, and then to the Barrio Concha y Toro, a neighborhood with a medieval-like street plan. Finally, you will ride and get a panoramic view of modern Santiago and arrive to the Faba Store, a shop of fine Chilean handicraft specialized in Lapislazuli jewelry, a blue stone mined naturally in Chile and Afghanistan. At the end of the tour, return to your hotel in Santiago.

Day 3 | Santiago on your own | B.

Today, you enjoy a leisure day to explore the city on your own, to explore places, taste the local food, sightsee the local shops, meet the people, and to capture your own memories of Santiago.

DAY 4 | Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama | B.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will transfer to the Santiago Airport, for your flight to Calama Airport (airfare is not included), a city in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Upon arrival you will transfer on a ride to the hotel of your choice in San Pedro de Atacama for a three-night stay.

• Standard Class: Diego de Almagro San Pedro Atacama
• First Class: Poblado de Kimal
• Deluxe Class: Altiplanico

In the afternoon, the excursion departs from your hotel in San Pedro and heads to the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountain Range), where you will visit the Valley of the Moon that forms part of the National Flamingo Reservation. This unique place has various stone and sand formations which have been carved by wind and water. It has an impressive range of color and texture, looking somewhat similar to the surface of the moon. The valley is part of the National Flamingo Reserve, which was declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1982 for its great natural beauty and strange lunar landscape, from which its name is derived. This unique place is famous for its natural mineral sculptures, one of them being “Las Tres Marias” (The three Mary’s) formed by the wind erosion, resembling a lunar setting.

Next, visit Death Valley (“Valle de la Muerte”), a sandy place that has a particular geographical beauty and that invites sand boarders to practice their favorite sport. Its salt formations seem to be sculptures and works of art. Finally, for the conclusion of this excursion, 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.

DAY 5 | Explore Atacama Salt and the Lagoons | B.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then be ready for your next tour. Depart from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, while heading by the international highway towards the Atacama Salt Flat, (Salar de Atacama), the largest salt flat in Chile and one of the largest in the world. Surrounded by mountains it comprises an area of over 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 square miles). The turquoise water and white edges with crystallized salt of the Cejar Lagoon invite you to enjoy a bath.

The Lagoon is a sinkhole lake in the Salar de Atacama. It is the perfect place to spot pink flamingos and “tagua” ducks. The vast landscape of the Salt Flat and the Andes Mountains are the perfect setting for an afternoon swim, which is undoubtedly the main attraction and the lagoon which has a high salt concentration in the water producing an effect of floating like the Dead Sea.

Continue south to visit the Ojos del Salar, two lakes with less salinity in its water, used by visitors to get rid of the salt from the previous bath. These lagoons are an attraction because of the geological formation. Finally, travel to the Tebenquiche Lagoon and be enchanted by the sunset and the colorful reflections of the mountains in the water. Afterwards, return to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 6 | More of the Atacama Salt Flat and the Altiplano | B.L.

After you enjoy breakfast, get ready and depart from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, on a ride along the international highway towards the Atacama Salt Flat. Today you will visit an area known as Soncor and the Chaxa Lagoon, where may visitors come to this part of the Flamencos National Reserve in search of the flamingoes and other birds that nest and feed in “ojos de agua” (“eyes of water”), here you can observe the three species of native pink flamingos.

Continue into the Altiplano, high plains in the Andean mountains, home of some buildings from the 17^th century, and travel further to a height of 4,300 meters (14,100 feet) above sea level. Arrive at the Miñique and Miscanti Lagoons, at the foothill of the Miñique and Miscanti volcanoes, with fantastic scenery of bluish waters arising from the background volcanoes. After this visit, you will return to Socaire for lunch at one of the rustic cooking places of the village, that still use the resources cultivated from the ancestral agricultural terraces.

Finally, make a stop at the village of Toconao, where we will visit the main square, the bell tower built in 1750 made of cactus wood, mud and straw, and the church of San Lucas, both declared National Monument since 1951. Afterwards, return to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 7 | | High Altiplano and the Tatio Geysers/ Calama – Santiago | B.

At dawn you will be picked up from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama to take a scenic ride towards the Altiplano, reaching an altitude of 4,320 meters (14,170 feet) above sea level, to visit the Tatio Geysers; whose name means “the grandfather”, it is one of the most important geothermal fields and among the highest elevations geysers in the world.

Visitors generally arrive at sunrise when each geyser is surmounted by a column of steam that condenses in the cold air. Be witness of different geothermal manifestations and its fumaroles that easily reach 10 meters high and the geysers up to 8 meters. After watching this impressive spectacle, enjoy a comforting breakfast and dip in the hot springs which have an average temperature of 36º C (97º F).

Taking the same way back, you will be stopped for a few minutes in the wetlands of Putana, where you can see different species against the backdrop of the Colorado Volcano. Finally, we will make the last stop of the trip to visit the Atacama shepherds in the village of Machuca, devoted to grazing and agriculture, and where you can find a wetland, with families of flamingos, ducks and gulls. In this little town is where the original Altiplano architecture is reflected in its church. At the end of the excursion, return to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama for your transfer to Calama Airport.

PRICES PER PERSON STARTING AT US$1,449.00

– SHARING DOUBLE ACCOMMODATIONS –

STANDARD CLASS HOTELS

              

In Santiago: Hotel Neruda Express, is a comfortable three-star hotel located in El Golf neighborhood, a modern business area with important business activity and a varied of commercial and gastronomic establishments. Its rooms are bright, comfortable and cozy, all equipped with private bath with bathtub, air conditioning and heating, cable, minibar and safety deposit box. Hotel Neruda Express is located in Santiago, 3.3 miles from La Piojera and 1.4 miles from Teleferico.

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In San Pedro de Atacama: Diego de Almagro San Pedro Atacama, features a privileged location, in the center of the San Pedro de Atacama town, allowing the vsiitor an easy and immediate connection with the most important tourist centers of the area such as San Pedro Main Square, Museum, Handicraft market, among others.

The facilities of Hotel Diego de Almagro San Pedro de Atacama have been designed to achieve a tranquil resting and to enjoy the atmosphere surrounding the town, with a qualified staff to attend all your needs. Built in volcanic stone, the hotel is a beautiful place that mixes the history of this place with the confort of the present days. of the region.

Hotel Diego de Almagro offers rooms with private bathroom, hot water, telephone, Cable TV and frigobar; also family cabins. It counts with 36 comfortable rooms, with a capacity of 77 people.

 FIRST CLASS HOTELS

              

In Santiago: Torremayor Providencia Hotel, stands out for its modern and urban style, conceived to enjoy a memorable stay, in a great environment, with a structure for our clients who like a good service and comfort in the big city. Located in the centre of Providencia, around Restaurants, near, less than 10 minutes to the biggest mall in Latinoamerica, Costanera Center, centers of tourism, and transport, subway station Los Leones. Rooms with modern style, spacious desk, minimalist style decoration, but always with the warmth of Hoteles Torremayor. Close less than an hour to Ski centers, vineyards of the central zone of Chile, beaches and casinos.

In San Pedro de Atacama: Poblado Kimal Hotel, Located in San Pedro de Atacama’s historical centre, Hotel Poblado Kimal features a garden with a swimming pool and a restaurant, as well as free WiFi and private terraces. Breakfast and free parking are provided. The main square is 500 metres away. Crafted in natural materials, the spacious eco-cabins at Poblado Kimal have decking terraces and are fitted with fans and heating. All of them have private bathrooms and minibars. Some of them feature spa baths. The property has a relaxation centre offering yoga classes, massages, smoothies and teas.

A buffet breakfast is served daily. Regional and international dishes can be ordered at the restaurant, whereas drinks and snacks from the bar can be enjoyed at the bar. Guests are welcomed with complimentary drinks.

DELUXE CLASS HOTELS

             

In Santiago: Hotel Fundador: Offers a great location in Santiago de Chile in the famous Paris-Londres district, where you’ll find a variety of popular attractions. With a concept designed to fulfill the needs of business travelers and tourists, the hotel has 24 hour room service along with cozy facilities like an indoor pool and comfortable guestrooms, each with a minibar and in-room safe.

In San Pedro de Atacama: Altiplanico Hotel. Enchanting Atacama Desert with its innumerable geological wonders such as geysers, hot springs, salty basins and snow capped volcanoes, as well as rich flora and fauna, makes San Pedro de Atacama one of South America’s star destinations. It is also full or archeological and cultural wealth, which stand as testimony of its magnificent past. From sunrise in the Tatio Geysers surrounded by jagged mountains and volcanic peaks to unparalleled sunsets reflecting golden light over salty lagoons full with Chilean Flamingoes, San Pedro de Atacama will surely take your breath away.the restaurant, whereas drinks and snacks from the bar can be enjoyed at the bar. Guests are welcomed with complimentary drinks.

The hotel has 29 rooms arranged in three semicircles, with cultivated fields in between. It has single, doubles, triples and family rooms, based on separate houses, with individual terraces, WiFi, private bathrooms and independent entries. Some rooms have outside showers to enjoy the starry night and sunny days. They are decorated with great simplicity, using different resources of color and shape. Inside the atmosphere is fresh and cozy; each has a terrace to enjoy the view. Most furniture is in built to give the feeling that the hotel is part of Atacama, arising from the earth.

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