Discover Chile

Clients on the group flight will usually arrive in the morning. A walking

tour of the city tour is organised today (approx. 4 hours), visiting the

squares and streets of the colonial centre and the Presidential Palace. We

also visit San Cristobal Hill, on which a statue of the Virgin Mary stands.

The summit of Cerro San Cristobal offers a birds-eye view of Santiago, the

Andean Mountains and the Maipo-Valley. Without a doubt the best viewpoint in

the city! If there is time we will also see the wealthy suburbs of the

‘Barrio Alto’, an area of elegant shops and first class restaurants.

Please note that due to the arrival times of the group flights, the city tour

will usually start around 2pm or 2:30pm.  Land Only clients wishing to join

the city tour would be advised to be at the hotel around 2pm in order to be

collected.

The historic World Heritage city of Valparaíso, or Valpo for short, is

Chile’s oldest port and home to the country’s National Congress since

democracy was re-established in 1989. The Pacific coast is just a short 1.5

hour drive from Santiago and today’s excursion will give us an interesting

insight into Chilean culture.

The city’s many hills are covered in a glorious sprawl of multi-coloured

houses covering every nook and cranny, creating a spectacular panorama which

can be enjoyed from a number of vantage points. Strolling through the streets

of Valparaíso is a fascinating experience which enables us to soak up the

quirky and bohemian atmosphere, something different to anywhere else in

Chile. We’ll visit the UNESCO recognised historic city centre, in addition

to the parliamentary building, and the War of the Pacific memorial.

Due to the steep terrain in some parts of the city, it is home to numerous

funicular lifts which transport residents straight up and down the hillsides

rather than them having to zigzag through the maze of buildings. Many of

these lifts have fallen into disrepair and sit suspended in time and hidden

amid the labyrinth. However, there is a drive to restore as many as possible

and we’ll be able to use one of the most iconic functioning lifts on our

way to a viewpoint. In the afternoon we will return to our hotel in Santiago.

In the morning we fly to Calama near the Atacama Desert where we transfer to

our hotel in the town of San Pedro de Atacama. Once we have checked in. the

leader will offer a short orientation tour of the town for anyone who wants

to join. At dusk we set out to the Valley of the Moon. This bizarre lunar

landscape is set ablaze with colour at sunset, the strange rock formations

framed by the Lincancabur Volcano. We'll stay until the sun goes down to

enjoy the array of colours before returning to San Pedro.

Departing our hotel in San Pedro, we will set off towards the Altiplano

Lagoons (Lagunas Altiplanicas) and stop en route at the village of Socaire,

set at 3218m/10,558ft. The village is noteworthy for its peculiar

architecture using rough stonework and the inhabitants here still live by the

age-old methods of planting terraced fields with corn, wheat and potatoes.



Afterwards, we continue for about another 30km/19miles, climbing an

additional 1000m/3,281ft in altitude to reach the highland lagoons of

Miscanti and Miñiques. The two volcanoes of the same name are visible in the

background (almost 6000m/19,686ft high). The twin lagoons are a deep blue,

each framed by a white salt crust, which creates a memorable contrast to the

yellow highland grass all around. It is completely silent here. Even the duck

species that breed here, the foxes, and the grazing vicuñas (a type of

camelid), respect the majestic silence.



We continue on and visit the Salar de Atacama. A salt lake of huge

proportions (3000 sq km/1,158 sq miles), its surface is covered by a thick

layer of snow-white salt crystals as far as the eye can see, caused by the

evaporation of the lake’s water. The world’s largest lithium deposits are

found here, but the salt pan is also home to several flamingo species,

including the Andean, Chilean and James flamingo, who feed on the

micro-organisms found in the saline lagoons. These beautiful birds and other

species can be observed in their natural habitat at the Salar de Atacama’s

Chaxa Lagoon, which is part of the Reserva Nacional de los Flamencos. After

the excursion we will return to San Pedro.

To experience the El Tatio Geysers we’ll have to get up very early in order

to arrive at the geyser field (located over 4300m/14,108ft above sea level)

in time for sunrise! The fountains that shoot up to 10m/33ft high occur when

the morning sun melts the nightly ice caps that form over the hot springs.

The sun’s first rays reflect an array of colours as they mix with boiling

jets coming from the geysers to create strong contrasts of steam and light.



At around midday we’ll head back to San Pedro for some free time. There is

an optional astronomy tour tonight that can be paid for locally but should be

booked in advance of departure as availability is limited (Please note that

this tour doesn't operate on full moon days and is not recommended 3 days

before or after the full moon).

Today we transfer to Calama airport and fly to Santiago and then Puerto

Montt, the capital of the Lake District. This is a long travelling day that

will likely require an early start depending on the flight schedules. On

arrival in the Lake District region we drive for 30 minutes to Puerto Varas

on the shores of Lago Llanquihue. Depending on flight arrival time, we can

enjoy a brief tour of the 'City of the Roses' as it has come to be called

because of the tremendous variety of roses all over town. If we arrive on a

later flight unfortunately this will not be possible.  If scheduled to

arrive on a later flight, we also recommend buying some food at the airport

as you may not have any options on arrival at your hotel. 

We set out this morning for a full day inside the Lake District. We drive

along the shore of Lago Llanquihue and enjoy breathtaking views of the Osorno

and Calbuco volcanoes. Our first real stop will be at the Saltos de Petrohue

where cooling lava from the Osorno Volcano formed a series of rapids and

waterfalls. Together they form an impressive sculpture of extruded volcanic

rock shaped by thousands of years of river flow. At Petrohue we board a boat

for a short cruise of Lago Todos los Santos (All Saints Lake). The lake is

surrounded by high mountains and the lower slopes are thickly forested. As we

pull away from the landing and the source of the river Petrohue the view is

quickly stolen away by the tremendous size and proximity of snow-capped

Osorno Volcano behind us. After our boat tour, we return to Petrohue and take

a hike in the lower lava fields of the volcano. We also visit the Green

Lagoon (Laguna Verde) before we return towards Puerto Varas in the afternoon.

Please note that the order of the itinerary today may change depending on the

weather conditions.

After breakfast we transfer to the capital of the Lake District, Puerto

Montt, and take a sightseeing tour of the city. Puerto Montt was founded in

1853 by German colonists on the site of an indigenous Mapuche community.

Downtown we take time to walk about the main squares and historical

monuments. Afterwards we visit the port, where there is a large handicraft

market full of artisan goods. Please note that depending on the flight times,

this tour might be moved to the previous day instead. We then transfer to the

airport to board a flight to Punta Arenas, Patagonia - the southernmost city

in Chile. From here we transfer to Puerto Natales where we spend the night.

This morning we drive into Torres del Paine National Park for a day of

excursions within a spectacular environment. This is a busy day of travelling

and walking including unforgettable views of the Towers and the Torres Massif

from the 'Cuernos' viewpoint and 'Salto Grande' waterfall. In addition to

being introduced to the flora and fauna of the region, today we will also

visit 'Laguna Azul' for more breath-taking views.

Another day in Torres del Paine National Park, this time to explore the

Western highlights including Lake Grey. This deep lake, fed by the glacier of

the same name, is filled with icebergs which have splashed down from the

massive ice flow. From the hotel, we'll drive to a spot to the south of the

lake, then start a short hike by crossing a suspension bridge over the Pingo

River. From here the path leads through a Legna forest typical to the area,

and continues onward to the tip of the narrow peninsula at the lake’s

southern end. This viewpoint offers a spectacular view of the lake with its

icebergs, the tongue of Grey Glacier at the far northern end, and the

snow-covered mountain peaks soaring above. On the way back a stop is made at

the Park Visitors Centre to see an exposition of the origin and history of

the park. This afternoon is free to relax at the hotel or enjoy some optional

excursions in the area.

This morning we have some free time or take part in an optional boat

excursion which takes you to the Grey Glacier. For anyone not wanting to

take the optional excursion, the leader will accompany you on visits to other

areas of Torres del Paine. Afterwards we will regroup and visit the Milodon

Cave (entrance fee not included and payee locally approx. US$ 8 per person).

Today we will end in Puerto Natales and transfer together to the hotel,

arriving around 5.30pm.

Transfer through the barren Pampa of Patagonia, an impressive road trip as we

journey to Punta Arenas airport. We fly back to Santiago (flight times can

vary) and enjoy our final evening in Chile.

There is a transfer back to the airport for those on group flights. Those on

land only arrangements will leave us in Santiago this morning.