Comfort VIP/ Intensive Atacama – Santiago de Chile & Valparaíso – 12 Days

Arrival at the International Airport of Santiago de Chile, where you will be welcomed by your Atacama Experience team. From here, we will drive to a hotel in the city of Santiago de Chile (one hour and a half driving time approximately, depending on the location).

Includes: Mineral water.

In the morning (9:00 AM), your guide will meet you at your hotel/lodging to explore the fascinating cultural city & historical icons of Santiago de Chile. We will drive up to the highest viewpoint on the San Cristobal Hill & Monument, from where we will be able to appreciate great views of the city as well as the majestic Andean mountain range. We will continue our exploration to the historical center, visiting the Plaza de Armas, La Moneda main square, and Memorial Museum. For lunch, we will engage in the fascinating Central Market, a Chilean popular culinary icon. After lunch, we will explore interesting monuments such as the Metropolitan Cathedral and the beautiful Santa Lucía Hill Gardens. Transfer back to your lodging in the afternoon.

Includes: Mineral water, snacks & Chilean lunch.

Early in the morning (7:00 AM), we will depart from Santiago de Chile towards the Pacific Coast, to the fascinating port cities of Viña del Mar & Valparaíso. On the way, we will be able to appreciate the incredible and endemic Chilean Palm Tree (Palma Chilena) in the National Chilean Palm Tree Reserve. We will also have the chance to taste the delicious honey produced from this palm tree.

In Viña del Mar, we will visit different historical areas, such as the Quinta Vergara Park, home to the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater, the early-20th-century Vergara Palace, and the Artequin Museum. The Museum of Archaeology and History Francisco Fonck features stone Moai sculptures from Easter Island and shrunken heads.

Once we arrive in Valparaíso, we will take one of the famous wooden elevators (UNESCO Heritage) that rise high into the populated hills to enjoy the colorful and sometimes strange architecture. We will enjoy lunch at a typical restaurant where we will taste the delicious local cuisine. After lunch, we will continue our exploration visiting the famous cultural monument “La Sebastiana” (Pablo Neruda’s House/Chilean Nobel Prize Winner), as well as diverse viewpoints and historical highlights.

After an incredible day, we will return to Santiago for a good rest in the evening.

Includes: Mineral water, snacks & lunch at a typical Chilean restaurant.

In the morning (9:00 AM), we will embark on an unforgettable helicopter experience to the best vineyard and Chilean wine experience in Chile. We will drive to the heliport, board our helicopter, and enjoy exciting views over the city of Santiago de Chile and the nearby countryside.

After landing directly at the vineyard (Viña Vik, El Bosque, or Concha y Toro Vineyard), we will be guided through the installations, learn about the history of the vineyard and its wines, and then have the chance to taste some of the best wines in Chile. We will also enjoy a wonderful and delicious lunch prepared by the specialized chef of the vineyard. In the afternoon, we will fly back in a helicopter to the landing spot in Santiago de Chile, where our vehicles will be waiting to take you back to your hotel for a good and well-deserved rest.

Includes: Mineral water, wine tasting & unique lunch at the vineyard.

Note: Our helicopters can take up to 6 clients; in the case of larger groups, we have more shuttles available.

In the morning (8:00 AM or later, depending on flight schedule availability), we will drive to the airport of Santiago de Chile for an impressive flight to the Atacama Desert. Upon arrival at the airport of Calama, you will be welcomed by your Atacama Experience team. From here, we will drive to the Oasis of San Pedro de Atacama (one hour and a half driving time approximately).

Includes: Mineral water.

In the afternoon (3:00 PM), we shall move to the famous Moon Valley. Here, we will contemplate the diverse colors of the desert, tectonic plates, and millenary dunes. This area will impress us with its unusual moon-like landscape and beautiful geographic formations. Later, we will continue to the Great Dune, the Amphitheater viewpoint, as well as the Tres Marías Natural Monument, to observe the different geographical formations, salts, and crystals of the Salt Mountain Range. We shall return to San Pedro de Atacama at approximately 8:00 PM.

Includes: Mineral water & cocktail at sunset.

In the morning (8:30 am), we will depart from your lodging to the unforgettable Puritama Hot Springs, where we can enjoy a relaxing bath in the natural thermal pools, with healing water that has temperatures oscillating between 30º and 35º degrees Celsius. Here we will also enjoy a delicious cocktail. The infrastructure of the hot springs offers dressing rooms, a picnic area, bathrooms, and easy access to the pools. We will return to San Pedro de Atacama at approximately 11:30 am.

Includes: Mineral water & snacks/cocktail.

In the afternoon (14:30 hrs), we will drive from San Pedro to the Hierbas Buenas Site, a place where three unique mountain chains meet. Here we will find ancient petroglyphs and archaeological sites from different pre-Columbian indigenous cultures.

Further on, we will arrive at the beautiful Rainbow Valley, whose name is due to its multi-colored and diverse tectonic layers exposed after centuries of strong earthquakes, floods, and wind. Here we will start a soft trekking experience to better explore the area and landscape. We shall return to San Pedro de Atacama at approximately 20:00 hrs.

Includes: Mineral water & cocktail at sunset.

After breakfast (9:00 am), we will drive south to find, between majestic mountain chains, the beautiful Andean village of Toconao, known for its warm and friendly inhabitants, textiles, and incredible way of cultivating the desert.

From here, we shall continue to the impressive Atacama Salt Flat, the third biggest in the world, where three species of flamingos and other birds feed and find refuge in this unique and isolated ecosystem.

We will continue our way, driving up the international road towards the Sico Pass (Argentina), climbing gradually into the high plateau. On the way, we will pass by the little farmer’s village of Socaire until we arrive at the impressive High Plateau Lagoons, Miscanti and Miñiques, at 4,350 meters above sea level. Surrounded by volcanoes and fantastic panoramic views, we will be able to contemplate the biodiversity of this area and the different altitude levels we have gone through.

We will continue to the Talar Salt Flat and Piedras Rojas Site to enjoy a breathtaking landscape from a unique viewpoint. We shall return to San Pedro in the afternoon (16:00 hrs).

Includes: Mineral water & outdoor lunch.

In the evening (starting time: between 21:00 or 22:00 in English), you will initiate an unforgettable astronomical circuit, departing from your lodging in San Pedro de Atacama to an area where there is a total absence of artificial light.

We will reach the astronomical facilities, where we will learn about ancient and modern astronomy and also have the opportunity to observe the stars through telescopes in a clean and cloudless sky in the unique Atacama Desert, the best place in the world for stargazing.

Includes: Hot & cold beverages, snacks, transportation from and to your lodging & entrance fees.

In the morning (8:30 am), we will drive south to learn in depth about the ancient culture of the Atacameño Indian culture, its traditions, and traditional way of living.

We will learn about the culture of pastoralism and cultivating the land, presented by a local Atacameño family. We will also have the chance to trek with llamas that have been used since ancient times as a means to transport goods, as well as for other uses. We shall return to San Pedro de Atacama at approximately 11:30 am.

Includes: Mineral water & snacks.

In the afternoon (14:30 hrs), we will visit the archaeological site of «Pukara De Quitor,» a fortress strategically located on the slopes of the Canyon of Catarpe. While exploring the ruins and the narrow corridors of the fortress, we can see the plantations and oasis of San Pedro de Atacama from a magnificent perspective.

We will continue through the magnificent Catarpe Valley, bordering the San Pedro River as well as the Salt Mountain Range. We will visit an ancient tunnel from 1930, meticulously carved through the Salt Mountain Range, used to traverse cattle from Argentina to Chile’s sulfur and copper mines. Further on, the mysterious Garganta del Diablo Canyon (Devil’s Throat Canyon) will guide us across a labyrinth of clay and salt crystals until we reach the Adobe Church of San Isidro, all of which is also immersed in one of the main Inca trails of the area. We will return to San Pedro de Atacama after sunset.

Includes: Mineral water & snacks.

After breakfast (9:00 AM), we will drive up towards the Jama Pass, bordering the mighty Licancabur Volcano (5,916 m.a.s.l.).
On the way, we will take an alternative route until we reach Las Vegas de Quepiaco, where we will be able to observe a big variety of local birds, vicuñas, and other typical animals.

Then, we will visit the Pacana Monks: two impressive volcanic rock obelisks carved by centuries of wind.

We will continue to the Pujsa Salt Flat to enjoy a breathtaking landscape from a unique viewpoint. In this area, we will find endemic flora and fauna such as flamingos and Andean seagulls, surrounded by volcanoes and the beautiful high plateau landscape.

We shall return to San Pedro in the afternoon (16:30 hrs).

Includes: Mineral water & outdoor lunch.

Very early in the morning (5:00 AM), our route will start through an old mining road until we reach the altitude of 4,350 meters above sea level, where the Tatio Geysers will show us their magnificence.

At El Tatio, we will be able to observe different geothermal formations and its exuberant flora and fauna, with animals such as vicuñas, vizcachas, and guayatas. After an incredible sunrise and exploration of the geyser field, we will have the chance to bathe in the thermal pools nearby. We will have breakfast surrounded by this breathtaking landscape.

Further on, our route will guide us through the high plateau until arriving at the small village of Machuca, where only five inhabitants live.

On the way back, we will also have the chance to observe endemic cacti, known as Echinopsis atacamensis, which we will find in a small oasis named Guatin. Through majestic landscapes, we will return to San Pedro de Atacama at midday.

Includes: Mineral water & breakfast at sunrise.

Early in the morning (5:00 AM), we will pick you up at your home for an unforgettable sunrise experience on a hot air balloon flight over the Atacama Desert. We will be able to enjoy breathtaking sights of the sun rising over the Andean Mountain Chain, shining onto the Atacama Basin and Salt Mountain Range. We shall return to San Pedro de Atacama at approximately 9:00 AM.

Includes: Mineral water, breakfast & champagne.

In the afternoon (15:00 hrs), our team will take you to the calypso waters of the Cejar Lagoon. This lagoon is surrounded by salt formations, which enhance the entire landscape, and the saltiness of its water will let us float effortlessly, just like in the Dead Sea in the Middle East.

We will also visit the Ojos del Salar Lagoons and the Tebinquinche Lagoons in the northern zone of the Atacama Salt Flat. We shall return to your lodging at approximately 20:00 hrs.

Includes: Mineral water & cocktail at sunset.

Airport We will depart from your hotel to the airport of Calama on time for your departure flight.

Includes: Mineral water.