Experiencing the Lands of Patagonia & Atacama Desert

Today you’ll arrive at Santiago Airport, where you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel. Santiago, watched over by the snow-capped Andes, sits in a valley bisected by the Mapocho River. Chile’s capital city was founded by Pedro de Valdivia in 1541, and has since grown into the fifth-largest city in South America, offering first-class hotels and restaurants that lend it a distinctly contemporary feel. The city’s historic centre has an interesting mix of modern buildings alongside crumbling old churches; a legacy of the earthquake damage that Santiago has suffered over the years. It acts as the perfect entry point to an intriguing country. The rest of your day is yours to spend at leisure, as you settle in gently after a long flight.

This morning after breakfast, it’s time to transfer to the colourful coastal city of Valparaiso (approximately 1.5 hours away). Known as the Garden City for its prolific foliage, Valparaiso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Today's guided city tour will take you through its neighbourhoods of multi-hued buildings, intertwined by mazy streets and lookout points connected by long staircases, outdoor elevators and historic trolleybuses. Return to Santiago for a relaxing evening and a good night’s sleep in the colonial-era La Reve Boutique Hotel before your wilderness adventures start tomorrow.

After catching a flight south to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia, you’ll then be driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, your home for the next few nights located just outside Torres del Paine National Park. Declared a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1978, Torres del Paine is an area of outstanding natural beauty that attracts visitors from all over the world. After arriving at your camp you’ll be free to spend the rest of the day and evening settling in to your wonderful new surroundings, taking in the spectacular views of the Paine Massif.

Overnight: Eco Camp Patagonia (B, L, D)

The next four days are yours to explore the highlights of Torres del Paine on foot, on horseback, by bicycle and by kayak! Each day brings a new adventure as you have breakfast with your group and head out into the Patagonian wilderness for a different activity. These treks and nature walks are included as part of the cost of your safari, but the exact schedule will be determined in coordination with your guide. Sights include the three granite columns from which the park takes its name; the verdant ridgeline of Frances Valley; the immense wall of Grey Glacier; and herds of guanacos that graze the hills, a relative of the llama. Each evening you’ll return for dinner at the camp and enjoy the comfort of your eco-friendly domed tent.

Overnight: Eco Camp Patagonia (B, L, D)

After breakfast, you'll be driven about 5 hours back to Punta Arenas and transferred to your hotel for the night (a packed lunch will be provided en-route). Tomorrow your adventures continue as you fly to the Atacama Desert.

Rise early this morning for a transfer to the airport, catching your flight to Santiago in time to connect with an onward flight to Calama, a city widely known as the gateway to the Atacama. Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred just over an hour away to your lodge, a beautifully sculpted and sustainable adobe-style building situated in an ideal position to explore the desert over the next few days.

Overnight: Altiplanico Atacama (B)

Over the next three days you’ll be able to enjoy a variety of activities available to guests staying at Altiplanico Atacama. Some of the highlights include an excursion to Valle de la Luna (so-called because of its similarity to the moon’s surface); Valley de la Muerte (Death Valley), an astonishing natural formation carved out by wind, rain, and changing temperatures in the desert; the sprawling Atacama Salt Flats; Chaxa Lagoon, home to three types of flamingo; Tatio Geysers, more than 80 vents that rise into 40 ft-high pillars of steam, dancing in the golden rays of the early morning; and the Puritama Hot Springs, a refreshing destination in a land where water is scarce – a truly enlightening experience! The exact schedule and meal arrangements will be arranged with your guide and the other guests. One day will also be free for you to spend at your leisure.

Overnight: Altiplanico Atacama (B)

After a final breakfast in this lunar-like landscape, you will be transferred back to Calama Airport for your flight to Santiago, in time to connect with your international flight home.