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Discover Best of Chile with our Fixed and Guaranteed Departures
Atacama Desert - Lake Region - Patagonia
Includes:
Santiago;
• Transfers in/out
• 2 nights lodging with breakfast
• Santiago city tour
San Pedro de Atacama;
• Transfers airport Calama / San Pedro de Atacama / airport Calama
• 3 nights lodging with breakfast
• Visits to Valle de la Luna, Cordillera de la Sal, Salar de Atacama, Lagunas altiplanicas, Socaire y Toconao, Geysers del Tatio
• 1 lunch
Puerto Varas;
• Transfers airport/hotel/airport
• 3 nights lodging with breakfast
• Visit to Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Petrohue & Osorno Volcano
Puerto Natales;
• Transfers airport Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales/ Punta Arenas
• Visit to Nacional Park Torres del Paine
• 1 Lunch
• 3 nights lodging with breakfast
Day 1 Arrive Santiago (Friday)
Upon arrival in Santiago, you will be transferred to the hotel.
In the afternoon, enjoy city tour of Santiago. Santiago the capital of Chile located in the Central Valley, framed by the majestic Andes Mountain range. Highlights of the tour include La Moneda Palace, the Plaza de Armas and the National Historical Museum. Leaving downtown, head toward Parque Forestal, which leads to the Fine Arts Museum, and Bellavista, the artsy, bohemian centre of Santiago. Ascend Santa San Cristóbal, the perfect place for a panoramic shot of the city. Continue to the Pedro de Valdivia Norte, Las Condes and Vitacura, the modern commercial and shopping districts.
Overnight in Santiago: Hotel Panamericano or similar
Day 2 Santiago – San Pedro de Atacama (Saturday)
Transfer to the airport for your flight to San Pedro de Atacama. Meet and greet at the airport in Calama and transfer by land to San Pedro de Atacama (105 km, 1h.30 min).
San Pedro de Atacama is considered as the archaeological capital of Chile and center of the culture of Atacama. The challenging and quiet Desert of Atacama is considered as the driest one of the planet. Mountain ranges, volcanoes, with their eternal snow summits, mysterious geoglyphs, gigantic geysers, impressive salares (salt flats) with their colonies of flamingos, lagoons of intense blue color and thermal water swimming pools in the middle of magical indigenous towns.
Visit to Moon Valley. In the evening, one of the most expected moments is the sunset and the best place to appreciate it is the Cordillera de la Sal, with its Mars and Moon Valleys that are saline and clayey conformations which are a product of the mineralogical folding that took place hundred of millions of years ago and that originated small mountains of capricious and sculptural forms that, when the sun sets, resemble a Lunar landscape.
Overnight at San Pedro de Atacama: Casa Don Tomas or similar
Meal: B
Day 3 San Pedro de Atacama – Salar de Atacama - Miscanti and Meñiques Lagoons (Sunday)
Full day visit to Atacama Desert, highlights such as; Salar de Atacama, Miscanti – Meñiques Lagoons and visit to the towns of Toconao and Socaire. Lunch included at a local restaurant.
Salar de Atacama: A tour around the most extensive plain of the zone and that allows to arrive to the Great Salar de Atacama, white and rough surface where the brief lagoons hold an important amount of flamencos that choose these waters as the place to build their nest.
Geologic studies consider this salar as the most important reserve of lithium of the planet, giving a figure of 40%. Under the protection of weak water streams, small towns are born. Toconao is one of the most colorful ones, place where an original architecture in Liparita stone can be appreciated, emphasizing its old Church. It is a town that invites to cross its streets and to know the villagers who work in fine artisan wool workings.
Miscanti – Meñique Lagoons of the Plateau: These lagoons, that are at 4,500 over sea level, are of great beauty. in their landscapes varied shades of cordilleran colors can be appreciated. Besides, the flora and fauna are unique, since they only exist in these protected areas. The height allows to be close to mountains and volcanoes, some of which are sacred and have inspired beautiful legends of the Atacama Desert. In the way is the town of Socaire, place in which the ancestral traditions of their inhabitants have lasted through time, shepherds or agriculturists who cultivate the " pachamama " using the old system of Andean terraces.
Overnight San Pedro de Atacama.
Meal: B, L
Day 4 San Pedro de Atacama - Tatio Geysers (Monday)
Early morning visit to the Geysers del Tatio to see the landscape at its best at sun rise. Spectacular views of the Torcopuri y Sairecabur volcanoes located at 4.300 above sea level, in the highland of the Andes Mountain Range Breakfast will be served at Tatio Geysers. Around midday return to San Pedro de Atacama. Overnight San Pedro de Atacama.
Meal: B
Day 5 San Pedro de Atacama - Santiago – Puerto Montt – Puerto Varas (Tuesday)
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport in Calama. Upon arrival in Santiago airport, assistance for your connection flight to Puerto Montt.
Upon arrival in Puerto Montt, transferred to the hotel located in the city of Puerto Varas (20 km). Puerto Varas is located in the shore of the Llanquihue lake, the third greatest natural lake of South America. The city of Puerto Varas, also known as " the city of the roses ", founded during the arrival of German settlers who were based in the shore of the Llanquihue lake in the middle of the XIX century. In its waters the perfect cone of the Osorno volcano and the tops of the Puntiaguado, Calbuco and Tronador volcanoes are reflected. In its west shore are the touristic towns of Puerto Octay, Frutillar and Llanquihue.
Overnight Puerto Varas: Hotel Bellavista or similar
Meal: B
Day 6 Puerto Varas – Frutillar (Wednesday)
City tour of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas and continue to the town of Frutillar (tours are based on seat in coach). Lunch included.
Visit to the cities of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas.
The visit to Puerto Montt begins with a panoramic view of the capital of the X Region from the Viewpoint, going down towards downtown through the residential districts and government buildings, to the Main Square with its Cathedral, the monument to the German settlers, the church of the Jesuit, which bell tower has been declared National Monument, through the Urmeneta street and Antonio Varas street, towards the commercial and harbor zones, in direction towards the town of Chinquihue, with landscapes of a great beauty in front of the Pacific Ocean, returning through the fish and seafood market of Angelmó with its colorful craftsmanship fair. Continuing through the Pan-American highway towards the city of Puerto Varas, also known as the city of the roses, in front of the Llanquihue lake, the third greatest lake of the continent, going down San Francisco street and its parochial church (1917), Vicente Perez Rosales Main Square, the new building of the Municipal Casino, residential districts with their old houses built with larch wood, some of them declared National Monument, through the promenade that goes along the borders of the lake towards the Philippi hill, from where a panoramic view of the city of Puerto Varas and the surroundings is obtained.
Frutillar
Starts to go along the border of the Llanquihue Lake to arrive in Frutillar. The city founded in 1856 as a port of embarkation for the riverside settlers. With the arrival of the railroad in 1907, the town of Frutillar Alto was born, and still maintains the architecture, gastronomy and customs of the Germans. The city has experienced a tremendous growth of tourism in the last two decades thanks to the effort and talent of its inhabitants who have restored the traditional constructions and have built a beautiful Promenade with spectacular gardens where the begonias and lleuques reign, small trees which fruits seem grapes, one of the seven native coniferous species of Chile, and the Museum of the German Colonization. Near Frutillar is the monument to the German settlers, faithful testimony of the first Germans who populated the zone. In the way, some companies dedicated to the culture of the salmon can be seen, the most important industry among the exports of sea produce.
Return to Puerto Varas. Overnight.
Meal: B, L
Day 7 Puerto Varas – Petrohue (Thursday)
Departure from your hotel for a full day excursion. Drive along the border of the Llanquihue Lake towards the Osorno Volcano Ski and Mountain Center, with a brief stop for a small walk by the Green Lagoon. Beginning of the ascent towards the Osorno volcano, 1,300 mt. high, from where a spectacular view of the Llanquihue lake, the volcanoes and the valleys is obtained. Spare time to enjoy the beauty of the Osorno volcano.
Descent towards the town of Ensenada to the Petrohue River falls within the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. Free time for photographies and walks by the exuberant vegetation of this national park to continue later to the shore of the Todos Los Santos Lake, also known as Emerald lake because of the green-blue color of its water, framed by the eternal snows of the Osorno, Calbuco, Tronador and Puntiagudo volcanoes.
Return to the hotel in the afternoon. Overnight.
Meal: B, L
Day 8 Puerto Varas – Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales (Friday)
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, transferred to the bus terminal for your regular (public) bus to Puerto Natales (249km, 3 hours). Transfer from bus terminal to your hotel.
Puerto Natales, capital of the Province of Ultima Esperanza, installed on a headland of Soft slope at the border of the Señoret channel and in front of the Patagonian Andes. In the horizon the stiff silhouette of the mountain range of the Andes where is possible to glimpse the massif of the Paine and the snowdrifts of the Campo de Hielo Sur.
Overnight in Puerto Natales: Lodge Weskar or similar
Meal: B
Day 9 Puerto Natales (Saturday)
Day at leisure. Optional tours are available.
Overnight in Puerto Natales.
Meal: B
Day 10 Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine National Park (Sunday)
Full day excursion to Torres del Paine National park. The Torres del Paine National Park was declared Reserve of the Biosphere by UNESCO in 1978 located among the mountain range of the Andes and the Patagonian steppe. In this zone, the colossal towers and horns of granite and rock that have given world-wide fame to it, with heights of up to 3,050 meters above the sea level.
The park preserves fragile ecosystems where about 25 species of mammals live, standing out the pumas, foxes, ñandues (South American ostrich), condors and flamencos and guanacos concentrated between the Samiento and Nordenskjold lakes and in the Amarga and Azul lagoons. Famous is the Pehoe and Grey lake with its glacier that is 4 km wide and more than 30 meters high.
Return to the hotel in the afternoon. Overnight in Puerto Natales.
Meal: B, L
Day 11 Puerto Natales – Punta Arenas - Santiago (Monday)
Transfer to the bus terminal to take regular (public) bus to the airport in Punta Arenas. Take your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival in Santiago, transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Santiago.
Meal: B
Day 12 Santiago (Tuesday)
Transfer from the hotel to the airport for your homebound flight.
Meal: B
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