1st Day  : Santiago – Arica

Transfer to the airport Arturo Merino Benitez to fly from Santiago to Arica.
Possible departures:

• Departure at 7:20 a.m. from Santiago, arrival in Arica at 10:50 a.m. (flight number 400)
• Departure at 19:30 p.m. from Santiago, arrival in Arica at 23:45 p.m.(flight number 196)

Transfer from the Chacalluta airport to the Savona hotel in Arica.

Lunch + Dinner + Savona hotel

2nd Day  : Arica – boat trip – archaeological city tour

You will take your breakfast in the hotel, after that we will pick you up to take you to the harbour of Arica. You will leave the hotel at 10 a.m. to realise the boat trip to the Guaneras de Cutida to observe the cliffs, the coast cordillera, penguins, sea lions, dolphins if you are lucky, as well as many birds’ species which are living near the coasts. Furthermore you will get to know typical activities of the ocean people. A taste and a drink will be served on board. We will be back around 12:30 a.m. to take our lunch in the Mata-Rangi restaurant. In the evening San Marcos’ cathedral and the Ex-Aduana will be visited in Arica, both were built by Eiffel. We will continue our route visiting places like the Alacrán ex-island, the seaside resort called La Lisera, where we will be able to see the evolution of the history of Arica which is exposed on panels showing the past. After that we will enter the Azapa valley to visit the beautiful olive trees plantations, mangos, passion fruits, tomatoes and others. You will also discover the panels of Cerro Sombrero and Sagrado with their whole Andean worldview. Visit to the arqueological ruins of San Lorenzo, a defensive small village which is dated 800 A.C. Visiting the archaeological museum of Azapa will give us information about cultural development of the Andean southern area where for example lay the especially conserved mummies of the Chinchorro culture, which are approximately 10.000 years old and so are the oldest ones in the world. Then we will visit an original handcraft market from which we will later on go up on top of the historical Morro of Arica, location of a crucial battle during the War of the Pacific at the end of the 19th century. After that we will get back to the hotel.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Savona hotel

3rd Day  : Arica – Putre

The tour starts at 09:30 a.m. with a visit to the Terminal Agropecuario (agrarian market) of Arica where you can experience a typical market atmosphere. Then we enter the Azapa valley, see the Geoglyph called La Tropilla and visit the Colibri’s Sanctuary. On our way to the Lluta valley you will have the opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view over both valleys. After a lunch break in the ecological community Ecotruly, our tour leads us to the Cactus Candelabro and the magnetic zone as well as to a pre-Inca fortress in Copaquilla. We will end the trip with a one hour walk to Socoroma, a traditional village in the Precordillera at 3000m of altitude, where we will have a break with typical mate de coca and cookies before continuing our trip to Putre. Arrival at Putre at approximately 6:30 p.m. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Terrace hotel or Kukuli hotel

4th Day  : Putre – Lauca – Putre

Our fourth day starts at about 8:30 a.m. Either we will have breakfast in Putre or in Bofedal de las Cuevas where we will do a 40 minute-walk. During this time you will get the opportunity to see wild animals like Vicuñas and Vizcachas and get to know bofedales, the basis of the altiplanic ecosystem (viewpoint Bofedal de Parinacota). Furthermore you will have the chance to admire a variety of birds like Pitios del Norte, Guallatas and Taguas for example. Around noon we will arrive at the crystalline Chungara Lake (4510 m above sea level) and the Cotacotani Lagoons where we offer an optional 3 hour-walk for you to observe both Andean flora & fauna. After visiting the village of Parinacota with its typical 17th century church and a picnic-lunch, you will enjoy a relaxing bath in the Jurasi hot springs before returning to Putre around 6:00 p.m. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Terrace hotel or Kukuli hotel

5th Day: Putre – Surire Salt flat 

After a breakfast in Putre we will leave around 08:30 to go and visit Ancuta and Guallatire, two villages located at the foot of the active volcano, the Guallatire, in the high plateau (4000 m altitude). Around noon we will arrive at the Salar de Surire and visit Chilcaya doing a 1 hour walk where you will have the opportunity to take pictures of the flora & fauna. You will for instance have the chance to see 3 of the 5 species of flamingos that exist: the Andino, the Chilean, the James’ flamingoes. Afterwards we will go to the Polloquere hot springs at 4270 m of altitude where we will have a picnic and enjoy a relaxing bath. The water is from volcanic origins and the temperature is at 80°C. Accommodation in the CONAF’s refuge. Dinner.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + CONAF’s refuge near the Surire Salt flat

 6th Day: Surire Salt flat - Isluga volcano – Cariquima

Breakfast at the CONAF’s refuge. Afterwards we will drive through the National Park Volcano Isluga, crossing the High plateau through Pampas and Bofedales observing the flora and fauna of the area.Then we will head towards the village of Isluga with its famous church. We will see the giant cactuses of the Río Grande. Around noon we will have a picnic lunch. You will be able to observe magnificent landscapes. We will arrive in Cariquima around 4:00 p.m. Dinner and accommodation .

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Tata Inti hostel

7th Day: Cariquima – Atacama’s Giant – Humberstone ghost village – Iquique

After a breakfast at 8:00 am we will head to the Quebrada de la Felicidad which is a ravine. Then we will have a few stops from where you can benefit from panoramic views like Chuzmiza and Pachica where you will be able to take some pictures. Pachica is also the entrance to the desert of Atacama. You will be able to discover the changes in landscape. In the desert you will also admire the geoglyph called Gigante de Atacama, in other words The Atacama’s Giant which is the largest archaeological human represention of the world (86 m high). Lunch in Huara. Afterwards we will discover the ghost villages of Humberstone and Santa Laura. Humberstone used to be a nitrate mining town but was abandoned in the 1960s. From there we will arrive in Iquique around 5:00 p.m. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Genoveva hotel

8th Day  : Iquique – Pintados Geoglyphs – Pica

After our breakfast we will leave Iquique towards the desert to visit the Geoglifos de Pintados which contain about 400 figures in 66 panels, representing men, animals, birds and abstract paintings. Leaving this place we will go to the Reserva Nacional Pampa del Tamarugal and later on arrive at Pica, a small village which is part of an oasis at the border of the desert of Atacama.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Cabañas Doña Tato (bungalows)

9th Day  : Pica –Quillagua –  San Pedro de Atacama

After a breakfast in Pica (1325 m) we will walk to the Cocha de Resbaladero. It is one of the biggest water sources of the Atacama Desert. It is said that its water is famous for its healing properties. We will leave this place crossing the National Reserva Pampa del Tamarugal arriving at the Quillagua small village, an oasis next to the Loa River where you can find a train station and a church. There we will pass customs. After that we are driving through the desert to get to San Pedro the Atacama.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dunas hotel

10th Day: San Pedro de Atacama– Pukara de Quitor – Tulor – Moon valley - San Pedro de Atacama

Breakfast at the hotel. We will leave San Pedro de Atacama at 8:30 a.m. and head towards the Pukara de Quitor, an impressing Atacama fortress of the 12th century. Afterwards we stop at the village of Tulor, the oldest village of the saltflat (800 b.c.). Back in San Pedro we visit the Padre Le Paige museum, one of the most important museums in the northern region. Lunch in San Pedro. In the afternoon we leave San Pedro approximately at 4:00 p.m. heading for the Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna), situated in the Cordillera de la Sal, where we take a walk in salt canyons. Finally we watch the fascinating colors appearing during sunset from a sand dune of 500 m height before returning to the hotel in San Pedro. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast + Lunch + Hotel Dunas

11th Day: San Pedro de Atacama – Tatio Geysers – Cejar Lagoons - San Pedro de Atacama

Departure towards the Geyser del Tatio at 4:00 a.m. to arrive at one of the most important geothermal places in Chile at 7:30 a.m... With the daybreak, the awakening of water, gases and vapour; we will have breakfast. Return to the village of Machuca for lunch.
In the evening we will visit the Cejar Lagoons, located within the Atacama salt flat. They have a very high concentration of salt, therefore, you don’t have to swim because your body floats. From there you will have a wonderful view over the Licancabur Volcano. Return to San Pedro de Atacama.

Breakfast + Lunch + Dunas hotel

12th Day: San Pedro de Atacama – Padre Le Paige’s museum – Calama – Chuquicamata’ mine – airport

Breakfast in the hotel, visit of Padre Le Paige’s museum to learn the archeoalogical history which was discovered by a Belgian priest of the same name in the Atacama desert. At midday we will go further to the mining village of Chuquicamata to visit the world’s greatest open copper mine. We will have lunch in the city of Calama and after that transfer to Cobre airport in Calama.

Breackfast + Lunch
 
Departure at 19:55 p.m. from Calama, arrival in Santiago at 21:55 p.m. with flight number 164

END OF OUR SERVICES
 

Our package includes:

Accommodation

• 2 nights in hotel in Arica ( www.hotelsavona.cl )
• 2 nights in hotel/hostel in Putre ( Hotel Terrace or Hotel Kukuli )
• 1 night in the Refugio de CONAF in Surire
• 1 night in hostel in Cariquima ( Hostel Tata Inti )
• 1 night in Hotel in Iquique ( Hotel Genoveva )
• 1 night in hostel in Pica ( Doña Tato )
• 3 nights in hotel in San Pedro de Atacama ( www.hoteldunas.cl )

Food

• 11 x breakfast in Arica , Putre, Cariquima , Iquique , Pica, San Pedro de Atacama
• 12 x lunch in Arica , Ecotruly, picnic in Parinacota, Polloquere & Isluga, Huara, Quillagua, Socaire, San Pedro de Atacama , Calama
• 7 x dinner in Arica , Putre, Cariquima , Iquique , Pica (wine included)
• Beverages: water, juices, soft drinks
• Snacks: fruits, coffee, tea, cookies

Guide

• Spanish speaking guide/driver with experience

Vehicle

• Minibus Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2006 (van) with oxygen equipment

Flights

• Flight with Sky Airline Santiago / Arica
  

Others

• Entrance fees for the San Miguel de Azapa and the Padre Le Paige’s museums, the Jurasi hot springs, Humberstone, Cocha de Resbaladero, the Moon Valley, the High plateau Lagoons, the Chaxa Lagoons
• Walks in Socoroma, Bofedal de las Cuevas, the Cotacotani Lagoons, the Surire Salt flat, Isluga, the Chaxa Lagoons, the Moon Valley