Welcome to Chile! Upon arrival at the airport in Santiago, you will be greeted by our driver, holding a sign with your name on it. You will be transferred directly to your hotel, for a smooth and comfortable start to your adventure. Get settled into your room and enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Santiago

A city, which for many years has played second fiddle to Buenos Aires and Rio, Santiago is used to being the underdog metropolis in South America. However, since it's 200-year anniversary, public work projects have aimed to rejuvenate a once stale region, into a desirable destination in itself. The result is that now, more than ever, Santiago is turning into a city worth visiting. New and trendy restaurants, modern hotels, excited locals and bustling shops combine for the perfect gateway to Chile.

Half Day City Tour

Today, you will be picked up from your hotel to embark on a Half Day Tour of Santiago, beginning at the bustling Mercado Central. This well-renowned market, popular with both locals and tourists, supplies many Santiago homes and businesses with fresh fish and produce year round. Next, you will make your way to the Plaza de Armas, Santiago’s main square and kilometre zero, the point from which all distances in the country are measured. Famous architecture in the square includes the Metropolitan Cathedral and the central post office, originally built as a house for Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia. Close by, you will find the Justice Tribunal in a neo-classical building housing the Supreme Court, ex-Congress and beautiful gardens.

Your tour continues towards the Alameda, the main street of the city center, via the busy pedestrian walkway Paseo Ahumada. This walkway is famous for its crowds, shops and diverse people. Once you reach the Alameda, you will walk a couple of blocks west to the Presidential palace, La Moneda. The palace, a model of 18th-century colonial architecture, is one of Santiago’s most recognizable landmarks and a symbol of Chile’s political past and its famously turbulent history. Before heading back to the hotel, you will climb Cerro Santa Lucía, where Santiago was founded in 1541 by Pedro Valdivia. From the top of the hill, you will be rewarded with an incredible 360-degree panoramic view of the city. Your last stop will be to visit the bohemian Lastarria neighbourhood, lined with cafés, restaurants, small theatres, bookstores and boutique shops. (This service is on a private basis.)

This morning, you'll be met by our driver in your hotel lobby and transferred to the airport in time for your domestic flight to Calama to begin your Desert Adventure. On arrival in Calama, you'll be met by a hotel representative to transfer you to your hotel.

* Please note that this flight is not currently included but we can assist upon request.

Atacama

From wide, flat saltpans, to jagged mountains and an overly-dry atmosphere, there are few matches to Atacama's beauty in South America. Atacama's alien landscape continues for miles and miles in every direction. Traveling here very much feels like removing oneself from society, from civilization, from everything. Its expansiveness allows for tons of activities from hiking to off roading, so despite the huge emptiness of the high plateau, you'll never run out of things to do.

Moon Valley Excursion

This afternoon, you'll do your first hike in the vast and amazing Valle de la Luna. You'll trek over sand dunes until you reach a viewpoint of one of the world's most beautiful regions. The Valle de la Luna is an area of outstandingly beautiful geological formations that are every bit as poetic as the name suggests. Crinkly peaks and jagged cliffs seem to burst out of the otherwise flat surface, while the combination of abundant craters and drifting sand make it easy to see why this valley was named after the moon. (This service is on a shared basis.)

Salt Flats & Lagoons

Today you will visit Salar De Atacama and Altiplanic Lagoons.

The Atacama Salt Flat is the largest salt flat in the whole of Chile at around 3,000 km². It is also unusual in that while most salt flats in the world have a smooth, crisp surface, the top layer of the Salar de Atacama is churned up and pitted, since unlike the others it is never covered in water. It does, however, have a sinkhole lake which is so salty it creates a similar floating effect to that found in the Dead Sea.

The Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons are found in an area of outstanding beauty, lying high up in the Andes mountain range at the feet of two volcanoes. The two brackish lakes were once joined as one large lake until an eruption from one of the nearby volcanoes split them down the middle. Aside from being a great place to soak up the views, there is also an abundance of birdlife on the lakes including horned coots, silvery grebes and Andean gulls. It is an ideal place to spot vicuñas, a wild camelid similar in appearance to a llama since they’re only found above 3,200 metres. A gentle walk takes visitors from the road close to the Miscanti lagoon to appreciate the wildlife before they continue on to its sister Miñiques. (This service is on a shared basis.)

Tatio Geysers

The very early wake-up call from the hotel will be well worth it when you arrive at the Geysers of Tatio and see them in action. From almost 900 meters below the earth, boiling steam bursts up to 40 meters over the surface of the earth. A scrumptious breakfast will be served upon arrival before we walk through the geothermal fields with the geysers erupting nearby. As you return from the Geysers, you'll witness a magnificent view of the Tocopurri and Sairecabur volcanoes.

You'll arrive back in town in time to have lunch. The afternoon will be free to rest or explore San Pedro. (This service is on a shared basis.)

Archaeological Tour & Rainbow Valley Excursion

San Pedro de Atacama is the archaeological capital of Chile, not only are its landscapes part of the region's appeal, its history will also enrich your stay and your experience. This morning, you will visit the most important archaeological sites in the area and will travel to the past to learn about the origins of the Atacameña and Licanantai culture. At an Atacameña Farm, you will see how a family combines the ancestral traditions of agriculture and livestock with tourism, and have the opportunity to taste some locally produced products. Then, you'll head to the Village of Tulor, the oldest settlement in the Salar de Atacama basin and one of the first indicators of sedentarism in the region. Finally, you will move to the center of San Pedro de Atacama to travel back in time to the first colony, where one of the most symbolic constructions is the Church of San Pedro, built of adobe this church has been miraculously preserved to this very day.

After lunch, you'll head to discover the Yerbas Buenas Valley, which is the junction of the Domeyko mountain range, the Salt mountain range and the Andes. Here you'll observe petroglyphs from different ages, and then continue your journey to the Rainbow Valley, which is full of colorful mud caused by the diverse minerals found in the soil.

Lastly, you’ll visit the town of Rio Grande, where you'll find clay craftsmen, garlic and onion farmers, and a former pass used by llamas caravans between San Pedro and Chiu-chiu. (This service is on a shared basis.)

San Pedro to Ojo de Perdiz

Your 4x4 expedition with a drive from San Pedro de Atacama to the Bolivian border crossing Hito Cajones. Once you cross the border, the scenery will be dominated by the Licancabur Volcano and the Green Lagoon at its base, one of the jewels of the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. You'll continue driving and enter the Valley of the Desert Ladies, then continue for a visit to the Sol de Mañana Geysers.

Afterwards, you'll continue driving and arrive at the Red Lagoon, famous for its different species of flamingoes. The red color of the lagoon is produced by active algae reacting with the wind and the sun's radiation. The same algae produces the the pink color of the flamingos feet and feathers. The variety of color in the desert is astounding, you'll be surrounded by scenery soaked in red, orange, ochre, brass, brown and beige. While on the move, you'll also want to keep an eye out for wild Vicuña, with their elegant figures and other Altiplano wildlife. Continue on and end the day in Ojo de Perdiz, where you'll spend the night in the heart of the Siloli desert. (This service is on a private basis.)

Altiplano

Nestled between two ranges of the rugged Andes Mountains, the Altiplano is a vast, windswept plateau that stretches more than 900 kilometers from southern Peru to northern Argentina. Most of this arid upland, which averages about 3,750 meters in elevation, sits in western Bolivia, where its surface is dotted with a series of stunning natural attractions. From the snow-white crystals of the world’s largest salt flats and flocks of pink flamingos in a brick-red lake to the startlingly azure waters of Lake Titicaca, the planet’s highest navigable lake, the Altiplano offers spectacular, vividly colored vistas for intrepid travelers

Ojo de Perdiz to San Pedro de Quemes

Today, you'll make your way to a chain of lagoons named Ramadita, Honda, Chiarkota, Hedionda and Cañapa. Massive flocks of Andean, James and Chilean flamingoes are in the lagoons, along with Andean seagulls and wild ducks. The lagoon is surrounded by impressive sand and rock formations, shaped by the millenary winds, borax and sulfur minerals. You'll continue towards the Mirador de Ollague, where you'll have lunch outdoors before heading to Pueblo Refugio (refugee village), known for its influx of people from Pueblo Quemado (burnt village) who arrived after a big fire destroyed many of their homes.(This service is on a private basis.)

San Pedro de Quemes to Colchani

After breakfast, you'll wander the hotel grounds and Pueblo Quemado, which was burnt down in Bolivia's war with Chile in 1879. After, you'll help out a local llama herder by the name of Doña Marta round up the herd and have a chance to get up close and personal with these iconic animals. You'll then board your 4X4 and drive an hour to the abandoned hamlet of Cuye.

Continuing on to Incahuasi island, you'll have great views of volcanic rock and giant cacti as you make your way up to a viewpoint of the surrounding white landscape. Here, you'll enjoy some lunch as well as an optional walk up to a panoramic viewpoint for an incredible full 360º view of the Salt Flats below.(This service is on a private basis.)

Colchani to Sajama National Park

After your breakfast, you'll drive on to the little known Salar Sensual, passing through the beautiful Ch'jini where local inhabitants will walk up with you to the 'cathedral', or fortress ruins, on a mound 40 meters above the village. The ruins are believed to date back to the period after the Tiwanacota era. You'll then continue on to the Ch'jini cave, with its interesting and fragile formations (allowing just 5 people per visit), before visiting the place of the ancient ancestral populations on the northeastern shore. Back in your jeep, you'll continue to Coquesa and up to Thunupa where you'll do a short walk up to a cave which is incredibly still home to a few mummies.

Later you will drive to the north crossing the salt flats of Coipasa and enjoying the region’s largest quinoa fields until you reach Sabaya. There are many archaeological sites along the way, the most important of which is in Sacabaya – burial towers from the post-Tiwanaku Carangas culture. This region is covered with saline wetlands and is home to herds of camelids. You will then continue onto the paved road that takes you to the Sajama National Park and arrive at the Tomarapi Community Ecolodge at dusk at the bottom of Sajama, Bolivia’s highest mountain (6542 m.a.s.l).(This service is on a private basis.)

Sajama National Park

After a traditional breakfast in Tomarapi you will visit the Laguna Huayñakota, a protected area where you will be able to see a variety of Andean birds and fauna. Then you will go for a dip in the thermal waters and walk through native queñua forests to the geysers where you will have a packed lunch, before walking to the village of Sajama where upi will visit the church. On the way you will see alpacas, llamas and vicuñas. In the evening return to Tomarapi Ecolodge (This service is on a private basis.)

Sajama to La Paz City Tour & Moon Valley

This morning you will continue to La Paz.

After settling in, you will be met at your hotel to begin your half-day tour of Bolivia's capital city - La Paz. First visit the famous Witch Doctor's Market, San Francisco Colonial Church and the typical handicrafts of the Sagarnaga Street. The tour continues to Plaza Murillo where the Cathedral, the Government Palace and the National Congress buildings are located. Then, visit the famous colonial street Jaen where interesting museums are clustered together, followed by a visit to the replica of the semi-subterranean temple of the Tiwanaku Culture. To change scenery the tour continues to the residential areas of Obrajes, Calacoto and La Florida. The tour ends with a visit to the unique Moon Valley, where passengers will have the opportunity to walk around, and visit a ceramic workshop with a demonstration of the art of pottery.

Transfer to main Cable Car Station to enjoy the incredible experience to fly between the mountains on board of the most modern and unique transportation mean of South America. Two lines connects the city of La Paz and El Alto. During the ride amazing views of the city will be spotted. You'll then be transferred from the station back to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

La Paz

A city scraping the clouds, La Paz's altitude will take your breath away as much as its beauty. Thanks to immigration from all over South America, but mainly Peru, La Paz is one of the continent's fastest growing cities. Look into the mountains, and you'll be lucky to see a space not occupied by hastily-constructed homes. This fast-paced growth sometimes means that beautification has not yet caught up to utility, but the classic parts of the city boast a colonial style to be proud of. Lively markets, trendy restaurants, and fascinating museums are all popping up around the city, and its people are excited to be a part of the boom.

Sadly, your Epic Overland exploration comes to an end today. However, you will be leaving with new and unforgettable memories and experiences! You'll be met by your driver and picked up at your hotel in La Paz and transferred to the airport in good time for your departing international flight home. (This service is on a private basis.)

We hope you had an incredible trip and we wish you safe and pleasant travels onward!