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Holidays to Patagonia, Chile: Torres del Paine + Atacama + Easter Island + Valparaiso

Chile: Atacama + Easter Island + Patagonia (Torres)

16 NIGHTS FROM:

$4,543

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

CRO16S

• Santiago

• Atacama

• Moon Valley & Salt Flats

• El Tatio Geysers

• Easter Island

• Patagonia

• Torres Del Paine

• Grey Glacier

• Valparaiso

• Holidays to Patagonia Chile

Our holidays to Patagonia, Chile can be tailor made to your needs. This 'Grand Tour of Chile' visits Torres del Paine National Park, with its spectacular snow-capped mountains, glaciers & icy blue lakes. It also includes the geysers & salt flats of Atacama, the giant Moai stone statues of Easter Island in the Pacific & the vibrant old port of Valparaiso. All transfers & specified sightseeing included.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

You will be met at Santiago Airport and transferred to the capital of Santiago de Chile.

Check into your hotel in this sophisticated and cosmopolitan city, situated in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes Mountains and the beautiful Chilean Coastal Range.

Day 2

This morning enjoy a half day private tour of the modern city of Santiago. We start in the downtown area of this relatively compact city, where modern buildings have transformed the landscape, and visit Santa Lucia Hill where the city of Santiago was founded in 1541.

We continue to the Plaza de Armas in the heart of the old colonial city and bustling Ahumada Boulevard with its many shops, street performers and vendors. Here you will be able to see some beautiful Neo-classical buildings – including the 18th century Cathedral of Santiago and the early 19th century Royal Court Palace, which now houses the National History Museum. Also enjoy outside views of the Municipal Offices, the Post Office and the current Presidential Palace, La Moneda. You will have the opportunity to taste a ‘Pisco Sour’, see local handcrafts and walk through some of the more traditional streets of the city, before being dropped off at your hotel.

Your afternoon is at leisure to explore more of this lively city independently.

Note: Most museums are closed on Mondays.

Day 3

Transfer to Santiago Airport for your onward flight.

You will be met at Calama Airport and transferred 1.5-hours across the vast copper-rich plains of the desert and through the Salt Mountains to the small town of San Pedro de Atacama.

Extending for over 600 miles (1,000 km), this enormous plateau of salt lakes, sand, lava and stony terrain is situated between two high mountain ranges - the Andes to the east and the Chilean Coastal Range to the west. As a result, the Atacama receives virtually no rain whatsoever - making it the driest and oldest desert in the world, with landscapes that will take your breath away.

Note: Your driver from Calama will only speak Spanish. If you are staying at a hotel that offers an all-inclusive programme of excursions, these will be discussed with you on arrival, as the order of these activities my change. There will also be the opportunity to make changes locally, if desired.

Day 4

Today enjoy a half day shared tour to the crystalline Chaxa Salt Flats (Salar de Atacama), the largest in Chile and the third largest in the world.

We drive 1-hour to these astonishing salt flats, surrounded by the Andes to the east and the Cordillera de Domeyko to the west. Small lagoons have formed where water has broken through the crusted salt, with no drainage outlets, creating one of the largest lithium reserves in the world. We visit Chaxa Lagoon in the National Flamingo Reserve, where you can photograph this magnificent scenery and hope to see three different species of flamingo - Chilean, Andean & James’s - as well as other waterbirds that nest and feed on these mineral-rich waters, such as the puna plover and red-gartered coot. Most birding activity occurs at sunrise, when you may see a pinkish hue rising over the horizon. As the air warms up, this dissipates as the birds take flight over the lake.

On the return journey we visit the picturesque local village of Toconao, with its main square and classic Atacamenian bell tower built in 1750 from cactus wood, mud and straw. We also visit the small church of San Lucas, before returning to San Pedro.

In the afternoon we head out again on another shared excursion, driving 20-minutes to the Salt Mountains (Cordillera de la Sal) situated in the National Flamingo Reserve. Here we walk for 20-minutes each way (the last section is quite steep) to view the dramatic lunar landscapes of Moon Valley, with its many natural mineral sculptures formed by wind erosion. We also walk 10-minutes each way to see some unusual sculptured salt formations and a small cave.

At the end of the day enjoy a magical sunset at the Kari Viewpoint, one of the highest points in the Salt Mountains. Seeing the colours of the hills changing as the sun sets, will be a memory that will last a lifetime.

Note: Shared day tours have a maximum of 12 people.

Day 5

Depart before dawn today on a 6.5-hour shared excursion to the El Tatio Geysers, the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the third largest in the world.

We drive 2.5-hours to this astonishing geothermal field situated at over 14,000 ft (4,300 m) above sea level, with over 70 geysers that have steam fumaroles that can easily reach over 33 ft (10 m). We arrive at sunrise when these columns of steam condense in the cold air, set against a backdrop of the imposing Andes with its multiple colours. Walk around the geyser field before these steam plumes disappear as the air warms up, followed by a picnic breakfast.

On the way back to San Pedro, enjoy spectacular views of the Torcopuri y Sairecabur Volcanoes and the Putana Wetlands, where we make a short stop. Here you can see several species of birds that live in these high altitude wetlands that freeze overnight - including the giant coot, Andean flamingo, Chilean flamingo, Andean goose and a variety of coots, teals, gulls and ducks. You may also see vicuña (an elegant wild camelid) or rhea (a small ostrich), both of which have adapted to live in these harsh conditions, or even a viscacha (a rodent that looks like a long-tailed rabbit).

Our final stop is at the small village of Machuca, where you can see how the local people live and view the Altiplanic architecture of their small St. James Church. The rest of your day is at leisure in San Pedro.

Note: Please be aware the El Tatio Geysers are at high altitude, so this excursion should not be undertaken by anyone with a heart condition. Dress warmly with thermal clothing, warm jacket, fleece, beanie, scarf and gloves - as the temperature at the geysers will be below freezing at dawn. Shared day tours have a maximum of 12 people.

Day 6

Transfer 1.5-hours to Calama Airport for your onward flight.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

Arrive at Santiago Airport and make your own way by free shuttle or on foot (depending on location) to your hotel situated close to the airport.

Check in and relax in the shadow of the Andes Mountains.

Day 7

Make your own way by hotel shuttle or on foot to Santiago Airport for your onward flight.

You will be met at Easter Island Airport - known locally as Rapa Nui - situated in the southern Pacific Ocean some 2,300 miles (3,700 km) west of the Chilean mainland.

Easter Island is famous for its nearly 900 gigantic stone Moai (carved human statues with oversized heads, often resting on a massive rock altar called Ahu), carved between the 10th and 16th century. Much of the island is now protected and Rapa Nui National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Check into your hotel in this far-flung volcanic island at the southeastern point of the Polynesian Triangle, and one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world.

Note: An Easter Island entry form must be completed shortly before departure - https://ingresorapanui.interior.gob.cl.

Day 8

Today enjoy a full day shared tour exploring the Akahanga and Anakena regions of Rapa Nui, with boxed picnic lunch included.

From the capital of Hanga Roa we head towards the eastwern coastline to follow in the footsteps of the first king of the island, Ariki Hotu Matu´a, who disembarked here and founded this amazing megalithic culture. Over the next 700 years, these Polynesian navigators went on to produce the gigantic Moai (statues) for which Easter Island is so famous.

We travel along the south coast to our first stop at Ahu Akahanga – the Platform of the King – as it is believed that the grave of Hotu Matu’a is in a nearby cave. There are four separate Ahu (stone platforms) here with 12 toppled Moai of various sizes and eight magnificent Pukao (topknots). Petroglyphs run along the front of the main Ahu and one Moai can be found behind it.

Afterwards we visit Rano Raraku Volcano, a sacred site where the majority of these stone goants were carved. One of the most interesting archaeological sites on Rapa Nui, here you can find 396 Moai situated in a quarry inside an extinct volcano, with a freshwater crater lake. Some of the statues are still encrusted in the rock of the quarry, others are in the process of getting their backs completed, and some are in a staging area waiting to be moved to their destination. Here we will see the largest Moai ever carved – Te Tokanga (or El Gigante) measuring a staggering 66 ft (22 m) and weighing an estimated 220 tons. We then stop for lunch at the home of a Rapa Nui family.

We continue to Ahu Tongariki, the largest Ahu on Easter Island. Its Moai were toppled during the island's civil wars, and in the twentieth century the Ahu was swept inland by a tsunami. It has since been restored and has fifteen moai, including one that weighs eighty-six tonnes, the heaviest ever erected on the island.

And at Ahu Te Pito Kura we find the sacred stone that marked the 'navel of the world'. It has been said that this stone was brought by Hotu Matu’a from his home island.

Finally we finish our day relaxing on stunning Anakena Beach, with its row of Moai which have their backs turned to the sea. Anakena has 4 Ahu sites, two of which have been reconstructed. The first, called Ature Huki, was restored by Thor Heyerdahl in 1955 and the other, called Nau Nau, was restored by the same archaeologist Sergio Rapu. This site only has one Moai erected, however it measures 10 m (30 ft) and weights 90 tons, making it the largest Moai to be raised on a platform. The topknot alone is worthy of praise, weighing 11.5 tons.

Note: The order of your day excursions may be changed. Wear good walking shoes and pack both sunscreen and rain gear. Shared tours have a maximum of 20 people.

Day 9

This morning enjoy a shared half day tour exploring more of the ancient archaeological sites found in the central part of the island, including the Seven Moai. During the last part of the Moai era these descendants of Polynesian navigators turned their eyes towards the heavens, as they sough to connect with celestial and astronomical events.

We start with a visit to Puna Pau Quarry, situated in the crater of one of the 70 secondary volcanic cones found on this island. The soil here has a distinctive red colour because of its rich iron deposits. This red scoria was easily carved by the Rapa Nui people, who used it to make pukaos (topknots) that crowned the heads of some moai and funeral casts.

We continue to Ahu Akivi, a majestic altar with a great platform decorated with Seven Moai, all of identical dimensions, that were restored in 1960 by Dr William Mulloy. These are one of the few platforms on the island where the Moai face the ocean and legend tells us they represent the seven explorers sent by King Hotu Matu’a before his epic colonisation voyage from Polynesia. They are believed to date back to around 1460 and have a special atronomical orientation that was important for spiritual ceremonies, as they align with the setting sun during the spring equinox. During the autumn equinox, at dawn their shadows create a mystical dance of light and shadow over the ocean. There is a crematorium here where human remains were found, as well as small statues.

We end our day with a visit to the Tahai Ceremonial Centre. Your afternoon is at leisure to relax at your hotel or explore independently.

Note: The order of your day excursions may be changed. Wear good walking shoes and pack both sunscreen and rain gear. Shared tours have a maximum of 20 people.

Day 10

This morning enjoy a half day shared tour to explore the Vinapu archaeological site and the Orongo region.

At Vinapu you can see enormous basalt slabs similar to those used by the Inca people of Peru, with stone structures that illustrate the technique used to construst 'Ahus' (stone pedestals designed to support gigantic Moi statues) from volcanic rock.

Our next stop is at the Orongo Ceremonial Village which was restored in 1974, as the originals had collapsed or been torn down by treasure hunters. At the end of a 1 km interpretive trail, we find Mata Ngarau - the place where the Tangata Manu ('Bird Man') competition took place. The Bird Man was appointed as the spiritual and political leader of the island for a period of one year. Numerous boulders are carved with ancient petroglyphs that represent this sacred character, shown with a shrunken human body and a large beak.

The route ends at the Rano Kau Vocano viewpoint, where you can see the curvature of the earth and an unending vista of empty ocean. Rano Kau is one of the three main volcanos that define the triangular shape of Rapa Nui. It erupted over 2.5 million years ago and has a height of 310 m and a huge 1.6 km crater, with a freshwater lake with small islands of reeds and endemic plants. Today grapes, bananas and totora (a reed used for building houses and boats) are grown in the lush crater.

After returning to your hotel, the afternoon is at leisure.

Note: The order of your day excursions may be changed. Wear good walking shoes and pack both sunscreen and rain gear. Shared tours have a maximum of 20 people.

Day 11

Transfer to Easter Island Airport for your onward flight.

Arrive at Santiago Airport and make your own way by free shuttle or on foot (depending on location) to your hotel situated close to the airport.

Check in and relax in the shadow of the Andes Mountains.

Day 12

Make your own way by hotel shuttle or on foot to Santiago Airport for your onward flight.

You will be met at Puerto Natales Airport and transferred 2-hours across the dry scrubland of the Magellanic Steppe to Torres del Paine National Park - a 242,000 hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its soaring mountains, electric blue lakes and many glaciers.

We drive past several large cattle estancias, which are home to the Chilean 'baqueanos' (also called 'huasos' or cowboys), who drink a distinctive caffeine-rich herbal tea known as 'mate', served in a round cup, and love to compete in local rodeos. A variety of rare wildlife can be seen in these pampas (lowlands) including the elegant guanaco, a type of humpless camel related to the llama and the lesser rhea, which is related to the ostrich and emu. You may see giant condors soaring in the thermals, as well as eagles. Grey and red fox also live here, but are rarely seen.

After seeing your first postcard views of the Paine Massif, we enter Torres del Paine National Park. Here the landscape changes dramatically to spectacular glacier lakes frequented by marine birds, lofty waterfalls and magnificent granite mountain peaks covered by ice. The enormous Campo de Hielo Sur icecap gives the park four main glaciers - Grey, Dickson, Zapata and Tyndall. Two other glaciers descend from the west side of the central massif. Check into your lodge in these spectacular surroundings.

Note: Your airport driver will only speak Spanish.

Days 13 To 14

At leisure to relax and explore the spectacular scenery of Torres Del Paine National Park.

Activities vary by lodge, but most offer a programme of daily excursions to view the chain of beautiful glacier lakes that flow into Lake Pehoé - but it is essential book these in advance to ensure availability. These include:

Lake Amarga ('Bitter Lake') which has one of the best views of the three granite Torres Del Paine ('Towers of Blue') from which the park takes its name. Flamingos can sometimes be seen here.

Lake Azul with its azure blue waters and wonderful views.

Lake Nordenskjold lookout, with its view over the different peaks of the Paine Massif, including the famous 'horns' (Cuernos del Paine) and Paine Grande, the highest mountain at over 10,000 ft (3,050 m).

Salto Grande Waterfall where you can walk 15-minutes to get really close to this powder blue cascade.

Lake Grey where you can walk across a hanging bridge over the Pingo River to the shores of the lake. From here walk 30-minutes each way to get up close to the spectacular blue icebergs that fall from the Grey Glacier, which can be seen in the distance.

The optional Lake Grey Glacier boat ride is also not to be missed. This navigation will take you right up to the face of this mighty glacier.

Walkers and hikers will also be spoilt for choice, with walks ranging from easy to extremely tough:

The Fauna Trail in the eastern section of the park is an easy 1.5-hour walk (3-hours if done both ways) to a cave with some old paintings. Guanaco are plentiful on these open plains and this is therefore the habitat of their main predator - the elusive puma (also called mountain lion, or cougar) - but as they are nocturnal and have excellent camouflage they are rarely seen.

The Condor Lookout (2-hours) is a steeper but still relatively easy hike up to the nesting grounds of these huge vultures.

The Base of the Towers is an iconic hike to the base of the Torres Del Paine, but it is an extremely tough (and steep) all day hike that takes 8 to 9 hours.

The W Trek is a 4-day hike that combines the Base of the Towers with a W-shaped route around the front of the Paine Massif and into two valleys, but the first part of it can be done as a day hike. The hike is long, but not difficult.

Ice Hike on Grey Glacier (6-hours) is a challenging but thrilling hike on ice, using crampons that are provided.

If you would like to horse ride through this spectacular scenery, be sure to request an estancia (ranch) situated near the entrance to the park.

Note: Lodge charges vary depending upon the programme you have booked (see lodge notes). If you have booked an all-inclusive package most of these activities are usually included, but supplements may be payable for the Grey Glacier navigation and the Ice Hike.

Day 15

Transfer 2-hours to Puerto Natales Airport for your onward flight.

Note: Your airport driver will only speak Spanish.

You will be met at Santiago Airport and transferred 1.5-hours to the historic seaport of Valparaiso.

Check into your hotel in Valparaiso, the second largest city in the country and home to the Chilean Parliament (the Congress of Chile). Prior to the opening of the Panama Canal, this cosmopolitan city was the most important Pacific seaport on the crucial trade route that linked the American west coast with Europe, via the Strait of Magellan.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

Day 16

This morning enjoy a 3-hour private Walking Tour of the lively and chaotic city of Valparaiso, with its quirky and eclectic architecture, many parks, historic monuments, bars and restaurants.

The homes around this natural harbour were built over 42 steep hills, two of which - Alegre ('Happy') and Concepcion - are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. Their many stairways, colourful houses, old funicular elevators and trolleybuses are a real feature. Walk along the promenades and climb the many staircases, viewing the amazing and colourful graffiti art that can be found on almost every street. The most important square is Plaza Sotomayor, which is situated on the sea shore. Also take in the views from the 21 May Lookout, reached by funicular.

Your afternoon is free to explore more of Valparaiso independently. You can take a taxi to La Sebastiana Museum, the hilltop house of Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, which features many of his personal effects and has stunning views over the city. Alternatively visit the Naval Museum or take a boat ride on the bay.

After a day of taking in the street life, you will be spoilt for choice as you relax in one of the city's numerous restaurants and bars.

Day 17

Transfer 1.5-hours to Santiago Airport for your flight home.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

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