Itinerary Highlights
    • Desert, lakes, Patagonian mountain peaks: the grandiose and varied landscapes of Chile


    • Riding freely through the Atacama Desert; hiking on the trails of Torres del Paine Park


    • Private tours to Santiago, Valparaiso and Castro: the country's cultural sites


    • Lounge access at the airports, Concierge service, local mobile: Our bonuses

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FREEDOM FROM NORTH TO SOUTH

Chile is a country of extreme latitudes; this journey was designed to see it in all its glory. Make for the centre, Santiago, the eternally young city, in the company of an expert guide. Enjoy a day trip to Valparaiso. Set in an amphitheatre over the Pacific and dotted with quiet little neighbourhoods, the city is awash with sea skippers' houses and funiculars lining the slopes. Memories still linger of sailors preparing to go round Cape Horn and the words of the poet Pablo Neruda. Here again, a private guide will explain the history of the place. Then fly to the north: three days in the Atacama Desert , the minimum time to soak up the character of this unique desert.
We then break camp and head south to Chiloe Island, with its brightly painted houses on stilts. Still further down is Torres del Paine National Park, a haven of Patagonian nature and the ultimate outdoor playground. A short hop by plane makes the journey easy, without stacking up too much flying time. In the Atacama Desert as in Patagonia, a private rental car is available for exploring the region. The accommodation has been carefully chosen for its unique location or special charm. Our on-site Concierge is available at any time on the trip to organise an activity, reserve a table, and help if needed.

Of course, for those who want a more supervised trip, there is the option, for all or part of the journey, to swap the rental car for transfers in private vehicles with a driver, and to opt for accommodation with full board and activities included. Bespoke Chile.



The Atacama Desert

Robots for exploring Mars were tested in the Atacama Desert. In other words, this region of northern Chile is about as otherworldly as it gets without leaving Earth. The salt from the lagoons has been harvested there for many centuries, but this sparse natural environment did not prevent the indigenous peoples here from successfully working the land in the past. There are many Andean, Chilean and James's flamingos to be found hunting for meagre fare in brackish lagoons. While the telescopes are trained on the stars (there's zero light pollution here), volcanoes and geysers are the sign that something major is going on below ground.



Patagonia

The Torres del Paine National Park, with its variety of forms and protected ecosystems, is the jewel of Patagonia in the Chilean Andes. This is one of the most intense natural landscapes on Earth. In the coastal part of this region, especially to the south, there is an austere grandeur to the vast labyrinth of stone and water. At these latitudes, the Pacific plays rough. But the sheep are tenacious and cling grimly on.

Route

Everything is 100% tailored to you
DAY 1

Flight to Santiago

Overnight flight, arriving the next day.

DAY 2

Santiago

Early check-in. Private transfer and accommodation for two nights in a hotel in the fashionable Bellavista district, in the heart of Santiago. This is a charming hotel set in a building that has historic heritage status in the city. A 1929 family residence, now restored to a boutique hotel
Includes a private tour of Santiago, with a private guide. The city has quite modern tones with its classical and Gothic architecture and hints of Art Nouveau; past earthquakes have spared few colonial buildings. Take a stroll on the delightful Santa Lucia Hill or in the Parque Quinta Normal, visit the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and La Moneda, the presidential palace, Plaza de la Ciudadania. The next day, head for the Pacific (75 miles away) for a private tour of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. A famous seaside resort with a very contemporary look before continuing on to Valparaiso. This large horseshoe-shaped bay, dominated by broad hills that descend to the sea, has been the most important harbour on the Pacific coast since the 19th century. Prior to the Panama Canal, all boats stopped there after making the arduous journey around Cape Horn. Its 15 rumbling funiculars still scale the countless hills that dominate the Pacific Ocean.

DAY 4

Santiago - Atacama Desert

Transfer to the airport and flight to Calama, pick up the hire car and then drive to San Pedro de Atacama. Three-night stay in the heart of the village of San Pedro de Atacama, in a simple and friendly place with a country feel, a facade of adobe bricks, the terracotta hallmark of the desert habitat.

DAYS 5 & 6

Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert is one of the driest deserts in the world, and because of the dry air, the skies are exceptionally clear. San Pedro is an oasis. The church, made of adobe bricks, is one of the oldest in the country, dating from the 17th century. During these three days, you will visit the Museo Arqueologico R.P. Gustavo Le Paige, which documents in detail the ingenious civilisation of the Atacama Indians. The pre-Columbian sites of Quitor and Tulor are the perfect complement to the museum. The salt flats lagoons, which feed large colonies of flamingos, should also be explored. The salt concentration of the Laguna Cejar produces the same effects on the body as the Dead Sea. Early in the morning, the geothermal site ofEl Tatio, with its steam columns, is an impressive site.

DAY 7

San Pedro de Atacama - Chiloe Island

Heading south. Transfer to Calama Airport and flight to Puerto Montt via Santiago. Collect the rental vehicle and make for Chiloe Island. Spend two nights in a hotel on stilts. This part of southern Chile has a majestic beauty. Its rivers are simply made for fishing or rafting. Chiloe Island is home to a wonderful architectural treasure of wooden houses and 200 Jesuit churches (and at least as many bars). Ancud, the port town of Chiloe and gateway to the southern archipelagos, is extremely isolated, enabling it to hold on to its customs.
In the Itinerary - Private tour of Castro with a guide.

DAYS 9 to 11

CHILOE ISLAND - PUERTO VARAS

Road to Puerto Varas. A church with a red roof set against the blue waters of Lake Llanquihue, and a backdrop of the snow-covered outline of the Osorno Volcano with the perfect cone: this is the scene that surrounds the small town of Puerto Varas, located at the northern end of the Patagonian canals. One-night stay in a traditional house beside the lake.

DAY 13

TORRES DEL PAINE - PUERTO NATALES

It's sixty miles or so along a well-maintained gravel track from Torres del Paine National Park to the small town of Puerto Natales. Turn your back on the iconic granite peaks to press on into an increasingly open landscape of wide windswept plains, the playground of the guanaco. Finally, arrive in Puerto Natales after a good two hours' drive offering beautiful views of Ultima Speranza Sound.

DAYS 14 & 15

PUERTO NATALES - PUNTA ARENAS - SANTIAGO

Drive to Punta Arenas airport, return the car and flight to Santiago. Overnight stay in the hotel used on arrival

A la carte

Santiago - The Matetic Vineyards

The Matetic winery has more than 300 acres of vineyards within an area of 22,000 acres farmed organically. The tour begins with the wine cellar and an explanation of the secrets of winemaking and organic farming followed of course by tasting.

Optional



PRIVATE TOUR OF QUITOR AND TULOR

The ruins of Tulor, located a few miles south of San Pedro de Atacama, are the remains of a village that dates back to 800 BC. Until 1982, the ruins that you see today were buried under the sand, which allowed them to survive for nearly 3,000 years. Two houses have been reconstructed to show how this village would have originally looked. With a private expert guide.

Option



PRIVATE TOUR OF EL TATIO GEYSERS AND MACHUCA VILLAGE

El Tatio, 60 miles from San Pedro de Atacama, is one of the world's largest geothermal zones. More than a hundred hot springs and a few mud volcanoes put on a magnificent show, especially at sunrise, when the differences in temperature are at their greatest. Stop at the thermal baths and visit Machuca, a picturesque and sparsely populated village of shepherds and a natural landscape of rare beauty. With private guide.

Optional

A Rough Idea of Price

Dependent on season, accommodation and activities
The estimated cost for this trip starts from £4,745 to £6,605 per person. A fixed price would not make sense for a bespoke journey. The cost varies depending on several factors, including level of service, duration and how far in advance the trip is booked. The exact price will be provided on your personalised quote. The average starting price for this trip is £5,715 per person.
  • Direct international flights and domestic flights with a scheduled airline


  • Airline taxes and fuel surcharge




  • Private transfers


  • Three-day car rental in the Atacama Desert and four days in the Torres del Paine National Park


  • Two-night stay in Santiago at the Hotel Magnolia in a double room with breakfast included


  • Three-night stay in San Pedro de Atacama at the Casa de Don Tomas Hotel in a double room with breakfast included


  • Two-night stay in Castro at Hotel Palafito 1326 in a double room with breakfast included


  • Overnight stay in Puerto Varas at the Hotel Casa Kalfu in a double room with breakfast included


  • Overnight stay in Punta Arenas at Hotel Lacolet in a double room with breakfast included


  • Two-night stay in the Torres del Paine National Park at Hotel Lago Grey in a double room with breakfast included


  • Overnight stay in Puerto Natales at Hotel Vendaval in a double room with breakfast included


  • Overnight stay in Santiago at the Hotel Magnolia in a double room with breakfast included


  • Local mobile phone available


  • Our local Concierge service
A few of the benefits of travelling with us
Get in touch
Our experts have the inside track on the destinations they sell and will tailor-make a holiday to your unique requirements.
Contact one of our Chile specialists