Discover Chile

This afternoon we start with a tour of Santiago (approximately three hours), visiting the squares and streets of the colonial center and the Presidential Palace. We also visit San Cristobal Hill, on which a Virgin Mary statue stands. The summit offers a bird's-eye view of the city, Andean Mountains and Maipo-Valley. It is, without a doubt, the best viewpoint in the city. The city tour will usually start around 3pm, which means you need to be at the hotel by 2. 30pm. Stay: Panamericana Hotel Providencia (or similar).

The Unesco World Heritage city of Valparaíso, or Valpo for short, is the oldest port in Chile and home to the National Congress since democracy was re-established in 1989. The Pacific Coast is just a 90-minute drive from Santiago and today’s excursion will give us an interesting insight into Chilean culture. The many hills in the city are covered in a glorious sprawl of multi-coloured houses, creating a spectacular panorama, which can be enjoyed from several vantage points.

We’ll visit the Unesco-listed historic city centre, plus the parliamentary building, and the War of the Pacific memorial. Due to steep terrain in some parts of the city, there are numerous funicular lifts to transport residents up and down the hillsides. Many of these have fallen into disrepair and sit suspended in time and hidden amid the labyrinth of buildings.

However, there is a drive to restore as many as possible and we can use one of the most iconic functioning lifts on our way to a viewpoint. In the afternoon, we return to our Santiago hotel. Stay: Panamericana Hotel Providencia (or similar) (B).

In the morning, we fly to Calama near the Atacama Desert where we transfer to our hotel in the town of San Pedro de Atacama. After check-in, our leader will offer a short orientation tour of the town for anyone who wants to join. At dusk, we set out to the Valley of the Moon. This bizarre lunar landscape is set ablaze with colour at sunset, the strange rock formations framed by the Lincancabur Volcano. We'll stay until the sun goes down to enjoy the array of colours before returning to San Pedro. Stay: Hotel Diego de Almagro (or similar) (B).

Departing our San Pedro hotel, we set off towards the Altiplano Lagoons (Lagunas Altiplanicas) and stop en route at the village of Socaire, set at 10,558ft (3,218m). The village is noteworthy for its peculiar rough-stonework architecture and the inhabitants still live by age-old methods of planting terraced fields with corn, wheat and potatoes.

After, we continue for about another 19mi (30km), climbing an additional 3,281ft (1,000m) in altitude to reach the highland lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques. The two volcanoes of the same name are visible in the background (almost 19,686ft/6,000m high). The twin lagoons are a deep blue, each framed by a white salt crust, which creates a memorable contrast to the yellow highland grass all around. It is completely silent here.

Even the duck species that breed here, the foxes, and the grazing vicuñas (a type of camelid), respect the majestic silence. We then visit the Salar de Atacama. A salt lake of huge proportions (1,158 sqmi/3,000sqkm), it is covered by a thick layer of snow-white salt crystals, caused by the evaporation of the lake water.

The largest lithium deposits in the world are found here, but the salt pan is also home to several flamingo species, including the Andean, Chilean and James, which feed on the micro-organisms in the saline lagoons. Look out for these beautiful birds and other species in their natural habitat at Chaxa Lagoon, which is part of the Reserva Nacional de los Flamencos. After the excursion, we return to San Pedro. Stay: Hotel Diego de Almagro (or similar) (B).

We’ll have to get up very early to arrive at the El Tatio Geysers, which are more than 14,108ft (4,300m) above sea level, in time for sunrise. The fountains, which can shoot up to 33ft (10m) high, occur when the morning sun melts the nightly ice caps that form over the hot springs. The first rays reflect an array of colours as they mix with boiling geyser jets to create strong contrasts of steam and light.

Around midday, we return to San Pedro for some free time. Returning along the same route, accompanied by the Andes and their volcanoes, we will make a short stop on the way at the Putana wetland, where we can observe different species of birds in front of the Colorado volcano. There is an optional astronomy tour tonight that highlights the southern sky. This excursion should be booked in advance of departure as availability is limited and does not operate during full moon. Please speak to your sales representative if interested. Stay: Hotel Diego de Almagro (or similar) (B).

Today we transfer to Calama airport and fly to Santiago and then Puerto Montt, the capital of the Lake District. This is a long travelling day that will likely require an early start depending on the flight schedules.

On arrival in the Lake District, we drive for 30 minutes to Puerto Varas on the shores of Lago Llanquihue. Depending on flight arrival time, we can enjoy a brief tour of the City of the Roses, named for the tremendous variety of roses all over town. If we're scheduled to arrive on a later flight, we recommend that you buy food at the airport as you may not have many options on arrival at the hotel. Stay: Hotel Park Inn by Radisson (or similar) (B).

We set out this morning for a full day inside the Lake District. We drive along the shore of Lago Llanquihue and enjoy breathtaking views of the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes. Our first real stop will be at the Saltos de Petrohue, where cooling lava from the Osorno Volcano formed a series of rapids and waterfalls.

Together they create an impressive sculpture of extruded volcanic rock shaped by thousands of years of river flow. At Petrohue, we board a boat for a short cruise of Lago Todos los Santos. The lake is surrounded by high mountains and the lower slopes are thickly forested. As we pull away from the landing and the source of the river Petrohue, the view is quickly stolen by the tremendous size and proximity of snow-capped Osorno Volcano behind us.

After our boat tour, we return to Petrohue and hike in the lower lava fields of the volcano. We also visit the Green Lagoon (Laguna Verde) before we return towards Puerto Varas in the afternoon. Please note, the order of the itinerary today may change depending on the weather conditions. Stay: Hotel Park Inn by Radisson (or similar) (B).

After breakfast, we transfer to the capital of the Lake District, Puerto Montt, and take a sightseeing tour of the city. Puerto Montt was founded in 1853 by German colonists on the site of an indigenous Mapuche community. Downtown we take time to walk around the main squares and historical monuments.

After, we visit the port, where there is a large handicraft market full of artisan goods. Please note, depending on the flight times, this tour might be moved to the previous day instead. We then transfer to the airport to board a flight to Punta Arenas, Patagonia, the southernmost city in Chile. From here we transfer three hours to Puerto Natales where we spend the night. Stay: Hostal Francis Drake (or similar) (B).

This morning we drive into Torres del Paine National Park for adventure in a spectacular environment. This is a busy day of travelling and walking taking in unforgettable views of the Towers and the Torres Massif from the Cuernos viewpoint and Salto Grande waterfall. We'll also learn all about the regional flora and fauna and visit Laguna Azul for more breath-taking views. Stay: Hotel del Paine (or similar) (B/D).

Another day in Torres del Paine National Park, this time to explore the western highlights including Lake Grey. This deep lake, fed by the glacier of the same name, is filled with icebergs which have splashed down from the massive ice flow. From the hotel, we'll drive to the south of the lake, then start a short hike by crossing a bridge over the Pingo River.

From here, the path leads through a Legna forest typical to the area, and continues to the tip of a narrow peninsula at the southern end of the lake. This viewpoint offers a spectacular view of the water with its icebergs, the tongue of Grey Glacier at the northern end, and the snow-covered mountain peaks soaring above. On the way back, we stop at the visitor centre to learn about the origin and history of the park.

This afternoon is free to relax at the hotel or enjoy optional excursions in the area. Stay: Hotel del Paine (or similar) (B/D).

This morning you have some free time or you can take part in an optional boat excursion to the Grey Glacier. If you don't want to take the optional excursion, the leader will accompany you on visits to other areas of Torres del Paine. After, we regroup and visit the Milodon Cave (entrance fee not included and payee locally approximately US$8 per person). Today we will end in Puerto Natales and transfer together to the hotel, arriving around 5. 30pm. Stay: Hostal Francis Drake (or similar) (B).

Today we transfer back through the barren Pampa of Patagonia to Punta Arenas airport for our flight to Santiago (flight times can vary) to enjoy our final evening in Chile. Stay: Panamericana Hotel Providencia (or similar) (B).

Our trip ends this morning after breakfast. However, if you'd like the adventure to continue, speak to your sales representative about joining our Easter Island extension. Alternatively, you may want to extend your stay in Santiago, the cosmopolitan capital of Chile (B).