Atacama Desert

4-Day Pre-Extension

Day 1
U.S. / Santiago
Depart the U.S. on an overnight flight to Santiago, Chile. (Meals Aloft)

Day 2
Santiago
We arrive in Santiago and transfer to the Hotel Plaza San Francisco. On a city tour, we see the Presidential Palace, Plaza de Armas, Cathedral and residential neighborhoods before a welcome dinner at our hotel. (B Aloft, D)

Day 3
Santiago / Calama / Valle de la Luna
Fly to Calama, and drive to the pleasant village of San Pedro de Atacama, our base for exploring the Atacama area. Taking advantage of the dramatic sunset, we visit the Moon’s Valley (Valle de la Luna), a striking and extraordinarily barren ensemble of silica formations and extensive dunes — a dramatic and beautiful sight, with the omnipresent Licancabur volcano in the backdrop. We spend the night at the Hosteria San Pedro. (B,L,D)

Day 4
Chaxa Lake / Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons
This morning visit Salar de Atacama, one of the largest saltpans in the world. The water in this saltpan has its origins in the geyser fields and from the melting snow and ice in the highlands. The salar and its diatoms are a magnet for flamingoes, and this is one of the few places where you can observe up to three species: Puna, Chilean and James, the rarest flamingo in the world. The setting of Laguna Miscanti and Miñiques is simply beautiful. Both Andean lakes are surrounded by an amphitheatre of striking volcanoes. These lakes hold the most important populations of the rare Horned Coot. (B,L,D)

Day 5
Tatio Geyser Field / Le Paige Anthropological Museum
Explore the impressive El Tatio Geysers, located at 13,800 feet. This is one of the highest geyser fields in the world. Early this morning we see a bizarre landscape filled with columns of steam, covered by cones of crystallized silica and other salt, and containing ponds of boiling pastel-colored mud. Surprisingly, some plants and animals have adapted to live in these extreme environments. Later we visit the Anthropological Museum, home to excellent displays on the pre-history of the Atacama Salt Pan. Learn about the religion, hunting techniques and pottery of the Atacameños, people who arrived in this region nearly 11,000 years ago. (B,L,D)

Day 6
Pukara de Quitor / Calama / Santiago
This morning, we explore the Pukara de Quitor, an ancient fortress overlooking the San Pedro River that was built by Atacameño people over 700 years ago. After lunch, we fly back to Santiago, where we check into the Hotel Plaza San Francisco for the night. (B,L,D)