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We suggest the following itinerary, however we can adjust this schedule according to your needs:
Day 1 - Santiago – Calama – San Pedro de Atacama: Private transportation from your accommodation to Santiago airport in time to connect with your flight to Calama. Upon arrival you will be met at El Loa Airport and taken to your selected accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama (approximately 60 miles away)
In the afternoon a half day excursion visiting the Valley of the Moon. In the evening, one of the most anticipated moments is the sunset, and the best place to see it is in the “Cordillera de la Sal” among the two valleys, Valle de Marte (Mars Valley) and Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). The valleys are saline and clayed shapes, the product of mineralogical folds that occurred hundred of millions years ago, creating mountains with strange and capricious shapes. Here the sunset turns these mountains into a lunar landscape.
Day 2 - Arqueological Tour – Half Day (9am to 12:30pm): In the morning a half day Archaeological tour of the San Pedro Region including the Museum Padre Le Paige and the Incan ruins of Tulor and the adobe homes of Quitor dating back some 3000 years. Free afternoon to explore the town
Day 3 - Lagunas Altiplanicas – Full Day (9am to 6pm): Full day excursion visiting the Lagunas Altiplanicas. These lagoons are located at 4.500 m. above the sea level and are of great beauty. The surrounding landscapes of varying colors and unique flora and fauna in these protected areas make for an outstanding excursion.
The altitude puts us very near mountains and volcanoes, some of which are sacred and have inspired beautiful legends of the Desert of Atacama. Along the way we can visit the town of Socaire, a place where the ancestral traditions of their inhabitants have lasted over time. Here the shepherds and farmers cultivate the "pachamama" using the old system of Andean terraces.
Day 4 San Pedro de Atacama – Calama – Santiago (4am to 4:30pm): At 4am we begin our exploration to the highest geothermic area, located at 4.300 mts. above the sea level in the Andean Range, the Geysers of Tatio. The steam columns ascend over 50 meters high, mixed with the fabulous beauty of the Andes, full of color and with many animals, the most typical the Vicuña, an American camel which has adapted to live in extreme geographical and climatic conditions. The geothermic fields originate in magma flows. The waters from the Andes pass deep into these hot zones, until finally the water reaches the magma and returns as steam and boiling water. In the afternoon transportation to Calama Airport arriving in time to connect with your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival transportation from Santiago Airport to your accommodation in Santiago.
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