Chile Atacama Community Discovery

Day 4 begins with a private transfer, which will pick you up to take you from the Hotel to Santiago Airport. After a flight, a shared-premium transfer will pick you up to take you from Calama Airport to your selected hotel for the next 4 nights.

Moon and Death Valley

On your visit to the driest desert in the world, you cannot miss the opportunity to see the geologically spectacular Moon Valley.

A couple of kilometres outside of San Pedro de Atacama, between the jagged rocks and unusual shapes of the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountains), you find the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a geological wonder of the Los Flamencos National Reserve. During the tour, you can take in the extraordinary shapes of the landscape, which will make you feel as if you were walking on the moon. During the afternoon, you can enjoy the unbeatable views of the Andes and its volcanoes. As dusk falls you will be overwhelmed by the red and golden colours of the desert sky. All this results in a simply unforgettable tour.

The next day, take a unique excursion to Rainbow Valley and the Salt Flats.

Rainbow Valley

A trip through the Domeyko hills, with its prehistoric rock art and overwhelming desert tones. We travel west of San Pedro de Atacama, to the Domeyko hills, a spectacular hill formation that runs parallel to The Andes. We will first visit Yerbas Buenas, an area of great historical importance due to its prehistoric rock art, which is one of the most important groups of petroglyphs in the region. The tour will take us back in time to when the indigenous people lived there, adding to the historical and cultural experience of the tour. We will then cross over to Matancilla, with its rich flora and fauna, to see the Rainbow Valley, named after the various colours of the surrounding hills. Its red, green, white, yellow, brown and earth coloured tones combine with the blue sky and the white salt flats to create a truly unique setting.

Atacama Salt Flats & Toconao

The rest of the day will be spent on this tour. You will visit the impressive Atacama Salt Flats, Jerez Valley, Chaxa Lagoon and Toconao, a town built from volcanic rock.

On this tour, you will visit the Atacama Salt Flats, where the Los Flamencos Natural Reserve is located, a surprisingly large and arid landscape stretching 100 km from north to south. You can also marvel at the amazing Chaxa Lagoon, a spectacularly beautiful setting, which is split into various clear water lagoons, inhabited by both Andean and James flamingos. We then head to Toconao, a traditionally colonial-style village, famous for the bell tower of the San Lucas Church, which has been declared as a National Monument. Agriculture and crafts are the principal sources of income for its inhabitants who offer proudly crafted gifts made from volcanic rock.

Altiplanic Lagoons Tour

Discover the magic nuances of the desert by visiting the Toconao village, the great Atacama Salt Flat.

The journey will begin with a visit to Lagoon Chaxa, a scenery of spectacular beauty that is divided into several water mirrors where a large number of flamingos live and other birds such as large and small parinas. Then you head towards the Altiplano to reach the viewpoint of Red Stones, where you can see a volcanic conglomerate formed from the oxidation of the iron present in that place. Later you will visit Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons at more than 4,200 meters over sea level.

Surrounded by imposing volcanoes caused by the elevation of the Andes mountain chain, an habitat of a variety of birds, are a truly amazing destination. Finally, before returning, while the landscape gives breathtaking views of the Licancabur and Lascar volcanoes. Finishing in the Town of Toconao, built with volcanic stone, it stands out for its heritage architecture, with the church of San Lucas, and its bell tower, declared a National Monument. Agriculture and crafts are the main source of work for its citizens.

For your penultimate day in Chile, take a trip out to see the geysers and Machuca.

Tatio Geysers & Machuca

On this exciting tour, you will visit the impressive Tatio Geysers, at 4000 meters above sea level on the Andean plateau.

Your journey to the Altiplano starts in the early hours, so you can watch the sun rise in one of the most important geothermic fields in the world: the Tatio Geysers. There are over 70 geysers with pools of boiling water spurting vapor. It is best to see them first thing in the morning, so you can truly appreciate the beautiful contrast of colors between the intensely blue sky and the pristine vapor from the geysers. You will then enjoy a deserved breakfast in this amazing setting, in the shadows of the Andes. This will allow you to warm up, as the temperatures in the zone can range from -2° C to 24.5° C. On your way back to San Pedro de Atacama, you will travel through some beautiful landscapes, seeing the valleys, flora and fauna and maybe spot some of the local vicuñas and vizcachas – a real highlight.

You will then stop off in the village of Machuca, a truly atacameño village of just 20 houses built from clay, straw and cactus wood. The inhabitants of Machuca all dedicate themselves to its tourism and will offer hand crafted Andean souvenirs, as well as typical food from the region such as llama meat, sopaipillas (a traditional bread made from squash) and empanadas. While there, you will also visit the beautiful San Santiago Church, named after the patron saint of the village, as well as visiting the wetlands where we can see flamingos, ducks and other birds.

A shared-premium transfer will pick you up to take you from the Hotel to Calama Airport for your transfer or departing flight.