Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Chile - Santiago - San Pedro de Atacama - Puerto Natales - Torres del Paine - Punta Arenas - Valparaiso
100% customisable for you
Your adventure in Chile starts today. Head to the airport, speed through security and settle in for your overnight flight to Santiago, which will take around 14-and-a-half hours. When you land in Chile’s capital city the next morning, you’ll be privately transferred to your central hotel, set in a perfect spot for exploring.
After a few hours spent settling into your hotel, there are plenty of things to see and do. Take a stroll around the historic centre to admire colonial architecture, wander along Parque Forestal’s picturesque tree-lined avenues or head to Quinta Normal or Santa Lucia Hill for panoramic city views.
For a spot of culture, swing by the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the presidential La Moneda Palace or La Chascona, the former home of poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda. Round off your day with a bite to eat, perhaps in the buzzy neighbourhoods of Bellavista or Providencia – our clued-up Concierge is on hand to recommend some hotspots.
Wave goodbye to Santiago: you’re heading to the Atacama Desert. This morning, a private transfer will whisk you to the airport for a two-hour flight to Calama, where you’ll pick up your trusty hire car. From here, drive just over an hour to San Pedro de Atacama and check into your hotel for a four-night stay.
With clear blue skies and a sprawling horizon of cracked ochre earth, the Atacama is the world’s driest non-polar desert. This afternoon, meet one of our local representatives for an aperitif to learn all about the desert’s history, culture and architecture, from the pre-Columbian archaeological sites of Quitor and Tulor to the local 17th-century church. They can also advise you on the best activities the region has to offer, whether it’s stargazing, hiking, bike-riding or simply exploring the wilderness.
The next three days are all yours to explore the raw beauty of the desert. A must-see is Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), a lunar-like landscape boasting strange rock formations and sand dunes sculpted by wind erosion and weathered over thousands of years.
You could also visit the Puritama Hot Springs. Set at the bottom of a canyon in the Puritama Conservation Reserve, these mythical springs feature eight thermal pools brimming with natural minerals. These rejuvenating waters are said to have health benefits, so take a dip and admire the breathtaking views over the mountains. To get there, either drive or hike through the Guatin Canyon, famous for its giant cardon cacti.
Today, you’re heading to Los Flamencos National Reserve, about an hour’s drive away. Featuring vast salt flats and lagoons, this sprawling reserve is teeming with wildlife, including three species of flamingos (Andean, James’s and Chilean). Laguna Chaxa is one of the best spots in the reserve to see these graceful birds.
Fancy a relaxing dip? Drive to nearby Laguna Cejar, where the waters have a similar salt concentration to the Dead Sea, meaning you can float atop the sparkling waves. You’ll also find geothermal natural wonders with steaming fumaroles (sulphurous gas vents), hot springs, mud volcanoes and the impressive El Tatio geysers, which dot the landscape for 18 square miles.
Not quite ready to return to your hotel? We can also arrange a private hike to the top of Cerro Toco, an ancient dormant volcano with fantastic views over the desert.
More astonishing landscapes are on today’s hit list. First, drive to Salar de Aguas Calientes, around an hour and 30 minutes away. Set at an altitude of almost 14,000ft, this is a truly magical place, where dazzling white salt flats meet mountains and clear blue skies.
Next up is a three-hour journey to Piedras Rojas, a rocky (and photo-worthy) landscape that has an intense reddish hue from years of iron oxidation. En route, stop off at the Miscanti and Miniques lagoons, where you might spot flamingos, vicunas (the wild ancestors of alpacas), emus and wolf-like red foxes called culpeos.
If you’re into stargazing, you’re in luck: the Atacama Desert is one of the best places in the world for it, thanks to its dark skies and lack of light pollution. After night falls, take part in a guided astronomy session using telescopes and binoculars.
The next leg of your trip sees you heading south to Torres del Paine National Park. Today, drive back to Calama’s El Loa Airport and return your hire car, then catch a two-hour flight back to Santiago. When you arrive, you’ll be privately transferred to a nearby hotel for an overnight stay, ready for tomorrow’s early morning flight.
This morning, you’ll be privately transferred back to the airport for your flight to Punta Arenas, which will take around three-and-a-half hours. When you arrive, pick up your hire car and drive another three hours to your hotel in Puerto Natales, a beautiful port city overlooking the Ultima Esperanza Bay (and the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park).
Early evening, our local guide will drop by for a drink, giving you the lowdown on the region and sharing insider travel tips for your next few days.
This morning, you’re driving to Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Your journey will take about one hour and 10 minutes, winding towards the Magallanes region. This incredible landscape is famous for its windswept plains, dramatic glaciers, lost lagoons and three iconic granite peaks – the ‘Torres’.
Check in for a three-night stay and spend the rest of the day basking in the beauty of over 600,000 acres of lakes and glaciers – National Geographic ranked the park the fifth most beautiful place on the planet.
The next two days are yours to explore this awe-inspiring landscape. The park is home to a number of sparkling lakes, so be sure to visit Sarmiento, Nordenskjold, Pehoe, Grey and Toro, admiring their striking emerald and turquoise hues. While you’re there, head to the Nordenskjold viewpoint or Lake Pehoe’s shoreline for views over the Cuernos del Paine, two iconic horn-shaped granite peaks.
Up for a trek? Follow a trail to Salto Grande waterfall or the Grey Lake viewpoint, then continue over the Avutardas River footbridge crossing into the emerald forest. More experienced hikers can climb closer to the Torres, taking in jaw-dropping panoramas of deep-blue lakes and glittering icebergs.
We’ve also arranged a boat trip across the serene Grey Lake to see the vast Grey Glacier, one of the park’s most spectacular attractions. As you soak up the views from the water, enjoy a pisco sour on deck (served with ice, of course).
Wave goodbye to the Torres. This morning, it’s time to drive four hours south to Punta Arenas, where you’ll stay overnight. When you arrive in the city, drop off your hire car, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at your leisure, whether you’d rather relax in the sun, stroll into town or hire a bike and cycle along the waterfront.
After a tasty breakfast, you’ll be privately transferred to the airport for the three-and-a-half-hour flight to Santiago. From here, you’ll be whisked to Valparaiso, a one-and-a-half-hour drive away, for a two-night stay. This bustling port city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, known as ‘the jewel of the Pacific’, and Chile’s unofficial cultural capital.
The next two days are all about exploring. Once a stop-off point for sailors and whalers, this bohemian city has long attracted acclaimed artists and writers, including Pablo Neruda, a celebrated Chilean poet. Wander the streets and winding alleyways, taking in the historic architecture and vibrant street art. Snap photos of colourful houses perched on the cerros (steep hillsides), stroll along the bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean and ride a clanking funicular elevator to reach the hilltops of the old town.
If you fancy a taste of the local cuisine, we can also arrange a Chilean cooking class with an expert local chef.
Sadly, your Chilean adventure has come to an end. Take one final stroll around the city to soak up the sights before your private transfer to Santiago’s international airport. Your overnight flight to the UK will take about 14 hours, and you’ll touch down the next day.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
