Circuit: The Best of Chile : Torres del Paine, Lakes and Atacama Desert

Day 01 Santiago City Tour

Reception at Santiago airport. Transfer to choosen hotel
City tour in Santiago visiting the main tourist attractions, such as, old district, Club Hípico, San Francisco church built between 1572 and 1618. Government Palace, Main square, Central Post office, Santa Lucía Hill founded in 1541, majesticly located in the center of the city. The trip follows until San Cristóbal Hill where a panoramic view of Santiago city is appreciated. Finally we will visit the most modern district in the city. Come back to hotel. Lodging

Day 02 Valparaíso / Viña del Mar

We begin the route from your hotel, in a trip of 120 kilometers to the Pacific Ocean. Here we will apreciate the great variety of the landscape of Curacaví Valley to follow until Casablanca Valley known mainly by the great production of white wine Sauvignon Blanc among others. Arriving to Valparaíso (Main port of our country), recently declared Cultural Humanity Patrimony by UNESCO. We will be supraised by its houses in the hills it makes Valparaíso a very beautiful city: We shall visit the main atractives of the city: Victoria square, Sotomayor square, Glorias Navales Monument, 21 de Mayo Boulevard; (we will follow up to the viewing point to apreciate this wonderful port, one of the most important of our country); we also walk among its hills in its differents elevators, (1883-1902) to be in contact with the port enviroment. We follow the trip until Viña Del Mar, known like Garden city. In this place we see the flower match, Casino and Reñaca; place where we will stop to lunch; after that we will make a short walk by the beach. Arriving to Santiago, by coastal way we will show and visit Quinta Vergara, place known due to International Song Festival. Come back to Santiago finishing in your hotel.

Itinerary :

Departure from hotel in Santiago by the morning.
Later the trip continues until arriving at the city of Valparaiso . Visit the city and stop to have lunch. By the evening a visit to Viña del mar city and Reñaca. Come back to Santiago.

Day 03 : Santiago - Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales

Transfer to airport. Flight to Punta Arenas.
Reception at the Punta Arenas airport (we suggest take earliest flights) and transportation to the city to board public intercity bus to Puerto Natales (249 km / 03 hours of trip). Arrive to the city, transfer from bus terminal to hotel, accomodation and lodging.

Day 04: Puerto Natales - Torres del Paine National Park

Breakfast. At 7:30 am departure from your hotel to begin the full day excursion that will drive us to imposing Cave of the Milodon (Natural Monument) and later to Torres del Paine National Park where we will have a nice panoramic view of Paine Mountain Range as welcome. Also we will admire lakes as Sarmiento, Nordenskjold, and Pehoe. Its fauna will be present through huanacos, foxes among others and big variety of birds of easy observation during the trip. A short trek will take us to a big waterfall called Salto Grande which is part of park hidrographical net. Later, retaking the main way, it access to CONAF central office, to continue to Lake Grey , where after to walk ( 30 minutes) through a millenium forest we will get to its beach to admire a great number leading offs floes from glacier. A box lunch is included in the service . At approximately 19:00 we estimate our arrival to Puerto Natales, lodging.
Day 05: Perito Moreno Glacier - Calafate

Breakfast. At approximately 7:45 am conecction with public bus which left from Puerto Natales. This will be a long day and will take 5 hours of trip (360 kms) to get to Los Glaciares National Park. During the trip we will have our first halt at Don Guillermo border sector (Cerro Castillo in Chilean side), place to carry out all neccesary tramits to leave Chile. Once in Argentinian territory and after 3 hours of trip we will get to Calafate town, where will have a brief halt. Then we will continue to the park located at 80 kms from the town to admire the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier. After 2 hours we will start our return to visit Calafate town by 1 hour. At approximately 10:30 pm return to Puerto Natales city. Lodging
• Lunch is not included

Day 06: Puerto Natales – Sailing to Glaciers - Punta Arenas

Breakfast. At 7:40 am transfer from your hotel to local pier. At 8:00 departure of maritimal excursión to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers. This sailing lasts about 4 hours to Bernardo O'Higgins National Park where. During the trip we will be able to observe the first local cattle ranches, cormorants and sea lions colonies, beech forests waterfalls and cliffs, the perfect home of majestic Condor. Once in the park we will get to Monte Balmaceda that show us from its eastern slope the glacier of the same name. Later we will approach land on Puerto Toro docking area, from where we will start a short trek to Serrano Glacier crossing a native forest and the lake's shore. A box lunch type or lunch in Perales ranch is included. At approximately 5:00pm return to Puerto Natales. Transportation to hotel. Lodging.

Day 07: Punta Arenas – Puerto Varas – Puerto Montt – Llanquihue Lake

Breakfast. At time to confirm transportation to the airport.Flight to Puerto Montt.

Reception in the El Tepual airport (Puerto Montt) transfer to the hotel in Puerto Varas. After that we will visit the cities of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas, as it’s written follow:

Departure from the hotel to visit the city of Puerto Varas, founded by German colonists. We will visit the Phillipi hill, which shelter all natives tree specie and also it has a beautiful viewing point where is possible to look the Puerto Varas bay and city. After we will go to the El Calvario hill in this place we will appreciate other panoramic view of the city. We'll pass for the downtown where we will see all the commercial activity; following the trip we'll take the main avenue which border the Llanquihue lake, alter to know Puerto Varas we'll take the historical route which join this city with Alerce locality, our trip follow to Puerto Montt, capital of the tenth region, we will know its streets, its people and its typical architecture, we will visit the Angelmó port with its handicrafts center and the market where we will see different kinds of fish and seafood. We will know the fishermen whom bring its products in typical embarkations from close islands for selling it in the city. We will be able to visit a strategic point where we will appreciate different sightseeing of this prosperous city. We will also visit the Pelluco beach and in the other extreme Chinqihue beach which borders the Tenglo channel in this place exist old shipyards. After we will come back to the hotel.

Day 08 : Excursion to Chiloe island

Departure from the hotel to the magical island of Chiloé. We will go to Puerto Montt and alter we Hill take the route which take us to the little village of Pargua. Here we will take a ferry to cross the Chacao channel; we will see the great variety of sea birds and the friskys Toninas (little dolphins) which will go with us in the trip, during 30 minutes aprox.

When we will arrive in Chacao we will take a rural way which take us to the Caulín bay, in this place we will appreciate a nest of migratory birds center. After that peculiar visit our trip continues until Ancud city, where we will lunch. By the evening we will visit the main attractives of the city, such as, Ancud Regional Museum, San Antonio Fort, Arenas Gruesas beach, Huaihuén hill and the market where we will find different sea products and variety handicrafts. By the afternoon we will come back to the hotel in Puerto Varas.

Day 09 : Excursion to Petrohue falls

Departure from the hotel to the Ensenada village. Bordering the Llanquihue lake we Hill visit places such as Pescado river, Arthur port, Los Riscos, until arrive to the Ensenada village, here we will take the route which takes us to Petrohué for visiting the falls of the same name. We will enter to the park and we will begin a slow trekking for the path until arrive to the falls. We will look the great quantity of water which down of the Todos Los Santos lake for this enormous dough of crystalline lava. We will have the opportunity for photographing this places, we will walk for the path, alter we will continue our trip till the Todos Los Santos lake or Esmeralda and we will be able to enjoy of the beautiful landscape formed for the Osorno volcano, forests and the spectacular turquoise color of the lake. After that we will come back to the Ensenada village to lunch a delicious plate. By the afternoon we will come back to the hotel in Puerto Varas.

Day 10 : Puerto Varas –Calama – San Pedro de Atacama

Breakfast in Hotel. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Santiago to take connection to Calama.

Reception and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, from the airport to Calama. Lodgging.

Day 11 : Altiplanic Lagoons and Atacama Salt

Departure at 07:00 hrs from the hotels. Visit the Toconao town, typical handicrafts in the Atacama zone, also the San Lucas Tower (National Monument and town symbol). The travel includes the visit to the Atacama Salt, check in to Los Flamencos National Reserve (Chaxas lagoon site). We will follow our trip to the altiplano for taking the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons (4150 m.s.n.m.). In the middle of our route we will have a little stop in the Socaire (3200 mts.) town to acclimate and for photographing the little San Bartolomé church. Come back to San Pedro at 19:00 hours approximately.

Day 12 Archaeological Tour and Monn Valley

Breakfast in the hotel. At 09:00 hrs. Visit to Pukará del Quitor, the salt mountain and the Catarpe (Incas) ruins. Arrive to the Tulor ruins with more than 3000 years old. Come back to San Pedro for the Séquitor Ayllu. Come back to hotel at 13:00 hrs. At 16:30 hrs, departure from the hotel to The Moon Valley. In the way which join San Pedro with Calama, stop for photographing the Salt Mountain from a viewing point. After in the moon valley, we will visit the salt statues “Las Tres Marías”, the salt mine, the salt caverns and we will look the evening since a big sand dune. Come back to hotel. Lodging. Lodging.

Day 13 Tatio Geysers and Towns / Calama

Departure at 04:00 am from the hotel. Arrive at 07:00 to the Tatio Geysers (4320 m). Breakfast and trekking to the different geysers and thermal swimming pool. Visit to the Caspana Town (old town and church), the Lasana Pukará, and the petroglyphics in the Loa river valley, the Coya Inca lagoon and the church in Chiu-Chiu town. Come back to Calama at 16:00hrs. Transfer to Calama airport. Flight to Santiago. Reception and transfer to hotel. Lodging.

Day 14 Santiago

Breakfast. Transfer to airport