High Plateaus and Stargazing

Arrival in Santiago and private transfer to your hotel.

An English-speaking guide will accompany you during the transfer.
Visit of Chile's capital, nestled at the foot of the Andes. Although Santiago has become over the years a modern and bustling city, some older neighbourhoods have preserved their atmosphere and a romantic charm.
You will visit the Plaza de Armas, San Francisco Church, the Bellavista area, Cerro San Cristobal, etc.
Visit the museum of pre-Columbian art of Chile in Santiago.

(Closed every Monday)

Night at the Galerias hotel ***.

Included : transfer arrival, english speaking guide, guide expenses, entrance fees, private transport, room & breakfast
Included opts : International guide

Come and discover the nocturne sky mysteries through the best telescopes in Santiago.


Included : private transport, car rental, insurance, local guide, guide expenses, room & breakfast, lunch (no drinks), dinner (no drinks)

Full day outing in the Andes. Discover the amazing landscapes of these high mountains. You can choose between one of the many activities offered in this area: Rafting, Horseriding, Trekking (Activity must be booked in advance and not included).
Included : room & breakfast, lunch (no drinks), dinner (no drinks)

Arrival to La Serena airport and pick up of your rental vehicle.
Installation in your hotel.
Night at the Santa Barbara hotel ***.
Included : car rental, transfer arrival, insurance, room & breakfast

Visit of this charming colonial city: the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the crafts market of La Recova, the archaeological museum, the Francisco de Aguirre Avenue with its marble statues, the lighthouse (the city icon), and the Avenida del Mar.
Then, head to the port city of Coquimbo where you can visit the English neighborhood and its restored 19th century houses, the port and, of course, the Fort Coquimbo.
Drive to the Elqui Valley, where astronomy and energy are very important, to the small village of Vicuña, rich with history and culture.
Head to the Pangue Observatory where professionals will introduce you to the world of astronomy. You will observe all the wonders of the night, such as star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, as well as the Moon and planets as available, and any specific object you wish to look at.
Note: the visit of the observatory is subject to opening dates and weather conditions.

At night, you will leave with an astronomer for El Pangue observatory, for a sky discovery session. After two hours of observation, return to the village.


Night at the hotel Terral ****.
Included : local guide, guide expenses, room & breakfast

Departure at 10:00 and drive to Pisco Elqui. Visit of the village, located 1,280 m above sea level. It is a typical village with a nice central square, winding streets and traditional crafts.
You will spend two nights at the Elqui Domos. This hotel offers comfortable rooms in domes, ideal to observe the sky from your patio or your bed. The view of the mountainous area covered with vines is spectacular. At night, you can observe the stars with a specialist around a campfire and some delicious regional products.
Night at the hotel Elqui Domos ***.
Included : room & breakfast

Day at leisure to enjoy the activities offered around Pisco Elqui: mountain biking, horseback ridding, meeting of the village artisans. It's also the perfect time to drink a juice in one of the small cafes of the village, or to relax by the pool of the Elqui Domos.
At night, head to Cochiguaz for an observation tour in an amateur observatory.
Night at the hotel Elqui Domos ***.
Included : room & breakfast

Return to La Serena and head north. Today, you will start your long journey up to San Pedro de Atacama.
The road to Punta de Choros, small port north of La Serena, is beautiful.
Arrival in this small fishing port.
Nigth at Memoruz Cabins
Included : room

Today, you can visit Damas Island and the Pingüino de Humboldt National Reserve. At the end of the excursion, continue to Bahia Inglesa, a small village of 135 inhabitants renowned for its white sands and warm waters.
Night in Bahia Inglesa.
Night at the hotel Jardines de Bahia ***.
Included : room & breakfast

Departure to the Pan de Azucar National Park. Visit of this park covering 43,769 hectares and characterized by a very diverse flora and fauna. A large colony of Humboldt penguins made the island of Pan de Azucar their home. It is also very rich archaeologically and historically. Head north to the town of Taltal and spend the night by the Pacific Ocean.
Night at the hotel Caleta Hueso **.
Included : room & breakfast

Today, you will enter the arid Atacama Desert. Drive along the Domeyko cordillera and its peeks over 4,000 m.
Visit of the astronomical center of Cerro Paranal. It is located between the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna and the Pacific coast at 2,635 m (8,645 ft) of altitude, 120 km (70 mi) south of Antofagasta. This observatory is operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), is the largest in the Southern hemisphere, and houses the VLT, the most powerful telescope in the world. The visit lasts between 2 and 4 hours and you will get the chance to enter one of the enclosures to see the actual 8.2-metre telescope. If conditions permit, you will be shown the control room.
Note: The guided tours are free of charge, but registration is compulsorily required as there is limited space.

The driver will come to pick you up at your hotel in order to drive you to Paranal Observatory, at two-hour drive from Antofagasta. On your way, you will stop to visit the Mano del Desierto.
Once at the observatory, you will visit the various facilities to observe the sky such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT), which has four telescopes of 8.2 metres. They allow for the research on the origin of the cosmos.
Visit every Saturday between 10:00 and 14:00.
Return journey to Antofagasta.
Night at the hotel Enjoy Antofagasta ****.
Included : private transport, room & breakfast

Drive to Calama to drop off your rental vehicle.
At 15.30, departure for the Cordillera de la Sal (salt mountains) and the Moon Valley where you can walk in a magnificent landscape made of sand dunes and sculpted calcareous mountains. Watch the sunset before going back to San Pedro.
Note: Entrance fees to the Moon Valley: 3,000 Chilean pesos pp.

Night at Casa Solcor Hotel ***.
Included : car rental, room & breakfast

At 9:00, departure to the north of the Salar de Atacama and the lagoon Cejar. Have a swim in the lagoon where you will surprisingly float, thanks to the extreme salt concentration, an unforgettable moment in the desert! Continue to the Ojos del Salar, another lagoon where you can swim. End of the Tour at the Laguna Tebenquinche to enjoy the beautiful colors of the Licancabur volcano. Back to San Pedro around 12:00.

Notes: No bathing more than 45 min and it’s not allowed for kids under 6 years old. The application of sunscreen should be two hours before the bath.

Entrance fees to Cejar: 10.000 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and 15.000 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, chilean pesos per person.
Entrance fees to Tebenquiche: 2000 chilean pesos per person.

In the afternoon, you go to visit the Yerbas Buenas Valley, where the Domeyko Cordillera, Andean Cordillera and the Salt Cordillera meet.This is where you visit the petroglyphs of different periods. You then continue up the Arco Iris Valley, which offers multiple colors due to the presence of clay and several minerals. You end your visit at the village of Rio Grande where you can meet potters and farmers.

Note: entrance fees: 3,000 Chilean pesos pp.

At nightfall, you will join an astronomer at San Pedro observatory, for a tour of the southern sky. After 2 hours of observation with the naked eye and through 10 different telescopes, the guide will complete the explanation around a hot beverage, before you head back to San Pedro.

Note: The excursion is open to other tourists. The excursion will be canceled if the moon is full, and is subject to weather conditions. Do not forget your jackets and coats (the temperature can go down to - 15ºC in the winter).

Night at Casa Solcor Hotel ***.
Included : car rental, insurance, english speaking guide, drinks, excursion (shared), room & breakfast

Suggested Itinerary : Departure from your hotel at 8.00. Day fully dedicated to the discovery of the Atacama Salt Flat and its surrounding attractions. The Toconao and Socaire villages, the Quebrada de Jerez, Chaxa, Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons with their volcanoes, are the must-see of this visit. Lunch in a restaurant in Socaire.
Return to San Pedro around 18.00.
Note: entrance fees to the lagoons: 5,500 Chilean pesos per person.

Night at Casa Solcor Hotel ***.
Included : car rental, room & breakfast

Departure at 05.00 from the hotel towards the Tatio to admire the geysers roaring in the cold air of the Altiplano. The valley looks like a giant pot. Water spurts here and there. This geological curiosity results from a ground still frozen and boiling-hot clear water springs. Observation of numerous volcanic formations. Return to San Pedro in the early afternoon.
Note: entrance fees to the Tatio: 10000 chilean pesos per person.

Suggested itinerary :

Drive to Calama airport where you leave your vehicle.

Arrival in Santiago and private transfer to your hotel.

Night at the Galerias hotel ***.

Included : car rental, transfer arrival, room & breakfast

Private transfer from your hotel to Santiago airport.

Included : transfer departure

Domestic flight from Santiago to La Serena (time to be confirmed, flight indicated in option).
Included : domestic flight, airport tax

Domestic flight from Calama to Santiago (time to be confirmed, flight indicated in option).
Included : domestic flight, airport tax