Chile and Easter Island

If you’ve included group flights in your package, we’ll meet at Heathrow and start the journey together. It’s the best way to do it! Otherwise, we’ll see you in Santiago.  

If you have transfers with us we will take you to the hotel. For those making their own way, we will see you in Santiago.

In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a detailed tour of downtown Santiago and find out what this place is all about! And in the evening? It’s wine-tasting time!

We’ll spend five hours or so pedalling through six of Santiago’s most beautiful parks, taking in the city’s fascinating architecture and admiring the Andes mountains from afar as we go. No need to worry about packing a helmet; it’ll be provided for you (as well as your bike!) on the day.

After breakfast we’ll be transferred to the airport for our two-hour flight to Calama. Our guide will meet us here and take us to San Pedro de Atacama.

In the afternoon we’ll visit the nearby Cordillera de la Sal (or the “Salt Range”) and hike through vast dunes in the Valle de la Luna (“Moon Valley’) to catch a glorious sunset.

From San Pedro de Atacama we’ll travel to the Domeyko mountains, where we can enjoy the desert landscape and a stunning view of the Andes. At the foothill of the mountains, at 3500m, lies the native village of Rio Grande. We’ll have time to talk to the villagers and hike among the crops before we head to Rainbow Valley. Named for the colourful hills, we’ll have a short walk before heading to Hierbas Buenas, with volcanic rock formations and its petroglyphs telling the history of previous inhabitants. We’ll return to the hotel for around 4 pm, and have time to relax before this evening’s adventure.

We’ll be picked up at 9 pm for our astronomical tour. With minimal light pollution and little cloud, this is one of the best places in the world for stargazing!

The morning of Day 6 is free for exploring the local area or – if you’ve pre-booked in advance – you’ll be heading up to watch the sunrise from a hot air balloon!

In the afternoon we’ll visit the Atacama Salt Flats and enjoy a stunning sunset over the salty lagoons.

Close to the border with Bolivia and Argentina lies Cerro Toco, a dormant stratovolcano. We’ll take a 4×4 most of the way up before scaling the final 400m to the peak at 5604m above sea level. The two-hour climb is well worth it for the panoramic views from the summit, where you can see the Andes, the Atacama Desert and salt flat, the Domeyco Tange and the Chajnantor flat!

At dawn, we’ll head to El Tatio; the world’s highest geothermal field and home to a series of hot springs that look simply incredible as the sun rises behind them. We’ll take our breakfast in the fresh air, then drive across the Andean high plateaus to the native village of Caspana. There’s a lot to see in this pink and green village, and we’ll make sure we squeeze in the 17th-century church whilst we’re there. After lunch we’ll head to Calama airport for the flight back to Santiago.

Today we’ll take an early morning flight to Easter Island (duration 5 hours). Once we’ve checked in at the hotel, we’ll have an afternoon tour of Ahu Akivi and Puna Pau.

Ahu Akivi is one of the most majestic sites on the island. It contains a large platform adorned with 7 restored statues representing the seven explorers who came to the island to make their way to the Ariki Hotu Matu’a. Built around the 15th century, it has a special astronomical orientation, important not only for the daily functioning of the tribe but also for the spiritual ceremonies of the ancient Rapa Nui.
The quarry of Puna Pau is located in the crater of an old volcano 15 kilometres northeast of Hanga Roa, next to Ahu Akivi. This is the home of the raw material used to build the pukaos (hat-type bows) later used to crown the moais.

We have a full day exploring this amazing island with our English-speaking local guide. We’ll see it all: the fabulous Moais Ahu Tongariki monoliths in the Vaihú area, the Rano Raraku Crater, the ceremonial field of Ahu Te Pito Kura, and the Moais Ahu Nau Nau at Anakena Beach!

It’s an early start today as we head to Ahu Tongariki to wait for the sunrise. You’ll be back at the hotel in time for breakfast, then the day is yours to spend as you choose; you might want to book other activities or tours, or you might simply want to relax on the beach.

In the evening you’ll be treated to traditional Hoko war dances by some enthusiastic locals!

In the morning (but not too early!) we’ll enjoy an exploration tour to Orongo and the Rano Kau crater
Set between the sprawling crater of Rano Kau and the plunging cliffs of Easter Island’s south-west coast is the small ceremonial village of Orongo. Orongo may not be as widely known as Easter Island’s moai, but it is the only place on the island where you can see historic stone dwellings and delve deep into the fanciful tales of the Birdman competition.

We’ll return to the hotel, and you’ll have the afternoon at leisure.

We’ll say goodbye to the island and take a private transfer to the airport for our flight back to Santiago and our hotel.

The day is yours. You might want to take it easy, enjoying a wander around the cafés and shops of Santiago, or you might want to book an additional excursion; perhaps a half-day winery visit or a pottery workshop?

This marks the end of our Chilean adventure.