Atacama & the North - 10 Days

10 days
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Get off the beaten track in Chile’s northern reaches with this unique adventure through the Atacama Desert. Kicking off in Santiago discover fascinating museums, lunar-like landscapes of geysers and rock formations, pre-Hispanic ruins and gigantic geoglyphs, mammoth copper mines and abandoned ghost towns with plenty of natural beauty to boot.
From$3,865
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Overview

Trip type
Operator does not provide
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Santiago – Take a half day city tour of colonial architecture and traditional neighbourhoods
    • San Pedro de Atacama – Enjoy this picturesque oasis village with an expansive archaeological museum
    • Salar de Atacama – Visit Chile’s largest salt lake
    • Geysers del Tatio – Wake up early for a sunrise visit to soak in the thermal springs
    • Valle de la Luna – Marvel at the striking lunar-like landscape with a sunset visit to enjoy the changing colours
    • Chuquicamata – Tour one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world
    • Cerro Pintados – Explore this ancient site consisting of more than 400 giant geoglyphs
    • Humberstone and Santa Laura – Visit these abandoned ghost towns with crumbling houses and rusty processing plants
    • Arica – See the brilliantly preserved Chinchorro mummies
    • Lauca National Park – Visit the stunning Chungara Lake backed by the snow-capped Parinacota volcano

What's this trip about?

    Get off the beaten track in Chile’s northern reaches with this unique adventure through the Atacama Desert. Kicking off in Santiago discover fascinating museums, lunar-like landscapes of geysers and rock formations, pre-Hispanic ruins and gigantic geoglyphs, mammoth copper mines and abandoned ghost towns with plenty of natural beauty to boot.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIndependent
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CitySantiago
End CityArica

Destinations

Attractions

  • Atacama Desert
  • Santiago

Trip includes

    • 9 nights STANDARD accommodation. Upgrading to SUPERIOR or DELUXE accommodation options are also available upon request. Accommodation rating – See Trip Notes for details
    • 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 2 dinners
    • Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and day 10
    • Services of local English-speaking specialist guides
    • Entrance fees to all sites included in the itinerary
    • Excursions to Santiago, San Pedro, Taito Geysers and Chuquicamata mines on a shared basis (private touring available for a supplement)
    • All relevant transfers and transportation on a private basis unless otherwise stated
    • Private touring of Arica, Lauca National Park and nitrate ghost towns

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day : 1 Santiago

Bienviendos a Chile! Upon arrival into the airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Santiago. The rest of the day is free for you to get out and explore.

Day : 2 Santiago City Tour

Encircled by snow-capped Andean peaks, the city of Santiago enjoys a particularly spectacular setting. This morning join a scheduled tour of the city to discover Santiago’s appealing blend of the old and new. Walking to the Plaza de Armas gaze at the handsome colonial...

Day : 3 San Pedro de Atacama

Santiago – Calama – San Pedro de Atacama. This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Calama. On arrival you will be transferred to the little oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama. After hotel check in enjoy a scheduled afternoon city tour ...

Day : 4 Atacama Desert

After breakfast visit the 12th century pre-Inca fortress of Pukara de Quitor. Strategically located on a hill, the defensive walls encircle a group of stone buildings that have been partially restored. Continue to the ancient settlement of Tulor where circular dwellin...

Day : 5 Tatio Geysers and the Valley of the Moon

It’s an early morning departure today as you travel to the Geysers del Tatio for a picnic-style breakfast and a stroll around the geothermal fields to see the geysers and pools of boiling water and mud. Sunrise is the ideal time to visit when the colours give the land...

Day : 6 Chuquicamata copper mine

San Pedro de Atacama – Chuquicamata – Iquique. Carved out of the ground like an enormous, sunken amphitheatre, the Chuquicamata mines are one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines, dwarfing the huge ore trucks to resemble crawling ants on the crater floor. Join...

Day : 7 Nitrate ghost towns

Iquique – Humberstone – Arica. Once the scene of a thriving industry built on vast nitrate deposits, the ghost towns of Santa Laura and Humberstone now stand empty and lifeless. Abandoned in 1960, Humberstone now lies in total disrepair with workers’ houses, a theatre...

Day : 8 Arica

Arica – Putre. Sitting at the foot of the Morro cliff, the city of Arica has a colourful history, best seen in its architecture and national monuments including the St Mark’s Cathedral and the ex-customs building. Touring continues with the pre-Hispanic settlements of...

Day : 9 Putre

This morning visit Lauca National Park and the Chungara Lake. During the ascent you’ll come across Andean bogs and strange flora such as the llareta plant, which only grows 1mm every year. Surrounded by the snow-capped Volcan Parinacota, the Chungara Lake is one of th...

Day : 10 Arica

Putre – Arica. Today marks the end of your unique Chilean adventure. After breakfast and hotel check out you will be transferred to Arica airport. There are a number of flights from Arica to Santiago, from where you can take your onward flight home.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,865
Price per day$387
Last Updated: 1/5/2025
Departure Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
20 Mar 2025
29 Mar 2025
$4,905
21 Mar 2025
30 Mar 2025
$4,905
22 Mar 2025
31 Mar 2025
$4,905
23 Mar 2025
01 Apr 2025
$4,905
24 Mar 2025
02 Apr 2025
$4,905
25 Mar 2025
03 Apr 2025
$4,905
26 Mar 2025
04 Apr 2025
$4,905
27 Mar 2025
05 Apr 2025
$4,905
28 Mar 2025
06 Apr 2025
$4,905
29 Mar 2025
07 Apr 2025
$4,905

Prices shown are per person when there are 2 persons sharing a room. The 'Single Room' price is applicable when a single room is required, based on a travelling party of at least 2 adults. PLEASE NOTE: International and domestic flights are NOT included in the price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with On The Go Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International flights, domestic flights and visas
    • Tipping – an entirely personal gesture

Accommodation

Our rating: Standard
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Not recommended for under 5yrs.
Additional Information
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Trip ID
onthegotours-AAN

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