Day 1: Santiago
Your first contact with Chile, this long and narrow country lined by the Andes mountain range, will be through its capital city, Santiago. Upon arrival at the airport, you will enjoy a welcome brunch at the beautiful Castillo Hidalgo, an old castle at the top of Santa Lucía hill, where the first Spanish troops camped in 1540, today a major historical landmark as well as a beautiful public park in the heart of the downtown area. Here you will immediately travel back in time to the XVIth century, when a Spanish soldier named Pedro de Valdivia, full of ambition for honor and wealth, led an expedition from Peru to conquer the southern territories of the American continent along the Pacific coast.

This excursion will bring Pedro de Valdivia to life once again so that he can share with you his memories of when he founded Santiago in 1541. From Santa Lucía hill, the Spanish explorer will take you to the San Francisco Church, built between 1572 and 1618, where you can still see the original statue of the “Virgen del Socorro” brought by him on his first expedition. Next, you will visit the old neighborhoods of Santiago, “La Moneda” Government Palace, and the Plaza de Armas, or main square, that was designed according to Spanish tradition following Pedro de Valdivia’s orders. Surrounding the square, you will find the Cathedral, the Main Post Office, the National History Museum and the City Hall.

After this unique tour through Santiago, you will enjoy a thematic dinner at a colonial-style manor, where you will be greeted with a lively performance of traditional Chilean music and dance and enjoy the most delicious local plates. The manor will be decorated like a typical market place, with the buffet set in different stands according to the type of food (fish and seafood, meat, etc.). Overnight at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Santiago. (L, D)

Day 2: Santiago - Antofagasta - Baquedano
Today you will be served breakfast at the hotel and then transferred to Santiago’s Airport to board your flight to Antofagasta. This northern city is the capital of Chile’s Second Region, known for its world-famous copper mines. From here, you will cross 72 km (45 miles) through the Atacama Desert to visit Baquedano, an old train station along the railroad connecting with Bolivia that was declared National Monument in 1983 and turned into a museum showing the history of nitrate mining that flourished in this area in the late XVIIIth and early XIXth centuries. A documentary video will show you how people used to live in this ghost town. Here you will board a train that will take you to an abandoned mine while you watch a documentary video show how people used to live in this ghost town. Upon arrival, you will be divided into groups so that you can experience it for yourself by wearing some old attires and becoming a miner, a cook, a sales clerk at the “Pulpería” or local store for a day, among other fun activities. After sharing a nice box lunch you will be accommodated in domes with all of the necessary comforts in the middle of the desert. An abundant gourmet buffet dinner will be offered in the evening. (B, L, D).

INCLUDED:

• Overnights in first class hotels as mentioned in the program
• Local German/english/italian/Russian/ etc speaking guide(s) for the whole trip
• Full Board
• Open bar with drinks, cocktails and selected wines
• Drinks during the entire trip
• Entrance fees to mentioned places
• Required special equipment (personal trekking shoes/boots are not considered
• Private services in fully-equipped first class buses and transportation
• Corporate gifts: hats, t-shirts, wines, DVDs, etc.
  

On the way to the salt flat, through a road on top of the Domeyko Mountain Range, you will be surprised by a shaman of the Atacama Indigenous Community who will perform a simple but charming ceremony to worship the hills and stars, both of them important elements of their religious beliefs. This encounter will provide a unique opportunity to speak with the shaman and learn more about the history of the highlands and the relationship with the area’s surroundings. Admire the imposing Láscar volcano, the most active in Chile and one of the highest (5,154 m / 16,910 ft) in the Andean Mountain Range.

A herd of llamas will then show the way that leads to the small town of Peine, located at the southern edge of the Atacama Salt Flat, where you will enjoy a typical lunch right next to the nearby hot springs as well as visits to the church, one of the oldest in the area, and to the cave paintings that have been declared National Monument.

During the afternoon, you will move on to Laguna Cejar, a lagoon on the northern shore of the Salt Flat, to revel in this amazing landscape that is also a birdwatcher’s paradise. Don’t miss the flamingos flying across the deep blue skies! Here you will be treated to a well-deserved party, an ideal moment to share your emotions and memories of this desert expedition. Then you will continue for 30 km (18.6 miles) to San Pedro de Atacama, where you will spend the night at Altiplánico Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 4: San Pedro de Atacama
Early in the morning, you will visit the El Tatio geysers at an altitude of 4,500 m (14,700 ft), where you will boil eggs at the thermal waters and enjoy breakfast while the sun rises over the Andes mountains. On the way back to San Pedro de Atacama, we will stop for lunch, prepared with local ingredients, at the town of Machuca, whose few inhabitants live on agriculture, herding, and the production of cheese. You will participate in a group activity involving the exchange of local products, to experience how the local communities used to trade with the Incas and other indigenous peoples. The road is full of natural wonders, including different types of cacti and the beautiful Laguna Verde.

Day 5: San Pedro de Atacama
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the impressive Death Valley to enjoy outdoor activities such as horseback riding, bicycle rides, or sandboarding. Here you will be served a light desert lunch. Spend a relaxing afternoon at the hotel or visiting the town, before preparing to see the sunset at the awe-inspiring Moon Valley, where an astrologer and a member of the native indigenous community will show you how to use the stars for guidance, an information that will be extremely useful for the evening’s main activity: The search for water in the desert. You will be divided into teams and be given instructions to find this precious treasure… Those who are successful will encounter a welcome surprise: A hidden bar with the company logo!

As a reward to all participants, a farewell party will be given with a gourmet buffet dinner featuring local products and fireworks to light up the sky. Awards will be presented to some outstanding members of the group: The most active, the most creative, the most entertaining, etc. Farewell gifts will also be distributed to all members of the group, such as bottles of wine or pisco and a DVD with the highlights of the trip. Overnight at Altiplánico Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. (B, L, D) Day 6: San Pedro de Atacama – Santiago Today you will be transferred to the Calama Airport, where you will board the plane to Santiago and connect with your flights back home or, if you choose, you can spend an extra night visiting Chile’s capital city and its surroundings. (B)

HOTELS INCLUDED*:
(*depending on availability)

Santiago:

The Ritz Carlton Santiago*****

El Alcalde 15, Las Condes 

Ritz Carton, an exclusive hotel in Santiago, is located in the prestigious neighborhood “El Golf”, just 30 minutes from Santiago International Airport and a few meters from the subway station. With a modern, new construction the hotel features 205 guestrooms including 49 Club level rooms and 3 Club Suites, 12 Executive Suites, and a Ritz-Carlton Presidential Suite. General services include: 4 restaurants and lounges, 24-hour in-room dining, digital safe deposit box, high speed Internet access and dual phone lines, Fitness & Massage Center, swimming pool, sauna, bar, cafeteria and wine-bar. More than 855 m² / 9.207 ft² of meeting and conference space are available.

San Pedro de Atacama:

Hotel Altiplánico***

Domingo Atienza 282, San Pedro de Atacama

Hotel Altiplanico is an exceptional, impressive hotel; all rooms have a unique design, built completely out of adobe which gives the hotel a special local identity. From the inner yard, you have a great view to the snow-capped volcanoes. The hotel is situated outside of San Pedro, at 10 minutes walking distance from the center. The hotel features 21 rooms, all with a terrace facing the Andes. Additional services include: swimming pool, snack bar, bar, cafeteria, Internet access, private parking and laundry service.