Day 1:

Transfer from Calama Airport to Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama

Mode: Transfer. Total duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes. Distance: about 90 km. (56 miles). Meals included: none

• Night in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 2:

In the morning, half-day excursion: Valley of the Moon and Valley of Mars.

Type: Scenic // Hiking Total duration: 3 to 4 hours. Distance: Around 20 km. (12 miles). Meals included: none

A visit to the VALLEY OF THE MOON AND THE VALLEY OF MARS is one of the “must-sees” in the area. It is located about two thousand five hundred meters above sea level, and only ten minutes by car from San Pedro de Atacama. Here we will visit part of the Cordillera de la Sal, natural formations sculpted by the wind and rain that invite us to see the sediments that have accumulated for centuries in the Salar de Atacama basin: clays, sand, conglomerates and different types of salts. The reddish and muddy tones interspersed with layers of salt are illuminated by the intense sun of the Atacama Desert, creating a unique landscape that seems alien to this planet.

Day 2:

Afternoon Half-Day Excursion: Rainbow Valley

Modality: Scenic // Hiking // Total duration: 3 to 4 hours. Distance: about 120 km. (75 miles). Meals included: picnic snack

THE RAINBOW VALLEY is located about three thousand meters above sea level in the Domeyko mountain range, located west of the Salar de Atacama on the road between Calama and San Pedro de Atacama. This valley shows us a unique place in its geology, its particular formation of magmatic origin is rare in the world. The result: Hills in which green, red, gray, white and purple colors contrast.

Night in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 3:

Morning half-day excursion: Salar de Atacama and Toconao village

Type: Cultural // Scenic Total duration: 3 to 4 hours. Distance: Around 120 km. (75 miles). Meals included: none

The water that descends from the Andes Mountains forms deep ravines that feed the traditional irrigation canals of all the communities surrounding the Salar de Atacama, thus allowing the development of small-scale agriculture and forming a true oasis in the middle of the desert. TOCONAO is one of these communities, located forty kilometers south-east of San Pedro de Atacama, here you can see different fruit trees, vegetables and garden produce.

The SALAR DE ATACAMA is unique in its type given the intense solar radiation it receives and the very low average rainfall on its surface. Its structure is rough and irregular and in the marginal areas lagoons emerge forming ecosystems rich in biodiversity. LAGUN CHAXA is one of them; a nesting site for the Andean and Chilean Flamingo, they can be seen throughout the year. Seasonally it is also possible to find the James's flamingo and other migratory birds that travel from the northern hemisphere looking for more temperate climates. This very particular place is also home to sandpipers, Andean gulls, swallows and Caities as well as lizards, rodents, different types of insects, algae, phyto and zooplankton, and vegetation adapted to saline soils.

Day 3:

In the afternoon, half-day excursion: Cactus Valley Trekking

Type: Trekking Difficulty: Medium Trekking duration: 2 hours. Total duration with transfers: 3 to 4 hours. Meals included: none

Between the Salar de Atacama basin and the Andean plateau there is an intermediate ecological level of deep ravines where the meltwater flows down, feeding small oases until it reaches the core of the salt flat. This level is located between 3,000 and 3,500 meters above sea level and is characterized by rocky soils and transitional vegetation, where you can see some species of cactus endemic to Chile, which are only seen at this altitude. The trekking begins in the small town of Guatin, the trail is inside the ravine bordering the river of the same name. Due to water erosion, the trail is not neatly marked, so in some areas there are loose rocks or small “climbs” are required.

Night in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 4:

In the morning Full day excursion: Tatio Geysers

Type: Scenic Total duration: 7 to 8 hours. Distance: about 170 km. (105 miles). Meals included: picnic breakfast

Located at more than 4,000 meters above sea level in the Andean highlands, THE TATIO GEYSERS represent the third largest geothermal field in the world with 6% of the total number of geysers in existence. Early in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, a particular phenomenon can be observed: due to the contrast between the boiling water coming from the geysers and the temperature in the field, which can be below -20 ° C in winter, columns of steam rise from each hot spot.

Free afternoon

Day 4:

At night Astronomical Tour

Type: Cultural Type of service: Regular shared with French-speaking guide Total duration: 2 to 3 hours. Distance: about 20 km. (12 miles). Meals included: Coffee **Passengers must make their own way to the meeting point in the town center where the company picks up the group to begin the tour.

The climatic and geographical characteristics of the Atacama Desert provide unique conditions on Earth for astronomical observation, which is why Chile has become a world leader in the field of astronomy. In San Pedro de Atacama we work with two of the best astronomical tour providers, with departures on every clear night, excluding about six nights around the full moon. This tour allows anyone, without necessarily having prior knowledge, to understand how to observe the sky, as well as being able to look through powerful telescopes.

Overnight in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 5:

Full-day excursion: Salar de Tara and Monks of Pakana.

Modality: Off road // Scenic Total duration: 8 hours. Distance: about 330 km. (205 miles). Meals included: picnic lunch.

An off-road experience at more than 4,000 meters above sea level in the Andean highlands. These high plains were formed by enormous deposits of volcanic material, the product of multiple eruptions that occurred millions of years ago. Today, thanks to the erosion of wind and water, we can find different rock formations that seem to stand like columns, cathedrals or stone giants like LOS MONJES DE LA PAKANA. Around these landscapes, after entering the mountain, the imposing SALAR DE TARA appears.

Night in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 6:

Transfer Hotel San Pedro de Atacama - Calama airport.

Mode: Transfer. Total duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes. Distance: about 90 km. (56 miles). Meals included: none