In the Atacama, you stay at a lovely hotel just outside San Pedro and you have a few days of private guided experiences as described. These include hiking in quieter corners, stargazing and the main sights like the Tatio Geysers and Moon Valley.

Heading across the border into Bolivia, you are with a private driver/guide who will be your hosts for the next four nights. They care of everything, from driving to navigating, down to preparing surprisingly gourmet lunches in the absolute middle of nowhere. You stay in fairly simple but very comfortable lodges far from civilisation - there's not always WiFi, but the welcome is always warm, the food surprisingly good and the sense of place absolutely incredible.

Heading into Argentina, you have a couple of days in Purmamarca to take some llamas for a walk (sounds naff, but is actually brilliant), to have a good rest and knock off a few layers of Altiplano dust. You're then off out again into the wilds of the Puna for another four-night 4X4 guided expedition. The scenery differs from Bolivia in many respects, but what really comes to the fore here are the human stories of llama caravans, arrieros shepherds and oasis communities.

Added together, it is undoubtedly one of South America's greatest overland journeys.

You will experience scenery that can rightly be described as truly, utterly epic. Stratovolcanoes tower above shimmering lagoons, crunchy white salt flats stretch as far as the eye can see and geysers hiss jets of steam into crisp air. Flamingos, vicuñas, vizcachas and condors bring the wilderness alive; at night, a blanket of Austral stars spreads across the inky skies. The Altiplano is a world like no other.

Set against this wild backdrop is the rich indigenous culture of its people. Tales of arrieros shepherds guiding llama caravans across the plains blend with the skill of artisan weavers and the passion with which winemakers create their high-altitude vintages. The people and their stories bring greater meaning still to your travels across the vastness of the Altiplano.

This trip begins at Santiago de Chile (SCL) and ends at Buenos Aires (EZE).

The Atacama is generally a year-round destination. Some time around February, the rains can hit, normally for a week or two. This can certainly complicate things but with flexibility, we make sure it's fine - it's when a private guide comes into their own.

The dry season in Bolivia's altiplano is April/May through October. If you come here in February, the salt pans of Uyuni will be covered in several centimetres of water. Although this means your 4×4 won’t be able to access the more remote parts of the salt flats, the mirror-like effect created is astonishing, and creates some of the most incredible photography, as the sky melds into the earth.

In Salta and the Puna, there are two main seasons. Like in Bolivia, the dry/cool season runs from mid-April through mid-November. Then the rainy/warm season takes over during the rest of the year. There are pros and cons of visiting in both seasons, so in theory year-round travel is possible.

Dry season: The dry season lives up to its name, typically with almost zero precipitation and clear bright skies. It is also the coolest time of year but average daytime highs are still around 10-20ºc. Nights can be very cold and drop below freezing, so wrap up warms. Days are somewhat shorter with sunrise at around 06:00, sunset at 17:00. The advantage of traveling in dry season is obviously you're unlikely to get rained on. Road conditions are generally better. The downside is that it is cooler and cold at night, so go prepared. In rare cases, snow or high winds can block the roads. In general though, it's a good time to travel.

Rainy season: The rain is usually most concentrated on Salta and the surrounding valleys and gorges, so in particular the first few days of the northwest section. Average daytime highs can move to north of 25ºc. Rainfall peaks at around 160mm in January/February. Days are longer with sunrise at around 04:00, sunset at around 18:00. At this time of the year things become lush and green around Salta, with more wildlife activity. Sunsets are typically more spectacular too. The downside is obviously that you might get wet, but usually this is in the form of showers.

The time for grape harvests in Cafayate is March and April whilst the greatest concentration of flamingos in Laguna Grande is between December and February.

Best time: If we had free choice, we'd probably choose the transition periods from March through to April when it's still warm and the rains haven't set in, or October through December when the temperatures rise but rainfall is still fairly low. Those are the sweetest spots.

This trip is certainly an adventure but it is mainly vehicle-based with time to explore and take in the surroundings and landscapes. As such it isn't that active.

In Cafayate we can include more activities such as mountain biking and longer hikes. Once in the Puna, it is about the landscapes and surrounding. There are many stops along the way and you are out of the vehicle a good deal, but there are no opportunities for full-day hikes, they are more strolls. A lot of this journey is also at altitudes of over 3,500 m so it can feel challenging.

Always comfortable, though there is a wide variety of accommodation from very simple in the remote regions to fairly premium in Salta. Please simply get in touch to see full details of each hotel.

The way this trip works is that you have a car for a couple of days as you drive from Salta to Cachí and then to Cafayate. We then come to collect the car in Cafayate and a specialist driver takes you across the more remote Puna section.

Added together, there is a good deal of driving. The bulk of this trip is essentially a road trip, although for the most part you are not doing the driving. You must be prepared for some long travel days and in Bolivia and the Puna region, most roads are unpaved and you go off road into the dunes. It is bumpy and slow going. The adventurous nature of this journey is part of its appeal but you must have a flexible attitude. The journeys are anything but monotonous, the views, landscapes and colors change a lot and you have it all to yourself.

The word ‘puna’ originates from the Quechua dialect and describes the high-altitude area in the Andes above the tree line (3,200m) and below the permanent snow line (5,000m). It extends across Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The landscape is defined by desert punctuated by volcanoes, salt flats, red rock valleys, saline lagoons and huge sand dunes.

No. This area is very remote and much of it is off-road and your driver/guide is very experienced and qualified to drive in these conditions. There are only a handful of local guides qualified to undertake this trip.

Yes. We suggest a self-drive section from Salta to Cafayate so that you have some unstructured time and freedom to explore at your pace. But if you prefer to have a driver/guide throughout that is no problem.

This trip starts at sea level in Santiago before flying to around 2,400m in the Atacama. From here we gradually build up your activity as you acclimatise, setting you up for a short walk to reach 5,600m at the summit of Toco Volcano. In Bolivia you reach heights of over 5,000m, sleeping at close to this level for the night. In the high Puna you are between 3,500 - 4,000m.

It is completely normal to feel a little short of breath and nauseous when you first arrive, as well as a loss of appetite, as your body adapts to the thinner air. This is regardless of age, health and fitness levels and usually passes in 24 hours. Drink lots of water both before and during your time at altitude. Arriving well-hydrated does help.

The focus of this vacation is undoubtedly the landscapes and the wildlife, but spending the days with your local guide will open the door to interacting with the people you meet along the way in the great outdoors.

The incredible contrasts! This journey takes you from bustling Buenos Aires to colonial Salta, and then to one of the most remote places in South America - the silence is incredible.

Absolutely. We can tailor your vacation in any number of ways by including more destinations such as Patagonia to the south or Iguazú to the north.