Chile copiapo birdwatching lagoon c alvaro guide

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Chile patagonia guanaco in torres del paine national park

Atacama & Patagonia Off the Beaten Track Vacation

Coastal dunes and mining stories up north; oceanic glaciers and gaucho tales down south. Visit places few get to experience in Chile's beautiful extremes.

Duration

21 days

Guide Price

£7,100 pp

When

Oct-Apr

If you appreciate going to places where most people don’t speak English, where wi-fi works only sometimes, where roads cut across salt-flats, where your day might be distracted by a herd of guanacos, or flock of flamingos, then this is a holiday for you..

Itinerary

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Day 1 - Explore Santiago with a helping hand

Your trip begins in Chile's thriving capital, where a friendly face will introduce you to their home city. You'll have no trouble finding somewhere good for dinner tonight in this foodie hotspot.

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Day 2 - Fly north to little-known Copiapó

A short flight north, on which you might be the only tourists, brings you to the desert landscapes of the southern Atacama. Settle into your charming hotel before sundowners in the ‘sea of dunes’.

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Day 3 - Visit the infamous 'Los 33' mine

Remember the 33 miners rescued in the Atacama in 2010? That happened right here, part of a mining culture dating back thousands of years, explored today. You might even meet miner 11...

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Day 4 - Travel onto the Altiplano with your private guide

Today is a long day of incredible variety. Travel up into the high Andes, a landscape of remote salt flats, bird-filled lagoons, river valleys grazed by vicuñas and mountain peaks over of 6,000m.

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Day 5 - Relax or head to the coast

After a big day yesterday, today is yours to simply relax and enjoy your surroundings. You could visit the coast to enjoy the ocean views and linger over a seafood lunch with your toes in the sand.

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Day 6 - Travel south to Patagonia

As you fly south, today brings a remarkable change in scenery. Collect your 4x4 to begin your drive along the Carretera Austral, settling into your private cabin overlooking the Cerro Castillo peaks.

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Day 7 - Hike in the national park with your private guide

Still relatively undiscovered, Cerro Castillo offers stunning hikes of all levels, including one to a circus of high basalt peaks above a glacial lagoon. A well earned dinner awaits back at your cabin.