Chile: Easter Island and the Atacama Desert
Travel Destinations: Chile
13 Day Itinerary | Santiago, Easter Island, San Pedro de Atacama
Experience the natural and archaeological wonders of Chile from the lush beauty of Rapa Nui to barren majesty of the Atacama desert.
• Indulge in Santiago’s marketplaces and culinary traditions.
• Come face-to-face with Easter Island’s massive moai monoliths.
• Explore the otherworldly landscapes of the Atacama Desert from a luxurious spa lodge.
Independent Travel
Independent trips are either entire trips you take privately or solo extensions to a group tour.
Adventure
Explore thrilling and challenging destinations, engaging in activities such as hiking, trekking, and adrenaline-pumping experiences.
Premium
Elevate your journey with style and sophistication, offering top-notch experiences without breaking the bank.
Flexible
With no pre-set departure dates, choose when you want to go and for how long.
At A Glance
Day 1 – Santiago
• Airport meet and greet and transfer
• Chile Welcome Package
Day 2 – Santiago
• Flavors of Santiago tour
• Dinner Reservations & Car Service
Day 3 – Easter Island
• Airport transfer
• Fly to Easter Island
• Transfer to hotel in Hanga Roa
Day 4 – Easter Island
• Rapa Nui Short Hiking Excursions
Day 5 – Easter Island
• Rapa Nui Biking Excursions
Day 6 – Easter Island
• Rapa Nui Sea Excursions
Day 7 – Santiago
• Airport transfer
• Fly to Santiago
• Transfer to hotel
Day 8 – Santiago
• Santa Rita Vineyard visit
Day 9 – San Pedro de Atacama
• Airport transfer
• Fly to Calama
• Transfer to hotel
Day 10 – San Pedro de Atacama
• Moon Valley & Death Valley excursion
• Optional Spa Services
Day 11 – San Pedro de Atacama
• Rainbow Valley & Yerbas Buenas
Day 12 – San Pedro de Atacama
• Tatio & Puritama Hot Springs
Day 13 – San Pedro de Atacama
• Airport Transfer
Itinerary
Day 1 – Santiago
To ensure your comfort, an English-speaking guide will be waiting for you outside of Customs holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will direct you to your awaiting vehicle and driver, and accompany you to your hotel to assist with check-in.
To accommodate early flight arrivals into Santiago, an early check-in will be arranged at your hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 2 – Santiago
Tantalize your senses with an unforgettable gastronomic tour through sensational Santiago. Meet your professional driver and private guide to take in the aromas and flavors of enticing Chilean cuisine. Your first stop is La Vega Central Food Market, a bustling marketplace offering some of the freshest produce that the fertile lands of Chile have to offer. Next, visit the historic Mercado Central before indulging in a traditional Chilean empanada at a local favorite. Stroll through the Plaza de Armas, observing the Santiago Central Post Office, the National History Museum, and Santiago City Hall. Make a stop at the presidential palace of La Moneda, a former colonial mint which now serves as the offices for select Chilean officials. By this time, you’ll have worked up a healthy appetite which can be satisfied in the Providencia neighborhood. Enjoy lunch at a traditional Chilean restaurant, featuring a flavorful menu served alongside a glass of fine Chilean wine. After your delicious meal, visit the up-and-coming district of Barrio Italia, home to boutique shops, antique stores, art galleries and even mouth-watering desserts. Your final stop is at a traditional Dulcería that offers a range of Chilean pastries. Indulge in one more sweet treat here before your private driver transfers you back to your hotel.
Lacking the international recognition that the mouth-watering Novoandina cuisine of Lima or the extravagant asado barbecues of Buenos Aires command, tonight you will discover that the Chilean capital of Santiago deserves a seat at the table of gastronomic excellence. Reservations will be made in advance at the restaurant of your choice, and round-trip transportation in a private vehicle will also be provided. Our Destination Experts top recommendations for fine dining in Santiago include: Borago, Aqui esta Coco, Osaka, and Cuerovaca. Please note: Your meal is not included and will be paid for on location. Reservations are confirmed at the time of booking and are subject to availability.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 – Easter Island
Join your professional driver and English-speaking guide for a private airport transfer.
Board a flight in Santiago with direct service to Easter Island. Approximate flight duration is five hours and 30 minutes. Please note this flight is not included in your itinerary price and must be purchased separately.
Enjoy a shuttle airport transfer with a professional driver from your hotel.
Surrounded by trees, prairies and views, your hotel boast a privileged location from which to explore Easter Island. All programs include accommodations, transfers to and from the airport, meals and drinks, and a selection of more than 30 exploration routes designed by the outdoor team. After settling into your accommodations and taking a tour of the grounds, an in-house guide will provide an orientation of the area and help design your personalized itinerary. Recommendations will be based on your interests, fitness level, and the weather forecast to help curate a completely customized experience. Clients travelling together may wish to participate in different activities or simply relax and take in the views. Prepare to immerse yourself in Rapa Nui’s history through hikes, bicycle explorations, snorkeling, and diving activities.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 – Easter Island
Venture out into the dynamic terrain of Rapa Nui in a half-day hiking excursion. Enjoy an easy hike in Rano Raraku, trekking through one of the old moai transportation routes until you reach of group of abandoned moai. Drink in red sand beauty on a hike from the Mahatua area up to Ovahe Beach. Opt to trek through Akahanga, the burial site of the first king of Rapa Nui and where the second largest moai platform is found. Alternately, visit the Pukao quarry where you can find red scoria, hat-like structures that were formerly placed on top of the moai.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 – Easter Island
Cycle your way through the wonders of Rapa Nui. Those seeking a moderate level of adventure can navigate the landscape to Ahu Akivi, to the several archaeological sites up to Anakena, or to Tahai, one of the major towns on the west coast. Advanced cyclists can pedal uphill along the Terevaka Volcano or ride to the location of the only moai with coral eyes.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 – Easter Island
Explore underwater treasures in an excursion at sea, as recommended by a hotel guide based on your fitness level and interests. Enjoy a half-day activity to Ovahe Beach where you can swim offshore to watch endemic sea life and purple corals. For a moderate level of adventure, journey to the Bird Islets to view cliffs and the Rano Kau crater before snorkeling around the Motus. For those interested in learning how to dive, a half-day excursion invites you to immerse yourself in Rapa Nui’s submerged wonderland. After completing the diving experience, you’ll receive a discovery or baptism PADI Certificate. Certified divers, either beginner or advanced, can enjoy a two-tank private dive at an additional cost, visiting the sunken moai –a landmark diving point– as well as the Cathedral, a complex of submarine caves. Please note: Diving and snorkeling tours may incur an additional cost. Speak with your Destination Expert to help curate your perfect day.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 – Santiago
You will be met by a professional driver for your shared transfer to the airport. Fly direct from Easter Island to Santiago. Flights are subject to change based on availability. The flight duration is approximately 5 hours. Please note that flights are not included in the price and must be purchased separately.
You will be privately transferred to your hotel from Santiago International Airport alongside an English-speaking representative and a private driver.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 8 – Santiago
Immerse yourself in the stunning Santa Rita Winery and gain insight into its history. Located in the foothills of Alto Jahuel, Buin, the winery is a meeting point for tradition, Chilean history, culture, and cuisine. Santa Rita’s restaurant has also been declared a National Monument and is known as “Doña Paula” in honor of Paula Jaraquemada, one of Chile’s most beloved historic patriots. Next, indulge in some of the most acclaimed wines of Santa Rita. Delight your tastebuds before touring the winery´s museum called “Museo Andino”. Here you’ll discover a collection of 1,800 pieces of pre-Columbian art collected over 40 years.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9 – San Pedro de Atacama
You will be privately transferred from your hotel to the Santiago International Airport alongside an English-speaking representative and a private driver. Board a flight from Santiago to El Loa Airport in Calama. Approximate travel time is two hours. Please note that flights are not included in the price and must be purchased separately.
You will be privately transferred from Calama Airport to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama by a professional driver and an English-speaking guide. Approximate travel time is one hour and 30 minutes.
This evening, enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10 – San Pedro de Atacama
Leaving San Pedro de Atacama, you’ll travel for 12 miles (19 kilometers) to reach the Salt Mountain Range, one of the main attractions in this pre-Andean oasis. Within this mountain range, between the Andes and Domeyko, discover “Dinosaur Valley” and “Death Valley,” and learn many of the interesting stories surrounding them. You will then visit “Moon Valley”, previously called Las Salinas because of its mining past, where you will have the opportunity to learn about its canyons formed by water millions of years ago, while rock salt, selenite, and clay will showcase the essence of the Moon Valley. Later, visit one of the seven sites that make up Los Flamencos National Reserve as well as the Central Crater where you can take in spectacular views of the valley and amphitheater; be sure to have your camera ready! Onward, you’ll visit the Three Marys, geological formations named so by Father Gustavo Le Paige many years ago. Finally, from the Kari lookout, one of the highest in the Salt Mountain Range, watch as the sun drops and gives way to a serene, colorful sunset.
Inspired by the mystical desert landscape under an incredible star-dotted night sky, your hotel’s spa offers an exodus to a world of unequaled pleasures. After a day visiting the sights – on foot or by bike – this is the perfect reward. Just enjoy a massage or therapy or simply relax on the outdoor terrace with views over the desert and the volcanoes. There is a towel and meal service next to the pool while enjoying these majestic sights; the Chilean desert was never more inspiring or tempting. The spa offers five private therapy rooms, three outdoor pools, two outdoor Jacuzzis, two saunas, a gym, outdoor terrace as well as a delightful Day Spa program, and is open from 9 am to 10 pm daily.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 11 – San Pedro de Atacama
After departing San Pedro de Atacama, travel westward with your guide and driver to reach the Domeyko mountain range and Yerbas Buenas. This region is of great historical and archaeological importance as the most significant rock art, depicted in several panels of petroglyphs, are found here. It is believed that this region used to be a lagoon that was used as a resting place by ancient caravans of aboriginal peoples. Here you’ll learn about the Atacameño indigenous past before crossing the Matancilla Valley to reach the Valle del Arcoiris (Rainbow Valley). Named after the vibrant colors the embedded minerals give to the mountains – green, purple, white and red – this striking area is sure to impress. Explore the range with your private guide, recording it in memory and photographs, and later, return to San Pedro de Atacama.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 12 – San Pedro de Atacama
Set out toward the High Andean plains early in the morning with a private guide and driver. After a two hour ride, you will reach one of the most important geothermal fields in the world, the Tatio Geysers. Here you will learn about different geothermal manifestations and see these high altitude geysers, located 14,173 feet (4,320 meters) above sea level, firsthand. Surrounded by spurts of water and vapor, bask in the unique beauty of the Andes. You will then visit Pozón Rústico to delight in the thermal waters the mountain range provide. Continuing along the road that leads to San Pedro de Atacama, you’ll eventually arrive at the Puritama River. Thanks to the sector’s volcanic activity, the temperature of the waters that flow from the mountain range is quite warm. Thus, nature grants the opportunity to enjoy this landscape with a delightful bath in its 33°C (91.4°F) waters, rich in minerals that have medicinal properties. It is in this canyon that the Puritama River flows, and is also host to some of richest lands in terms of plants and wildlife of the region that surrounds the town of San Pedro de Atacama. Pampas grasses create a border between the water and the rest of the landscape while at the saltbushes several bird species, such as the grey-hooded sierra-finch, the scale-throated earthcreeper, and the grassland yellow-finch, among others, provide the ideal scenery to fully enjoy nature.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 13 – San Pedro de Atacama
Enjoy a shared complimentary transfer from your hotel to Calama. Board a direct flight from Calama to Santiago. Approximate travel time is one hour and thirty minutes. Please note that flights are not included in the price and must be purchased separately.
Meals included: Breakfast
Captivating Moments
Get captivated by a stunning collection of sample images from this trip.
Additional Information
This sample itinerary is meant to inspire your next trip. It is ready to be customized to suit your interests, tastes and budget so you can connect with local cultures and experience authentic travel on your own terms and departing whenever you choose. Itinerary details and availability are subject to change, please inquire for up-to-date information and pricing.
What’s Included
• A fully customized itinerary based on your interests and schedule
• 24/7 in-destination support from our local office
• All accommodation stays, tours and transfers for scheduled activities are covered, unless otherwise listed in the itinerary
• A private driver for tours and transfers (in some countries our local private guides also act as your driver – your Destination Expert will discuss with you if applicable)
• Local private guides or shared tours that take you through your itinerary highlights and experiences, your final itinerary will confirm the type of tour
• A greeting at the airport or at your accommodation from one of our representatives – your expert will confirm your meet and greet location with you
• One suitcase and one carry-on per person for trip transfers
What’s Not Included
• Your international airfare – please do let your expert know if you’d like to receive pricing from our Air Team
• Travel insurance, which we offer and can be purchased after you’ve booked your tour
• Visas (unless noted)
• Excess baggage charges, and where applicable, baggage not included in your fare
• Early check-in or late check-out from hotels (unless otherwise specified)
• Optional enhancements like room or flight upgrades, optional tours, or local camera or video fees
• Passport fees, immunization costs, and local departure taxes (when applicable)
Book This Trip
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