Touch the Sky: An Expedition through the Deserts of Chile and Bolivia

Arrive in Santiago

Upon arrival in Santiago you will be met and taken to your hotel for a stay of one night. Rest of the day at leisure.

Fly from Santiago to Calama, Moon Valley with an evening astronomical tour

Fly Santiago/Calama 06:30/08:40h In the morning arrive at Calama airport and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama (94 km) for a stay of four nights. In the late afternoon discover the clearest skies on earth on an astronomical tour to the SPACE (San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations) observation centre. During the tour your will learn how to appreciate and understand the night sky and will have the chance to observe and identify phenomena such as Moon craters, Saturn’s rings, star clouds, galaxies and other wonders of the universe. The centre has the largest telescope park of any public observatory in South America, with powerful telescopes of up to 60cm in diameter, giving you an excellent opportunity to enjoy amazing views of the Southern sky and to learn to recognise its main stars and constellations. At the end of the tour there will be time to reflect on the experience over a warm drink before returning to San Pedro. Recommendations: Wear warm clothes. Note: the tour lasts approximately 3½ hours (2½ hours at the centre of which approx. 25 minutes using a telescope)

Atacama Salt Flats & Altiplanic lagoons

This morning you visit the Atacama Salt Flats, one of the world’s largest where you might spot up to three species of native pink flamingos at the Chaxa Lagoon. Then continue to an altitude of 4,300m to reach the fantastic scenery of the Meñiques and Miscanti lagoons. You pause for lunch in Socaire, a tiny desert settlement before continuing to Toconao where you visit its main square, a bell tower built in 1750 of cactus wood and the Church of San Lucas. In the afternoon (departures are usually at 16:00 in the Summer and 15:00 in the winter) visit the Moon Valley whose natural mineral sculptures, such as ‘Las Tres Marías’, are formed by wind erosion and resemble a lunar setting. Continue to Death Valley with its impressive salt formations before enjoying the sunset at Kari viewpoint, one of the highest points of the Salt Mountain Range. Return to your hotel in San Pedro. Total excursion travel distance 35 km / Duration 4 hours Recommendations: Wear comfortable shoes, light clothes and hat. Use sun block & sun glasses, drink plenty of mineral water, and take warmer clothes to wear after sunset.

Taito Geysers & Machuca Village

A pre-dawn departure this morning for you to head towards the Altiplano. You reach an altitude of 4,320m to visit the Tatio Geysers, one of the world’s most impressive geothermal fields. The extreme morning cold will provide the perfect conditions to watch the steamy phenomena of fumaroles and geysers reach up to 10m. Next you drive north of San Pedro de Atacama to the Puritama Gorge perched at an altitude of 3,500m. The Gorge is home to thermal springs, caused by the region’s high volcanic activity and whose pure waters are renowned for their medicinal & therapeutic value. Flowing amid the rocks of the Gorge, the waters form hot pools, usually around 30-35 °C). Bring your swimsuits so you can take a dip, the waters are said to stimulate the circulatory and digestive systems. There are walkways connecting the main pools and basic facilities such as bathrooms and changing rooms. On your return journey you pause in the wetlands of Putana wetlands which are home to great variety of birds inlcuding the Puna duck, the Giant Coot and the Andean Goose. You final visit is to the village of Machuca whose typical Altiplanic houses blend perfectly into their terracotta surrounding except for the its white adobe church with cobalt blue door. Pick up from San Pedro at 2pm and transfer to Bolivia. As you enter Bolivia you will stop at the Green Lagoon and on route to the Desert Hotel - Tayka del Desierto you will be able to see, from the distance, the "Dali rocks and the Stone tree. The Licancabur Volcano stands guard over the shimmering emerald-green Laguna Verde which changes with the movement of the sun. You will drive through the the hot springs of Polques.

Extra excursion

High Altitude Lagoons

From Ojo de Perdiz we will go to Laguna Colorada while watching three species of flamingos dance to welcome a new day; later we will discover the Geysers, Sol de Mañana. You will drive through various coloured lagoons, the Blanca, Hedionda, Chiarcota and Ramaditas lagoons were 3 different types of Flamingos may be spotted. You will return to the Desert Lodge where you will stay for a second night.

Drive to Uyuni via the train Graveyard

Today you will continue your tour through one of the world's most breathtaking landscapes. On route you will observe Volcano Ollague, Bolivia's only active volcano. After breakfast we will set out for the Valley of Rocks and look for animal shapes and faces before continuing on to San Cristobal passing through small villages, such as Culpina and Villamar. You will continue on the salt flats to Uyuni, and to your hotel in town. Uyuni was founded as a railway junction to facilitate trade links between Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. It was Bolivia’s main gateway to the outside world and the engineering involved was a symbol of cutting edge progress at the end of the 19th Century. Progress was never sustained and the trains have been abandoned as silent witnesses to Bolivia’s mining heyday. Now, after over 100 years, you can wander around, even board the remains of the carriages, as they slowly rust away. A photographer's/train enthusiast's dream! Before your guide drops you off at your hotel, you will stop off at the train graveyard.

Uyuni Salt Flat Tour

The Uyuni Salt flats (Salar de Uyuni) is the remnant of lakes that once covered Bolivia’s high lands (Altiplano). It is the largest salt pan in the world and is the world’s largest reserve of Lithium. This journey will take you to a truly isolated and surreal location where you will be surrounded by a glittering white landscape. It starts with a brief stop in a small settlement called Colchani where the local people bring the salt that they have dug from the salt flat, they weigh it and bag it for sale at an artisanal scale. After this stop you reach the salt flats where, depending on the season, you can see small pillars of loose excavated salt, piles of salt blocks used for building, dark water holes “eyes”, and usually in January and February the sky reflected across the entire vista. In the dry season, (usually late March-late November) you will be driven across the salt flats to visit either Fish Island (Isla del Pescado) or Inca House Island ('Isla Incahuasi' in Quechua) where you will see giant cacti and can find birds and vizcachas (giant rabbit-like rodents) that have made these islands their own. It is not permitted to drive this far when the salt flats are flooded.

Travel on to the Tunupa Volcano

Today you will have another day of travelling across the Bolivian Salt Flats. Eventually you will end up at the Tunupa Volcano, where you will stay for one night at the Tambo Coquesa Ecolodge in Tawa. Leave from the hotel for the Tunupa Volcano, Chantani Museum and the Coquesa Mummies, discover the salt flats and appreciate the scenery. If it is the rainy season we will provide you with boots so that you can discover the wonderful reflections on the salt flats. At midday walk to the Chillima lookout point and the ruins of Pucara. Return in the evening enjoying the sun set over the salt flats and the tapestry of stars in the night sky.

Drive north to Sajama

Today you will continue your journey north, and towards the Sajama National Park. You will stay in the Laka Uta Hostal in Sajama which is a small family run hostal in the park with basic rooms. After breakfast we continue our trip to the north crossing the salt flats of Coipasa and enjoying the region’s largest quinoa fields until we reach Sabaya. There are many archaeological sites along the way, the most important of which is in Sacabaya – burial towers from the post-Tiwanaku Carangas culture. This region is covered with saline wetlands and is home to herds of camelids. We will carry on to the paved road that takes us to the Sajama National Park and arrive at the Tomarapi Community Ecolodge at dusk at the bottom of Sajama, Bolivia’s highest mountain (6542 m.a.s.l).

Day in Sajama National Park

Today you will further explore the Sajama National Park. After a traditional breakfast in Tomarapi we will visit the Laguna Huayñakota, a protected area where you will be able to see a variety of Andean birds and fauna. Then we will go for a dip in the thermal waters and walk through native queñua forests to the geysers where we will have a packed lunch before walking to the village of Sajama where we will visit the church. On the way you will see alpacas, llamas and vicuñas. In the afternoon you can walk around the National Park. As it will be your 10th day at high altitude you might be confident to walk in the high altitude forest at the foothills of the Sajama exciting volcano. You may reach altitudes over 5 metres above sea level.

Drive through Lauca on into Chile and Putre.

Today you will continue your journey out of Bolivia and into Chile. You will be transfered to Tambo Quemado on the border and continue on to Putre. (there will be a change of drivers and guides), where you will stay for one night. As you enter Chile you will travel through the Lauca National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, where you find Chungará Lake, one of the world’s highest lakes. Sitting at an altitude of 4,570m, the lake is surrounded by Apus, or sacred mountains and the twin snow-capped volcanoes of Parinacota and Pomerape which rise elegantly into the sky. Also you will stop at the Laguna Cotacotani, formed of a collection of small interconnected lakes in a dark lava field. Time permitting you will also explore the Reserva nacional las Vicunas, you would have visited similar landscapes as you travel from Tahua up to the Sajama National Park. You will be able to see wild vicunas, green bofedales, abandoned Aymara Villages, groves of quenao - spindly.

Putre- Arica

After breakfast: Visit the pre-Inca fortress at Copaquilla and the Inca tambo in the village of Zapahuira. Descend from the Andes to the Azapa valley to stop at the small museum and to see several ancient geoglyphs of giant humans, llamas and an eagle. Arrive at the coastal city of Arica. On route to Arica you will descend from 4000 metres above sea level down to sea level. Arica is a costal town.

Fly to Santiago

At the agreed time you will be taken to the airport on time for your flight to Santiago for a stay of one night.

Santiago city tour

morning City tour of Santiago evening flight back to UK.