Holidays in Chile, Chile Big Tour from the Chile specialist tour operator from the UK.

Day 1 – Fly UK to Chile

Day 2 – Santiago.
Meet and greet at the Airport and transfer to the Hotel.
After check into the Hotel, we spend the remainder of the day sightseeing through the city,
including San Cristobal Hill and the pre-Columbian Museum.
Note: Museums are closed on Monday.   Accommodation in Deluxe double room, buffet breakfast inc.

Day 3 – Santiago / Easter Island (B)
Appropriately timed transfer to Santiago Airport, to fly out to Easter Island.
On arrival you will be welcomed by local people at the Mataveri airport with e flower necklace
and then transferred to the Iorana Hotel.   Accommodation in Deluxe double room, buffet breakfast inc.

Day 4 – Easter Island (B-L)
Full Day exploration of the Anakena area with packed lunch.
Aku Akahanga, “platform of the King” is believed to be the grave of Hotu Matua, the first king of
the island, and can be found in a cave in Akahanga.
Four separate platforms with 12 Moai (statues) with different sizes, and 8 Pukao (Topknots).
Without a doubt one of the most interesting archaeological sites not only in Easter Island but in the
entire world is the Rano Raraku, where 396 Moai can be seen in the quarry which is an extinct volcano.

Day 5 – Easter Island (B)
Akivi tour (Morning)   Built in 1460 this site was one of the later constructions built, probably at a time when the statue cult was beginning to unravel. Unlike other sites, Akivi is inland and has a commanding view of the western part of the island.
Orongo Excursion (Afternoon)   This tour goes back in time to Rapa Nui’s pre-history, where the Moais and the Ahu was destroyed and a new supremacy grows up, the Birdmen.

Day 6 – Easter Island (B)
In the morning Hanga Roa village will be visited, the market with local products, the church and the museum. Afternoon at leisure
Note: Museum closed all Monday and Saturday & Sunday afternoon.

Day 7 – Easter Island / Santiago (B)
Appropriately timed transfer to Mataveri airport, for your return flight to Santiago.
Once in Santiago you will be met and transferred to your Santiago Hotel.

Day 8 – Santiago / Calama / San Pedro de Atacama (B-D)
Morning transfer back to the airport to take your flight to Calama city
You will be greeted at El Loa airport and then transferred to Chiu Chiu village and Lasana Pukara.
Chiu Chiu village is small village located just 30 kilometres from Calama at 2,525 metres above sea level. Its church is one of the oldest churches in the country
The Lasana pukara is what’s left of a fortress 250 metres long, which was built with an amazing construction technique. It was made of rock, with 110 structures built into it, turning it into a big construction with narrow interior paths.
You will then drive back to Calama for lunch at a local restaurant and a visit to the Chuquicamata mine, the largest copper mine in the world.
At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to San Pedro Village for dinner and overnight.
Note: The visit to Chuquicamata mine is subject to confirmation and dependent on activities at the mine at the time of your visit.

Day 9 - San Pedro de Atacama (B/D)
A couple of small villages, Toconoa and Socaire, are en route to the amazing landscape of the Atacama salt flats. Toconao is a colonial village characterised by its construction in laparita, a volcanic stone, which is use for house construction. Socaire is another small village en the route.
The Atacama salt flats occupy an area of 100 kilometers length by 80 of wide. The salt is product by the underground water outcrop that, saturated with salts, evaporates leaving 'scabs' rich in salt and minerals. The visit to the salt flats ends at the Chaxa lagoon which is inhabited by three kinds of flamingoes and a great number of migratory birds.
We will return to San Pedro village and then just before the sunset, you will drive toward the Moon valley and Death valley.

Day 10 – San Pedro de Atacama (B/D)
Tatio Geysers are located 121 kilometres from San Pedro at an altitude of 4,300 metres. To see the amazing vapour columns, fumaroles and hundreds of boiling water ponds it is important to arrive at the geysers before sunrise, this means the main part of the route must be done during the night.

Day 11 – San Pedro de Atacama / Santiago / Puerto Montt (B)
Appropriately timed transfer to Calama airport to connect in Santiago with the Puerto Montt flight.
The local guide will meet you at the El Tepual airport and will show you Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas city before driving you to your hotel.

Day 12 – Puerto Montt (B/L)
Early morning you will drive toward the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park to visit Petrohue and its waterfalls.

Day 13 – Puerto Montt / Punta Arenas / Puerto Natales. (B/D)
During the morning transfer from your hotel in Puerto Varas to the airport in Puerto Montt and fly out to Punta Arenas city.
Puerto Natales is located about 3 hours from Punta Arenas. On route the Otway Penguin colony will be visited, where about 6,000 specimens of the Magallan species arrive to nest, between September and April.

Day 14 – Puerto Natales / Torres del Paine (B/L/D)
Today's excursion begins by visiting the Milodon Cave, a natural monument located on Benitez Hill, 25 kilometres from Puerto Natales, where in 1895 were found remains of extinct animals like Sabre Toothed Tiger, American Horse and a large mammal known as a Milodon.
Continuing the trip toward Torres del Paine National Park. On the way is possible to see the Patagonian guanaco, South American camel and relative of Llama, and the endemic lesser Rhea (Ñandu), relative of the African Ostrich. Lunch at Lago Grey Hosteria and then a sailing at the Grey lake where the blue icebergs can be seen and in the background the vast Grey Glacier.

Day 15 – Torres del Paine (B/L/D)
An unforgettable excursion! It begins in Hosteria Las Torres, later crossing a suspension bridge over Asencio River in order to start a demanding hike up. It is named after one of the most wanted bandits from the beginning of the last century, Asencio Brunel, who was trapped in the valley.

Day 16 – Torres del Paine – Puerto Natales (B/L/D)
This excursion begins in Torres del Paine National Park, in the area of Rio Serrano. Here we will take the Zodiac boat to go down river and observe unknown and untouched areas of Torres del Paine and Bernardo O’Higgins National Parks, such as Tyndall and Geike glaciers. After three hours sailing we will arrive in Hostería Monte Balmaceda, our stop for lunch and a break. Afterward we will take the main boat to go to Puerto Natales through the waters of the Ultima Esperanza inlet.

Day 17 – Puerto Natales / Punta Arenas / Santiago (B-L)
After breakfast at the Hotel restaurant, transfer to Punta Arenas city for a brief tour through this southernmost city. A visit to this city is a voyage through the history of Patagonia. The first stop is the view point of “Cerro de la Cruz”, from where there is a magnificent panoramic view of the colourful rooftops, the Straits of Magellan and in the background the large island of Tierra del Fuego.
After lunch we will transfer to the airport for the return flight to Santiago.
At Santiago airport we will be greeted by our local guide and transfer to the Hotel.

Day 18 – Santiago (B)
Appropriately timed transfer to Santiago International airport for your return flight to the UK.

Tour cost includes:
Private transfers and excursions mentioned with bilingual guide.
Accommodation in hotel mentioned or similar category with breakfast
National park and museums entrance fees
Meals mentioned, lunch or dinner. Set menu (3 dishes and soft drink or glass of wine, coffee)
Peulla Excursion (Cruce Andino) is group coach tour without guide assistance
Serrano and Balmaceda excursion is group coach tour without guide assistance
Note: The services in Easter Island are private with bilingual driver/guide

Tour cost does not include:
international and domestic air tickets, personal items such as, laundry services, phone calls, etc.
any item not stated as 'included' above