This morning, after breakfast at your hotel you’ll enjoy a tour of Santiago. You’ll visit the city’s historic center where you’ll find the Plaza de Armas, the main cathedral, and the Presidential Palace. You will also have the chance to view the city from the top of Cerro San Cristobal. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure.

Today you’ll visit two of central Chile’s most popular coastal cities: Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. Valparaiso is a vibrant, colorful collection of hillside houses overlooking the bay. Here you’ll visit the eminently quirky summer house and now museum of Pablo Neruda, one of Chile’s most prolific poets. You’ll then continue to the tranquil Viña del Mar, a popular beach retreat for the Santiago elite.

Return to the Santiago airport this morning for your flight to Calama. On arrival, you will be transferred to your all-inclusive lodge in San Pedro de Atacama for your first taste of desert life. In the afternoon, you will set out on an excursion to the Moon Valley, named for its lunar-like landscape. Watch a gorgeous sunset over the unique rock and salt formations and colorful mountains.

Today you will head out to the Salar de Atacama, the largest salt field in Chile. This rough, white lake of salt and minerals lies on top of an enormous underground lake. At Chaxa Lagoon, the National Flamingo Reserve, you’ll see three types of Flamingos, the James, the Andean and the Chilean. In the afternoon, you have the option of taking a visit to the Laguna Cejar, where you can relax in the water, floating effortlessly due to its large concentration of salt.

Wake up before dawn to be driven to above 14,000 feet to visit the Tatio Geysers, a geothermal field created by nearby volcanoes. In the cool morning air, you will see huge steam columns rising to heights of nearly 40 feet. Brave visitors can take a dip but keep in mind that it’s around 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside. After your excursion, breakfast is served picnic style. On the way back, you will stop at a small village and likely observe vicuñas, vizcachas and a variety of birds. In the afternoon, head to the Puritama hot springs for a relaxing dip in these scenic warm water pools.

In the morning, you will be transferred to the Calama airport for your flight back to Santiago where you will connect independently to your international departure.