Physical Difficulty
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Located towards the southeast of La Serena, The Elqui Valley is the perfect, picturesque place to visit for its traditional activities and stunning scenery. Here is where the pisco plants grow and of a number of villages linked along the Elqui River, Vicuña stands out. The village is found 62km from La Serena and was the birthplace of the famous poet Gabriela Mistral. The valley is blessed with beautiful landscapes, as well as a diverse gastronomic experience, spiritual refuges and astronomical and Astro-touristic observatories. This is the perfect stop off for stargazers and people looking to escape from it all for a few days. The Perfect digital detox!
Special features of our Elqui Valley Immersion Tour:
Type of Tourism: Adventure, Cultural, Valleys and Nature, Northern Beaches, Digital detox.
Places to Visit: La Serena, Elqui Valley, Vicuña.
Duration: 4 Days and 3 Nights.
Type of Service: group tours.
Accommodation: 3 star hotels at every destination that you will visit. These hotels had been carefully chosen and we can guarantee that you will feel comfortable and your every need catered for!
Today you will arrive at The La Serena Airport, where the guide will be waiting to collect you for the drive to the town of Vicuña. We will head for an early evening tour of the observatory terrace, perfect for astral enthusiasts. First is the main telescope, where you will observe the celestial objects of the outer atmosphere such as nebulas, star clusters, as well as planets and the moon. Later, you will observe the sky with the naked eye, lying on yoga mats with pillows and blankets and with a laser pointer. We will s...
Today, we will visit the main attractions of the town. First, we will visit the ABA boutique pisquera to learn about the pisco manufacturing process. During the afternoon, we will head to the town of Villaseca where you can enjoy a traditional lunch, typical of the region. After lunch, we will head to Alto Elqui, to visit the villages of Pisco Elqui and Montegrande, home of The Gabriela Mistral school-house museum. We will then head back to Vicuña for the evening.
Today we will head back to La Serena. We will visit the cultural port of the city of Coquimbo, visiting Fort Lambert, the old Barrio Ingles (English Neighbourhood), the Cross of the Third Millennium and Mirador de Los Navegantes. we will then Continue along the Costanera avenue that connects Coquimbo with La Serena to the Monumental Lighthouse of La Serena. We will then visit the open-air museum of the marble statues and the archaeological museum of La Serena, to visit the rock art samples of pre-Hispanic cultures from the region. We...
Today after breakfast, we will take you to the La Serena Airport for your flight to your next exciting destination!
You can check our safety protocols in the following link: https://www.turavion.travel/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Passengers-Protocol-Covid_-Turavion.pdf
We do not include travel or health insurance and we strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance for any unexpected circumstances. This is not obligatory, however. An full travel insurance policy that covers cancellations and delays as well as medical insurance.
We suggest that you speak with your doctor to ensure that you are up-to-date with the recommended vaccinations when traveling to the destination. In any case, a negative Coronavirus Molecular Test (PCR) is needed to enter the country.
We suggest that you speak with your doctor to ensure what medications you will need to bring to the destination. Pharmacies and drugstores are common in all cities, however, it is not certain that you will be able to find a specific drug that you can find in your country of origin.
As in any city in the world, there can be pickpockets in crowded places. We suggest being vigilant at all times, but if you are in a group you will always be safer.
We do not include the cost of any domestic or international flight in any of our programs. These services must be booked independently by each guest.
Yes, hotels will charge the cost of a double room as standard, so a single supplement will be charged if you are traveling alone.
VA Expeditions is supported by Valencia Travel, a company with more than 12 years of foundation with a solid financial position. We have insurance from the insurance company La Positiva, that supports us and protects our guests from any eventuality at the destination, covering our guests for more than 5 million US dollars.
Each trip is customizable, but there may be additional restrictions and expenses in each case. We suggest contacting your sales representative for more information.
Yes, in addition to multi-day programs, we offer half-day experiences and excursions without overnight, which you can purchase as additional services. In case you wish to purchase one of these services, you can ask your guide, the transfer representative or your sales representative to provide you with the support you need.
Yes, you can add additional or optional services to your regular tour. We appreciate contacting your sales representative for any changes you wish to make.
Yes, you can travel with children and we have many activities to do as a family, however, depending on your itinerary, some experiences can be a bit demanding for young children. As a recommendation, we suggest that you ask your sales consultant if the tour you wish to book is suitable for children.
We work with a maximum group size of 12 passengers for sustainability reasons and a more personaized experience.
We suggest making your reservations at least one month before your trip in order to reserve the best hotels, transportation and services for your travel dates, however, in last minute cases, we can reserve up to 15 days in advance.
We suggest consulting with your embassy to review any documents, tests or special visa you need for your trip.
The official currency of Chile is the Chilean peso (CLP). In large cities there is a good chance that you will find ATMs or ATMs, however, we suggest that you do not rely entirely on this solution, as it may not be enabled to work with your bank.
Yes, we cater for all special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any allergies or special dietary needs.
As a sustainable travel company, we are in constant search of how we can improve the sustainability of our operations, that is why we carry out the following activities to generate a fair and sustainable development in our areas of operation: We have permanent training programs for our Guides and drivers. Promote all types of training from the government among our staff and always contract guides and trabsports who are born and raised in their cities. We also promote those hotels whom are more committed to the environment and who’s strategy is based in sustainability.
Tips are not included in the cost of the tour. You should plan to tip 10% in restaurants and for your guided services, however, tipping is never required.
Cultural norms vary within each Latin American country, even within each city within the country, however, we recommend the following measures to have a pleasant visit in each destination: Latin American culture in general tends to be closer and more informal than in others cultures, so there is usually always a friendly approach in all conversations, and going directly to the point could be considered offensive to some people. Personal space can be much shorter as well, but without being interpreted as sexual in nature.
The schedules are also usually more relaxed and informal, however, this is not the case of VA EXPEDITIONS, since we will always respect the hours indicated in your itinerary. This may be different for other appointments that you can book on your own at other locations.
This depends on each itinerary, and will be indicated in the detail of the day. However, our itineraries always usually include free times to offer more flexibility to our guests.
For any emergency, we appreciate contacting the following number: +569 9345 3447
At VA Expeditions we believe that every action we take should generate a positive impact on the communities and the environment of our entire production chain, which is why we carry out various activities focused on this objective. A few example of our sustainable projects: Programs with Observation of Pumas in Torres del Paine, Collaboration with Ecocamp (with dozens of sustainability awards), We work with Hotels (Example: Explora) that actively participate in preserving Patagonia Park (Tompkins), Visits to the Hummingbird Sanctuary that tries to preserve the Arica hummingbird in danger of extinction, Whale Watching in the Humboldt Pinguinos Reserve and in Patagonia, visits to organic vineyards.
All our guests have 24/7 support for any type of emergency or eventuality. For emergencies you can contact the following number: +569 9345 3447. For general inquiries, you can write to us at the following email: info@valenciatravelcusco.com
This depends on each itinerary, but generally is a ratio of one guide for every nine guests.
This depends on the type of the type of Travel insurance that the passenger has. We recommend that you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy for better care and hospital facilities.
The tours are carried out by an expert team that has determined the optimal times of visits to make the most of our guests' time, without rushing. All our programs are customizable, so if at any time at the destination you want to adjust the pace of the trip, you can ask your guide to reach a consensus with the whole group in case you need to make adjustments to the pace of the trip.
Each trip is customizable, but there may be additional restrictions and expenses in each case. We suggest contacting your sales representative for more information.
Yes, you can safely store any luggage at your hotel.
For city tours, there are public bathrooms available, in remote destinations bathroom facilities are more sparse.
In the mountains and remote places there is no Internet connection. Hotels and public places usually have WIFI available.
In cities and tourist centers you will have good telephone reception. In remote areas, there may be no cell phone reception.
It depends on each itinerary, please contact your sales representative to give you the specific altitude information of your itinerary.
We suggest that you bring a refillable water bottle or purchase bottled water if necessary. At various points on your trip there will be places where you can buy water.
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