Undiscovered Atacama and The Central Wine Valley

UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY
UNDISCOVERED ATACAMA AND THE  CENTRAL WINE  VALLEY

Undiscovered Atacama and The Central Wine Valley

Duration

9 Days / 8 Nights

Package Type

https://cms.vaexpeditions.com/media/images/package_type/adventure.svg

Adventure

Activity Level

Activity Level

Moderate

Wildlife expectation

Physical Difficulty

Wildlife expectation

Cultural rating

Wildlife expectation

Wildlife expectation

Specialist

Travel specialist

Claire
Contact Us

Atacama is one of the main destinations in Chile for visitors. Its lunar type desert landscapes, scenic panoramas and impressive geography that includes arid desert, striking salt flats, thermal pools, geysers, marshes, lagoons, towering volcanoes and an endless starry sky. The chilled-out oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, in the heart of the desert, offers a wide range of adventure activities. Then there are the impressive and delicious valleys of the vineyards to sip away and sample the uniqueness of Chilean wines. The perfect combination for a Chilean vacation, all combined in one itinerary!

Special features of our Undiscovered Atacama and Central Wine Valley Tour: 

Type of Tourism: Adventure, Cultural, Mountains and Nature, Geographical, Desert

Places to Visit:  Santiago, Arica, Atacama desert and villages, Santa Cruz

Duration:  9 Days and 8 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! 

DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE

Today is arrival day to Santiago. Your guide will be waiting at the airport to take you on the one hour journey to your hotel. Chile’s cosmopolitan capital, Santiago lies at the foot of the Andes and has a remarkable city centre and impressive modern neighbourhoods. Wherever you go in Santiago, you are surrounded by the snow-capped Andes, offering spectacular sunsets which turn the snow pink. You will have a free afternoon to explore this unique city.

    Today your driver will collect you from your hotel and take you back to the airport for our onward flight to Arica. In Arica, our local guide will collect you for your scenic transfer to Codpa. 

    In the city of Arica, we will visit the central plaza, San Marcos Cathedral, Fisherman's wharf, Casa de la Cultura, and enjoy the panoramic view from El Morro. We will then head on to The Azapa Valley to visit the Alto Ramírez geoglyphs and The Cerro Sagrado with its archaeological museum of San Miguel. Here you can see an...

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      Our tour takes us to the foothills stopping at the Ofragía and Cerro Blanco petroglyphs after breakfast. We will then head through the towns of Vitor, Tignamar and Belén. In the afternoon, we will make a stop in Chapiquiña and Putre, villages dedicated to livestock farming and agriculture, with fantastic terracing.

        Today we will head out to the Lauca National Park, close to the Bolivian border and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Here we can appreciate a wide variety of Andean flora and fauna. We will stop at the ceremonial town of Parinacota, famous for its 17th-century Baroque-Mestizo style church. We will then visit the Cotacotani Lagoons and the Chungara Lake, which is one of the highest in the world. It is also blessed with spectacular views of the Twin Payachatas volcanos Parinacota and Pomerape. You can hike around the lake to take in the mag...

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          Today, we will visit the remote towns of Socoroma, Pukara de Copaquilla, in the Atacama Desert before we continue to the Quebrada de Cardones to see the beautiful Candelabra Cactus. We will then head to The Lluta Valley and to the town of Poconchile where it is possible to see geoglyphs on the slopes of the Valley. We will make a stop at the Lluta River Wetlands to observe a large number and variety of seabirds and then we will travel along the coast until reaching Arica, where we will spend the evening.

            In the morning we will head to the beaches of Arica before we go to the airport for the onward flight to Santiago. In the afternoon, we will head off on a city tour of Santiago

            Where we will visit the city’s most outstanding attractions, including the downtown area, visiting the “Plaza de Armas”, the Cathedral, Ahumada Boulevard and the Government Palace “La Moneda”.  We will then head to “old” Santiago, crossing the bohemian neighbourhood of Bellavista, then we will drive up the...

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              Today we will head to the city of Santa Cruz in the Colchagua Valley. Our first stop will be in the Montes winery. Renowned worldwide for their connection with the earth, their care of the vineyards, their experience in the winery and always seeking the finest quality in each of their wine… you will experience a true adventure in winemaking. You can visit the vineyards and the cellar, ending with a wine tasting. After lunch, you can visit Viu Manent winery, where you can walk through its beautiful wine cellars. It’s a wi...

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                The day starts with a visit to the Santa Cruz winery where you can take a tour around the garden of grape varieties, then we will continue to the harvest patio, the tanks and wine cellar, where you will have the opportunity taste some wines. The visit to this winery also includes a tour by cable car to go up to the Chamán Hill, where we can see the indigenous villages, a replica of the Aymara, Mapuche and Rapanui culture. We will visit the Laura Hartwig Winery before we return to the hotel. 

                  We will take you to the airport for your flight back to Santiago and on to your next destination!


                    WHAT'S INCLUDED

                    • Accommodation with breakfast 
                    • Basic Dinner in Codpa  
                    • Box Lunch on Day 1 to 4 
                    • Private vehicle with driver and a guide 
                    • Bilingual Guide (Spanish/French or Spanish/English) 
                    • Entrance ticket to Museum 
                    • Transfer from Santiago Airport to Hotel (english/french speaking guide) 
                    • Accommodation in Santiago with breakfast in standard room unless specified  
                    • Half board in Colchagua Valley (Breakfast and Dinner) 
                    • Private city tour in Santiago (english/french speaking guide) 
                    • SIB wine tour at Montes Wintery (English/Spanish guided) 
                    • SIB wine tour at Viu Manent Winery (English/Spanish guided) 
                    • SIB wine tour at Santa Cruz Winery (English/Spanish guided) 
                    • SIB wine tour at Laura Hartwig Winery (English/Spanish guided) 

                    WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

                    • Dinners (except in Codpa) 
                    • Air tickets 
                    • Early check-in and late check-out  
                    • Extras not mentioned in the programme 
                    • Meals, except Dinners at hotels in Colchagua valley   

                    Trip Preparation & FAQS

                    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.

                    Thank you very much for your interest! You can follow us on our networks:

                     

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