100% customisable travel idea
Legendary Chile From Easter Island to the Atacama Desert
Chile - Santiago - Easter Island - San Pedro de Atacama
100% customisable travel idea
Chile - Santiago - Easter Island - San Pedro de Atacama
100% customisable for you
Upon arrival, private transfer and check-in for one night in a hotel in the city centre. This hotel is located on the edge of Parque Forestal and features a contemporary, slightly angular façade. Your room is comfortable, unpretentious and well equipped. If the weather allows, why not unwind after your flight with a few laps in the outdoor pool?
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Hanga Roa, on Easter Island (5 hours and 30 minutes). Upon arrival in the late morning (set your watch back two hours), you’ll have a private transfer and settle in for three nights at a family home converted into a small hotel. The twelve rooms are spread between the main house and an annexe. A simple, comfortable and peaceful retreat. Palm trees and tropical flowers border the accommodation - the harmony with the décor is perfect. Lulled by the sound of the waves, the mind is at rest. You’ll soak up the local pace of life, watch the surfers come and go, and stroll around the picturesque little fishing port. Grab a postcard of Easter Island and make your way to the departure point for excursions that begin as early as the afternoon. On your schedule: Rano Kau volcano and the birdman ceremony. A lovely itinerary that lets you visit some of the island’s most remarkable sites. After a short transfer from the hotel, we’ll immediately venture onto the slopes of the imposing Rano Kau volcano, where the ancient village of Orongo stands. It was here, on the edge of the crater, that a ritual in honour of the god Make Make took place, along with the famous birdman ceremony. You’ll learn more about its meaning in Rapa Nui mythology and its importance for Rapa Nui society, right up to its impact on the island’s political and religious structures. We’ll then set off to explore Vinapu. This ceremonial area holds the ruins of three platforms with walls similar to those of Incan structures. A fascinating archaeological site, rich in history and legends.
You have two full days to explore Easter Island, its natural wonders and the traces left by its ancestral peoples, such as the hundreds of Moai statues that populate Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These famous Polynesian statues made of volcanic stone stand between two and twenty metres tall and can weigh several dozen tonnes. Some have been re-erected on the ahus - the ceremonial platforms - and topped with the pukao (headdress). Others conceal a gendered body in the earth and more than onemystical legend… On the schedule - Following the Moai trail. Carved into the tuff between the 13th and 15th centuries, these 887 mythical stone statues stand out for their massive and timeless presence. No one really knows how they were raised, transported by hand from the quarry to their platform, and firmly fixed to withstand time and wind. The tour begins at Vaihu, winding through traditional villages, then continues to Akahanga with its archaeological remains, before reaching the Rano Raraku quarry where most of the statues were carved. You’ll learn about the sculpting and transport process there. Next come Tongariki with its fifteen aligned Moai, the north coast where the largest standing Moai stands and Anakena beach, with seven well-preserved statues. Throughout the day, you will be accompanied by a local guide and transported in a private air-conditioned vehicle. Lunch is also included. Optional - climb Poike volcano and visit unexplored sites.
Scheduled for the morning - Ahu Tongariki. Day breaks over one of the most majestic sites on Easter Island: Ahu Tongariki, the largest ceremonial site in Polynesia and, symbolically, the most important archaeological site in the Pacific Ocean. It is in this surreal décor, bathed in a mystical atmosphere, that you watch the sky change colour and the sun rise behind the alignment of the fifteen Moai. Magic belongs to those who rise early. Also on the itinerary: Ahu Akivi, Puna Pau and Tahai - the heart of the island. Ahu Akivi, in the centre of the island, holds a special place in its history. Seven moai stand in a row, facing the ocean. Legend has it that they represent seven local insiders sent by the first king of Easter Island to explore the island before its colonisation. The walk continues to the Puna Pau volcano quarry, mined for its distinctive red stone from which the pukao were carved and engraved before being placed atop the heads of certain Moai, like a kind of headdress. Several of them are still scattered across the green hillside. The tour ends at the Tahai archaeological site with its unique Moai and its wide open eyes. It’s the only one on the island restored with this unique feature - white coral placed in the hollowed-out eye sockets. It is believed to have a spiritual role of watching and protecting. Optional - The hidden side of Easter Island.
A unique experience - A mass in the land of the Moai. On Easter Island, there is just one Catholic church: Santa Cruz, founded in 1937. Christian symbols and Easter Island mythology mingle on the façade. Sunday mass welcomes most of the island’s faithful. The liturgy is in Spanish, and the hymns are in Rapa Nui. Those who wish to can share this moment with the local community. Private transfer from the hotel to the airport, then flight to Santiago and a short overnight stay at a contemporary hotel within the airport.
Flight to Calama. Upon arrival at the airport, you’ll pick up your rental car and drive to San Pedro de Atacama. Get ready: your stretch of road is as straight as can be! A long, unwaveringly straight road stretches across this mineral landscape - one of the most arid on the planet. A few bends at last, some mountains, and then you’ll see the Sel Cordillera. San Pedro welcomes you after 100 km (62 miles) and invites you to spend a few days in its oasis in the heart of the desert. The Tulor and Quitor sites are just a few kilometres away, as is Vallecito. You’ll stay for three nights near the main square. The façade of your hotel is made of adobe bricks, the sun-dried clay typical of desert dwellings. This lovely terracotta colour, combined with the exposed stone, blends beautifully into the surrounding nature. The rooms are modern, simply decorated and equipped with everything you need for a pleasant stay. In the rest of the hotel, the décor is more distinctive, with baskets and wooden or wicker furniture. All the spaces are pleasantly open to the outdoors. On the schedule - Vallecito and its lunar décor. Located in the Salt Mountain Range, like the Valley of the Moon and the Valley of Mars, Vallecito is a little-visited site, yet just as beautiful. The experience is even more intimate in this unique landscape on the edge of the world’s driest desert. The valley stands out for its unique and captivating landscapes, with reddish hues and white layers lit by the intense sunlight. On the way, you’ll stop at the Likanantai viewpoint to admire this geological formation with jagged contours. You’ll then enter the Valley of the Moon through the back gate of the Cordillera de la Sal. Several stops are planned to enjoy the scenery, and a private guide will provide you with all the necessary explanations.
On your itinerary - Puritama Hot Springs. Local communities have used these thermal waters for several hundred years. They contain a high concentration of revitalising minerals for the body and mind, including calcium, magnesium and sodium. Today, it's your turn to experience it. In total, there are eight naturally formed pools in the bed of the Puritama River, with temperatures ranging from 28 to 31°C. With your body completely relaxed, we’ll nourish it properly at lunchtime. Also on your agenda - evening sky observation. The Atacama Desert offers an ideal setting for stargazing. Like a starry night, but all year round. To begin to understand our universe, you’ll head to the observation point free from any light pollution. The scientific team and observation equipment will help you identify the constellations and discover more about these fascinating celestial bodies. You’ll be introduced to astronomy and stargazing using modern telescopes and astronomical binoculars.
Already arranged - Your entry tickets for the Salar de Aguas Calientes Sur and the altiplanic lagoons. The deserts of northern Chile are among the most spectacular on the continent. A world of silence, they stretch out in the heart of the Andes. Located 150 km (93 miles) from San Pedro de Atacama, the Salar de Aguas Calientes, perched at an altitude of 4,200 metres, reveals a magical landscape with a chain of volcanoes and crystal-clear waters on strikingly white ground, surrounded by hills in a range of colours. Not far from Paso de Sico, on the Argentine border, lies Piedras Rojas or the Salar de Aguas Calientes Sur, famous for its striking red rocks. Their colour comes from iron oxide that has built up on the stones at the edge of the salt flat. Here, you can admire unique landscapes shaped by geological formations that are thousands of years old. Then we’ll continue on to the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons in the Los Flamencos National Reserve, where you can see many species of birds, including flamingos. With a bit of luck, you might also spot vicuñas, emus or foxes.
On your schedule - the Tatio Geysers. Located more than 4,000 metres above sea level on the Andean Altiplano, the Tatio geysers make up the third largest geothermal field in the world. Well equipped for the cold, you can witness a unique phenomenon early in the morning as the sun rises: the steam vents of the geysers. Columns of steam rise from each hot spring. There is a striking contrast between the boiling water from the geysers and the temperature of the area, which can drop below -20°C (-4°F) in winter. You’ll be able to enjoy lunch and a swim in the thermal waters of the river. On the way back, you’ll stop at Guatin for a beautiful walk in the cactus valley. We’ll take the opportunity to observe the local wildlife, along with the many marshes and peat bogs that protect an exceptional ecosystem. Throughout the journey, you’ll be accompanied by a private guide.Optional - Experience the Atacama Desert from the sky. In the afternoon, you’ll drive to Calama airport, return your rental car, then fly to Santiago. Upon arrival, you’ll have a private transfer to your hotel in the centre, which you already know, for your last evening in Chile. Already arranged - Restaurant reservation at a renowned Santiago restaurant, famous for its modern take on ancestral Chilean cuisine.
Private transfer to Santiago airport and flight home. Night on board, arrival the next day.
This suggested itinerary can be customisable down to the smallest detail, including duration, stops and content. An à la carte menu of experiences is also available to create a journey that reflects who you are.
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