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Santiago |
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Upon your arrival in Santiago de Chile, you will be met at the airport by a CAT representative who will transfer you to your comfortable hotel in the city. The representative will discuss your trip with you in full and make sure you are prepared for your Chilean adventure. After settling in to your hotel you will be given the rest of the day free to spend at your leisure. While it is likely that you will probably prefer to rest after a long flight, Santiago has a number of very fine restaurants where some great food can be found. |
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Viña del Mar and Valparaiso |
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After enjoying breakfast in your hotel, you will be collected by guide and driven to Valparaiso where you will commence a morning tour around the colorful seaside town. You will be served a fantastic lunch in a well known restaurant where you will be able to enjoy some quality Chilean seafood in a comfortable atmosphere. Following lunch you will proceed to Viña del Mar where you will undertake a guided tour around this charming town. Following your guided tour you will be transferred back to Santiago where you will be able to enjoy a night spent at your leisure.
(Meals – B, L)
CAT Tip – Make the Most of your trip: In order to get to know either Viña del Mar or Valparaiso a little better, it is highly recommendable to spend a night in a comfortable hotel in either or both locations. Ask your Chile Destination Specialist for more information.
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Santiago |
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Following breakfast you will be collected for your city tour of Santiago. You will visit such sites as the Cerro San Cristobel that boasts fantastic views over the city on clear days, as well as the O’higgins Park. You will also visit a number of residential and commercial districts in order to get a better idea of the cosmopolitan city. Santiago is a city on the move with a lot to offer, and following lunch, you will be lead on a Shopping Tour through the city where you will be taken to some of the best known shops in the city in order to pick up great deals on many luxury Chilean goods. Following the shopping tour you will return to Santiago where the rest of the evening is free for you to spend as you wish.
(Meals – B)
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San Pedro de Atacama |
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After enjoying a delicious breakfast in your hotel you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Calama where you will be met by a CAT representative and transferred to your hotel in San Pedro. After settling in to your hotel you will be collected for a tour around the Valley of the Moon where a dark and pockmarked desert landscape gives credence to the lunar nature of the Valley’s name. You will be given the chance to enjoy a spectacular sunset in this seemingly forgotten location before being transferred back to your hotel in San Pedro. For dinner you can either eat at your hotel or you can enjoy a meal in one of the many small restaurants in town. (Meals – B)
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San Pedro de Atacama |
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Following breakfast you will proceed to San Pedro de Atacama where you will be guided around some pre-Hispanic ancient rock fortresses as well as a colonial church that was built in 1577. You will then tour the fascinating Padre Gustavo Le Paige Archeaological Museum where a number of the regions pre-Hispanic artifacts are on display including some magnificently preserved mummies. You will then proceed to the ancient villages of Tulor and Toconao which date back 3000 years and are some of the oldest discovered settlements in all of Chile. In the afternoon you will proceed to the Atacama Salt Lake. Formed millions of years ago, this expansive, overwhelming, and empty landscape stretches as far as the eye can see and is an unforgettable site to see for both its beauty and austerity. In the early evening you will be transferred back to your hotel in San Pedro. (Meals – B)
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Tara Salt Lake |
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Following a delicious breakfast in your hotel you will be collected by your guide for a full day’s tour to the Tara Salt Lake and surrounding area. The journey there to the salt lake is marked with desert landscapes and spectacular volcanoes. Upon reaching Tara, the horizon opens up to reveal an expansive salt plain nestled in the in the center of the Los Flamencos National Park. The Tara Salt Lake is often said to be the most beautiful, and most spectacular, salt lake in the region. Groups of flamboyantly pink flamingos strut about the lake, while the volcanic backdrop of the lake gives the region an alien feeling. A number of archaeological sites surround the area – many of which your guide will lead you through. Following lunch at the site you will begin your journey back to San Pedro where the rest of the afternoon is free for you to spend at your leisure. (Meals – B, L)
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Tatio Geysers and Volcanoes around San Pedro de Atacama |
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In the very early morning – at approximately 4am – you will be collected from your hotel and proceed to the El Tatio Geysers, where at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level, you will be able to witness a breath taking sunrise. The Tatio Geysers make up the largest geothermal field in the world, and are surrounded by a stunning and unforgiving landscape. The Geysers erupt on a regular basis, and as the sun rises, jets of boiling water and steam shoot into the air creating a wondrous site. Following breakfast you will proceed with your guide to the village of Machuca which used to be a stopover on one of the ancient Inca highways running through the Andes. Following a tour around the depopulated village you will be transferred back to San Pedro where the afternoon is set aside for you to spend at your leisure.(Meals B)
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Return to Santiago |
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In the morning after breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Santiago. At the airport you will be met by a CAT representative who will help you with your onward flight arrangements back home or on to another of CAT’s magical Latin American destinations.
(Meals – B)
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