Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at San Pedro de Atacama
We will welcome you at the Calama airport and take you to our Uyuni Hotel de Larache, in the San Pedro de Atacama oasis at 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level.

Days 2, 3 and 4: Hotel de Larache
While staying at Hotel de Larache, each day you can choose from a variety of different explorations. On foot, by bicycle, on horseback; a couple of hours or a full day; relaxed or physically demanding.

These explorations will allow your body to adjust to the altitude and prepare you for the travesía to the Bolivian altiplano. You will also have the opportunity to experience the complex geography of Atacama, its wildlife and its ancient culture.

At the end of each exploration, our Uyuni lodge is always there waiting for you: a place to enjoy and regain the energy you will need to keep on exploring.

Day 5: Crossing to Bolivia
We will depart from Hotel de Larache early in the morning. We will cross into Bolivia through the Hito Cajón pass in the extreme southeastern corner of that country, first passing by the volcanic mountain range where Licancabur volcano is located.

We will trek through the geothermal plains of Sol de Mañana at 4,700 meters (15,400 feet) above sea level and later discover a series of salt flats, wetlands and lagoons. Especially interesting is the Colorada lagoon, an excellent location for viewing flamingos (phoenicopterus chilensis).

We will eat lunch while taking in views of this spectacular environment and later we will continue the travesía. At noon, we will reach the Cañapa inn, our first campsite, at 4,300 meters (14,100 feet) above sea level.

Day 6: From Cañapa to Chituca
The morning will be spent trekking around the area, and later on we will continue our journey towards the Bolivian altiplano at altitudes that range between 3,600 and 4,300 meters (11,800 and 14,100 feet) above sea level.

We will pass by former mining camps and take a 2-hour trek around a lagoon, home to a number of native animal species.

In mid-afternoon we will arrive at Chituca, our second campsite, located at 3,750 meters (12,300 feet) above sea level.

Day 7: Arrival at Uyuni
After eating lunch we will trek around the area, taking in the old cultivated terraces and the cactus forests that surround our campsite. Continuing our journey, we will visit some geological formations.

In no time we will find ourselves at the Salar de Uyuni, which, with a surface area of over 10,000 kilometers² (3,861 miles²) and located at 3,665 meters (12,025 feet) above sea level, is the largest and highest altitude salt flat in the world. Surrounded by complete and absolute solitude and silence, we will continue on our Salt Flats travel by trekking along its surface, later climbing the salt flat's highest "island", where we will enjoy views of the seemingly never-ending landscape.

Continuing on our journey we will arrive at Tahua, a small town on the shores of the salt flat, where our third campsite is located.

Day 8: Around the Tunupa volcano
We will begin our trek early and, in 3 to 4 hours, reach the foot of the Tunupa volcano, at an altitude of 5,432 meters (17,820 feet). At this point we can choose to visit any of the many interesting sites in the surrounding area, or climb the volcano and enjoy the views from the peak, which would take a little more time.

In the late afternoon, we will visit the small towns bordering the salt flat: Tahua, Coquesa and Jirira. We will return to our campsite in Tahua to eat dinner and spend the night.

Day 9: Crossing to Chile
We will set out early, heading towards the Chilean border. On our way we will pass through the town of Llica, where we will stop to try some “salteñas”, a traditional Bolivian empanada (turnover).

At lunchtime, we will picnic at the Irpa ranch on the shores of the Salar de Coipasa, 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level. We will continue towards Pisiga on the Bolivian border and eventually reach Colchane, on the Chilean side.

From there, we will follow the banks of the Isluga river, reaching a wetland which is home to many species of wildlife. In the late afternoon, we will reach the Isluga National Park in Aravilla, where our fourth campsite is located at 4,020 meters (13,190 feet) above sea level. Travel in Chile is always amazing especially when its with Explora.

Day 10: Descent to the Pacific
In the morning, we will start out on a trek in the wetlands area. We will stop at a hill close to the small town of Mauque to see the stone ceremonial ruins and eat a picnic lunch.

After lunch, we will begin the descent down to the altiplano, from an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) back to sea level at Iquique, a Chilean port on the Pacific Ocean. You might like to go swimming at the beach in Iquique.In the evening, we will eat dinner in the city and spend the night in a hotel.

Day 11: Departure from Iquique
In the morning, we will take you to Iquique airport for the flight back to Santiago.

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