Grand Tour of Chile "Desert and Glaciers" 2026-27

Departure on scheduled flights with Iberia to Santiago de Chile - meals on board – overnight flight.

Morning arrival – transfer to the hotel – free time to rest – lunch at leisure – in the afternoon, guided tour of Santiago (a walk through the city streets taking in the Cathedral, the “La Moneda” Government Palace – exterior –, the pedestrianised Paseo Ahumada, the streets of the historic centre, the bohemian Bellavista district and the elegant residential quarter that forms Santiago's commercial and financial heart – finally up to “Cerro San Cristóbal” for a wonderful view over Santiago and the Andes – stop at the Graneros de Alba craft market - dinner at the hotel – after dinner Santiago by night, panoramic city tour by coach with guide – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport - departure on a Latam scheduled flight to Calama – on arrival in Calama, transfer to San Pedro de Atacama crossing the Cordillera Domeyko (journey time 90 minutes) - in the late afternoon, visit to the Cordillera de la Sal, the Valley of Mars, also known as Death Valley, and the Valley of the Moon, from where you can enjoy a wonderful sunset over the Atacama Desert – lunch at leisure - dinner in a restaurant – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to the Miñiques and Miscanti lagoons, two small high-altitude lakes in the Los Flamencos National Reserve - the route covers around 350 km and climbs to roughly 4,500 metres above sea level - stop at the village of Socaire, notable for its small colonial-era church – lunch in a restaurant - stop to visit Toconao, a small colonial “pueblo” built entirely of “liparite” volcanic stone - onward to the Salar de Atacama, a salt flat of rare beauty stretching over some 300,000 hectares and 100 kilometres across – within the Salar we admire Laguna Chaxa, home to pink flamingos - in the evening, return to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama – dinner in a restaurant – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Departure before dawn for the El Tatio Geysers – on arrival, guided visit to the geothermal field to watch the towering fumaroles, at their most spectacular before sunrise – packed breakfast along the way - return to San Pedro de Atacama - en route, spectacular views of the Tocorpuri and Sairecabur volcanoes – lunch at leisure and free time to visit the Craft Market – transfer to Calama - departure on a Latam scheduled flight to Santiago de Chile – on arrival, transfer to the hotel – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport – lunch at leisure - departure on a Latam scheduled flight to Punta Arenas – on arrival, transfer to the hotel in Puerto Natales (3 hours) – dinner at the hotel – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day boat excursion sailing the Última Esperanza fjord - after around three hours' sailing, admiring mountains, waterfalls and the local wildlife, arrival at the Balmaceda glacier, where colonies of sea lions and cormorants can be seen – onward to the head of the fjord, landing and visit to the Serrano Glacier, reached along a trail through Patagonian forest – lunch during the excursion - return to Puerto Natales in the evening - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion to Torres del Paine National Park, with a stop at the Cueva del Milodón (where the remains of an extinct animal known as the Mylodon were discovered) - onward across the Patagonian steppe, home to guanacos, foxes, deer and Andean condors – arrival in Torres del Paine National Park, declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978 - visit to the Salto Grande waterfall on the Río Paine, with the chance to take in the majestic, imposing Torres del Paine massif - onward to Lake Pehoé and then to Grey Lagoon and Grey Glacier – lunch in a restaurant - in the evening, return to Puerto Natales - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to Punta Arenas Airport – lunch at leisure - departure on a Latam scheduled flight to Santiago – on arrival, transfer to the hotel - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, departure for the coast through the Curacaví and Casablanca valleys, the latter renowned for the success of its high-quality white wines - the tour continues to the coast to visit Playa Las Salinas, Reñaca and the city of Viña del Mar, known as the Garden City for its beautiful parks and floral displays - onward to Valparaíso, a 16th-century city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its narrow streets, stairways and funicular lifts, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its eclectic, distinctive architecture – visit to Pablo Neruda's House Museum – in the evening, return to Santiago – lunch at leisure - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure – tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport – departure from Santiago de Chile for the return to Italy on scheduled flights with Iberia - meals on board - overnight flight.

In flight – arrival in Italy.