Join an exclusive tour of Chile to experience its spectacular skies, vineyards, ancient cultures, and legendary landscapes. Stargazers are drawn to northern Chile for its dark, clear skies and rare clouds. The journey culminates in the Atacama Desert, featuring coastal plains, high volcanoes, the world’s highest geyser basin, and stunning altiplanic lagoons. Stay at Explora Atacama Lodge in San Pedro de Atacama, where you’ll enjoy luxury accommodations and tailored excursions focused on natural history, wildlife, geology, and astronomy.
In Torres del Paine National Park, spend three days at Explora Torres del Paine Lodge. Engage in activities ranging from easy to challenging, including navigation on Pehoé Lake by catamaran, van trips, and treks. Discover diverse Patagonian ecosystems, from Magellan forests to steppes, in one of the world’s most remote and pristine regions, known for its dramatic landscapes and traditional gaucho hospitality.
An optional pre-trip extension to Easter Island and post-trip extension to El Calafate, Argentina featuring the Perito Moreno glacier are also offered.
Schedule by Day
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Depart on an overnight flight to Santiago, arriving early the following morning.
Arrive in Santiago early in the morning and transfer to the Ritz-Carlton. Gather for an afternoon city tour, including a visit to the impressive Pre-Columbian Museum. The day concludes with a welcome reception and dinner.
Overnight: Ritz Carlton Hotel
Meals: R, D
Fly to Calama and transfer to Explora Atacama Lodge in San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis originally settled by the indigenous Atacameños. This stunning destination, ringed by volcanoes and otherworldly geology, will be your home for the next three nights. After a welcome briefing by your guides and dinner, enjoy an evening of stargazing from the lodge's private observatory. Explora Atacama
Overnight: Explora Atacama
Meals: B, L, D
Discover the wildlife and landscapes of the Atacama Desert with a range of custom excursions led by expert guides. Whether you prefer a full-day trek, horseback riding, or mountain biking, your adventure can be tailored to match your interests and abilities. Visit iconic sites such as Moon Valley, the Salt Mountain Range, the high-altitude lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques, Salar de Atacama, the National Flamingo Reserve, Tatio Geysers, and the Puritama Hot Springs. Your tour director and excursion manager will help you select the perfect activity for each day of your journey.
Overnight: Explora Atacama
Meals: B, L, D
Discover the wildlife and landscapes of the Atacama Desert with a range of custom excursions led by expert guides. Whether you prefer a full-day trek, horseback riding, or mountain biking, your adventure can be tailored to match your interests and abilities. Visit iconic sites such as Moon Valley, the Salt Mountain Range, the high-altitude lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques, Salar de Atacama, the National Flamingo Reserve, Tatio Geysers, and the Puritama Hot Springs. Your tour director and excursion manager will help you select the perfect activity for each day of your journey.
Overnight: Explora Atacama
Meals: B, L, D
Fly back to Santiago and travel to the rolling vineyards of Casablanca Valley, one of Chile's renowned wine regions. Located near the Pacific coast, Casablanca Valley enjoys a cool climate ideal for producing acclaimed Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. Enjoy a private tour, tasting, and lunch at Kingston Family Vineyard, where the pioneering owners have coaxed award-winning red wines from a valley known for its whites. Sleep near the airport this evening to prepare for a morning flight to Puerto Natalies.
Overnight: Holiday Inn Airport Hotel
Meals: B, L, D
Fly to Puerto Natales and transfer to Torres del Paine National Park, established as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Along the way, look for herds of guanacos and rheas, gray foxes, Patagonian hares, and black-necked swans. Arrive at the luxurious Explora Torres del Paine Lodge, perched on the northeastern edge of the national park amid diverse ecosystems ranging from Magellanic forests to open steppes. Gather for a briefing and lecture this evening.
Overnight: Explora Torres del Paine
Meals: B, L, D
Begin your first of three full days in Torres del Paine National Park, the most impressive region in southern Chile. Discover its remarkable wildlife and dramatic landscapes through a variety of optional excursions led by expert guides. Visit iconic sites such as the Towers, Grey Lake, the Paine Massif, Pehoé Lake, the Patagonian steppe, and Explora's own conservation reserve. Whether you choose to hike, ride horses, take a relaxing boat trip, or simply unwind amidst nature, there are activities to suit a range of interests and abilities.
Spend the next two days experiencing Torres del Paine through a variety of optional guided activities. These activities range from easy to challenging and include full- and half-day hikes, horseback riding, catamaran trips on Pehoé Lake, and scenic van excursions, allowing you to enjoy the park's stunning scenery, wildlife, and diverse ecosystems at your own pace.
Overnight: Explora Torres del Paine
Meals: B, L, D
Begin your second of three full days in Torres del Paine National Park, the most impressive region in southern Chile. Discover its remarkable wildlife and dramatic landscapes through a variety of optional excursions led by expert guides. Visit iconic sites such as the Towers, Grey Lake, the Paine Massif, Pehoé Lake, the Patagonian steppe, and Explora's own conservation reserve. Whether you choose to hike, ride horses, take a relaxing boat trip, or simply unwind amidst nature, there are activities to suit a range of interests and abilities.
Spend the next day experiencing Torres del Paine through a variety of optional guided activities. These activities range from easy to challenging and include full- and half-day hikes, horseback riding, catamaran trips on Pehoé Lake, and scenic van excursions, allowing you to enjoy the park's stunning scenery, wildlife, and diverse ecosystems at your own pace.
Overnight: Explora Torres del Paine
Meals: B, L, D
Begin your last full days in Torres del Paine National Park, the most impressive region in southern Chile. Discover its remarkable wildlife and dramatic landscapes through a variety of optional excursions led by expert guides. Visit iconic sites such as the Towers, Grey Lake, the Paine Massif, Pehoé Lake, the Patagonian steppe, and Explora's own conservation reserve. Whether you choose to hike, ride horses, take a relaxing boat trip, or simply unwind amidst nature, there are activities to suit a range of interests and abilities.
Spend the last day experiencing Torres del Paine through a variety of optional guided activities. These activities range from easy to challenging and include full- and half-day hikes, horseback riding, catamaran trips on Pehoé Lake, and scenic van excursions, allowing you to enjoy the park's stunning scenery, wildlife, and diverse ecosystems at your own pace. On your final evening in Torres del Paine National Park, gather for a farewell dinner.
Overnight: Explora Torres del Paine
Meals: B, L, D
After a leisurely morning, transfer to Puerto Natales and fly to Santiago to connect with your international flight home.
Meals: B, L
Arrive in the U.S. and connect with flights home.
Pricing
Double Occupancy
Single Occupancy
$12,990 per person
$18,980
On-tour flights Santiago/Clama, Calama/Santiago, Santiago/Puerto Natales, and Puerto Natales/Santiago: Approximately $900 per person
Nine hotel nights • Meals and excursions as specified in the itinerary, including nine breakfasts, nine lunches, and nine dinners • Comprehensive program of briefings and lectures • Shared airport transfers on group arrival and departure dates • Baggage handling • Gratuities to porters, waitstaff, guides and drivers • Entrance fees • House wine and beer with group lunches and dinners • Bottled water on motorcoaches • Professional tour manager throughout the program
U.S. domestic and international airfare • Four on-tour flights: Santiago/Calama, Calama/Santiago, Santiago/Puerto Natales, and Puerto Natales/Santiago, estimated at $900 per person • Passport/visa expenses • Medical expenses and immunizations • Private airport transfers or airport transfers outside of group arrival and departure dates • Travel and trip cancellation insurance • Excursions that deviate from the scheduled tour options • Airline baggage charges • Meals not specified in the itinerary; dishes and beverages not part of the included meals; liquor or soft drinks except as noted • Laundry or dry cleaning • Telephone, Internet and email charges • Room service • Other items of a personal nature
To reserve a space on this program, a $2,000 deposit is required per person. Final payment is due 120 days before departure (May 31, 2027) payable by check, wire transfer, or credit card (credit card payments will incur a processing fee of 2%). Participants will receive an invoice directly from the tour operator, Criterion Travel for all subsequent payments after the initial deposit.
Notification of cancellation must be received in writing by HAA from the participant. Cancellations received within 14 days of booking are eligible for a full refund, provided that initial deposits were made 121 days or more prior to departure. After 14 days, $1,000 per person becomes non-refundable.
The program terms and conditions can be found here and must be acknowledged upon registration.
Accommodations
Ritz Carlton Hotel, Santiago (one night)
Explora Atacama Lodge, San Pedro de Atacama (three nights)
Holiday Inn Airport Hotel, Santiago (one night)
Explora Torres del Paine, Torres del Paine National Park (four nights)
Optional Pre-Tour Extension: Easter Island - Rapa Nui
Arrive early to enjoy the full range of experiences at Explora Rapa Nui Lodge. Spend three nights discovering the mysteries and beauty of Easter Island, home to the island's iconic moai, its colossal stone statues, as well as volcanic craters, dramatic cliffs, and hidden caves. Choose from a variety of guided excursions, including walks, bike rides, and snorkeling by day, and enjoy cultural experiences led by the Rapa Nui people in this intimate lodge by night.
Under development, more information coming soon
Optional Post-Tour Extension: El Calafate, Argentina Featuring the Perito Moreno glacier
Extend your journey with three nights in El Calafate, gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier. With the high peaks of Torres Del Paine to your back and historic estancias of the Patagonian Steppe to your front, Explora El Calafate is your key to the hidden gems of Southern Patagonia. Natural materials, organic forms, and expansive windows connect the lodge to its surroundings, inviting you to feel part of the landscape rather than observers of it. Each day provides ample excursion opportunities including a tour of Perito Moreno by boat, which only Explora is licensed through the national park to operate.
Under development, more information coming soon
The opportunity to register for the extension will be provided directly from the tour operator following the participants confirmation on the program
What to Expect
Activity Level 3
To make the most of what each locale has to offer, this active program is at times physically demanding and busy, with some early departures from the hotels and activities scheduled throughout the day. While we will maintain a moderate pace throughout the program, participants should be fit, in active good health, and able to keep up with the group without assistance from tour staff. The itinerary offers a deep dive into the history, culture, geology, and stunning natural landscapes of the Atacama Desert and southern Patagonia. You will experience stays at two renowned Explora luxury lodges in Chile. Daily guided excursions at each Explora lodge include a variety of half-day and full-day options, such as hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Walks typically last about one mile, sometimes over uneven terrain, with longer distances available at your discretion. Some buildings will not have elevators, and you will occasionally encounter steps without handrails. In San Pedro de Atacama, where we spend three nights, the altitude is approximately 8,200 feet, with some excursions reaching up to 14,450 feet. Many participants on this program will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness, including headache, fatigue, and insomnia; a few may experience more severe symptoms. Please note that higher altitudes can exacerbate health issues you may already have. In southern Patagonia, altitude will not be an issue, as the lodge is just 150 feet above sea level. All reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate special diets and treatment, but medical service and treatment are generally not at the level found in the U.S. Travel will be by regularly scheduled jet aircraft, private motorcoaches or vans, which is the only time you must participate in the scheduled activities. Due to the remote locations, we suggest all participants obtain a medical evacuation insurance policy. We are sure you will be pleased with the exciting educational program provided, but we want you to be aware of the pace and activity level.
To make the most of what each locale has to offer, this active program is at times physically demanding and busy, with some early departures from the hotels and activities scheduled throughout the day. While we will maintain a moderate pace throughout the program, participants should be fit, in active good health, and able to keep up with the group without assistance from tour staff. The itinerary offers a deep dive into the history, culture, geology, and stunning natural landscapes of the Atacama Desert and southern Patagonia. You will experience stays at two renowned Explora luxury lodges in Chile. Daily guided excursions at each Explora lodge include a variety of half-day and full-day options, such as hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Walks typically last about one mile, sometimes over uneven terrain, with longer distances available at your discretion. Some buildings will not have elevators, and you will occasionally encounter steps without handrails. In San Pedro de Atacama, where we spend three nights, the altitude is approximately 8,200 feet, with some excursions reaching up to 14,450 feet. Many participants on this program will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness, including headache, fatigue, and insomnia; a few may experience more severe symptoms. Please note that higher altitudes can exacerbate health issues you may already have. In southern Patagonia, altitude will not be an issue, as the lodge is just 150 feet above sea level. All reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate special diets and treatment, but medical service and treatment are generally not at the level found in the U.S. Travel will be by regularly scheduled jet aircraft, private motorcoaches or vans, which is the only time you must participate in the scheduled activities. Due to the remote locations, we suggest all participants obtain a medical evacuation insurance policy. We are sure you will be pleased with the exciting educational program provided, but we want you to be aware of the pace and activity level.
