The Northern part is an excellent part to explore by a 4 wheel-drive pick up truck, go off the beaten tracks by bike and go camping in area’s where nobody is around. That is why we from SWA created this "Off the beaten track" tour for people who want to travel individual and explore the northern part of Chile in a unique and independent way by going off the beaten tracks. This self-guided tours is an excellent way to transfer yourself to the north of Chile from where you can easily enter Peru and Bolivia.
We provide you the car, the mountain bike and the tent, the only thing you have to do is set up your tent on an amazing spot in the dry lands of Northern Chile. Learn about the process of making the famous local drink Pisco in Valle del Elqui. Watch the stars in the observatory located in this valley and observe one of the clearest skies in the world. You can also spot some great wildlife, make your way into the sea by boat, searching for dolphins and Humboldt penguins in Punta de Choros, or relax in Bahia Inglesa, one of the most beautiful beach in Chile. Visit national parks like Park National Pan de Azucar and Parque Nacional Volcan de Isluga with its hot natural baths. And of course one of the highlights, San Pedro de Atacama surrounded by lakes, flamingos, geysers and volcanoes. Go and experience Northern Chile in this unique way, discover Petroglyphs and enjoy the unspoiled natural scenery. You will end the trip in the most Northern city of Arica where you can relax on the beach, watch the sea lions or try to catch some waves with your surfboard.
* Please note that for this tour a driver license and minimum age of 21 is required.
Tour Itinerary:
Days 1-2: Arrival Santiago. You will be picked up from the airport in Santiago and transferred to your hotel. Your You can spend two days to explore the friendly and lively capital of Chile. Santiago is a very cozy city, and you wouldn’t say that 6 million people are living there. You will stay in a lovely family owned bed and breakfast, which shows you the coziness and friendliness of the Chileans. Surrounded by the Andes, Santiago offers great opportunities to escape to one of the many natural areas just one hour out of Santiago, to relax or to do some great outdoor adventure.
Day 3: Valparaiso - Vina del Mar. In the morning it is time for you to pick up your car, bikes and camping equipment (when you didn’t bring it yourself). They will be your buddy for the next 15 days and will bring you all the way up to Arica, Chiles most Northern big city. Your first stop will be in Valparaiso known as "the jewel of the Pacific" and famous for its funiculars which transport you up into the hills from where there are always spectacular views. You can visit the port, the financial district, the squares and the monuments. By taking a walk on Concepción Hill you will have the chance to discover the small alleys and appreciate the city’s views which make Valparaíso so special. If you have time left you can head towards Vina del Mar, a famous beach spot for Chileans and Argentineans. The night you will stay in a cozy hostel in Valparaiso.
Days 4-5: Valle del Elqui. A beautiful long drive will take you from Valparaiso to Valle del Elqui, during this drive you will see the landscape slightly changing in a dessert landscape with cactus. On your way you will have the chance to stop in La Serena, the second oldest city of Chile. Characterized by the beautiful architecture and long beaches. Valle del Elqui is a special place of Chile. The area is famous for it’s stars and Pisco and beautiful nature, and you will be able to explore the valley in many ways. You can use your bikes to explore it, or you can rent a horse and see the valley from a different perspective. At the night you can visit the Mamalluca observatory, you will be able to see the purest and cleanest skies of the planet. Visit also the "Mistral" Pisco Distillery where you can indulge in some pisco tasting, sampling two different types of pisco and a pisco sour, as well as seeing how pisco is produced. You will stay 2 nights in a beautiful cabana located in Valle del Elqui, in your own little bungalow you can cook yourself a nice meal or making a Chilean BBQ with the famous Pisco from the region.
Days 6-7: Punta Choros. Punta Choros is a marvelous place to discover the fauna of the area, a famous place for wildlife viewers. The sea is characterized by colonies of the botlle nose dolphins, humboldt penguins and chungungons (sea otters). With it’s beautiful beaches and many small islands, this is the perfect place for you to get your tent out of the back of the car and start camping. Many camping spots are in the area and there are even possibilities to camp at Isla Damas.
Day 8: Bahia Inglesa. In the beautiful seaside resort Bahia Inglesa many nice campsites can be found as well. It is characterized by white beaches and crystal-clear turquoise water. It is a perfect area to get your bike out of the truck and go explore the off the beaten tracks.
Days 9-10: Pan de Azucar. The coming next two days you have the opportunity to camp in the National Parque Pan de Azucar. Here you have the chance to meet the see lions, penguins, Pelicans and the Humboldt Penguins. Pan de Azucar is a perfect place for camping on the beach. Take a trip to Los Lomas, where you can find more than 20 species of cacti and foxes are spotted as well. This is a great place to get your mountain bike out and explore.
Day 11: Antofagasta. After 5 days camping you will stay a little more comfortably in the hostel in Antofagasta. Antofagasta is the most important harbor city of Chile, and also the capital of Región
Antofagasta. Until 1883 the city belonged to Bolivia.
Days 12-14: San Pedro de Atacama. From this little dessert village you can visit the Tatio Geysers. Located 4,300m above sea level, these columns of steam rise to a height of 50m and are surrounded by amazing colorful scenery. The area is home to many animal species including the Vicuña, a type of South American camelid, which is very well adapted to living in these harsh conditions. The geysers have been formed by Andes melt water filtering through the Earth’s crust to the hot core where on coming into contact with the magma, it boils and becomes steam which rises back to the surface and forms steam columns and hot springs. You can paddle in the cool stream before continuing your journey to the great Salar de Atacama where you can visit the Chaxa Lagoon, part of the Flamingo National Reserve. Geological studies have suggested that this great salar is the most important lithium reserve in the world, holding about 40% of the world’s lithium. And as the name already indicates, a lot of Flamingos can be found in this park.
Note: In San Pedro de Atacama excursions are recommended. Excursions can be arranged in advance by SWA.
Day 15: Iquique. Iquique is an historical city in the Tarapaca region. In Iquique y can the historic Spanish Casino (1904) built in the Moorish style and with attractive interior decoration. On returning to the Plaza Prat you can visit the Clock Tower (1877) and the Municipal Theater (1889). Walking along Baquedano Street you can see the former residences of the families who made their money from the nitrate boom with their Greek revival and Georgian architecture. A few blocks from the Plaza Prat is the Regional Museum which has an interesting archeological display including some mummies from the Chinchorro culture. Further you can visit the Astoreca Palace, an important residence built in 1904. Today it is a Cultural Center managed by the Arturo Prat University. You can finish your day in Iquique on the outskirts of town passing through the duty free zone (ZOFRI) with a visit to the monument dedicated to the sailors who died in the Naval Battle of Iquique.
Day 16: Parque Nacional volcano Isluga. Parque Nacional Volcan Isluga is located in the first región of Chile. The park is characterized by a huge differentiation in relief. The highest mountains in the park are between the 5200m and 5400m including the Isluga Volcanoe with a high of 5218. Other must sees in the park are the spas and geysers, which can reach upto 85 ºC. You have the choice to stay in one of the refugios in the park, or you can choose for camping at Camping Aguas Calientes with its natural warm steaming thermal baths.
Days 17-18: Arica. Your last stop will be in Arica, this beautiful beach resort gives you the chance to relax a bit and look back on an amazing road trip from Santiago to the most Northern place of Chile. You can watch the pelicans eating fish and the sea lions chilling in the harbor. From here you can plan to go further into South America and cross the border to Peru or Bolivia.
Note: Required comfortable shoes for walking, warm clothing for cold nights, clothing for hot days, sun block, sun glasses, hat, swimsuit, camping equipment, cycling clothing, driver license, credit card, minimum age of 21.
Tourism Policy:
- We believe in generating incomes for local communities by visiting locally owned restaurants and shops. We also try to use local guides where possible
- During our trips and expeditions we encourage our clients to act responsibly and respect the local community, which in turn will help them to gain a greater understanding and insight of the local customs
- We choose to use campsites owned and managed by local communities
- We work in conjunction with our partners on the ground to implement the highest standards
- We always take economic, environmental and cultural factors into account when considering new
destinations
- We aim to ensure that our type and scale of tourism is appropriate to the local conditions and operates within the limits set by the local community with regards to its infrastructure and capacity
for receiving visitors
- We aim to take responsibility for maintaining and, if possible, improving the natural environment
- We aim to minimize our impact on the atmosphere and local water systems during our expeditions
and day treks
- We always aim to take all our litter home
- We aim to give environmental and economic considerations equal weight
- We will provide our staff with regular and ongoing training about the principles and practices of
responsible tourism
- We provide our guides with instructions on how to act in the natural environment, encourage them to teach these guidelines to our clients during our tours
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Prices:
Price based on 2 persons - 2049$ per person
Price based on 3 persons - 1559$ per person
Price based on 4 persons - 1319$ per person
Price Includes:
- 1 airport transfer Santiago
- 2 nights in Bed and Breakfast Santiago, inclusive breakfast
- 1 night Hostal Alecon Fine, Valparaiso
- 2 nights Cabana El Almedral, Valle del Elqui
- 1 night Hotel Isla Capri, Antofagasta
- 2 nights hostal Florida, San Pedro de Atacama
- 2 nights Arica Surf House, Arica
- Car Rental 15 days
- Drop off costs car Arica
- Mountain bike rental 15 days
- Bike return costs Arica
- Maintenance pack bike
Price excludes: Bike insurance, car insurance, camping equipment return costs, breakfast (except Santiago), camp site charges, gas,
petrol.
Also see tour packages in:
South America
Chile
Self Drive
Desert Expeditions
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