Wildlife and Landscapes of the High Andes: Northern Chile & Bolivia. December 2026

Day notes

Reception at Santiago’s airport and transfer to the Hotel.

Ola Santiago Providencia is a modern, well-located hotel in the Providencia district, close to restaurants, shops and green spaces. Comfortable rooms and a relaxed atmosphere make it a convenient base before and after travelling north, with easy access to the city and airport connections.

In the afternoon, visit the city of Santiago to see the historic centre, Santa Lucia Hill, the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and the Government Palace “La Moneda” (exterior). Continuation along the main avenues crossing the Forestal Park towards the bohemian neighbourhood of Bellavista where the Cerro San Cristóbal is located, which can be accessed to the top by a panoramic bus or funicular to obtain a beautiful view of the city and the Andes mountains.

Later, visit the modern part of Santiago, where the residential neighbourhoods with beautiful buildings, commercial and financial centers are located.

Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day notes

Arica → Putre (Altiplano route via Lluta Valley / Socoroma)
Altitude range today: approx. 0 m – 3,500 m (overnight in Putre around 3,500 m)

Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for a flight to Arica.

We will make a brief visit to the city of Arica, including its beaches, the San Marcos Cathedral and the House of Culture, both designed by Gustave Eiffel, as well as the historic Morro de Arica. We will also visit the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa, which houses an important exhibition on the Chinchorro culture—renowned for developing the world’s oldest known mummification techniques—alongside pre-Columbian art.

We then continue our journey into the Altiplano, visiting the geoglyphs of the Lluta Valley, Poconchile, and the Quebrada de Cardones, known for its candelabra cacti. We also explore the Pukara of Copaquilla and Zapahuira, followed by a short walk (approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour) along an ancient path to the foothills village of Socoroma, where we can appreciate the agricultural terraces and the village church.

A picnic lunch will be enjoyed en route.

Tonight we stay at Hotel Qantati.  A small, characterful hotel set in the heart of Putre, designed in a traditional Andean style using local materials. Rooms are simple but comfortable, well-suited to high-altitude stays, and the hotel offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere ideal for acclimatisation in the Altiplano

Day notes

Putre → Surire / Isluga → Colchane
Altitude range today: approx. 3,500 m – 4,300 m (high Altiplano sections typically 4,100–4,300 m)

Breakfast at the hotel.

We set out on a full-day journey through the high Andes, travelling across a series of protected areas including Las Vicuñas National Reserve, Surire National Monument, Lauca National Park, and Isluga National Park. This remote region is characterised by wide open plains, volcanic landscapes and high-altitude wetlands that support populations of vicuñas, as well as a rich variety of Andean birdlife.

Along the way, we stop in the small highland villages of Ancuta and Guallatiri, the latter located at the base of the active Guallatiri Volcano, which dominates the surrounding landscape.

We continue to the Surire Salt Flats, an important high-altitude wetland and a key breeding and feeding area for flamingos, offering excellent opportunities to observe these birds in a striking natural setting.

A picnic lunch is enjoyed at the Polloquere Hot Springs, with open views across the salt flats and surrounding mountains. In the afternoon, we visit the traditional Andean communities of Enquelga and Isluga, as well as the nearby Aravilla Lagoon, before arriving in Colchane in the early evening.

Inka Thaki, Colchane is a modest lodge-style accommodation in a remote border town, offering practical comfort after a long day crossing the high Andes. Rooms are basic but warm, providing a quiet overnight stop before continuing deeper into the Altiplano.

Day notes

Colchane → Pisiga (border) → Coipasa Salt Flat → Tahua, Boliva
Altitude range today: approx. 3,650 m – 3,800 m (Coipasa Salt Flat around 3,650–3,660 m).

After breakfast at the hostel, we transfer to Pisiga, located on the Chile–Bolivia border, where border formalities are completed and vehicles are changed before continuing into Bolivia.

From here, we travel across the high plateau to the Coipasa Salt Flat (3,600m), one of Bolivia’s largest and least-visited salt flats. Its vast white expanse is punctuated by an impressive central island, rising abruptly from the salt crust and creating a dramatic contrast with the surrounding landscape.

A box lunch is enjoyed en route as we continue across this remote region of the Altiplano, where it is common to see flocks of sheep and llamas grazing in the open plains and small settlements scattered across the landscape.

We then continue onward to the small lakeside village of Tahua, located on the edge of the salt flat, arriving later in the day.

Takya de Sal is a unique lodge built largely from salt blocks, located on the edge of the Coipasa Salt Flat. The setting is dramatic and remote, with wide views across the salt crust and surrounding volcanoes. The property combines simple comfort with a strong sense of place and isolation

Day notes

ahua → Chiquini → Campanas area → San Pedro de Quemes
Altitude range today: approx. 3,650 m – 4,200 m (overnight in San Pedro de Quemes around 3,900 m)

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue our expedition to the small Andean settlement of Chiquini, where we visit the Cave and Cathedral of Chiquini, a striking natural rock formation revered locally for its cultural and spiritual significance.

Lunch is enjoyed en route as we travel across the high plateau. In the afternoon, the journey continues towards Campanas Island and the Campanas Volcano (4,200m), stopping at a panoramic viewpoint that offers wide-ranging views across the surrounding Altiplano landscape.

We then continue on to San Pedro de Quemes, arriving later in the day for the evening and overnight stay.

Takya de Piedra is a stone-built lodge designed to blend into the high-altitude desert environment. Warm communal areas and comfortable rooms offer a welcome retreat after days exploring the Bolivian Altiplano, with an emphasis on shelter, warmth and local character

Day notes

San Pedro de Quemes → Ojo de Perdiz (lagoons route)
Altitude range today: approx. 3,900 m – 4,600 m (overnight in Ojo de Perdiz around 4,550 m).

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue to Pueblo Quemado, known for its striking stone formations, and on to Pueblo Refugio, which offers commanding views of the Ollagüe Volcano, one of the most prominent active volcanoes on the Bolivian–Chilean border.

A picnic lunch is enjoyed en route as we travel across the open Altiplano.

In the afternoon, the journey continues to a series of high-altitude lagoons — Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas — important wetlands that support large numbers of flamingos and other birdlife, including Andean geese and gulls. These lagoons are framed by volcanoes with snow-covered summits and set within vast expanses of sand and pebbles, following remote tracks rather than defined roads.

The surrounding desert landscapes display a rich palette of terracotta tones — reds, oranges, ochres, bronzes, browns and beiges — creating a visually striking and ever-changing environment.

We arrive at the hotel in Ojo de Perdiz later in the day. Takya del Desierto is a remote desert lodge in one of the most isolated parts of the Altiplano. Accommodation is simple but cosy, designed to provide warmth and rest at a very high altitude. Its location makes it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding lagoons and desert landscapes.

Day notes

Day 8 – Ojo de Perdiz → Sol de Mañana / Polques / Laguna Verde → Hito Cajón → San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Altitude range today: approx. 2,400 m – 4,900 m (Sol de Mañana around 4,850–4,900 m; overnight in San Pedro around 2,400 m).

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart early towards Árbol de Piedra (4,400m), a wind-sculpted rock formation resembling a tree and one of the most recognisable landmarks in the reserve.

We then continue to Laguna Colorada, the principal nesting area for Andean flamingos. The lagoon’s striking red-pink tones are created by algae and plankton activated by sunlight and wind, giving both the water and the flamingos their distinctive colouring.

From here, we travel to the Sol de Mañana Geysers, a highly active geothermal field and the highest point of the day’s route, where cold temperatures are common. Steaming fumaroles, bubbling pools and mud pots in shades of red, grey and ochre dominate this dramatic volcanic landscape.

The journey continues across the Chalviri Desert and Salt Flat, a scenic area where snow-capped peaks, ochre desert plains, blue water and white borax deposits combine to create striking colour contrasts. At the edge of this area, there is an opportunity to bathe in the Polques Hot Springs.

As we move onward, we pass through the Las Damas del Desierto Valley, a vast wind-shaped landscape of sculpted rock formations set against the backdrop of the Andean peaks. Leaving the valley behind, we visit Laguna Verde, located at the base of the Licancabur Volcano, where a picnic lunch is enjoyed with views across the high-altitude lake.

In the afternoon, we continue to the Hito Cajón border between Bolivia and Chile. After completing border formalities and changing vehicles, we descend into Chile and continue to San Pedro de Atacama (2,400m), arriving in the evening.

La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama is a well-established and comfortable hotel set within walking distance of San Pedro de Atacama’s centre. Built in traditional adobe style, it offers a relaxed garden setting, good facilities and a comfortable base for exploring the Atacama Desert.

Day notes

San Pedro de Quemes → Santiago                                                                                                                                                                      Altitude range today: approx. 2,400 m – 570 m (San Pedro de Atacama to Santiago).

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer at the agreed time to Calama Airport (approximately 1.5 hours by road) in time to board the return flight to Santiago.

On arrival in Santiago, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the evening and overnight stay.

Day notes

Transfer to Santiago international airport for flights home.