6-day Atacama Desert & Southern Sky Post-Tour Add-On
 
 

Optional Post-Tour Package
July 13 – July 18, 2010

  
 
 
 

Do not miss this rare opportunity to visit Cerro Paranal to see the
European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope for a stargazer's dream!

  
 
 
 

Chile’s immense Atacama Desert is one of the sunniest places on Earth. This region is so dry that some regions haven’t had measurable rainfall in more than 20 years! Despite this desolation, lush oases dot the region, allowing life to spring forth. The oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama, at an elevation of almost 2286 meters (7500 feet) above sea level and at 23° south latitude, is the perfect base for our 3 nights of deep southern stargazing under extremely dark skies. The geologic and cultural sites you will experience during this journey are amazing. Add to this a very special visit to Cerro Paranal to see the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope — a quartet of 8.2-meter (27-foot) reflectors — located outside the city of Antofagasta and you have a stargazer’s dream add-on to your Easter Island eclipse!

  
     
 
   
  OVERVIEW
  Day 1 Tue July 13, 2010   Easter Island - Santiago  
  Day 2 Wed July 14   Calama - San Pedro de Atacama  
  Day 3 Thu July 15   San Pedro de Atacama - Death Valley and Valley of the Moon  
  Day 4 Fri July 16   El Tatio Geysers - Puritama Hot Springs  
  Day 5 Sat July 17   ESO Very Large Telescope - Antofagasta  
  Day 6 Sun July 18   Antofagasta - Santiago - Onward  
               
 
     
  Day 1  Tuesday, July 13, 2010                                                                                                           No Meals
Easter Island - Santiago		  
 

Upon arrival in Santiago from Easter Island, we will walk across the street to our airport hotel. The balance of the evening is on your own.

  
 

Overnight: Holiday Inn Express, Santiago Airport

  
     
 

Day 2  Wed, July 14                                                                                        Breakfast Aloft / Lunch / Dinner
 Calama - San Pedro de Atacama

  
  Early this morning we will transfer to the Santiago airport for our flight north to Calama where we will transfer to the oasis village town of San Pedro de Atacama and the Hotel Altiplanico. At an elevation of almost 7500 Ft. above sea level, San Pedro is known for its charm, relaxed atmosphere, and picturesque streets lined with colorful adobe buildings featuring excellent shops, restaurants, and cantinas. With only 10,000 inhabitants and hardly any nighttime lighting, San Pedro is the ideal base for stargazing and f   or exploring the Atacama Desert.
 
    This afternoon, you will visit the Village of Toconao, where you see its beautiful church and bell tower and can buy unique local handicrafts, Continuing on, you will visit the Atacama Salt Flat and Flamingoes Reserve. This massive irregular salt pan has many small lagoons that attract beautiful pink flamingoes, quite a site to behold!
 
    After freshening up at the hotel we will depart for Ayllu de Poconche, where we’ll have dinner and our first evening of dark sky stargazing.		  
 

Overnight: Hotel Altiplanico (3 nights)

  
     
  Day 3  Thu, July 15                                                                                                   Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
San Pedro de Atacama - Death Valley and Valley of the Moon		  
  After a leisurely breakfast join us for a walking tour of San Pedro de Atacama, including visits to the town plaza, church and archaeological museum.
 
    This afternoon you will take an amazing journey through the Salt Mountain Range to view enormous mineral sculptures formed by wind and rain. One stop will be at the viewpoint of the Death Valley, with its impressive landscape unique variety of geological formations. Continuing on, we’ll stop for sunset amidst the lunar landscape of Valley of the Moon.
 
    After dinner at the hotel we’ll travel to Solor House (the family house of the Hotel Altiplanico) for stargazing.		  
     
 

Days 4  Fri, July 16                                                                                                   Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
El Tatio Geysers - Puritama Hot Springs

  
 

Rising before dawn we’ll depart for sunrise at El Tatio, believed to be the highest geyser field in the world at 4,125 meters (13,600 ft.) above sea level. Huge plumes of steam spout from the ground tens of meters into the air. Geothermal ponds, encrusted with richly colored mineral deposits, eerily resemble a painter’s palette, while in the background, soaring snowy peaks loom against a metallic-blue sky. It is a sublime spectacle. After a picnic breakfast we’ll travel back towards San Pedro, stopping for lunch and a swim at the Puritama thermal baths. These volcanic hot springs are beautifully maintained and set in a deep canyon with surprisingly lush foliage. We’ll return to the hotel in the mid-afternoon.
 
    After dinner we will return to Solor House for our last evening of stargazing.

  
        
  Day 5  Sat, July 17                                                                                                    Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
ESO Very Large Telescopt - Antofagasta		  
 

After breakfast and checkout we will board our chartered motorcoach for a journey through the Atacama Desert to the European Southern Observatory atop Cerro Paranal. Located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of the seaside city of Antofagasta and 12 km inland from the Pacific Coast, Paranal stands 2,635 meters (8,775 feet) high. The mountain was chosen as the site for ESO’s Very Large Telescope, a quartet of 8.2-meter (27-foot) reflectors, because of its remoteness from the dust and lights of civilization and its excellent atmospheric conditions. During our visit we’ll learn how astronomers link the VLT’s four reflectors together to act as a single 16.4-meter-diameter telescope. After our afternoon tour and picnic lunch at Paranal we’ll continue to our hotel in Antofagasta.

  
 

Overnight: Radisson Hotel, Antofagasta

 
     
  Day 6  Sun, July 18                                                                                                                Breakfast / Lunch
Antofagasta - Santiago - Onward		  
 

After breakfast and checkout we’ll take a tour of Antofagasta, its scenic shoreline, and a special visit to the Tropic of Capricorn monument. After lunch, we’ll arrive at the Antofagasta airport for our late afternoon flight for Santiago, arriving in time for international flight connections onward.

 
     
  Important Notice: We will travel to elevations as high as 4,125 meters (13,600 ft.) above sea level. This is HIGH ALTITUDE. There can be short- and long-term effects of spending time at high altitudes. It is each traveler’s responsibility to confirm with their personal physician that they are fit to undertake this trip.  
     
  Trip Cost  
     
 

$2480 USD per person, based on two people sharing a room. Add $500 for single occupancy.

  
     
  Trip Includes  
     
 

  • Economy air transportation Santiago-Calama and Antofagasta-Santiago

  • Private charter bus transportation throughout the Atacama Desert

  • 5 nights hotel accommodations as noted in itinerary

  • All meals as noted in itinerary

  • Services of a local English-speaking guide

  • Admission fees to all National Parks and Museums

  
      
  Not Included  
     
  Unspecified meals; alcoholic beverages; tips to driver and guides; and items of a personal nature – laundry, phone calls, travel insurance, etc.  
     
  Payments & Terms  
     
 

An $800 USD per person advance payment (payable by MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express cards or by check drawn on a US bank) confirms your space. The balance is due March 6, 2010. We reserve the right to treat a reservation as cancelled if payments are not received when due.

  
     
  Cancellations  
     
  Cancellations must be made in writing by email, fax or mail. All advance payments, less a $500 per person cancellation fee, are refundable until October 6, 2009. From October 7 to December 31, 2009, there will be a $700 per person cancellation fee. There are no refunds after December 31, 2009. We highly recommend that all travelers obtain Trip Cancellation/Medical Insurance.