Andean Circle 10 Days / 9 Nights

Day 01: Salta

Upon arrival in Salta, our bilingual tour guide will pick you up from the airport and transport you to your hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a private city tour on foot. The city tour will help you become more familiar with the city of Salta, which was founded in 1582 and it still bears it’s distinct Hispanic character;  setting it apart from other cities in the country.

The tour begins when our guide picks passengers up at hotel and starts the walk to the 9 de Julio main square. In the main square we will have an opportunity to appreciate the most important buildings located around it. Passengers will continue through the Caseros St. until reaching San Francisco’s Church, where they will be able to visit it. Later, the tour will continue to San Bernardo Convent, the oldest building in the City.  From this point, passengers will walk until the cable car station in San Martin Park, to continue to the San Bernardo hill. The San Bernardo hill chair lift ticket is included in your tour. Once at the top, we will be able to enjoy a panoramic view of the City as well as the entire Lerma Valley, where Salta is located.

Day 02: Salta

Today is a day of leisure. You may ask for optional tours. We suggest taking part of a regular a excursion (see options below).

Day 03: Huamahuaca

After breakfast, we will depart on a shared excursion to Humahuaca Gorge. On the way to Humahuaca, the tour passes by different villages such as, Volcán, Tumbaya and Maimará, with their “Paleta del Pintor” (Painter’s Palette).  We will stop briefly in Purmamarca, a famous village well known for the “Cerro de los Siete Colores” (Seven Colors Hill), where you will have time to visit the handcraft market and to walk around the village itself. We will then continue to Tilcara, where we will visit an Archaeological Museum and the “Pucará”, amazing indigenous ruins (note: entrance fee is not included). We then continue the trip, passing by the villages of Huacalera and Uquía, until we finally arriving to Humahuaca. Humahuaca is an ancient picturesque village, where we will have free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we will offer time for own exploration or short hikes with our guide.

Day 04: Humahuaca – Villazon – Uyuni

After breakfast, we will take a bus to La Quiaca with a guide from Argentina. Upon arrival to La Quiaca, the guide will bring you close to the border, where you will then go through immigration and cross it on your own. Once you make it through all the immigration & customs processes, you will meet your Bolivian guide who will take you to the train to Uyuni. Upon arrival in Uyuni you will be taken to your hotel.

Day 05: Uyuni – Colchani – Pucara de Ayque – Uyuni

Today, the trip to Colchani will show you how the natives produce salt. The visit to the great Uyuni salt flats on the Incahuasi Island is a special habitat of volcanic rocks and giant cactus. Continue northwards to see the Pucara de Ayque fort and the nearby chullpares on the foothills of the Thunupa Volcano. Then travel back to Uyuni.

Day 06: Uyuni Salt flats – Villamar

Morning trip towards the south crossing of the salt flats. Leaving them behind once in the village of Chuvica, to then, enter the highlands and small branches of the western range. Pass the villages of San Juan and San Agustin until reaching the rich high valley of Alota. We will continue southwards, with the great stone formations produced by the erosion, to finally reach Villamar.

Day 07: Villamar – San Pedro de Atacama

This will be a LONG DAY! Early departure to the Eduardo Avaroa reserve (REA), going through Polques and visiting the Laguna Colorada (4,278m). The Laguna Colorada has been declared a RAMSAR site, “Sol de Mañana” geysers, where natural hot springs of Polques sit. Continue through the high desert of Pampas de Dali until “Laguna Verde”, a beautiful green lagoon at the foothills of the Licancabur Mountain. Continue to the border Hito Cajon, where we will change vehicles and continue our trip to San Pedro de Atacama (service provided with driver).

Day 08: San Pedro de Atacama – Moon Valley

You will be pick up at your hotel. We will leave San Pedro heading towards Calama.

First, we will explore the Death Valley, a mountainous and sandy valley nearby San Pedro. The Death Valley is located inside this salt mountain range, a surprising spectacle of amazing forms, hills and minerals that shine in the distance. Geologically, it corresponds to a sunken lake bottom, where the sediment stratum once horizontal have adopted a vertical position due to the folds in the crust.

Afterwards, we will continue to the Moon Valley, one of the most spectacular phenomenons in the Atacama Desert because of its geographic features of geological structures that suffered by erosion thousands of years by the climate effects. You may take an optional short hike to one of the giants and dunes in the valley.

In the evening, you will return to your hotel in San Pedro. (Note: entrance fees is not included.)

Day 09: San Pedro de Atacama

Free day for optional tours. We suggest visiting Tatio Geysers & Machuca Village. Overnight in San Pedro.

Day 10: San Pedro de Atacama

Departure day.