From the cosmopolitan capital of Santiago, to the stunning mountain side vineyards of Colchagua and the unique landscapes in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile boasts some unforgettable highlights. Add to this mysterious Easter Island, one of the most isolated places on earth endowed with the striking moai statues, this 14 day magical tour offers the very best this region has to offer.
Depart on your scheduled flight to Santiago.
Dinner
On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax, unwind and unpack.
Breakfast
Set against a spectacular backdrop of snow-covered Andean peaks, Santiago’s sparkling skyscrapers run amidst leafy neighbourhoods and peaceful parks. This morning's tour of Santiago takes you through the city's historic heart of the downtown area to the Plaza de Armas, centre of the city’s old colonial core and home to the impressive 18th-century government palace. The provincial Santa Lucia Hill where Spanish conquistadors founded the city, and is now adorned with wonderful facade, fountains, and stairways affording far-reaching views over the city and mountains beyond.
Breakfast & Lunch
Today you will journey south along the Pan American highway, through the central valley to Colchagua Valley. Surrounded by majestic mountains, you’ll pass through sun-scorched terrain, rolling hills, and idyllic vineyards. Discover where some of the country's very best red wines are produced. Located in one of the New World's finest wine regions, enjoy some samples of award-winning cabernet sauvignons and wonderfully rounded merlots before returning to your hotel.
Breakfast
Today you’ll fly to Calama in the Atacama Desert. Occupying a 1000-kilometre strip of land west of the Andes, Chile’s Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth. The resulting eerie landscapes are beautiful, boasting unique and unworldly visits like nowhere else on Earth. On arrival, transfer to the oasis town of San Pedro, and later this afternoon, climb the sweeping dunes of the Moon Valley to watch the mesmerising sunset.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning travel to the incredible Salar de Atacama. Chile's largest salt flat is an immense expanse of thick salt clusters, one of the world’s largest lithium reserves, and home to many native bird species. Cross the crunchy crystalline edge of this immense basin to the Chaxa Lagoon, where dozens of flamingos forage in the mineral rich waters. Next, the nearby Miscanti and Menique Lagoons, with their intense blue-coloured waters, the shimmering lagoons are located at the base of impressive snow-capped volcanoes and command incredible views over the unique landscape. After lunch, return to San Pedro for the rest of the day at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Rise before dawn to drink your morning coffee at the world’s highest geothermal field. Situated some 4,300 metres above sea level in the Andean mountain range, the dramatic craters of Tatio Geysers are one of the regions true marvels. Ringed by volcanoes, over 80 gurgling geysers awake early, forcing fumaroles in multiple vibrant colours high into the air as rays of sunshine pierce the columns of white steam. Arriving back in San Pedro, the rest of the afternoon will be at leisure for you to rest or further explore the town at your own pace.
Breakfast
Today, transfer to Calama airport for your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, you will be met and taken to your airport hotel.
Breakfast
Departing mainland Chile, fly to Easter Island, a tiny island formed from volcanic rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Known as Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian settlers, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the most remote inhabited island in the world.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Head south along the coast to discover the mysteries surrounding the island that have fascinated travellers and scholars for centuries. Today visit Ahu Tongariki, the island's largest Ahu (shrine) with 15 imposing moai statues that have become synonymous with Easter Island itself. The meaning and creation surrounding these sublime works of art have sparked a lively debate for centuries. Carved out of volcanic rock between the 11th & 14th Centuries on a scale seen nowhere else on Earth. The tour concludes at the beautiful beach of Anakena where you can take a refreshing swim in the Pacific Ocean's warm waters before heading back to your hotel.
Breakfast & Lunch
This morning drive up the extinct Rano Kau volcano with magnificent panoramic views of the whole island. Discover the ceremonial village where indigenous kings were once chosen following a gruelling competition. This afternoon, venture out to explore some more shrines and archaeological sites including Hanga Poukhura where toppled moai reveal tales of ancient battles.
Breakfast
Today has been left as a day of leisure for you to relax at your hotel or further explore the surrounding areas at your own pace.
Breakfast
Return to Santiago by flight and transfer to your hotel.
Breakfast
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to the UK.
Your flight lands back in the UK today.
Use discount code TOUR200 at the checkout to save £200 per person on selected tours departing in January 2026, February 2026 and May 2026
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The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. Across South America we use a number of airlines for internal flights and they are subject to frequent changes. For this reason we have indicated approximate times of departure on days where an internal flight is required. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
To enter Chile, your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ after the day you plan to leave Chile. You can visit Chile for up to 90 days without a visa.
The Chilean immigration authorities will give you a tourist card (‘tarjeta de turismo’), an A5-sized white form. Keep it safe and give it to immigration when you leave the country.
To Enter Easter Island you are required to complete a Rapa Nui Entry form. Our representatives in Chile can assist you with completing the form. It must be completed before you depart on your flight to Easter Island.
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
Altitude Sickness Altitude sickness is a fairly common condition that can occur when you ascend to a high altitude (generally higher than 2,500 metres above sea level) quickly. The decrease in atmospheric pressure can make breathing more difficult as the body is not able to take in as much oxygen. Most cases are mild with symptoms that can include: a headache, nausea, dizziness and exhaustion. Several places in Chile are located at high altitudes (over 2,500 metres above sea level). Therefore, you may find you experience some symptoms at this altitude. It is advised that at these high altitudes, you keep hydrated and avoid alcohol. If you begin to experience symptoms of altitude sickness during your tour, ensure you tell your guide immediately who will be able to advise the best thing for you to do. You can contact your GP before you travel for advice on medication for altitude sickness.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves full days of sightseeing often on foot and on a number of excursions there are climbing of steep steps and getting on/off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in Chile is the Chilean Peso (CLP), We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. Banks and post offices in the UK generally don’t keep Chilean pesos in stock so it’s best to pre-order if you wish to take cash with you. Major credit and debit cards are accepted are widely accepted in hotels and larger shops/restaurants.
ATMs and exchange bureaus in larger cities will offer the best exchange rate. Try to carry smaller denominations of pesos with you when heading to rural areas because you may struggle to find vendors with enough change. ATMs in rural areas also regularly run out of cash, so plan ahead
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £500-£600 should be sufficient for the duration of your tour.
Tipping is a common practice in South America and it is customary to tip approx. USD$3-$5 per person per day which is split between the driver and the local guide. Tips can be given at the end of each day, or at the end of the tour. Tips are accepted in US dollars and local currency.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 30. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is an escorted tour, where we use local expert guides in each city. At times you will also be guided by a local specialist in some of the areas you visit.
For groups of 7 people or less you will have an English speaking Driver Guide or a Driver and Local/Monument Guides in each city.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. Triple Rooms are available, but please note that these are on a request basis and the 3rd bed is a “rollaway” bed and may reduce the overall floorspace of the room. Where an international flight arrives during early morning, we will endeavour to provide an Early Check In to your hotel, this is subject to availability. The usual hotel check in time is from 2pm onwards.
Meals will be provided as per the detailed itinerary. When included Breakfast will be of western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner when included will be a local restaurants or at your hotel, giving the opportunity to experience a variety of dishes and local flavours. For those days when dinner is not included your guide will be able to offer recommendations if you wish.
Vegetarian and Vegan meals can be catered for. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
It is important to note that drinking the tap water, even in developed counties, may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way as the UK. On your arrival into Chile, you will be given a reusable bottle to carry with you throughout your tour, filtered water will be available throughout your tour for you to refill your bottle.
Upon arrival at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, you will be met after exiting baggage claim and Customs by a Southbound representative holding a Mercury sign who will assist with your transfer to the hotel. Should you have difficulty locating the guide, please wait at “La Pica Restaurant” opposite the main exit between gates 3 and 4.
To ensure you meet the correct representative, always ask them to confirm your name; authorized guides will have it on their list. If in doubt, call Southbound Travel at (+56 9) 9639 1191 for assistance.
If you need to contact Southbound Travel during your stay the details are: Southbound Travel - Address: Cowork Latam Apoquindo Avenue 2930, Las Condes - Santiago-Chile Contact number - Operations Department: 00 562 2241 1049
Emergency contact information Please find below the emergency contact details for Southbound Travel in Chile: Telephone 24 hour: 00 569 9639 1191 E-mail: emergency@southbound.travel
