ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA AND CHILE
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32 DAYS
To discover the many wonders of many South American countries takes time. Here we travel through three beautiful countries that offer an incredibly diverse experience.
The highlights are Santiago, Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salta, Purmamarca, Uyuni Salt Flats, Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, Atacama and Easter Island.
South America Travel Centre will customise this itinerary to suit YOUR travel needs. Below is an amazing itinerary that should you consider we’re very confident it will be the trip of a lifetime.
Contact us to create your own personalised private tour of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.
ITINERARY SUMMARY
Days 1-3 BUENOS AIRES
Argentina’s capital has a lot to offer; many fine restaurants, some excellent street art, several very interesting street markets and of course a Tango show.
Faena Buenos Aires offers an intimate show with a good dinner. You don’t have to stay at the hotel to enjoy this experience (and it needs to be booked in advance).
Featured Accommodation
Legado Mitico
The Legado Mitico is a sophisticated, boutique hotel in the trendy neighbourhood of Palermo Soho delights its guests with its unique design and exquisite finishings. Each of their 11 suites honour the legacy of an important Argentinian (hence the name) whilst also paying homage to rustic and chic designs. A stones throw away from designer shops, hip bars and indulgent restaurants, the Legado Mitico is the perfect sanctuary in the busy city of Buenos Aires.
Days 4-5 ESTANCIA LA BAMBA DE ARECO
La Bamba de Areco is a beautiful Estancia about an hour from Buenos Aires. For part of the year the Argentine polo team is based here. This Relais & Chateaux property is one of the oldest Estancias in Argentina. Excursions on horseback, by carriage, or mountain bike, Argentinian bowls game and hot stone massages offer guests an unforgettable restful experience and an incomparable way to restore energy.
San Antonio de Areco, one of the oldest towns in Argentina, is located only 13km away and invites you to return to the eighteenth century with its narrow colonial streets, church, bars and museums.
Days 6-9 IGUASSU FALLS
In a tropical region of magnificent rainforest and deep flowing rivers in the far north-east, you’ll see the mighty Iguazu Falls. The thundering waterfalls are an incredible sight and sound sensation. 3km wide and plunging 70m into the gorge that separates Brazil and Argentina and Paraguay. You can see the wide angle view of the falls from the Brazilian side and a up-close detail from the Argentinian side
Featured Accommodation
Awasi Iguassu
Built on stilts for minimal environmental impact, the 14 villas are spread throughout the jungle, each positioned for utmost privacy but within easy distance of the main lodge. There are 13 standard villas, and 1 master villa. Each villa has a private plunge pool, and spacious living area. The master villa has a larger plunge pool and living room, allowing extra space for two couples or families. With the perfect mix of privacy in your villa, along with the opportunity to socialize at the bar and restaurant in the main lodge, Awasi Iguazú is the perfect place to enjoy the very best of the Misiones Province, Argentina. Awasi Iguazu is located on the banks of the River Iguazú, just 15 minutes from Iguazu Falls and 20 minutes from the international airport.
Days 10 – 11 SALTA
Salta gets its name from the Aymara word ‘sagta’, meaning very beautiful, and it is indeed a strikingly beautiful city with wonderful colonial architecture, museums and galleries. Today it is known as “La Linda” (the beautiful one). Located in a very fertile valley of Lerma, this city has best preserved its colonial architecture. In earlier times the valleys that surround Salta served as trails between the Alto Peru and Buenos Aires and today are still home to different Indian cultures. Nestled between the colourful mountain scenery and peaks of over 6,000m, there are many tiny Indian villages, as well as colonial churches and Inca ruins.
Featured Accommodation
House of Jasmines
Located on 100 acres of farmland at the foot of the Andes House of Jasmines is a beautiful estancia filled with charm. Minutes from the city of Salta your stay will be unique and relaxing. Spa facilities and an outdoor heated pool give you the opportunity to unwind and soak in your surroundings.
Days 12-13 PURMAMARCA
Purmamarca is a charming small town with a great local market. It’s also home to the ‘seven coloured mountains’ the drive north offers great views of the beautiful mountains.
It’s a short drive to Tilcarra, the archaeological capital of the northwest. Visit the ‘pucará’, a pre-Inca fortress which was subsequently overrun by the Inca and later the Spanish. A little further north is Humahuaca village, a great place for lunch and some last-minute handicraft shopping.
Featured Accommodation
Hotel Manantial del Silencio
El Manantial del Silencio is located 500 meters from the town of Purmamarca, on National Route 52, in the heart of the Quebrada de Humahuaca. Built in the year 2000, in a strict Spanish neocolonial style, respecting the architecture of the area with native materials (adobe walls and hollow reeds on the ceilings). The building was designed by the specialized architect Mariano Sepúlveda (in 1985 he received the Knight’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabel la Católica for his work in our country with the Spanish colonial style) and tastefully decorated with objects belonging to historical families of the Argentine North.
Day 14 BOLIVIA – TUPIZA
Today you’ll leave Argentina and cross the border into Bolivia. The small town of Tupiza provides a comfortable stop along the way to Colchani and Uyuni.
Days 15 – 18 UYUNI SALT FLATS
Bolivia’s most well-known attraction is the Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats of Uyuni), a 10,000 km2 dazzling white landscape. The salt flats are formed by the evaporative process of meltwaters from the surrounding volcanic peaks that trickle into what is effectively a large ‘inland sea’. Over many thousands of years a crust of salt has formed that is thick enough to drive on (2-10 metres). Up to 200m of water lie beneath the salt crust as well as the world’s largest deposits of lithium.
There is little local rainfall to weaken the crust, although when it does rain (Nov to Feb) the mirages created by water-covered salt flats are like a surreal scene from a Salvador Dali painting.
Featured Accommodation
Palacio del Sal
Palacio del Sal (Salt Palace) is built from salt bricks cut from the surface of the Salar de Uyuni. This unique building is a fabulous base for exploring the many wonders of the Uyuni Salt Flats.
Days 19 – 20 EDUARDO AVOROA ANDEAN FAUNA NATIONAL RESERVE
The landscapes of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve are incredibly diverse, volcanoes, hot springs, geysers and fumaroles. Lagoons of green and red back-dropped by perfectly conically shaped volcanoes. Three species of flamingo inhabit these saline lagoons. The drive, and frequent stops, make travelling through this area one of the highlights of any trip to Bolivia.
Featured Accommodation
Melku Cueva
With just 12 rooms this remote hotel is another unique property. Built into the rocks, which often are one of the walls of your room, Melku Cueva is a simple, yet beautiful property. It can be cold – and any discomforts are more than made up by a warm welcome (and perhaps a hot water bottle).
Days 21 – 25 ATACAMA
Located in northern Chile the Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on earth, a virtually rainless plateau, with starkly beautiful landscapes of sand dunes, salt pans, lava flows and soaring volcanoes. The Valley of the Moon near San Pedro de Atacama is an area of dramatic land formations in fascinating colours and shapes. Visit the turquoise blue salt lakes 4,500m above sea level and the typical Atacama Indian village of Socaire. A dawn excursion to the El Tatio Geysers, high in the altiplano, is an amazing experience.
In addition to dramatic landscapes the region is also home to a great variety of wildlife including; vicunas, guanacos, viscachas (which looks like a long tailed rabbit and is actually a rodent/chinchilla), andean geese and Andean gulls to name a few.
Featured Accommodation
Awasi Atacama
Awasi Atacama, situated in the historic desert town of San Pedro de Atacama, is an intimate luxury retreat that truly lives up to its name, a Quechua word meaning home. Constructed in a circular layout and designed using native materials, the resort comprises ten enchanting cottages.
Each cottage is assigned a 4WD vehicle and a private guide who will arrange customised excursions for guests, selected from an extensive menu of wonderful experiences. The cuisine is as impressive as the hotel. The professional chef has designed a sophisticated menu that is a fusion of Altiplano and international food, providing you with a taste of new flavours and aromas obtained from typical ingredients of the area.
Explora Atacama
An unforgettable backdrop sets the scene for guests at Tierra Atacama Luxury Accommodation. Incredible views of volcanoes against the skyline can be seen from the lounge, restaurant pool and spa.
Boasting a modern neo-minimalist design with dark wood and stone this hotel perfectly complements its surroundings allowing guests to enjoy the natural wonders of the Atacama Desert whist providing indoor comfort and exceptional service.
Tierra Atacama
An unforgettable backdrop sets the scene for guests at Tierra Atacama Luxury Accommodation. Incredible views of volcanoes against the skyline can be seen from the lounge, restaurant pool and spa.
Boasting a modern neo-minimalist design with dark wood and stone this hotel perfectly complements its surroundings allowing guests to enjoy the natural wonders of the Atacama Desert whist providing indoor comfort and exceptional service.
Days 26 – 27 SANTIAGO
Arrive in Santiago, the capital of Chile. A couple of nights here provides for a relaxed introduction to South America. The are several walking tours as well as some wonderful restaurants to savour. Borago currently sits at #10 in South America’s best restaurant list.
Days 28 – 31 EASTER ISLAND – RAPA NUI
Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is a place of magnetism and mystery, a remote volcanic speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 3,800km west of the coast of Chile. While an important archaeological centre with obvious Polynesian overtones, the origins of the island’s past inhabitants are still an enigma; all that remains of their culture is the extraordinary spectacle of giant stone statues (moai) scattered around the island and across the slopes of the quarry site on Rano Raraku Volcano. Curiously, the
ancient stonework at the many different sites includes a wall that is strikingly similar to those built by the Incas in Peru.
Featured Accommodation
Explora Rapa Nui
explora Rapa Nui is the perfect blend of simplicity and comfort. With all 30 rooms facing the pacific ocean or the expansive prairies, guests will have the chance to completely unwind and immerse themselves in the sheer beauty of their surroundings. The hotel’s architecture aims to perfectly combine the geography and rich culture of Easter Island. Spend the day exploring the Island with experienced and local guides and come back to a relaxing evening and superb place to rest after a busy day.
Day 32 FLIGHT EASTER ISLAND SANTIAGO HOME
As with all our tailor-made journeys our local partners will meet you upon arrival and introduce you to their home town. Please talk to us about your preferences, the above is just an example of what could be your next journey.