Luxury Chile Desert & Lake Adventure - 7 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Santiago, Gourmet Dinner at Boragó

Welcome to Chile! Touch down in the lively capital, Santiago, where a driver will take you to the 5-star Hotel Ritz-Carlton in the high-end El Golf neighborhood. Chic rooms feature classic wood and marble decor, South American art, and views of the city skyline and the snow-topped peaks of the Andes. Head to the glass-domed rooftop pool to relax, complete with a sumptuous spa and sun deck. 

Tonight, you'll enjoy a gourmet dinner at Boragó, listed as one of the world's top 50 restaurants. Feast on a menu of regional dishes inspired by Indigenous hunter-gatherers, created by acclaimed chef and founder Rodolfo Guzmán. Highlights include pink Maule tomato steak, Patagonian lamb with figs, and sea strawberry cake. The interior's dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows mean you'll dine with showstopping views of Santiago's tallest mountain, Cerro Manquehue.

Day 2: Santiago City Tour, Evening Culinary Experience

Start the day with a private city tour of Santiago. Accompanied by a local guide, you'll explore the Plaza de Armas in Santiago's historic center. Founded in 1541, it's home to the impressive Catedral Metropolitana, a neoclassical church whose twin bell towers dominate the plaza's north side. 

Continue to the Civic District, home to ministerial buildings and the presidential palace of La Moneda, an 18th-century work of art in itself. Next, ride the cable car to Cerro San Cristóbal for 360-degree city views. Take in the urban sprawl and spot landmarks like the Gran Torre Costanera, the tallest building in Latin America.

Freshen up at your hotel before tonight's private food tour. Start with a Chilean wine-tasting session at one of the country's top producers, then head to an upscale bar to sample sophisticated cocktails and tapas prepared by a nationally renowned chef. Finish your evening in one of the capital's top restaurants, savoring a delicious dinner with local wines. 

Day 3: Fly to San Pedro de Atacama, Valley of the Moon & Stargazing Tours 

This morning, take a flight to Calama in the country's far north. Your driver will be waiting to take you to the secluded outpost of San Pedro de Atacama, the launching point for adventures into the Atacama Desert. This high-altitude desert features endless salt flats, towering Andean peaks, and the volcanic Domeyko Cordillera, where red-hued mountains form the base of El Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon).

Check into your remote lodge, Nayara Alto Atacama, built from adobe to blend into the surrounding desert and Salt Mountain range. Highlights include Inca artwork, a telescope for stargazing, and the Atacamenian quincho, a pavilion where you can feast on barbecue accompanied by live music and Chilean wines. The desert gardens are home to a saltwater pool with carved rock beds and firepits, a llama enclosure, and Spa Puri's healing mineral baths.

After settling in, explore the Atacama on a private Valley of the Moon tour, where you'll marvel at impressive stone and sand formations in Los Flamencos National Reserve. With no life or humidity in the valley, it's considered one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Watch the sunset over its hills and gorges, and then freshen up at your hotel before tonight's private astronomical tour. 

With no light pollution, the Atacama is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. Using a laser pointer, your guide will teach you how to identify constellations with the naked eye. You'll also get to use high-powered telescopes and binoculars to spot an array of celestial objects, including planets, binary stars, and spherical clusters. End the session with hot tea or chocolate beneath the stars before returning to your wilderness lodge.

Day 4: Atacama Salt Flats, Lagoons & Traditional Villages Tour

Spend a full day traversing Chile's famous Salar de Atacama (Atacama Salt Flats) with a private guide. Visit the traditional villages of Toconao and Socaire, which are known for their mud-and-volcanic-rock buildings and the 18th-century church in Toconao. Meet the locals and peruse craft markets, where you can pick up alpaca-wool clothing and handicrafts. Next, visit high-plateau lagoons in Los Flamencos National Reserve. 

Set at 7,546 feet (2,300 m) above sea level, Laguna Chaxa is one of the best places in the world to see flamingoes. The algae-rich water is a magnet for three of the world's five flamingo species: James's, Chilean, and Andean. The birds flock here to breed and feed on plankton, shadowed by volcanoes and moon-like salt crusts. Head to the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons for more bird-watching. The trip finishes with sweeping salt-flat views from Salar de Talar and Piedras Rojas before returning to your lodge for a relaxed evening. 

Day 5: Transfer to Puerto Varas, Explore Lago Llanquihue

Leave the wonders of the Atacama Desert today and board a flight back to Santiago. From here, you'll fly south to the port city of Puerto Montt in Chile's fertile Lake District, where snowcapped volcanoes meet forested islands dotted with shimmering lakes. Your final destination is Puerto Varas on the vast shores of Lago Llanquihue. 

Meet your driver and head straight to Hotel AWA, a lavish lakeshore retreat devised by architect-owner Mauricio Fuentes. The contemporary hotel combines concrete and volcanic rock walls with cozy lounges lit by flickering fireplaces and features rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame views of the lake and the Osorno volcano. 

Spend the rest of the day as you please. Take a dip in AWA's huge heated pool or detox with a sauna and steam room session at their spa, followed by a massage. If you're feeling adventurous, explore Puerto Varas independently. Named the "City of Roses" after the flowers that line its streets, Puerto Varas contains an intriguing mix of German colonial architecture and Indigenous Mapuche culture.

Day 6: Private Cochamó Helicopter Tour & Hike

Immerse yourself in the surrounding beauty of Puerto Varas today with a private helicopter tour and hike. You'll fly east, soaring over the Osorno volcano and hidden valleys within the Andes, home to turquoise lakes and ancient forests. Eventually, you'll reach the rustic village of Cochamó, which resembles the USA's Yosemite with its U-shaped valley and centuries-old trees. 

The pilot will land at a panoramic viewpoint within Cochamó's granite mountains, which are beloved by rock climbers. While your guides prepare a tasty picnic lunch, you'll take a short hike to admire the jagged peaks and forest-covered valley views. Afterward, hop back in the helicopter to your hotel, passing over Calbuco, a mammoth stratovolcano that last erupted in 2015. Take the rest of the day to chill out at your luxury hotel.

Day 7: Scenic Seaplane Flight Over Patagonia, Return to Santiago, Depart

Continue your scenic sky adventures today, boarding a seaplane to reach off-the-beaten-path corners of Chilean Patagonia. Take off from the topaz waters of Lago Llanquihue, soaking up more views of the hulking Osorno, Puntiagudo, and Calbuco volcanoes. Pass over the national parks, fjords, and forests; your experienced pilot Rodrigo Noriega will point out key landmarks below.  

The flight brings your luxury Chile tour to a close. A driver will be waiting to transfer you to the airport, where you'll fly to Santiago in time to board your homebound flight. Safe travels!