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Atacama Desert

The driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert is a largely desolate landscape freckled with lagoons, hot springs, geysers and salt plains that stretches some 600 miles across northern Chile.

The charming oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama resides at the edge of the dazzling Salar de Atacama, close to the Bolivian border. The narrow sandy streets lines with adobe-style buildings are a gateway into the depths of Atacama Desert.

Choose between one of many possible excursions into the desert, either on foot, by jeep, horseback or mountain bike. Visit the world’s highest geysers at El Tatio, Chuquicamata, the world’s largest open-cast copper mine, climb a volcano or visit interesting archaeological sites, petroglyphs and abandoned ghost towns. For those not so active, unwind in a hotel spa ow swimming pool in a property beautifully perched beside the desert and overlooking the towering Andes.

Suggested Itinerary

Highlights of Chile

Explore the length of this filament of a country, full of vast and varied landscapes, from the lunar-like Atacama Desert in the north to the finger-like granite peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park in the south, with time spent amongst the snow-capped volcanoes and hot springs of the Chilean Lake District.

10 days

from £3,950 pp

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Licancabur and Juriques Volcanoes, Moon Valley, Atacama Desert, Chile

Cultural Holidays

Journey through Peru, Bolivia & Chile

Travel by train, coach, boat and 4×4 on a unique one-way journey through Peru, Bolivia and Chile, seeing remarkable sites like Machu Picchu, Sun island on Lake Titicaca, sparkling salt flats and the world’s driest desert.

15 days

from £5,400 pp

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Experiences

What do you really love doing? We’ll tailor your itinerary to suit you.

Photography in the Salt Flats

Travel overland to the shimmering Salar de Atacama salt flats to photograph the flocks of pink flamingos that feed in this otherworldly landscape.

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Hike the Atacama Desert

Explore the dramatic red landscape of the Atacama Desert, the highest and driest desert in the world, on foot.

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Atacama Desert Horseback Riding

Saddle up and ride across the endless open desert under the watchful eye of the Licancabur Volcano.

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Stargaze in the Desert

Visit one of the Atacama Desert’s world-class telescope projects to learn about the cosmos or simply gaze at the spectacularly clear star-filled night sky,

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Places to stay

Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.

More luxury accommodation

Chile

Explora Atacama

Wilderness
£££££

Designed to blend seamlessly with the colours and…

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Chile

Casa Atacama

£££££

Hotel Casa Atacama is a boutique hotel with…

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Chile

Awasi Atacama

Wilderness
£££££

An intimate and authentic property that offers unexpected…

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Chile

Tierra Atacama Resort & Spa

Wilderness
£££££

Set within an Altiplanic region ruled by moon-like…

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Chile

Hotel Altiplanico

£££££

Surrounded by the incredible geological formations, hot springs,…

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Chile

Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa

Wilderness
£££££

Blending seamlessly with the burnt red rock face…

Exterior of Hotel, Rock Formation, Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa, Pukara de Quitor, Chile

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Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

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James Armitage

James has travelled down the length and breadth of this extraordinary country, but has found that his heart lies in the quiet and remote Carretera Austral, a stunningly wild and beautiful frontier part of the nation.

Talk with our experts

01285 601 784

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Paul Bird

Combining the arid Atacama Desert and iconic Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia, the dramatic contrasts of its landscapes make Chile one of Paul’s most treasured travel destinations.

Talk with our experts

01285 601 784

Let’s chat

Speak to our experts

Our team is waiting to help you tailor a trip that will leave you with stories for a lifetime. Call us on

01285 601 784

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I would especially mention the positive and really helpful advice of James, who even met with me to chat face to face before putting together a bespoke trip that really met all of our expectations. As a result, our time in Chile was a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten.

Destination: Chile
Travel Expert: James

Paul created an itinerary that perfectly suited our interests, and we were particularly impressed with the properties that he selected for us. Thank you for recommending we visit the Atacama Desert, which we hadn’t even thought of visiting, but which turned out to be the highlight.

Destination: Chile
Travel Expert: Paul

James put together what proved to be a fabulous itinerary in Chile. We were slightly concerned that with 11 flights in 3 weeks we might be overdoing it, but the experiences in each location more than justified the travel, and James's first-hand experience proved invaluable.

Destination: Chile
Travel Expert: James

What a fantastic trip to Argentina, Chile and Brazil superbly organised by James.

Destination: Argentina, Chile & Brazil
Travel Expert: James

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to you and your team for looking after us so well! Who could have foreseen electric storms (according to the locals in Buenos Aires – the worst in 10 years!) and the civil unrest in Chile. You couldn’t have looked after us better if you had been on the spot! We had an AWESOME adventure – your advice and suggestions were bang on the nail every time. Each hotel was better than the next and the cruise was FANTASTIC, the scenery throughout the trip was amazing!

Destination: Argentina & Chile
Travel Expert: Paul

Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge and expertise sets us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.

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Atacama Desert

Highlights of Chile

Journey through Peru, Bolivia & Chile