It is hard to find a more diverse and unique country on the entire globe than Chile. With a length of over 4,000 km from north to south, it encompasses a huge variety of climates, landscapes and natural attractions. The change in scenery from east to west is no less varied, from the Pacific coast to the high plateaus and snowy peaks of the Andes. The most unique and impressive, in our opinion, are the two regions of this country lying on its opposite ends - the far north and the far south: Patagonia and Atacama. It is with the nature of these places we suggest you to get acquainted with our journey which you will not find anywhere else like it.
In just two weeks you'll travel from glittering glaciers to erupting geysers, from humid subarctic forests to arid salt flats, from pointed rocky peaks to lonely volcanoes rising in cones. All this awaits you in our new exclusive Chile program.
Important. After completing the main program you have the opportunity to continue your journey through Chile for 5 more days and visit the legendary Easter Island. The schedule is very convenient: you will leave for Rapanui on the day when this tour of Chile ends (day 14 of the program). Join in!
We do not cancel or reschedule groups. If the manager has given permission to buy a ticket, you can buy it with confidence. There will be no cancellation through our fault.
The manager has participated in many hikes and climbs and will advise you knowledgeably.
Experienced Kuluar Club teamleaders will accompany participants throughout the program.
During the work of the club we have developed an algorithm, which allows us to organize hikes and ascents of the highest quality. You can see this for yourself by applying for participation.
More than 12,000 participants have already gone to the mountains with the Kuluar and 97.8% were satisfied. We're sure you will, too!
Possibility of substantial savings on equipment, going on a climb with Kuluar.
We begin our journey in the capital of Chile, the multimillion metropolis of Santiago. From the airport we arrive in one of the central areas of the city and check into a hotel, where we rest after a long transatlantic flight. If there is time during the day, you can explore some of the sights nearby. In the evening after dinner, when all participants have gotten to know each other, teamleader will tell us about our future plans.
In the morning we fly south to the Aisen region, a part of Patagonia famous for its unique natural attractions: countless fjords, glaciers, lakes, volcanoes, islands, and mountain peaks. From the airport in the small town of Balmaceda we move to Villa Cerro Castillio, where we check into a cozy guest house, from where tomorrow we will set out on our first trek in the mountains of Patagonia.
Today we will go on a day hike to the viewpoint of the lake and one of the most beautiful rocky peaks of the southern Andes - Cerro Castillo. The name of the mountain "Castillo" translates from Spanish as "castle", and you'll see why. The steep basalt walls rise up to a height of 2675 m forming bizarre forms which really remind with their silhouette of a fairy tale medieval castle. We have to walk 8 km with an elevation gain of just over a kilometer to admire this mountain from the most picturesque observation point, where you can see not only the rocky slopes, but also the blue glacier descending from the mountain and the fantastically beautiful lake just under it.
We move on to the next point of our busy excursion program - the small town of Puerto Rio Tranquilo on the shore of the huge lake General Carrera. The distance is relatively short - only 120 km, but the road will not be easy, because our way will pass through the legendary highway Carretera Austral, built only at the end of the twentieth century. Part of the road, starting from Villa Cerro Castillo, is still unpaved. Upon arrival, we will take a boat tour to the amazing rock formations along the banks and on the small islands inside the Lago General Carrera, called Marble Chapels, Caves and Marble Cathedral. If you wish, you can also look beneath their vaults not only from a motorboat, but also sail directly beneath them in a kayak.
We stay in Puerto Rio Tranquilo and leave early in the morning for an amazing trip where we will be trekking not only through the mountains, but also on the surface of a real Patagonian glacier. Our destination, Glaciar Exploradores, is a glacier located on the northeastern slope of Mount San Valentin (4058 m), the highest peak in all Patagonia, and is part of the Northern Ice Field (Campo de hielo patagónico norte), which covers about 4200 square kilometers.
Another opportunity to experience Patagonia's unique nature is to trek through Laguna San Rafael National Park to the shores of Lago Leones, or, as an optional extra, to navigate across the bay to Lake San Rafael itself. Here you'll see rushing rivers, glistening blue Patagonia glaciers and turquoise lakes with huge icebergs floating in them. The highlight of the trip will be a gift from the bartender - whiskey on ice from the glacier itself.
Today it's time to say goodbye to Patagonia and head north to the next region of Chile, the Atacama Desert, which is radically different in nature and landscape. For this we will need to fly back to Santiago, as there are no direct flights connecting north and south. In the capital we will reformat for the new phase of our journey, resting in the comfortable hotel of the capital that we are already familiar with.
In order to fully explore all the natural areas of a country as vast and diverse as Chile, we will stay in Santiago to visit the mountains, which are only an hour away from the city. In the Sajón Del Maipo Valley we will trek from 2,000 to 2,600 meters to the foot of the El Morado Glacier, and those who wish can go on a thrilling extreme rafting trip on the turbulent river inside the canyon.
Early in the morning we fly to Calama in northern Chile. This is the nearest airport to the tourist center of Atacama, from where we take a car to the small town of San Pedro de Atacama. We will spend the next four days here, during which we will explore the most picturesque surroundings of the town. The first must-see point of the program will be the famous Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), where we will see amazing landscapes of the famous desert and a stunningly beautiful sunset.
Today we are going to explore the Altiplano, a vast plateau in the north of the Andes, which has an average altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level and is located in several countries: Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. There are many volcanoes and a great variety of geological rocks, which sometimes create incredibly colorful landscapes. One such place is the Rainbow Valley, where the mountains are painted in rich reds, yellows, oranges, greens, and other colors. In the morning we'll walk among these extraordinary cliffs, and in the afternoon we'll take a refreshing walk to lakes Sehar, Piedra, Tebincuinche, and Ojos del Salar. In some of these lakes, the water is so salty that it has an ejection effect like that of the Dead Sea, for example.
This day will have to start very early. We will have to wake up before dawn to head to the northern part of the Altiplano to El Tatio geysers at 4,320 meters. This is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the third largest in the world after Yellowstone National Park and geysers in Kamchatka. The greatest activity of these hot springs, of which there are about 80, is in the morning hours. Therefore, to catch the best time, you will need to leave after dark. After watching the geysers erupt, we will go back to San Pedro.
Another natural wonder that we will see on our trip through the vast Altiplano in the Atacama Desert are the huge salt lakes, salt marshes. The high mountain plains around these lakes are covered with a layer of dried salt, which forms a snow-white crust with bizarre patterns, similar to those seen in the world's largest and most famous salt marsh, the Salar de Uyuni, in neighboring Bolivia. These lakes become oases of life, home to many wild birds and animals such as vicuñas, foxes, viscachis, flamingos and others.
Today is the last day of our stay in San Pedro de Atacama. Before lunch we still have time to visit one of the local attractions near the town: the archaeological excavations of the pre-Columbian fortress, the Rucaga de Quitor, a bike ride through Devil's Canyon, a sandboard ride through the sand dunes of Death Valley, or a trek among the giant cacti of Los Cardones. In the evening, we fly from Calama to Santiago.
Today is the day of departure for those who have decided to end their acquaintance with the amazing corners of such a diverse country as Chile. We are sure that these impressions will be enough to make you long revisit the photos and think with delight about the natural wonders you've visited during these rich two weeks on the southern continent. For the rest of you, you can continue your journey for seven more days and visit the legendary Easter Island, also an administrative territory of Chile, steeped in mystery and enigma.
Attention! Due to the unstable situation in 2021 additional program to Easter Island may not take place due to lack of flights to the island.
Our tour program in Chile has a number of advantages that make the trip as comfortable and interesting as possible:
Depending on the weather conditions, condition and general wishes of the group, the teamleader has the right to make changes to the route.
Ukrainians do not need a visa to visit Chile. The only documents you need to have with you is your passport, which is valid for more than 6 months at the time of entry into the country.
Chile has very strict customs regulations, prohibiting the import of any unprocessed plant and animal products. Theoretically, you can take unprocessed and factory-packaged foods, meaning, for example, canned foods, fried peanuts in a closed container or cereal bars, but raw nuts, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. are prohibited. - you can't. Keep this in mind if you want to take any snacks. Also, these products cannot be taken on airplanes even between regions within Chile.
You must have no illnesses from this list in order to participate in the hike.
After trekking in Chile, we recommend the following routes:
The flight to Santiago de Chile from Kiev is possible only with connections in Europe, usually in Paris or Amsterdam. The cost of such an international flight starts at $1,300, but may vary slightly depending on the time of purchase and departure dates. When choosing a flight keep in mind that with short connections of less than 2 hours there is a high probability of delay of your luggage, which can be delivered only in a couple of days. So try to choose longer connections or prepare in advance all the things you need for the first days in your hand luggage that you'll take with you on the plane.
Our recommendations for airline ticketing services can be found in this article.
You need good insurance to participate in the program. Please do not neglect this item. For some participants, it saved thousands of dollars. You can find our recommendations for taking out insurance here: "Insurance for Kuluar hikers"
Our tour in Chile is practically a sightseeing program. There will be no heavy backpacks and cold overnight stays in tents. Only comfortable hotels and hostels in the cities, convenient transfers by chartered car. All our walks and hiking in the mountains will be carried out without heavy backpacks, which allows you to take part in the program to almost anyone, regardless of age and hiking experience.
The weather in Santiago de Chile is likely to be hot: it may be up to +30 during the day, but in the evenings it gets very cold, sometimes up to +15.
In Patagonia in the Aisen region the average February temperature is +10 degrees. Expect about 15-16 C during the day, but sometimes due to wind and rain the weather can be quite harsh.
In the Atacama Desert, the climate is mostly dry, but temperatures are very contrasting. During the day it may be around +25-30, at night even frosts are not excluded. In the Altiplano, for example, during the trip to the geysers, which are at an altitude of more than 4000 m, frost is guaranteed, so a set of warm clothes, including hats and gloves, is mandatory.
In Santiago de Chile (4 nights) we book comfortable hotels. On the excursion in Patagonia we will stay overnight in hostels and guest houses (5 nights). During the Atacama trip we will spend 4 nights in a hostel in San Pedro de Atacama on a 2-3 bed accommodation basis. All lodging reservations are pre-arranged with participants. If you wish, you may book 1-bed rooms for the entire program or for specific days by alerting your manager and teamleader.
Meals in the cities and during excursions are not included in the price of the program. Breakfast will usually be included in the price of the hotel, and for dinner we will go to one of the local restaurants, where everyone can choose a dish to their liking. At lunchtime we will act according to circumstances - either go to the restaurant or take a pre-prepared snack.
*Please note: It is not the manager's task to choose a separate flight for each participant. The manager gives general recommendations from his experience and shares flights of other participants, so you can fly together. It's up to the participant to select and purchase his own convenient airfare. If you want the manager to buy you a ticket, book a hotel or an additional excursion, read the terms and conditions on the page: additional services.
Total additional expenses not included could be $1,800-2,300 + airfare to Chile. Of which:
You can also extend your trip to Chile and join an optional program with a visit to Easter Island. The cost to join is $1,600. (A trip to the island in 2021 is still in question due to lack of air service).
To reserve a place in the group, you need to make an advance payment of $500 in a way that is convenient for you. It is after you have made the prepayment and purchased the tickets that you will be booked in the group. The remainder of the amount should be handed over to the guide on the first day of the program in cash dollars. In case of get out the itinerary you will not receive a refund.
