Chile tours

Bird Watching & Wildlife

Private Tour

15 days / 14 nights

A journey specifically designed for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. We will start with a visit to the "El Yeso" Reservoir, a bird watching paradise, located in middle of the Chilean Andes mountain range. We will then travel south the Torres del Paine National Park, in Patagonia, by far one of the most impressive sights in the Southern Hemisphere. You will witness dramatic mountain formations, crowded with glaciers, lakes, fjords, ancient forests and incredibly varied wildlife such as guanacos, flamingoes, condors, nandus and huemules. Torres del Paine has been a World Biosphere Reserve since 1978. We will end the journey in the Altiplano, a high plateau in the Andes. Its extraordinary natural attractions include active and dormant slender coned volcanoes, clear blue and emerald lakes with abundant bird life, extensive steppes supporting diverse populations of cameloids (llama, vicuña, guanaco and alpaca), immense sparkling white salt deposits, hidden hotsprings and amazing geysers. Occasionally, we encounter tiny rustic villages with picturesque colonial churches, where the Aymara Indian shepherds graze their animals and grow their crops.

Itinerary

Day 1: Santiago
Arrive Santiago and transfer to the Hotel Torremayor for a two night stay.

Day 2: Santiago, El Yeso
Drive to El Yeso (3,000m), stopping at several spots en-route, to watch Chile's endemic birds, such as the Chilean Mockingbird and the Dusky-tailed Canastero, in their typical Chaparral environment. Getting into the El Yeso area, we will search for the elusive and rarely seen shorebird, which lives in the Andean bogs, the Diademed Sandpiper Plover. Other rarely seen species you will have the opportunity to sight are the Mountain Caracara, the Rufous-banded Miner, the ochre-napped Ground Tyrant, the Great Shrike-Tyrant, the Plumbeous Sierra Finch, the yellow-rumped Siskin and the Mountain Parakeet. One of our bird-exploration's highlights is the Crag Chilia, endemic to Chile. Return to Santiago and overnight. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 3: Santiago, Torres del Paine
Transfer to the airport for your early morning flight to Punta Arenas. On arrival, transfer to Torres del Paine National Park (345 km / 216 miles). On the way, stop at an enormous cave that once sheltered a prehistoric sloth, the Milodon. Overnight at Hosteria Las Torres or EcoCamp. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4: Torres del Paine
Drive through the park, with views of Lago Nordensjkjold and Lago Pehoe, until arriving at the Paso La Feria, where we start walking towards Lago Sarmiento. The trail features great views of the Paine massif with frequent spotting of condors, guanaco herds, and puma tracks. Drive back to the Hostería Las Torres or EcoCamp for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5: Torres del Paine
Drive to the western side of the Park, stopping at some secluded lagoons for short walks and bird watching: Laguna Amarga for spotting Chilean Flamingoes, Laguna Los Juncos for diverse bird life, and Laguna Cisnes to encounter a swan colony. Reach Lake Pehoe, visit Salto Grande and walk on the gentle Nordenskiold trail (1-1½ hrs return) with impressive views of the Cuernos del Paine peaks (2,670m/ 8,700ft). End the day with a short nature walk at Lago Toro, before reaching the Hosteria Grey or returning to the EcoCamp for dinner and overnight. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6: Torres del Paine
Walk (1½-2hrs return - weather permitting) along the Pingo River Gorge, through native beech forests and varied geological features. In the evening, sail across Grey Lake (1½ hrs), approaching the towering walls of the Grey Glacier. Return to the Hosteria Grey or EcoCamp for overnight. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7: Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas
Drive to Punta Arenas and overnight at the Hotel Los Navegantes. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 8: Punta Arenas, Santiago
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Santiago. On arrival transfer to the Hotel Torremayor for overnight. (Breakfast)

Day 9: Santiago, Arica, Putre
Transfer to the airport for your morning flight to Arica. On arrival, take a short drive in the city and stop by a seashore restaurant to enjoy a hearty Chilean seafood lunch. In the afternoon, start gaining altitude on the way to Putre (140 km, 3,500 miles). On the way, we will see outstanding Andean flora such as the Yareta and the Candelabrum Cactus and amazing pre-historical drawings. We reach the fortress of Copaquilla, built by the ancient Aymaras in the 12th century. Arrive and overnight in a local hosteria. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10: Lake Chungara
Leave Putre in the morning for the Lauca National Park (55km, 4,400m). Here the mighty 6,000 metre volcanoes of Parinacota and Pomerape dominate the landscape and reflect over the deep emerald waters of the Cotacotani Lagoons and Chungara Lake. Wildlife teems all around the lake: the large bluish, flightless tagua-tagua, the chinchilla-like vizcachas, the vicuñas, the black and white geese and the pink flamingoes, who dwell in the lake's shallows. At Chungara Lake we encounter the ritual town of Parinacota, the centre of the colourful religious festivals of the Aymara Indian shepherds. Late in the evening return to Putre to overnight at a lower altitude. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 11: Surire
Early departure for the Surire Salt Flat, located in Las Vicunas National Park. We reach the small village of Guallatire, with no more than 50 standing houses, crowned by an impressive volcano. At 4,245m, reach the salt lake of Surire, with breathtaking and solitary scenery of volcanoes, salt deposits, hotsprings and lakes. Surire is a sanctuary for Andean birds. There are five species of flamingoes in the world and three of them can be seen here. Late in the evening we explore the salt lake, at the best time for bird and animal watching. Overnight camping by the Surire Salt Flat. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 12: Surire, Chusmiza
We wake at dawn, to admire the sun rising over this prehistoric lake. After a hearty breakfast we start driving south towards the Volcano Isluga National Park. On the way we will see "quinua" crops (one of the most important foods in the altiplano) and "quinoa" trees (the highest growing tree on earth). Continue 114 km to Chusmisa Hot Springs. Set up camp near Chusmiza. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13: Chusmisa, Iquique
Today we drive 180 km to the seaport of Iquique, descending from an altitude of 3,650m. On the way we visit the archeologic area of Unita, where a giant geoglyph resembling an ancient man is found. Continue to Salitrera Santa Laura, the remains of one of hundreds saltpeper mines, opened in the desert with luxury and glory and abandoned once the nitrate activity came to a halt. Today this area lives from the ocean and Iquique is now the first fish exporter in the world. Late in the evening we reach Iquique. Overnight in a hotel in Iquique. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 14: Iquique, Santiago
Morning at leisure on the white beaches of Iquique. In the evening transfer to the airport in time for your flight to Santiago. Overnight at the Hotel Torremayor. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 15: Santiago
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. (Breakfast)

Prices and departures

Please contact us for prices and departure dates.

Prices include:

4 star accommodation, except 2 nights camping on the Altiplano; meals as shown (lunch may be a packed lunch); private services, except the transfer from Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine, which is shared; bilingual local guides.

Prices do not include:

Travel insurance, gratuities, personal expenses and extras, meals not shown and beverages.

Note: Single accommodation is not available at the EcoCamp