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| Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Adventure | Los Lagos Self-Guided Adventure |
For us it was a challenge, not the off-road diversions, but the 400 mile days. However the places we visited did require the longer runs. The visits to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca definitely made it all worthwhile!
David Erskine, UK, 2007
 The tour title says it all really. If you want to see extreme terrain then this isn’t a bad place to start. From the driest desert in the world to the wettest rainforest, with a few mountains and the unique Macchu Picchu thrown in for good measure, this really is one of those tours that you have to do in your life. Just read through the itinerary and come up with one good reason why you don’t want to book this tour!
Highlights
- Atacama Desert
- Colca Canyon
- Condors
- Cusco
- Urubamba Sacred Valley
- Macchu Picchu
- Pisaq
- Ollantaytambo
- Lake Titicaca
All trips to Chile are temporarily suspended.
Itinerary
DAY 1 Depart UK. For your overnight flight to Santiago.
DAY 2 Arrive Antofagasta. On arrival in Santiago, there’s a change of plane to take you to our tour start, Antofagasta. We will meet you at the airport, and the adventure begins. This evening we will officially welcome you on tour at our welcome dinner. Holiday Inn Express.
DAY 3 Antofagasta - San Pedro de Atacama. We’re off! Our first day’s ride will take us through a variety of desert landscapes, ranging from isolated salt flats, called "salares," in the high mountain ranges, to the splendid "flowering desert" which blooms during the months of September and October. San Pedro is one of the finest and best preserved examples of an old colonial desert town. Along the way we pass the "Salt Range" - sharp ridges formed by erosion that in some places take on the appearance of dinosaurs. We visit Laguna Chaxsa with its flamingoes, and the famous San Pedro church, built around 1745 and the largest and most fascinating in the region. The ceiling of this church is made of cactus stalks, one of the few building materials available locally. La Casa de Don Tomas.
DAY 4 San Pedro de Atacama. Today we leave very early, at about 4:30 in the morning, on a minibus tour to see the justly famous Tatio geyser field, in a valley surrounded by high peaks. The geothermal activity here is connected with the Tatio volcano, which has an altitude 4280 m (14038 ft). The geysers are most active at dawn, hence our early start, producing columns of superheated water more than 10 m high in places, and filling the area with clouds of steam. The edges of the hot pools are composed of soft mineral salts, and it is extremely dangerous to get close to these pools. We return at midday to San Pedro de Atacama. The town had its origins long before the arrival of the Spanish. It is small, with narrow alleys dating back to its earliest days. The principal building material here is adobe. We will visit the archaeological museum of Padre Le Paige. Here the display shows the evolution of the Atacama culture over its estimated 11,000 year history. Then we will ride out to Chaxsa Lake, within the enormous Salar de Atacama, the Atacama Salt Flats, where we expect to see the famous Andean flamingoes. Along the way we will see unusual pre-Inca circular dwellings at Tulor, dating back to several centuries BC. If time allows we may also visit the famous Indian defensive fortresses (or “pucaras”) of Quitor and Lasana, and see sections of the well preserved Inca Trail. La Casa de Don Tomas.
DAY 5 San Pedro de Atacama – Iquique. Today’s ride takes us across the vast Atacama Desert to Iquique via the Tocopilla coast. Hotel Radisson.
DAY 6 Iquique – Tacna. Today we head for Tacna in Peru, stopping along the way at the ghost towns of Humberstone and Santa Laura, formerly among the most important nitrate mining centres of the Atacama desert region. Local guides will explain the history and importance of nitrate mining and these ghosts towns, along with visits to the old machinery (much of it imported from Europe). Gran Hotel.
DAY 7 Tacna – Arequipa. Today’s ride takes us to Arequipa, a very beautiful road from the coast ascending to 2600 m.Sonesta Valle del Inca.
DAY 8 Arequipa – Chivay (km). Leaving Arequipa, the mountains rise to a heights of 3700-4500 m. The panorama is of a beauty difficult to describe, crossing mountains and steppes covered with coironales and yaretales, and populated by farmers who live in houses reminiscent of the rural architecture of Andalusia. The road is asphalt and in good condition: dogs and other animals are the main danger! This is farming and cattle ranching country, and there are some very strange buildings and churches. The highway is very clean and Chilean plastic bottles and bags are noticeable by their absence! The countryside generally very clean and is respected by its inhabitants. We overnight in Chivay, gateway to the mighty Colca Canyon..Casa Andina.
DAY 9 Chivay (free day). The Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the World, 3,400 m deep, about twice the depth of the Grand Canyon! The canyon follows the Colca River, with 12 towns and numerous pre-Hispanic terraces. We visit the highst point, Cruz del Condor, where you can see the magnificent Andean condor in all its splendor, riding the thermals. Casa Andina.
DAY 10 Chivay – Cusco.Leaving Colca behind we head north to Cusco..We overnight in Cuzco. Hotel Jose Antonio.
DAY 11 Cusco (free day). There’s lots to see here. Originally an Inca city, Cusco was heavily colonized by the Spanish and is recognized by UNESCO as the Archaeological Capital of the Americas. Hotel Jose Antonio.
DAY 12 Cusco – Urubamba. This morning we take a city tour through Cusco seeing the churches and Saqsaywan and the more interesting ruins of Cusco. We leave Cusco in the afternoon riding to Urubamba, the sacred valley. Valle Sagrado Lodge.
DAY 13 Macchu Picchu. This is it – the highlight of the tour! We leave at 6 am to take the train to arrive at Macchu Picchu at 9:30. You have over 5 hours to explore the ruins, learn about the city’s history and culture and just take in the aura, and not forgetting the stunning panoramic views. Our train returns at 3 pm. Valle Sagrado Lodge.
DAY 14 Urubamba. A most spectacular ride on excellent asphalt through the Sacred Valley, acknowledged for its Inca rituals and ceremonies. We visit Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. Valle Sagrado Lodge.
DAY 15 Urubamba – Puno. Our morning ride takes us up to 3800 m and the lakeside town of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake.. After lunch we take a guided boat trip on Lake Titicaca to see the floating island of rushes, Uros. Our hotel is on an island in the lake, a unique and serene haven. Casa Andina.
DAY 16 Puno – Arica. We are on the final leg now, and a long day’s ride through the Andes at altitudes of up to 5000 m sees us back in Chile and our final stop. El Paso Park.
DAY 17 Arica (free day). We can spend the day sightseeing and start to reflect and unwind. This evening we invite you to the farewell dinner. El Paso Park.
DAY 18 Depart Arica. Your return journey homewards starts early with the flight to Santiago and then the onward connection back to the UK. We say our goodbyes at the airport, sending you home with some amazing memories.
Day 19 Arrive UK.
Total distance c. 4000 km
Ready to book? Please click here
Price includes: 15 days motorcycle hire including Peruvian and Chilean liability insurance (there is no CDW or theft insurance available for this tour); tri-lingual guides (German, Spanish, English); satellite phone; support vehicle; 16 nights’ accommodation in comfortable 3-4* hotels, with breakfast included; fuel; hard panniers, tank bag, windshield and 60 l pack; maps; Macchu Picchu train and local transfers; guided Cuzco city coach tour; guided coach tour of the Sacred Valley, Pisag and Ollontaytambo; expert bilingual guide for 3 nights in Manu; meals, First Aid kit and river transport for Manu NP, with optional jeep transfers; rafing and equipment; Lake Titicaca and Uros island guided boat trip; guided coach tour to Tatio geysers; paperwork for all border crossings; domestic flights; airport transfers; welcome and farewell dinners; biker’s rucsac.
Price excludes: Meals not mentioned above; Macchu Picchu guided tour and entrance fee; flights - allow c. £700-900 - and travel insurance, which will be arranged by H-C Travel at time of booking.
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| Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego Adventure | Los Lagos Self-Guided Adventure |
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