Best of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile
Experience Overview
Seeking out-of-this-world landscapes? Look no further than this stunning corner of the Andean Altiplano. From Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni to Chile's Atacama Desert and the red-rock canyons of Northern Argentina, expect unreal scenery at every turn. Watch the sunset and sunrise simultaneously on the magical salt flats, experience dramatic red gorges in the driest place on earth and explore the coloured lagoons where pink flamingos roam.
Salar de Uyuni - Explore Bolivia's dream-like salt flats by 4WD - an extraordinary place to catch both the sunset and the sunrise.
Cafayate Vineyards - Taste Argentina's famous wines and enjoy a traditional lunch in this stunning wine region.
Atacama Desert - Visit Moon Valley for sunset aperitifs and visit the explosive El Tatio geysers.
Highlights
Journey through the epic Andean Altiplano from Buenos Aires, through Bolivia, to Santiago|Stay in a salt hotel while exploring Bolivia's mind-bending Salar de Uyuni|Try regional wines in Cafayate, Argentina, and sip sunset aperitifs at Moon Valley in the Atacama Desert
Trip Details
Product Code: 20492
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: 4WDFlightMinibus
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: ABC
Starts: Argentina
Finishes: Argentina
Duration: 13 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
- Explore Tour Leader
- Driver(s)
Accommodation
- KER Recoleta Hotel
- Hotel Antiguo Convento
- La Comarca
- Hotel Mitru
- Luna Salada
- Hotel los Flamencos
- Diego de Almagro San Pedro
- Novotel Providencia
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $9,420 ($725 /day)
Itinerary
Our trip begins in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, located on the southern shores of the Rio de la Plata. Since its founding by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536, the city has thrived on trade and its vibrant streets are brimming with an eclectic mix of European architectural styles, with Spanish, French and Italian classicism rubbing shoulders with the remnants of Victorian grandeur. Our tour leader will meet us in reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and, for those who wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Buenos Aires at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into either Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery (AEP) or Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), a 30-minute or one-hour drive from our hotel respectively. If you miss the meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. On Day 2, we fly to Salta and it's possible that our flight might depart very early in the morning, so we highly recommend adding additional nights in Buenos Aires to your trip. Arty San Telmo, up-scale Palermo or colourful La Boca are just some of the neighbourhoods worth exploring.
This morning, we'll fly to Salta, one of the liveliest cities in the north of Argentina; a blend of colonial architecture, fascinating museums and buzzing nightlife. This was as far south as the Inca civilisation came, and the city is more akin to Peru or Bolivia in its food, culture, and indigenous heritage. We'll tour the main sites, including a cable car ride up San Bernardo Hill where we'll soak in the panoramic views. Tonight, we'll get a taste of Salta's music scene at a 'pena', a traditional folk music hall where locals come with guitars and take turns to play and sing. Dinner is included; the menu will vary, but it may include locro (corn) soup, meats cooked local-style over the parrilla (grill), or tasty empanadas (delicate flaky pastry wrapped around slow-cooked meat or veggies). Please note that flight schedules in Argentina change regularly. We aim to fly in the morning (this may require leaving in the early hours) to Salta. If we need to fly in the afternoon, then we'll take a tour of some of the highlights of Buenos Aires in the morning, rather than our city tour of Salta.
We have a long day of driving ahead of us today as we head to the wine region of Cafayate - the magnificent scenery en route makes the lengthy journey worth it. The landscapes around Northern Argentina are vast and breathtaking, with rust-red geological formations carved out of massive gorges, and green pastures giving way to giant, craggy mountains. We'll travel down Ruta 68, through the 'Quebrada de las Conchas' (Shell Gorge), where water and wind have carved impressive shapes such as The Amphitheatre, the Devil's Throat and the Titanic out of the rock. Arriving into Cafayate for lunchtime, we'll plan a round of wine tasting in two of the region's rustic wineries, their rows of green vines backed by the spectacular mountains beyond. Argentina's main white wine, Torrontes, is famous in this region, so we'll no doubt try this as well as enjoying a traditional lunch at one of the vineyards. We'll make our way back to Salta in the late afternoon. Our total driving time for today will be approximately seven hours, with plenty of photo stops along the way.
We'll continue north this morning with a three-hour drive to Purmamarca. This magical little cactus-strewn village sits in a striking location underneath a multi-hued mountain called the Seven-Coloured Hill. On arrival, we'll head out on foot for a circular walk on the Paseo de los Colorados, which surrounds the hill itself. This easy dirt trail covers 3-4 kilometres/2 miles and is surrounded by an explosion of colour throughout. In the afternoon, we'll drive out to Salinas Grandes. At 4,150 metres/13,943 feet of altitude the road up, called the Cuesta de Lipan, is a series of meandering switch-backs - we'll watch the landscape change quickly as we climb higher. On arrival at the enormous salt flats, we'll see this vivid white expanse stretch out before us, with the ragged edges of salt pools providing a flash of colour. It's impressive, but only a taste of what is to come in Bolivia. We'll arrive back in Purmamarca in the evening.
Today we'll set out to explore the UNESCO Heritage area of the Humahuaca Gorge, a highlight of any trip to the northwest of Argentina. The journey is awash with colour and scenic roadside lookouts; one appropriately named mountain is The 'Painters Palette'. While we explore today, we'll visit the region's old traditional villages, including Tilcara, Uquia and Humahuaca - allowing us to see how the villages' pre-Columbian heritage gives this area of northwest Argentina a distinct sense of cultural identity. This is not only manifested in the woven items that we'll have seen in Salta and Purmamarca but also in the local diet, with northern food including llama stews and corn dishes. We'll visit the ancient ruins of Pucara, which date back to the 12th century and were eventually settled by the Incas in the late 15th century, before the domination by the conquistadores. We'll also visit the church of San Francisco de Paula in Uquia; this small, dusty, cactus-strewn town is quite unassuming, but well known for the large and unique series of 17th-century paintings found in the church, depicting the 'Angeles Arcabuceros', or armed angels. We'll return to Purmamarca this evening; a round-trip drive time of approximately three hours.
We'll retrace some of our steps from yesterday on our three-hour drive up to the Argentina-Bolivia border at La Quiaca. Here, we'll say goodbye to our Argentinian driver and switch to 4WD vehicles, necessary for our journey across the Salar de Uyuni. We'll continue by 4WD to Tupiza to check into our hotel, and in the afternoon we'll do a circuit of the surrounding red-rock scenery, cactus scrub and bizarre geological formations. Known as 'Bolivia's Wild West', the area around Tupiza is all dusty canyonlands and striking landscapes. In our vehicles, we'll drive a dust-road loop through the Valle de los Machos, the deep ravine of the 'Canon del Inca', and visit the 'Puerta del Diablo' and the Canon del Duende. The sight of deep gorges and high red mountains will accompany us throughout, and we'll stop to stretch our legs at several points.
We'll make our way to Uyuni today, a small, almost non-descript town that survives on salt and lithium production, and tourism. On the town's deserted outskirts, we'll pass through the train graveyard; a collection of early 20th-century train carriages rusted by the salt and left for dead after a major transportation project failed. The iron carcasses are a ghostly but photogenic sight. After checking into our hotel, we should have a little free time before heading out in the evening for our first glimpse of the Salar de Uyuni. The full expanse of the flats will be appreciated in the daylight tomorrow, but tonight we'll hopefully have a clear sky to gaze up at the stars, together with a hot drink. The drive to Uyuni today will take around three hours.
Exploring Bolivia's immense, other-worldly salt flats is an unforgettable and surreal experience. Heading into this natural wonder, the sky seems to almost disappear into the land through the reflections of the blinding-white plains. Flamingos inhabit the shoreline of the small lagoons, whilst the snow-capped peak of Volcan Tunupa (5,400 metres/17,716 feet) looms far in the distance. Crossing the salt flats in our 4WD vehicles, we'll head for Incahuasi Island, where we'll find an expanse of huge cacti occupying an isolated island in the heart of the flats. The cacti have been here for millennia, and the tallest towers 9 metres/30 feet above the floor of the plains, no mean feat given that it is estimated that they only grow one centimetre a year! We'll also have the chance to climb the 'Staircase to Heaven' artwork, installed on the flats by Bolivian artist Gaston Ugalde. We'll spend most of the day crossing the flats in our 4WD and making several stops to explore and enjoy the dreamlike landscapes. Our accommodation is in a very remote location at the Laguna Hedionda, at around 4,250 metres altitude (13,940ft), where the famous flamingos roam. This evening's simple hotel has limited hot water and electricity and will be cold in the evening - warm sleepwear is highly recommended. Despite its simplicity, which is all part of the adventure when travelling in Bolivia, the location alone is worth the trip - you can walk out of the front door to spectacular views of the mountain and the lagoon.
Today is another long day of driving, with around six hours in the vehicle to the border at Hito Cajon, and another hour to San Pedro. However, we can continue to enjoy the unforgettable landscapes. We'll make a stop at the 'Sol de Manana' geysers, the highest point of our tour at 4,900m (16, 076ft) altitude, where the hot steam and bubbling mud pots provide a strange contrast to the serene salt flats. We'll also visit the blood-red Laguna Colorada and the emerald-green Laguna Verde on the way to the Chilean border. Three of the world's six flamingo species can be found here; the Chilean, Andean and James flamingos - with the latter being incredibly rare, and thought to be extinct until the 1950s. At the Chilean border, we'll leave our 4WD vehicles behind and switch into a minibus, before continuing to San Pedro de Atacama for the evening.
The oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama is set high among the spectacular volcanoes of Los Andes Cordillera and is the lively gateway to the dramatic landscapes of the Atacama Desert. After so many days on the move, this morning we have free time to enjoy the town. The small high street caters to streams of backpackers looking for excursions, handicrafts, or their morning coffee hit, but despite this tourist activity, San Pedro has retained a charm that makes it a great place to just relax and soak in the atmosphere. This afternoon, we'll take a walk among the dunes of the nearby Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a nature reserve to the west of the town, where the surreal landscape has been formed by the erosion of the salt mountains. We intend to watch the setting sun cast its golden glow across the spectacular landscape, with an aperitif in hand.
We'll have an early morning start to drive to the El Tatio Hot Springs, a geothermal field of spouting geysers and steaming fumaroles surrounded by a vista of volcanic mountains. Watching these active geysers erupting in the light of the rising sun is an impressive sight. We'll return to San Pedro, where we're at leisure to explore the lively atmosphere of the town. This evening, we'll have the option to take a stargazing excursion with a local company, with the use of telescopes included.
We'll drive to Calama Airport this morning, to catch our flight into Santiago, Chile's majestic capital in the shadow of the Andes. This afternoon, we'll have an orientation tour of the capital by bus. We'll explore the old part of the city, seeing La Moneda (the Government Palace), as well as the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by Santiago's most important historical buildings including the lavish Metropolitan Cathedral. We'll also explore Santa Lucia Hill, the mount upon which the Spanish founded Santiago in 1541. Please note that flight schedules change regularly. If we need to fly in the afternoon, then we may not be able to do the planned city tour of Santiago, although we'll see what we can.
Our trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Santiago. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Santiago at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Santiago International Airport (SCL), which is approximately a 45-minute drive from our hotel.
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Hilary - Traveled, May 2025
This was my first visit to all three countries (but my 10th with Explore). The itinerary was definitely 'full on', but we saw and experienced so much. The altitude and cool winter temperatures were challenging at times as we were traveling mid southern hemisphere winter, but we had the advantage of few other tourists around. Our tour leader, Andres was excellent in all ways, and ably supported by the local guides and drivers. Everything was perfectly orchestrated which in itself was a remarkable achievement. Altogether this was a wonderful trip. Extra info for travelers - all hotels had hair dryers in the room, and almost all had a tea/coffee maker in room or in the lobby
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/10/2025
Peter - Traveled, May 2025
My first trip with Explore and, even though they’d been recommended by close friends, they exceeded my expectations. Customer care from the very start was exemplary and pre-departure information was clear, timely and comprehensive. The itinerary is very well chosen, with stunning landscapes, cultural variety and a good range of activities. It’s hard to pick highlights as there were so many but walking in the Humuaca Gorge, the incredible Uyuni salt flats and early morning Tatio volcanic geysers, and opportunities to view the stunning southern hemisphere night sky in clear and very dark conditions really stood out for me. The trip lives up to its “full on” billing - expect early starts, cold high altitude weather (down to -15C), and long days in the vehicles but you’ll be paid back amply in rich experiences. Tour leader Andres was second to none in knowledge, attention to detail and enthusiasm and the local guides were all first rate too.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/10/2025
Saskia - Traveled, April 2025
This was a spectacular trip. There were so many wow moments, it's hard to pick out the highlights. There were stunning landscapes throughout: the colourful hills and villages of Argentina, the vineyards with cacti dotted throughout, the otherworldly Bolivian Altiplano, the amazing reflections in the water covered salt flats, and the Moon and Mars valleys in Chile. Although the trip is mainly focused on the landscapes, there were some nice cultural and wildlife experiences. I enjoyed the Pena show and the visit to a Bolivian local market. We saw lots of flamingos, vicuna and llama, and saw some charming vizcacha close up. This trip cost more than I would normally spend but I think it was totally worth it. Almost all activities are included and many of the included meals had three courses (not to mention the five course meal at the vineyard with wine pairing!). We didn't really pay for water and soft drinks and there was a surprising amount of alcohol included beyond the wine tasting day. Every sunset and some lunches were accompanied by a tipple. Hotels were all good, with the salt hotel a highlight. Transport was comfortable, although I suggest moving seats should be enforced so it's not always the same people in the best seats at the front. Logistics were seemless and our guide Diego was fantastic. He really made sure we were all looked after. Local guides and drivers were also great, in particular Yasmin and Danny in Argentina. Please make sure you pay into the tip kitty. Some people didn't and it meant that those working hard and providing essential services got less than normal. Remember that you are extremely privileged to go on such an amazing trip and that tips go a long way for people who do not have those same opportunities as us. Bolivia in particular was noticeably poorer. Lastly, we were all okay with the altitude, whether we had medication for it or not. Drinking water, coca leaves or candy and limiting alcohol helps. All in all, I highly recommend this trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/11/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, March 2025
Fabulous trip and our Explore leader Diego was the best we have encountered, he was just brilliant, we have never met a leader who was so suited to the job, he was just as excited as us about the things we saw and experienced along the way. Jasmine in northern Argentina also deserves a special mention. We saw so much on this trip. It was indeed fast paced as warned, lots of beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Though don't worry, time also for naps en route. However, warning, the scenery everywhere is so stunning, you really won't want to close your eyes and miss any of it! So hard to pick out highlights - however, we were lucky to have water in the Uyuni salt flats which were spectacular, we loved San Pedro and the sights around the town as well as Pumamarca and of course the mining town and market we visited in Bolivia. Make sure you book an optional star gazing tour around San Pedro if you can because the stars are incredible as is the Milky Way. Oh, and the day of wine tasting, also spectacular. Honestly, we loved all of this trip. if you can stay an extra night in Santiago, please do, as there is lots to see there! The elevation was handled carefully so that you don't elevate too quickly and you can adjust. We will never forget this trip! Thank you so much Diego!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/17/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2025
Although I enjoyed the itinerary very much and there were some lovely experiences particularly in Bolivia, there some issues with the way the trip was operated. The tour guide in Argentina was very difficult to understand, she was very pleasant but only grasping about one word in ten was very frustrating and I missed information I would like to have had. We occasionally had conflicting information from the local guide and the tour leader regarding timing. Whilst not directly causing problems it did cause some anxiety and was frustrating. I understand the hotel change in Purmamarca was known to Explore before the final joining instructions were issued but not mentioned. The hotel was of a lesser standard not an equivalent as per Explore’s standard statement. This should have been advised and compensated. The 4x4 vehicles in Bolivia had to have someone in the centre back seat given our number. Taking my turn was totally acceptable however I was in pain for most of that part of the journey. I couldn’t possibly ask that someone else take my turn as I didn’t feel anyone should suffer in my place. The minibuses used also left something to be desired, with the exception of the front seats, viewing the wonderful landscapes this tour is all about was restricted. One in particular had very high seat backs. Explore should perhaps look at the running details of this new tour to provide more suitable customer experience for this very expensive trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/23/2025
Stephen - Traveled, January 2025
This was an excellent itinerary, with long drives through wonderful landscapes. Unfortunately it was badly let down by cost-cutting on inadequate transport. 7-hour off-road journeys in 4x4s are part of the fun, but not when packed in, three to the back seat, all the way. One more vehicle would have made the trip so much better. The buses too were very cramped, with poor visibility. Add this to a seriously downgraded hotel for two nights, and there is a lot of room for improvement in what was not a cheap trip, even if it did feel like one.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/31/2025
Ian - Traveled, November 2024
Ian Absolutely amazing trip. Stunning scenery on every day. The highlight was definitely watching the sunset and then star gazing at the salt flats in Bolivia, but so many others too - geysers, brilliantly coloured mountains & lagoons, flamingos, vicuna / llama / alpaca, volcanos, wine tasting - all truly memorable experiences. We extended for a couple of extra nights in Buenos Aires and one in Santiago, which were well worth doing, esp in BA. We've always had great Explore tour leaders, but Carolina could be the best - knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a great sense of humour - she really enhanced the trip and became a good friend of us all. A special mention to all the local guides too, Jazmin, Wilbur & Romina who were excellent and our team of drivers too.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/28/2024
Fiona - Traveled, September 2024
If you love big landscapes, deserts, rock formations, volcanoes, geysers, remoteness and views that go on forever, then this is the trip for you. This was combined with very friendly people, local culture and good wine, making for one of the best trips I've ever had. This was my first trip with Explore. (All the other members of the group had travelled multiple times with them). I would say the trip exceeded my expectations in every respect. Judging by the comments of the rest of the group, it was one of the best many of them had been on too. I have taken away memories that will last forever and met some wonderful people along the way. There were six travellers in the group (all solo travellers) as well as Andres our guide, local guides and drivers. This was the first trip run on a new itinerary or at least one which Explore has not sold for a number of years. So in that respect our group were the guinea-pigs for the trip. I felt the group got on very well. I would say six was a good group size for the minibuses. It gave us room to spread out with our bags and snooze if needed on the longer journeys. Itinerary: The itinerary covers a lot of ground in a short space of time so is definitely full-on. However, overall, I thought it was well-paced with well-timed rest periods. Given that this was a new itinerary, there are a couple of "tweaks" I would make (mentioned below). However, they are minor changes only to what I found to be a well-rounded and balanced trip. HIghlights for me included the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. I loved the desert, lagoons, volcanoes, flamingoes, the salt hotel and of course, our meal with our wonderful Bolivian guides - which I'll never forget. Another highlight was the sunset and moonrise over the Atacama Desert near San Pedro. I felt the trip was a gift that kept on giving. Just when you had one experience which you thought could not be topped, along came another one. The trip was cleverly planned in that sense. In terms of amendments, I would suggest the following: HIgh altitude is a feature of this trip and perhaps needs to be emphasised and explained a little more fully in the trip notes so that travellers can take a view. However, for me, any discomfort was more than compensated for by the remoteness and beauty of the landscapes we saw. I particularly loved Bolivia and perhaps Explore could consider adding that another day to this leg of the trip. This would allow more time to get to know this fantastic country and its people but would also allow more time to acclimatise. We had a wonderful day in the wine region of Cafayate. Both wine and food were delicious and plentiful. However, I think we all felt the number of tours and tastings should be reduced a little to allow us to relax into one wine tour and the meal without worrying about time. Guiding: Andres was our Explore guide and I cannot speak highly enough of him. Most of the group had travelled extensively over the years with Explore and said that he was one of the best guides they had ever had. Andres was excellent in every respect - professional, knowledgeable, organised but relaxed and very person-centred, attending well to the different needs of the group. The trip ran very smoothly and to time. Andres paid close attention to detail, making small changes to the itinerary as needed, He found good places to eat, and timed visits to avoid any crowds in particularly popular places. As far as I am aware, there was one small logistical glitch during the whole trip. This was beyond Andres' control but he took it in his stride, dealt with it and it did not affect the group. Definitely 5* for Andres. The local guides and drivers in each country were very friendly and efficient. I would say the guides in Argentina and Bolivia were particularly knowledgeable. The warmth and kindness shown to us was lovely. I would single out Wilbur in Bolivia for particular praise. Accommodation: Before the trip, I did not have particularly high expectations of the hotels, thinking that location would take priority over hotel standard and that budget hotels would be used to keep costs down. To a certain extent this proved to be the case. I would say in most places the standard was 3*. I found all of them were perfectly acceptable although some had variable hot water and wifi which is only to be expected really given the region. All hotels were very friendly and in a very good location. Some hotels stood out as having more character and better service than others. The Salt Hotel (Laguna Salada) on the Uyuni flats was something truly special. The stunning location, the hotel design and the friendliness of the staff there were something I will never forget. The Hotel Los Flamencos at the Laguna Hedionda was graded as "simple" and we warned to take warm sleepwear as it can get cold at night. However, I found the hotel to be warm and characterful and again, the location was stunning. Standing outside the hotel (albeit at about -5 degrees Celsius), watching the flamingos on the lagoon and the sun come up over the volcanoes behind was something truly memorable. San Pedro de Atacama was the most touristy place we visited and I would say the hotel there reflected that. It felt a bit more generic than the others, although the barman was excellent and served some knockout Pisco sours. Overall, I would give this trip 5* without hesitation. Unforgettable - in the best possible way. Any quibbles are very minor ones to me. I would highly recommend.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/03/2024
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