Chile - the Atacama to Patagonia with Easter Island Extension

This 19-night escorted tour by Just You begins in Santiago, where the city’s setting beneath the Andes provides a backdrop for historic streets and the Plaza de Armas. The itinerary moves north to San Pedro de Atacama, where the salt flats, Valley of the Moon and volcanic lagoons sketch a desert unlike any other, and early starts allow for steaming geysers as the Andes catch the dawn.

Heading south, the lakeside town of Puerto Varas introduces Germanic architecture and views of Osorno volcano before a ferry crossing brings you to Chiloé Island with its wooden churches and local farmers’ fair. Further south still, the wilds of Patagonia unfold: cruising past Magellanic penguins on Magdalena Island, following the Strait of Magellan, then a full day in Torres del Paine National Park among granite peaks and glacial lakes.

A three-night extension on Easter Island provides yet another contrast. Here, vast volcanic craters host ceremonial sites and nearly 400 moai statues in various states of restoration; the largest moai raised on a stone platform weighs some 90 tons. A culinary finale sees a cooking class in Santiago’s Central Market before the flight home.