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Chile
In the height of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, Chile in December reveals its most dazzling contrasts, from the sunlit peaks of Patagonia to the otherworldly deserts of the Atacama and the vibrant energy of Santiago and Valparaíso. Warm, elongated days cast golden light across glaciers, salt flats, vineyards, and coastlines, creating perfect conditions for exploration and adventure.
Whether you’re trekking among Patagonia’s iconic granite towers, stargazing under the clearest skies on Earth, savoring crisp Chilean wines, or wandering colorful seaside towns, Chile in December offers a rare blend of wild beauty and effortless sophistication. It’s a month where landscapes feel limitless, experiences feel purely alive, and every moment carries the magic of summer at the edge of the world.
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Trip Information
Recommended trip length:
8 Days
Best time to travel:
September - May
Estimated price:
$12,000
Trip Overview
1
Explora Atacama | 3 Nights at Atacama Desert
2
The Singular Santiago | 1 Night at Santiago
3
Explora Torres Del Paine | 3 Nights at Patagonia
Weather
In Chile, December marks the peak of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, bringing warm temperatures and long, sun-drenched days. Average daytime temperatures range from 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F) depending on the region, offering comfortable conditions for exploring cities, beaches, vineyards, or Patagonia’s stunning landscapes. With clearer skies, vibrant scenery, and lively summer energy, December unveils Chile at its most inviting, perfect for trekking, wine country escapes, coastal adventures, and soaking in the diverse beauty of the season.
Itinerary Preview
Day 1: Welcome to Chile!
Day 1: Welcome to Chile!Private Transfer
Upon arrival in Calama, where you will be greeted at the airport by your local host who will be waiting in the arrivals hall holding a sign with the Explora Logo. You will then be transferred to your hotel near San Pedro de Atacama, in the Atacama Desert (approx. 1.5 hour transfer).
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is known as the driest and possibly oldest desert in the world and it is often compared to the lunar landscape of Mars. In fact, it is often used by NASA to test instruments of Mars and used by Hollywood as the backdrop for numerous space films. The desert itself is about 965 km (600 miles) in length and comprised of red sands, salt flats, geysers, rust-colored canyons, and blue and green lagoons. Its huge night skies are brilliant and mesmerizing – and with 330 cloud-free nights a year, the dazzle of stars appears only just out of arm’s reach.
Your Stay: Explora Atacama
The Atacama Desert stretches from the rugged Pacific coast of northern Chile to the steep Andean slopes of southwestern Bolivia. Famous for its aridity, Atacama is proof of how life can flourish even in the harshest of conditions.
The lodge in Atacama is located in the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, on the beautiful Ayllu de Larache, once inhabited by ancient Atacameño families. San Pedro is a beautiful adobe town surrounded by the desert’s most dramatic features: salt-flats, volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, windswept sand dunes and many others.
Explora Atacama | 3 Nights
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Day 2: Puri
Day 2: PuriPuritama Canyon
Puri’s overland exploration follows the Vilama and Puritama Rivers, vital lifelines in the Atacama Desert. Stops at scenic viewpoints lead to a short hike into the Puritama Canyon, revealing unique vegetation and ancient human traces, and ending with a relaxing dip in an exclusive pools at the Puritama Hot Springs.
As if sliced off from the desert’s mantle, the ravines in this zone were created over millions of years by the forces of water and wind. Plunging into the abyss, they are sculptures that only time could shape.
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Day 3: Altiplano
Day 3: Altiplano
Exploration Path
You’ll leave in a private van and travel to the borderline with Argentina to appreciate multicolored landscapes and the Andean Plateau Salt Flats. Explore different ecological floors, which allow you to see the diversity in flora and fauna. You’ll come down from the van to feel what is like to walk over 4,000 m.a.s.l.
The Altiplano exists up there, somewhere between the mountains and the sky. Within, a whole new world silently awaits the intrepid explorers that venture its way. For us, this is a territory that words simply fall short of.
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