Route of the Altiplanicas Jewels

INTERNATIONAL TOUR IN 4X4 OVER ARGENTINA-CHILE-BOLIVIA
Duration: 6 days 5 nights.

Program:

Day 1

We start the expedition in Salta city (1185 meters above sea levell) to San Antonio de Los Cobres following the way of the train to the clouds over El Toro gorge. Them, when we get San Antonio(3700 mts.a.s.l) we lunch and continue to the hart of The Andes Mountains thorugh Sico Pass (border) ehere we change the transport to chilean jeep.
In 400 kms. of dirving we will be in the middle of nowhere, crossing deserts, salt flats, lakes sorrunded by high mountains snow capped until get San Pedro de Atacama and a few small villages on the way just one hour before San Pedro.
10/12 hours driving from Salta to get San Pedro de Atacama including time spended in custom and migration in the border Argentina-Chile. Night in hotel of San Pedro de Atacama


Day 2

The day before it was a long way, so today you have half day ¡free of your guide!, when you can visit the village, the church, the local market and rest. After lunch, another time me looking for you!, and with a friend of me who is local guide in Chile, we will visit the Chaxa lake (50 kms. away) in the middle of Atacama Salt Flat where we can see flamingos and more birds of the area, them we back to San Pedro to visit a few indians ruins like a "Aldea of TULOR" and "Pukará de Quitor". At sunset time we will stay on the top of the sand dune of the Moon Valley. Night in San Pedro.

Day 3

After the breakfast we start the trip to Bolivia. After climb to the bolivian border call " Hito Cajón" at 4.500 mts. a.s.l. we left the last 40 kms. of distance by asfalt road. In this place we will meet with a local guide in Bolivia with his 4x4 who will guidance us over this country.
This is the begining of the nature colour show: White Lake (Laguna Blanca)- Green Lake (Laguna Verde) and Red Lake (Laguna Colorada) each one full of birds caracteristics of the andean high plain region like a pink flamingos.
The highest point on the way is another géyseres filed at 4.900 mts. a.s.l. before get the refuge where we will sleep in Laguna Colorada(4.200 mts. a.s.l.) after drive 7 hours. Forget the private bathrooms and forget to take a shower.


Day 4

We start the trip at early morning thought a desert where are thousands traks on the sand. The landscape is amazing, snow caped mountains, volcanos and 5 lakes in chain full of flamingos. The average of driving is at 4.000 mts. a.s.l. and after 7 hours we will get the bigest salt flat in the world: Uyuni (11.000 square kms.) where we will drive over 70 kms. on the salt surface until get the Hotel made it by salt briks!!!. We will see the sunset in Uyuni and we will sleep in the hotel of salt.

Day 5

Breakfast in Uyuni and we left the salt falt to the small village call Uyuni where we will fill the fuel tanks of the jeeps and we comtinue to the Argetina border.
May be will be the longest driving day with 300 kms. with a last part of earth road. The landscape is really nice also because we will go down through a nice canyon where is a small miners village call Tupiza.
La Quicaca is the name of the small city in the Argentina side where we will make a check in in the hotel, change a transport again to the locla guide and spend the night.

Day 6

After many days driving in earth roads and off roads, we get the asfalt again and we start a descent also. From the 3.500 mts. a.s.l. in La Quiaca to Salta city at 1185 mts.
The distance is 400 kms. driving over the famous Humahuaca gorge visiting ancestrals villages like Humahuaca, Tilcara and Purmamarca in Jujuy Province sourrunded by a cloured mountains, so , after Jujuy city we take a short road over the rain forest to get Salta.

Included:

· Transportation en each country with local guides (4x4 or minivan)
· International insurance of transportation.
· Local guides (english guide only in Argentina and Chile)
· Cocktail Valle de la Luna.
· Mineral water, te or café.
· Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama.
· Youth Hostel Laguna Colorada with dinner and breakfast.
· Hotel in Uyuni village (2*).
· Hotel in La Quiaca (2*).

Not included:

Meals and tikets to natural reserves.

Note: Please confirm the rate vigency at Norte Trekking Expeditions oficial site.