Northern Argentina & Chile – An Andean Road Odyssey
All aboard for the ultimate 4×4 self-drive Andean adventure. A group of eight intrepid travelers, split between four Toyota Hilux, will embark on the six-night-seven-day journey, ranging through the high-altitude desert, lagoons and salt plains of northern Argentina and Chile.
Prepare for early mornings on the road and ear popping ascents over Andean Mountain passes. Drive rambling stretches of desert plains that deliver your group to Pacific waters. Following our map dotted with comfortable outposts, your caravan will remain on their toes at every turn of this epic road trip.
This small group journey will start and end in northern Argentina and cross the Andes cordillera twice, satisfying your sense of adventure.
Enquire NowWHEN TO TRAVEL
September – November or March – May
SUGGESTED LENGTH
Seven nights
PRICE
From $11,500 per person
HIGHLIGHTS
- An intricate seven-day road map of some of the wildest destinations in northern Chile and Argentina.
- Adventure vehicles pre-equipped with picnic equipment, oxygen, and emergency gear.
- A thoughtful selection of boutique hotels, luxury beachside camps, and posadas to rest between days on the road.
- Activities along the way like dune buggy expeditions, pisco distillery tours, and astronomical programs.
DAY 1:
Touch down in the Argentine province of Catamarca and collect your vehicle. Start climbing the Andes with a 4-hour drive to Tinogasta, and Hotel Las Pircas, your base for the night. Kick back in the thermal baths with a glass of locally produced Bonarda.
DAY 2:
Get an early start to climb 4,800 metres as you cross the Andes into Chile at the Paso de San Francisco. Admire colorful rockfaces on the ascent, and a hinterland of salt flats and lagoons on the way down. Scents of the sea will roll in as you arrive to Wara Nomade, a luxury beachside camp on Chile’s Pacific coast and your base for the next two nights.
DAY 3:
Wake to the turquoise blue of Pacific waters, leaving the earth tones of the desert in the rearview for now. Wander the Atacama coast and explore its sands by dune buggy. Keep an eye out for sea lions and the eccentrically decorated houses of local fishermen.
DAY 4:
Enjoy the ocean with a swim, snorkel, paddleboard or kayak expedition, watching for sea lions and the occasional whale. Visit the San Jose Mine, where 33 Chilean miners were trapped underground for 69 days before a miraculous rescue in 2010.
DAY 5:
Head south along the Pacific for a 4-5 hour drive through the lush pastures of Chile’s Elqui Valley, known for its marvellous starry skies. The luxurious Casa Molle is your home for the next two nights, where you’ll embark on a guided astronomy tour after dinner.
DAY 6:
Choose to spend the day exploring the valley by horseback, or enjoying some of the many activities offered at Casa Molle, like bike rides, kayaking, hiking and yoga. Those looking to kick back may choose to visit the spa. Check out a pisco distillery then rest up for tomorrow’s trip back to Argentina.
DAY 7:
Cross the Paso de Agua Negra, one of the highest passes in the cordillera. This epic 8-9 hour traverse to Argentina is the climax of the adventure. Arrive, exhausted but elated, in time for a glass of something cold on the veranda of your final stop, Posado Ayana.
DAY 8:
Wake up slowly after a week-long voyage on the road. Enjoy a breakfast served in the splendour of the Andes before driving four hours to San Juan Airport, where you will leave your hire car and bid farewell to your fellow adventurers.
Where You’ll Stay
This small group journey features a line of up remarkable stays selected with the road tripper in mind.
Begin with a one-night stay at Hotel Boutique Las Pircas in the town of Tinogasta. Enjoy a dip in their hot spring baths, a leisurely barbecue with your group or dinner at the hotel’s restaurant before an early morning start.
Once you cross into the Chilean desert, you’ll collide with the Pacific Ocean at Wara Nomade, where pisco sours and fire-cooked sea bass await your arrival. Both homespun and stylishly sophisticated, this luxury beachside camp will be your base for the next two nights.
In the Elqui Valley, enjoy two nights at Casa Molle, which offers privileged views of the Andes above its heated outdoor pools.
Back on the Argentine side, the journey concludes at Posada Paso de los Patos, a special place to catch your breath after a long drive. Situated on the edge of a glistening lake, here you’ll close the journey with one last picnic gazing up at the mountains you traversed together.
INCLUDED:
- 7 nights accommodation
- 8 days rental vehicle each with a first-aid kit, picnic equipment, oxygen, a spare wheel, gasoline, and drinking-water tanks
- 24/7 concierge
Interested in arranging a trip exclusively for yourself or your group? Simply reach out to speak to our travel designers, or explore our other adventure holidays.
