Chile: Santiago, Valparaíso & the Atacama Desert — Self-Launched
9 days · Chile
Aborigen Tours charges £1,230
No-markup version: ~£560 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day version of Aborigen Tours' Santiago–Valparaíso–San Pedro de Atacama itinerary. You'll book your own hostel beds, hop the metro and local buses in Santiago, take the public bus to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, fly or bus north to Calama, then join a handful of small-group day tours out of San Pedro (Moon Valley, El Tatio geysers, the altiplano lagoons and salt flat, plus a stargazing night) — all bookable directly with local Atacama operators or via GetYourGuide/Klook. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights; they are approximate and vary by season (Atacama prices spike in Dec–Feb and around Easter).
Day-by-day
Arrive Santiago, settle into Barrio Bellavista or Lastarria
Santiago
Land at Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) and take the Turbus/Centropuerto airport bus (CLP 2,000–2,500, ~40 min) or a shared Transvip van to the centre — cheaper and more reliable than a private transfer. Check into a hostel dorm in Bellavista or Lastarria, then ease into the city with a walk up Cerro San Cristóbal (funicular ~£2) for sunset views and an evening wander around Patio Bellavista. Pick up a BIP metro card (~£1.30 plus top-up) — you'll use it all tomorrow.
🚌Airport bus (Turbus/Centropuerto) ~£2.20 or shared Transvip van ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm in Bellavista or Lastarria (~£14–18/night)
- →Cerro San Cristóbal funicular and sunset viewpoint
- →Evening walk in Bellavista
- →Buy BIP metro card
DIY Santiago civic-centre and craft-village day
Santiago
Replicate the guided city tour on foot: start at La Moneda Palace and Constitution Square (free to walk the plaza; changing-of-the-guard every other morning), cross to Plaza de Armas to see the Catedral Metropolitana, the Correo Central (Post Office) and the Museo Histórico Nacional (free entry). Walk or metro to Bellavista and Providencia, then take the metro to Los Dominicos at the end of Line 1 — visit the Los Dominicos church and the Pueblito de los Dominicos craft market. In the evening, if you want a structured intro, a GetYourGuide Santiago walking tour runs ~£15–20.
🚌Metro/bus with BIP card ~£2 total
🛏Hostel dorm, Santiago (~£14–18/night)
- →La Moneda Palace and Constitution Square
- →Plaza de Armas, Cathedral and National History Museum (free)
- →Bellavista and Providencia districts
- →Pueblito de los Dominicos craft village
Valparaíso and Viña del Mar by public bus
Valparaíso
Take the Turbus or Pullman Bus from Santiago's Terminal Alameda to Valparaíso (~1h40, £5–7 each way). Explore the UNESCO-listed port city's cerros on foot: ride the Ascensor Reina Victoria or Concepción funicular, walk Cerro Alegre and Cerro Bellavista's murals, and visit La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda's house museum (£6–7 entry). Continue 15 minutes by metro/trole to Viña del Mar for the coast and a pisco sour, then bus back to Santiago in the evening. Alternatively, a GetYourGuide Valparaíso + Viña day tour (~£30–40) covers both in one shot.
🚌Return bus Santiago–Valparaíso ~£11–14; local metro/trole ~£1.50
🛏Hostel dorm, Santiago (~£14–18/night)
- →Valparaíso hilltop walk and street art
- →La Sebastiana (Pablo Neruda house museum)
- →Viña del Mar seafront
- →Pisco sour tasting
Fly north to Calama and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama
Take a budget flight (Sky or JetSMART) from Santiago to Calama — booked well in advance these start around £30–50 one-way, versus the 21-hour bus alternative. From Calama's El Loa airport, the shared van transfer (Transvip/Licancabur) to San Pedro de Atacama takes ~1h20 and costs ~£12–15; the local bus is cheaper (~£3–4) but slower and less frequent. Settle into a hostel in the dusty adobe village, acclimatise with a slow afternoon (San Pedro is at 2,400 m), book your tours for the next days at one of the agencies on Calle Caracoles, and stock up on warm layers, gloves and a hat.
🚌Flight Santiago–Calama ~£30–50 (book early); shared van transfer ~£13
🛏Hostel dorm in San Pedro de Atacama (~£12–18/night)
- →Walk the town centre and book local day tours
- →Acclimatisation afternoon
- →Sunset at the edge of town with volcano views
Moon Valley and Licancabur sunset
San Pedro de Atacama
Join a small-group afternoon tour to Valle de la Luna (~£18–22 direct or via GetYourGuide) — you can also cycle there yourself and pay the CLP 6,000 park entry. Walk the dunes, the Salt Cave and the Tres Marías rock formations, then watch sunset over the Cordillera de la Sal with Licancabur volcano glowing. Tours leave around 15:00–16:00 and return after dark. Bring water, sunscreen and a head torch.
🚌Shared tour minibus included; cycle hire ~£5 alternative
🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama
- →Valle de la Luna guided walk
- →Tres Marías formations
- →Salt caves
- →Sunset over the Atacama Desert and Licancabur
El Tatio geysers at sunrise and Machuca village
San Pedro de Atacama
The famous 04:30 departure: a small-group tour to El Tatio geysers at 4,300 m (~£22–27, including breakfast and park entry) catches the steam columns at sunrise in -5°C to -10°C cold — dress in everything you own. Warm up in the thermal pools (national park rules limit soaking, so check with your guide), then stop at the llama-herding village of Machuca for anticucho skewers on the way back. You'll be back in town by early afternoon — nap, then enjoy a long lunch.
🚌Tour minibus pickup from hostel included
🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama
- →Sunrise at El Tatio geysers
- →Geothermal field walk
- →Thermal dip
- →Machuca village and llama anticuchos
Altiplano lagoons, Salar de Atacama and Toconao
San Pedro de Atacama
A full-day high-altitude tour (~£25–30) runs to Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons at 4,200 m, with a short stop at the Talar/Tuyajto lagoon viewpoints and good chances of spotting vicuñas, flamingos, ñandúes and vizcachas. Continue to the vast Salar de Atacama salt flat and the village of Toconao, where you can watch local llareta-stone carving and buy handicrafts. Book in advance to confirm a seat — this excursion keeps the numbers down for conservation reasons.
🚌Shared tour minibus included
🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama
- →Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons
- →Wildlife spotting (vicuñas, flamingos, ñandúes)
- →Salar de Atacama salt flat
- →Toconao village handicrafts
Slow day and Atacama stargazing
San Pedro de Atacama
Recover from the altitude and enjoy a free morning — a cheap bike rental (~£5) to the nearby Valle de Marte dunes, the Pukará de Quitor ruins, or the Padre Le Paige archaeological museum. In the evening, join one of San Pedro's astronomical tours (SPACE or Alarkapin observatory-style experiences, ~£28–35 via GetYourGuide or direct) — with some of the clearest skies on earth, an expert astronomer will walk you through the Milky Way, star clusters and planets through a telescope.
🚌Walk or bike in town; observatory pickup included with the astro tour
🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama
- →Bike ride to Pukará de Quitor or Valle de Marte
- →Padre Le Paige museum
- →Astronomical tour with telescope observation
Transfer to Calama and onward flight
Calama
Take the shared van back to Calama airport (~1h20, ~£13) for your Sky or JetSMART flight back to Santiago or onward to your next stop — or, for the patient, the public bus to Santiago (~21h, ~£25–35) if you're continuing overland towards Argentina or Bolivia. International flights are not included in the estimate.
🚌Shared van San Pedro–Calama ~£13; onward flight or bus extra
🛏None (day of departure)
- →Morning in San Pedro before departure
Self-launched vs. Aborigen Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Aborigen Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£560 | £1,230 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £670 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Aborigen Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£560
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Chile: Santiago, Valparaíso & the Atacama Desert — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £560 per person for 9 days in Chile. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Aborigen Tours?+
Yes — Aborigen Tours charges around £1,230 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £560 — a saving of roughly £670 (54%) per person.
How long is the Chile trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Chile.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Chile, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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