South American Adventure

  Argentina

• All Other Regions of Argentina: 
Puerto Iguazu

  Bolivia

• Other Cities in Bolivia: 
Sucre,  La Paz,  Santa Cruz de la Sierra

  Brazil

• Southern Brazil: 
Brasilia,  Cuiaba

  Chile

• Santiago: 
Santiago

Dates: 2009: December 12. Please note: This tour will not be running in 2010. Please contact a travel adviser for alternative options.

Description: This epic tour gives you the chance to explore the highlights of South America. From the magnificent Iguaçu Falls to the remote Atacama Desert, from the El Tatio Geysers to the vast Uyuni Salt Flats, and from the timeless colonial heartland of Bolivia to the wildlife of the Pantanal wetlands, this ultimate South American Adventure will leave you spellbound!

You begin in the capital city of Santiago catching a flight transfer to Northern Chile, arriving in San Pedro de Atacama. As you get to know your tour companions you will visit Moon Valley and Death Valley on your first afternoon, before viewing the first beautiful sunset of the tour and spending your first night in hosteria. You then set off for the El Tatio Geysers, the highest geyser basin in the world at a colossal 4,321m above sea level.

As you cross the border into southern Bolivia you encounter the massive salt flats of Uyuni, which are composed of a staggering 10 billion or more tons of salt. Marvel at the reflections of the surface when covered by shallow waters and the colour variations of the lakes, from Laguna Verde's jade waters to the flaming red of Laguna Colorada.

As we move into Bolivia's colonial heartland you will visit Potosi, once one of the continent's largest and most prosperous cities, but now a shadow of its former self. There are still beautiful churches, monuments and museums to explore among the streets of this grand old city. Its mining history is not forgotten, and a visit to the mines can also be arranged.

Highlights: * Orientation
Your tour starts at the Hotel Presidente Santiago at 7.30am. Our local representative will greet you at Santiago's gateway hotel and transfer you to the airport. You will spend a few minutes filling out paperwork and meeting your fellow travelers before departing the hotel. This is a great time to ask any questions that you may have. Health, safety and other information will either be covered at this point, or just after you have set off. The guide, driver and vehicle will meet you upon arrival in Northern Chile.

* Accommodation
On this tour, all en-route accommodation nights (HP) are INCLUDED in the tour cost. We use a mix of hotels, hosterias (hostels) and local guesthouses. Accommodation may vary, depending on location and availability. We may utilise a combination of twin-share rooms as well as multi-share rooms depending on the local destinations. We carefully select each property to ensure that it is ideally located, clean, comfortable and safe. We also choose to utilise locally owned properties whenever possible so that the local community and its members benefit from our visits.

* Free Time
As this tour is so action packed, you will not have a lot of free time, however you will have the opportunity to do your own thing in each of the locations that you visit you can choose to do an optional activity or just to relax and take in your surroundings.

* Optional Activities
Each day of the tour there will be numerous optional activities available. The costs are payable locally to your tour leader in US dollars cash, travelers' cheques or local currency. The type of activity will depend on availability and weather conditions.

Here are some examples of additional excursions that may be available to you during the tour:

- Mountain biking in San Pedro
- Horseback riding in San Pedro
- Cave scuba diving in Bonito
- Whitewater rafting in Bonito
- Boat trip under Iguacu falls
- Tango show with dinner in Buenos Aires

Cost in US$: GBP 1,699 - GBP1,739

* What's Not Included in the Programme
- LOCAL PAYMENT of USD610 for internal flights
- International flights
- Travel Insurance
- Spending Money
- All meals not described above

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Real Gap Experience's Mission Statement:

Real Gap offer over 350 projects and travel options in over 35 countries over 6 continents. So whether you are interested in volunteering, community work, conservation, paid work overseas, teaching English, learning a new skill, adventure travel or sports and expeditions, you will find what you are looking for with Real Gap.

Not only about we passionate about responsible travel, we are pretty keen on making sure you have a good time too! Our travel advisors have traversed the globe and taken their own gap years, so they can give you all the advice you need to plan yours. You will also get support from both our on-site and office staff who understand the needs and expectations of Real Gap travelers.

Year Founded: 2005