1 October 2026 - 13 days for £12,450 per person
1 March 2027 - 13 days for £12,995 per person
March 2028 - Register for 2028 and we will contact when confirmed details including dates and prices are available.
Experience the astronomical highlights of Chile, known as an astronomer's mecca. With 70 per cent of the world’s telescopes, Chile truly is the world capital of astronomy. Visit some of the world's most technologically advanced observatories and stargaze beneath some of the clearest skies on earth.
Chile hosts some of the world's most advanced observatories and telescopes, such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory which received "first light" in June 2025 and the future Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in the Atacama, as well as prominent observatories in the Elqui Valley. Many of its observatories, including those in the Elqui Valley, are at high altitudes, often above 2000 metres, acting as an advantage as it places telescopes above much of the Earth's atmosphere that can distort and absorb light. These remote locations ensure minimal light pollution, crucial for deep-sky observation. The atmospheric conditions over these parts of Chile, both in the Atacama desert and the Elqui Valley, are extremely stable, leading to less turbulence and, therefore, clearer astronomical images.
During this tour, visit world leading observatories including Vera C. Rubin, which houses the largest camera ever built as well as an 8.4 metre Simonyi Survey Telescope, Paranal, part of the European Southern Observatory and home to the Very Large Telescope and Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope, as well as El Pangue in the Elqui Valley – a place where across the hilly landscape the only visible structures are telescopes. Enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the Atacama desert, traditional cuisine and the fascinating towns and cities of this highly stimulating country.
Gain hands-on experience at historic and modern observatories, meet local experts and stargaze at several sites near San Pedro de Atacama, Santiago and Vicuña.
Throughout the tour, Martin Griffiths, senior lecturer in space science at the University of South Wales in the UK, will accompany you as you travel across Chile's varied landscapes and visit the sites that make this country the world capital of astronomy. As well as leading evening stargazing sessions, Martin will also give evening talks and walking seminars about each telecope's and observatory's place in the world of astronomy, how they work and what it is that they are hoping to find.
This tour is perfect for those interested in the world of astronomy, no matter your level of experience. On this tour you are visiting world-clasas observatories and telescopes and experiencing some of the best night skies in the world, something which can be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone. If you are curiously minded and want to explore Chile in a different way, look no further.
In partnership with Intrepid Travel.
MAP
Please note that for the 1 March 2027 departure, the itinerary is in reverse order.
Day 1: Arrive in Santiago
Welcome to Santiago! Check into the Almasur Providencia Hotel.
Meet your fellow guests, your local guide and Martin Griffiths, who will be accompanying you throughout the tour. Martin will give an introductory talk and you will head out for lunch at a local restaurant.
After a welcome meeting and briefing from your tour leader, enjoy an early evening meal with traditional cuisine and the classic national cocktail pisco sour.
Day 2: Transfer to Antofagasta
Today you will have an early start. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before being transferred to the airport for your flight north to the port city of Antofagasta. On arrival, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before checking in to the Holiday Inn Antofagasta for two nights.
The remainder of the day will be at leisure before joining the group for dinner together in the evening.
There is also an optional astrophotography tour for those interested in honing their skills in capturing celelstial objects with cameras.
Day 3: Paranal Observatory and Mano del Desierto
Today, you will journey inland a few hours to the Paranal Observatory. It is part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the world’s most productive astronomical organisation, which provides funding for state-of-the-art research facilities and is supported by 16 European countries, including the UK, and Chile.
Paranal hosts several world-class telescopes including the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and is considered one of the best astronomical observing sites in the world. The VLT is the world’s most advanced optical instrument, consisting of four large "unit" telescopes and four smaller, moveable telescopes. They work together to form a giant "interferometer" that allows astronomers to see details up to 25 times finer than with individual telescopes.
The tour starts at the visitor centre before being taken to one of VLT platforms and entering the dome of an 8.2-meter unit telescope. If conditions allow, you will then visit the control room, the technical hub of the site where the astronomers work. Finally, a tour of La Residencia, the architecturally stunning hotel for Paranal staff and scientists as featured in the film Quantum of Solace.
On the return to Antofagasta, you will visit “The hand of the desert”, also known as “Mano del Desierto”, which is a work of the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal, built in the early 1980s. This sculpture of a giant hand reaches for the stars in the middle of the Atacama desert. The scorched moonscape of the Atacama stretches for hundreds of kilometres on both sides of the Pan-American Highway, undisturbed by any sign of human activity.
Enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Day 4: Travel north-east to San Pedro de Atacama
After breakfast, you will journey by private coach towards San Pedro de Atacama.
On your way, you will stop at Chacabuco, one of the most famous saltpetre towns of the Atacama desert. In the early part of the last century there were 170 saltpetre towns that made nitrates for export around the world until synthetic versions from Germany led to the closure of all but one of the towns.
Your next four nights will be at the La Casa de Don Tomás Hotel. An excellent base to explore the wonders of the Atacama.
Enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.
Day 5: Death valley, Moon valley, Rainbow valley and Yerbas Buenas petroglyphs
First today you will travel to Death valley where a scenic breakfast will be served among the landscape of the salt mountain range. Afterwards, travel to the Moon valley which is nestled in the heart of the Salt mountain range. This remarkable landscape captivates with its unique terrain, reminiscent of lunar surfaces. Visit the majestic "Duna Mayor," offering sweeping views of undulating sands. You will also explore the natural amphitheatre, an awe-inspiring formation carved by the elements over millennia. The "Tres Marías," a trio of striking geological formations, provide a fascinating glimpse into the area's natural history. Stop at the "Piedra del Coyote" lookout which offers breathtaking panoramic views. Having soaked in the vistas, head back to your hotel for lunch.
In the afternoon, travel to Rainbow valley whose rich deposits of minerals and ores creates a amazing hues of multicoloured rock through the glacier-carved valley. While here you will also visit the Yerbas Buenas petroglyphs, one of the most important archaeological sites in Chile. Depicted here are hundreds of figures of llamas, alpacas, predators and even a monkey, all dating to before the Spanish conquest of South America. Learn about the theories, myths and legends of why these creatures are carved here from a local guide.
As the sun begins to set, casting a golden glow over the Andes mountain range, savour this moment with a delightful cocktail, making for a perfect end to an unforgettable experience exploring the region.
Head back to your hotel for dinner.
Day 6: Miscanti and Miñiques lakes, the Atacama Salt Flat and Toconao
Departing from San Pedro de Atacama, the journey south toward the Sico border crossing begins with breakfast amid a peaceful tamarugo forest. The Altiplanic Lagoons offer breathtaking views of Miscanti and Miñiques, with imposing volcanoes as their backdrop. A stop at the Tropic of Capricorn provides an opportunity for photos and interesting insights about this southern parallel.
As the day unfolds, a carefully chosen location among majestic landscapes becomes the perfect setting for an outdoor lunch, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the surrounding beauty. Later, explore the Atacama Salt Flat, the largest salt deposit in Chile, visiting Chaxa Lagoon – home to flamingos and other bird species. To conclude the day, the village of Toconao offers cultural insights and a glimpse into the architectural and traditional heritage of the region.
*If possible, this day may be replaced with a visit to the ALMA Observatory. ALMA can only be booked 70 days in advance, therefore, it is subject to availability.
Day 7: Tatio geysers and Putana wetlands and volcano
Today is another early start as you head towards the Tatio geysers located to the north of San Pedro. They form the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the highest in the world at 4320 metres. The geysers and fumaroles are at their most active in the early morning and watching the sunrise over the geyser field is a memorable experience. Breakfast will be served whilst you are there.
On your way back, to you will stop at Putana wetlands to see the active volcano of Putana. Our last stop will be at Machucha wetland to visit the flamingos before return to San Pedro.
After relaxing back at the hotel, you will enjoy the evening stargazing in the desert with a guide.
Day 8: Fly to La Serena and El Pangue Observatory
After a short flight south to La Serena, you will travel east back into the mountains to the town of Vicuña.
After checking in to the Hotel Terral for two nights you will enjoy lunch either here or at a local restaurant, followed by time at leisure.
In the evening, visit the El Pangue Observatory. It has several large telescopes and has been designed for small astronomy groups to take advantage of the exceptionally clear skies. Martin and local experts will ensure you gain the most out of the facilities.
Enjoy dinner with the group.
Day 9: The Elqui valley, Andes mountains and Villaseca
This morning head towards the Andes mountains to reach the viewpoints where you will observe the most beautiful landscapes, a mixture of semi-arid desert and a green mantle that will make you love this place.
Continue to Pisco Elqui, a small town, to learn how Chilean pisco is made and taste this ancestral liqueur in Dona Josefa Distillery. Once the tasting is over, you will go to Montegrande, birthplace of Gabriela Mistral, where the schoolhouse museum is located to learn about the life and work of this great poetess.
Afterwards, continue to Villaseca, known for its solar cookers to have lunch at a restaurant in the area. Return to hotel in Vicuña for dinner with the group.
Day 10: Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Omega Astronomy Centre
After breakfast travel from Vicuña to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. This is a very unique opportunity to visit a cutting-edge astronomical project that will change the way professional observation is done. The 91av Chile astronomy 2023 group tour was the first ever group to visit before it was opened.
The observatory is a groundbreaking astronomical facility located on Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo region of northern Chile. Named in honour of the astronomer Vera Rubin, renowned for her work on galaxy rotation rates that provided evidence for dark matter, the observatory is designed to conduct a 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). This survey will create a detailed, multi-colour, time-lapse digital movie of the entire visible southern sky. The very first images from this observatory were released in June 2025 (below):
The Rubin Observatory features an 8.4-metre primary mirror and a 3.2-gigapixel camera, one of the largest digital cameras ever constructed for ground-based astronomy. Its mission is to capture wide-field astronomical images, enabling research across a broad range of topics, including dark matter and dark energy, the formation of galaxies, the detection of potentially hazardous asteroids and the exploration of the transient and variable universe.
In the evening, visit the Omega Astronomy Centre, an enthusiastic endeavour by a group of astronomy enthusiasts located in Vicuña, Chile. The centre is renowned as the astronomy capital due to its optimal sky quality and favourable climate for stargazing. Situated just 15 minutes from the city, on the slopes of Cerro Mamalluca in the Casablanca sector, the observatory offers a unique astronomical experience. Its observation terrace boasts some of the world's clearest skies, providing exceptional views of the Elqui Valley and nearby major scientific astronomical complexes, including Cerro Tololo, SOAR, Gemini South and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Omega serves as an ideal spot for both local and visiting astronomy buffs to immerse themselves in the wonders of the cosmos.
Day 11: Santiago
In the morning, you will drive towards the Pacific Ocean for a short flight back to Santiago where you will spend the next three days.
Santiago is nestled within the Andes mountains and encompasses ancient traditions, European influence, the natural world and a modern city. Founded in 1541 by Spanish conquistadors, the city has a mix of architectural styles and a rich, vivid culture.
This afternoon you will enjoy a tour of the city that includes ascending the Sky Costanera, the tallest viewing platform in Chile that affords stunning views over Santiago and towards the Andes.
Enjoy dinner with the group this evening.
Day 12: The Planetarium, the University of Chile astronomy department and the Cerro Calán Observatory
You will start the day with a visit to the Planetarium situated in the University of Santiago, which presents an informative show on its 22-metre dome.
Afterwards, you will travel to the University of Chile to visit its astronomy department and the National Astronomical Observatory at Cerro Calán Observatory.
The department runs a post-graduate course for students who wish to complete their professional training in astrophysics. The observatory was established in 1956 and contains several exceptional telescopes, one of them 160 years old. The visit will include a guided tour of all the historic telescopes and then using some of them for a final evening of stargazing with students of the university and Martin.
Tonight you will have a farewell dinner with the group and Martin to look back at the previous 12 days and the incredible places you have visited.
Day 13: Departure
After breakfast, depart Santiago for your onward journey home.
Please note this itinerary is subject to change. A number of the observatories can only be booked 70 days prior to visiting. The confirmed itinerary will be able around two months prior to departure.
Alternative itinerary options:
*Day 6: The ALMA Observatory
After breakfast, you will journey through the desert to the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA), an astronomical interferometer made up of 66 high-precision radio telescopes. You will explore the Operations Support Facility at 3000 metres above sea level and enjoy a full briefing. You will see the control facilities that manage 66 antennas, laboratories, the gigantic antennas under maintenance and the antenna transporter. As this is international land, you will need to bring your passport. Please note that visits here are free of charge. Enjoy an early dinner as you will have another busy day tomorrow.
