Atacama desert history & culture, Altiplano wildlife,  Coastal marine mammals 

Itinerary
4 days, 3 nights or 5 days, 4 nights.    Start Arica 

1 day naturalist guide service, 3-4 days with Chilean Spanish-speaking guide, or all 4-5 days with naturalist guide
 
Day 1:  Arica: archaeological museum, Chinchorro-era mummies,  many geoglyphs, hummingbird garden with possible sighting of the rare and declining Chilean Woodstar.  Later: Reserva Natural Municipal Desembocadura del Río Lluta to see the array of estuary birds and intact native vegetation.  Afternoon: Atacama Desert and the Monumento Natural Quebrada de Cardones, Browningia candelaris in addition to 6-7 other cacti species at higher elevations along the way.  Monumento Nacional Pukara de Copaquilla, then probably many Guanaco.  Pueblo of Socoroma and short hike to see some of the intact paving on the Inca trail that used to connect the villages.  Possible Andean Deer.   Overnight Putre.

Insert "free acclimatization day" here

Day 2:  UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Parque Nacional Lauca with B. Knapton as your guide.  Lago Chungara, Monumento National Iglesia de Parinacota with the haunting frescoes. Massive Chucuyo cushion bog, many birds, camelids, bog wildflowers.   Spotting scope provided for the best wildlife viewing. Optional bath at hot springs.  Overnight in Putre for an extra night of acclimatization before continuing on through the parks.  

Day 3:  Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas, Ramsar Site Monumento Natural Salar de Surire, hotsprings, active volcano, vicuñas, rheas, flamingos, tinamou, caserios. Parque Nacional Isluga, Polylepis tarapacana copse, Isluga church.  If desired, short walks can be interspersed throughout the day. Overnight in altiplano.

Day 4:  Giant Echinopsis cactus and other cacti not present in Lauca, bizarre geological formations, remote pueblos. Descend through absolute desert, visit enormous geoglyph at Cerro Unita. Reserva Nacional Pampa del Tamarugal to see the Tamarugo Conebill and the Prosopis plantations, then down to end tour in Iquique. 

Or add a 5th day of tour.....

Day 4:  Same as above......then down to sea level for the evening in a fishing village. 
   
Day 5:  Morning beach walk to most northerly of Chile's fur seal colonies. Photograph fur seals, sea lions, boobies, pelicans, endemic Chilean Seaside-cinclodes.  Then an excellent seafood lunch.  If heading back north to Arica, we visit the famous English cemetery where James Humberstone, one of the principal nitrate barons, is buried.  Continue north through the ghostly, barren Atacama Desert, stopping for superb geoglyphs along the way and periodically descending into the deep quebradas that were carved by massive amounts of water long ago.  Tour ends in Arica or Iquique.