Surf and Singletrack: Arrival & Departure Information

Arrival and Departure Airport

You should fly into and out of Santiago International Airport (SCL). Please see the schedule page for the exact pickup and dropoff times for your particular trip. You can, if necessary, arrive earlier - we will arrange a pickup for you.

Pickup & Drop-off Information

We offer a free airport pickup service from the Santiago airport to your hotel. Please notify us in advance of your flight number and arrival time, or post this on your Adventure Engine account when making your booking (or after booking, if you have made an account).

On the last day of the trip, we are in San Pedro de Atacama. We finish with a morning ride, then have lunch and pack our bikes for the flight back to Santiago, arriving at 7:30 pm. If you are flying out that night, then you can simply check your bags onward for the flight back home. If you are flying home the next day or later, then you can either a) check the bags you don't need (including your bike) at the storage facility at the airport or b) bring your bags with you and store them at the hotel (you can book extra nights at our Santiago hotel online).

We can arrange an airport shuttle for you back to the airport - just notify us of your flight time and date.

Extending your trip
If you want to extend your trip by arriving early or staying on after your trip, there are a few things you should know:

1. You can book extra nights at our hotels in San Pedro and Santiago when making your original booking, or add these on after. Price is $45/person/night, based on shared double accommodation.
2. We have a few excellent side trip options for extending your trip. If you want to stay longer in Chile, contact our office and we'd be happy to tell you more.
3. If you want information on places to visit and things to see in Chile after/before your trip, please contact our Chilean office.

Flights

We do not book international flights for our clients. Please contact your local travel agent for information on booking flights for this trip.

Travelling with your bike

If you've never traveled with your bike, don't worry - it's much easier than you think! If you don't have a case for your bike, then you can pick up a cardboard travel box for your bike at your local store. Some stores will also pack your bike up for you for a fee.

Alternately, we sell travel bags for bikes, handmade by Pikapackworks. These travel bags are specially made for bikes and can often go on flights without having to pay the extra charges incurred by cardboard boxes or hard cases. The bags cost $350, including shipping withing North America (buying from Pikapackworks directly will cost you $345 plus shipping). Click here for more information on our bags (PDF).

n.b. you may need to pay an extra fee for traveling with your bike on the flights within Chile. Cost is $0-$100 per flight, depending on weight and size. Be careful with your baggage weight!

Travel Requirements

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance, including emergency evacuation coverage, is compulsory for all our tours. Please do not attend any of our tours without purchasing appropriate insurance coverage. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation protection so that you will be covered in the event that you are unable to attend our tour (due to injury, illness or other unforeseen circumstances) or in the unlikely event that our tour must be cancelled.

Contact our office if you would like to purchase travel insurance.

Passports & Visas

All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. For more information, visit the World Travel Guide website.

Reciprocal Payment

Citizens of Canada, the U.S. and Australia will have to pay a one-time fee to enter Chile. This fee varies from $40-$132 depending on citizenship.

Health and Safety

Altitude

Much of the riding on this trip occurs at altitude (above 2,500 m/8,000 ft.). If you are in decent shape without any lung conditions, the acclimatization we do at the start of the trip should be sufficient. If you are concerned about your ability to deal with altitude we recommend arriving a day or two early and doing some extra riding in the Lima area. Cost is $100/day for an extra day of shuttle-assisted mountain biking. So far we have had no clients experience anything more severe than a mild headache or sinus congestion. We do recommend you bring Diamox, just in case.

Emergency Contact

If you need to contact us in an emergency, you can reach us during office hours at the following numbers:

Dialing within North America: 1 (888) 423-7849
Dialing outside of North America: +1 (647) 999-7955
If you feel that you need to contact us outside of office hours, our Chile operations manager Carola Fresno can be contacted at +56-2-3348135.

If you do not receive an immediate answer when calling the above numbers, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Food

Chile is South America's most developed, cleanest country. There is little risk in Chilean restaurants beyond what you would encounter in an North American restaurant.

Vaccination Requirements

Vaccinations are required for Peru. In general, you will require typhoid, Hepatitis A, measles/mumps/rubella, and tetanus vaccinations for this trip. Malaria pills are not required. Please visit the MD Travel Health website for more information.

Fitness Requirements

You should have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to bike for up to five hours a day in order to fully enjoy the spectacular scenery and riding on this trip. There will also be plenty of time for relaxation at our lodges or exploring the local shopping at a leisurely pace.

Safety & Security

Chile is a very safe country, however certain precautions should be followed, as with all foreign travel. To maximize your safety during our tours you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.

Spending Money

Meals

On this trip, all breakfasts and lunches are included in the trip price. Dinners are taken in local restaurants. You should budget $10-$15 per meal (depending on the quality of restaurants you choose).

Other expenses

Aside from meals and baggage charges on the internal flights, there are no required additional expenses for this trip, but you might like to take spending money for such things as souvenir shopping, nightlife and Internet cafes.

Tipping

Gratuities of 5-10% are common in Chile. We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you have received excellent service and have had an enjoyable trip. A typical gratuity $20 - $100 per guide.

Useful Links

For additional information about travelling in Chile, visit
Chile Tourism website

Currency exchange:
The Canadian currency is the Canadian dollar (CAN). For the latest currency exchange information use the Yahoo! Currency Exchange Calculator

What type of bike should you bring?

We recommend you bring a solid all-mountain rig with you to Peru, with at least 6" of travel. Freeride and downhill bikes are OK, but there are a few short climbs on this trip (the longest is about 30-45 minutes), so a bike with 2 rings up front is recommended.

Our Guarantee

We're so sure you'll have an amazing time on this trip that we're offering a money-back satisfaction guarantee. View more information about our guarantee.