Observatory Stargazing Tour from Santiago
5
Observatory Stargazing Tour from Santiago
By Chile Off Track
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 18-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Private transport
- Bilingual guide
- Welcome glass of wine
- Explanation by astronomer
- Boutique appetizers & wine
- Entry/Admission - Andes Mountains
What's not included- Optional gratuities for guides and drivers
- Dinner
- Items of personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- Send us your hotel in Santiago and we will make sure you will be picked up! -->In summer we pick you up around 19.00/ 19.30 -->In winter we pick you up around 17.00 This is in order to use the last day light for stargazing in broad daylight. Exact pick up times are determined by the astronomer and are communicated upon booking. (If you need to be picked up at the airport we will send you a driver at additional costs)
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5738P10- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5738P10
From
AU$732.26
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travellers
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Itinerary
- 1After arrival to this privately held Observatory in the middle of the Andes Mountains, you will be offered a glass of wine or other refreshment by our host. Followed by a brief presentation given by an experienced astronomer on where in the universe earth is located, complemented with astounding facts about planets, stars, galaxies and what can we expected to observe on the telescopes. Next we begin the observation of the clear sky with our bare eyes and the guidance of our astronomer, we continue then with simple binoculars and move onwards in technology to bigger and higher tech telescopes until you finally get to see the beautiful celestial bodies on the astrophotography telescope. We will make sure you receive the pictures through e-mail! To put your feet back on the ground, our host will serve you a glass of wine, cheese and other appetizers while you share your experiences and impressions with other members of the tour.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- yn100 contributionsHiking, empanadas and wineryWe had a great day, hiking in Cascada de las animas in the foothills of Andes, had a great lunch of traditional Chilean food, stopped at San Alfonso and San Jose, and ended with a visit to the winery. Super easy communication with Francesca who helped us customize the day to our interests.Written 1 January 2025
- 592mimit0 contributionsRude customer serviceSarcastic reply I was inquiring if they have the visa service I need aside for the tour. Rude reply. Shame on you Suzanne.Written 23 September 2024
- Q9392JEkimh0 contributionsWould not recommend, their policies lack human compassion.Really disappointed in the lack of humility by the company. I am an Aussie who didn’t know I needed a visa to enter Chile, as you don’t need one for other countries in South America. When I got to the airport in Buenos Aires, I was told I needed one and quickly tried to apply but it wasn’t approved in time and the wait was going to eat into most of our trip so we had to cancel Santiago completely. I tried so many different Avenues to get into the country but we couldn’t do anything. Reached out to this company to get a refund as there was nothing we could do and they refused to even give us 50% back. So we lost almost $500 because I can’t get into the country. Didn’t seem like a fair reasoning and we were recommended by a friend, however I would not recommend this tour now to anyone because of the lack of human empathy.Written 4 May 2024
- Roy B0 contributionsWonderful experiences. Great guides.We had five days in Santiago before going to Easter Island. The company arranged pickup from airport, city tour, Valparaiso, vineyard visiting and Andes hiking. Each day was great. The guides spoke perfect English, very informative and created fun days. This was very safe. Very unique. Recommend the company very highly.Written 27 March 2024
- seashellgirl130 contributionsexcellent experience!We had a wonderful private tour into the Andes mtns! Our guide, Will, picked us up promptly for the agreed upon pick up site. The company gave helpful tips in getting to the pickup site and things to do in that area. The horses were gentle and surefooted along the trail through the canyons. Will pointed out sights along the way and was very knowledgeable in culture, history and nature. We were even lucky enough to see eagles, condors, Chilean meadowlarks, quail, and the ranch dog even chased a rabbit across our path! I was interested in the tree-like cacti and Will went out of his way to make sure I saw them up close and even took pictures of us with them. When we got back to camp, Will's wife, Mirta, had prepared a charcuterie feast of fresh, local meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts and bread along with Chilean wine! This was a fabulous and memorable trip and highly recommend: do not miss this incredible opportunity!Written 25 March 2024
- 653DavidW0 contributionsPre-cruise flight to ChileAA service and amenities at their MIA Admirals' Club was actually a bit better than Virgin Atlantic's club at Heathrow. The flight was on time; service in business class was superb.Written 14 March 2024
- RenateH_120 contributionsSmall, personal , top guidesIf you look for great, personalized, off the beaten track local tour operator, go with Chile Off track. I did 2 tours with them, both were excellent, small group, super guides, well organized. You feel immediate connected to land, people and culture. Would definitely go again.Written 2 February 2024
- Safari233624633110 contributionsExcellent Tour With Interesting Guides. Don't Miss Out On This One!We did two tours with Chile Off Track and both were fantastic. We went to Valparaiso and Casa de Bosque winery for one and then Laguna Del Inca and In Situ winery for the other. It was a unique experience to get a first hand idea of what Chile is like from locals. We really connected with our guides and had an amazing time. I highly recommend using this group if you visit the Santiago area.Written 17 January 2024
- 859genevieveh0 contributionsExcellent tourMy husband and I can’t stop talking about our wonderful experience on this tour. It was a bit of a splurge for us but it exceeded our expectations in every way. The landscape you ride through is beautiful and the horses are well trained and well cared for. Will and his lovely wife are the highlight of the trip- they are extremely knowledgable and caring individuals. We felt privileged to spend time with them! 11/10 would recommend!Written 20 December 2023
- jennyhj10 contributionsWonderful experience!What an incredible experience! The driver was wonderful, guide Absolutely a joy to be with and great at providing hospitality, knowledge, and fun to the experience. They underplay their lunch that is included- it was GOURMET! Had all the Chilean fixings and we all absolutely enjoyed our last day in Santiago. Would 100% recommend this tour to anyone.Written 7 December 2023
- pamsauer0 contributionsChile hikeWe had a great time on our hike with Chile off Track. Felipe was our guide. He was very good. We hiked all morning, and even saw condors. It was amazing. The lunch was delicious.Written 31 October 2023
- Allyson E0 contributionsHorseback RidingThis tour was fantastic! Will and his wife were so accommodating. The whole day felt like you were hanging out with your friends. The horseback riding was spectacular! The views were unreal and you felt as though you were the only people on the mountain. I 100% recommend this tour.Written 12 October 2023
- princesssfiona0 contributionsExcellentWhat a great day we had. Both wineries were interesting, the wines delicious and the meal we had at Bodegas Re was outstanding. Thankyou to everyone involved. Brilliant!Written 2 June 2023
- kerrykA4543LA0 contributionsWine Tasting and Star Gazing, Oh My!Thank you so much to Claudia and her team for wonderful time during our short stay in Santiago. We had so much fun with Francisca and started chatting about so many things we found it hard to stay on schedule. We appreciated her knowledge, passion, and love for the area – we learned a lot and had wonderful wine and food! After a short turn around, Danny picked us up for an evening of stargazing. Although we had a language barrier, we found communication easy and he shared interesting sites along the way to the observatory and we had a fun time. We booked our stargazing trip with Chile Off Track months in advance and a few weeks before our trip their observatory had to cancel. Claudia and her team worked very hard to look at other options and did an amazing job up to the last minute to make our trip to Chile memorable. We look forward to coming back!Written 7 April 2023
- Glennambw0 contributionsA wonderful private tour of Valparaiso.The trip is tailored to your preference as it's a private tour. So the best part of the tour was just going at our own pace and seeing the beautiful city of Valparaiso. There were a couple of tour items that were scheduled that we elected to not do just so we could spend more time in this city and that was perfect. We had a wonderful time.Written 17 February 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
18 reviews
Excellent
17
Very good
0
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Lewis92
Darlington, UK18 contributions
A wonderful and amazing experience with an enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgable host D’amaso.
The enlightening and informative evening started with an efficient personalised transfer from hotel to venue by Barbara from Chile Off Track.
At the venue we had an evening of stargazing using several different telescopes but first we were able to safely look at the Sun as well as see a Star in full daylight!
D’amaso was a welcoming and generous host and with such a small group (we only had 5) there were spare telescopes!
D’amaso set several telescopes tracking different objects so we could move from one to another
More became visible as the sky darkened.
We’d paid extra for the Premium Wine & Appetisers which added to the enjoyment and allowed a break from Stargazing for some Theory and to gather socially
One of the other guests was trying to set up his own new telescope and D’amaso willingly guided him through the calibration process.
He also answered equipment and stargazing questions and gave tips to us all throughout the evening. There were handouts at the end.
Our host generously over-ran the evening a little so all our questions could be answered and we were grateful too that our Guide Barbara was willing to delay our drive back to our hotel
We cannot emphasise how important it is that you do this tour - you’ll get so much out of it both in terms of viewing and shared knowledge, but also from a greater appreciation of your place in the Universe
Genuinely worth 6 stars (no pun intended) and was a superb end to our vacation.
Thank you
The enlightening and informative evening started with an efficient personalised transfer from hotel to venue by Barbara from Chile Off Track.
At the venue we had an evening of stargazing using several different telescopes but first we were able to safely look at the Sun as well as see a Star in full daylight!
D’amaso was a welcoming and generous host and with such a small group (we only had 5) there were spare telescopes!
D’amaso set several telescopes tracking different objects so we could move from one to another
More became visible as the sky darkened.
We’d paid extra for the Premium Wine & Appetisers which added to the enjoyment and allowed a break from Stargazing for some Theory and to gather socially
One of the other guests was trying to set up his own new telescope and D’amaso willingly guided him through the calibration process.
He also answered equipment and stargazing questions and gave tips to us all throughout the evening. There were handouts at the end.
Our host generously over-ran the evening a little so all our questions could be answered and we were grateful too that our Guide Barbara was willing to delay our drive back to our hotel
We cannot emphasise how important it is that you do this tour - you’ll get so much out of it both in terms of viewing and shared knowledge, but also from a greater appreciation of your place in the Universe
Genuinely worth 6 stars (no pun intended) and was a superb end to our vacation.
Thank you
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Lewis,
We are so happy you had a great evening with us at the Observatory!
Thank you for your kind words.
Safe future travels,
Suzanne.
Written 10 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vicki J
Appleton, WI46 contributions
We had an amazing evening of stargazing! The price is high, but worth it for this once in a lifetime event. Our driver, Danny picked us up promptly at 6pm & we drove approximately 45 minutes outside Santiago to an incredibly beautiful area. The astronomer, Damso and his 3 dogs greeted us and invited us in to his glass-surrounded outdoor entertainment area and personal observatory with over 20 telescopes. This would be our home for the next 3 hours. I say “home” because we were so warmly welcomed and treated as a family member or friend, instead of a tourist. We were offered delicious Chilean wines and beers or anything else from his personal bar. His wife Caroline and daughter brought out plates of delicious snacks ranging from homemade ceviche to cheeses, meats & nuts which we snacked on all night. We started the night out viewing the sun and it’s solar flares on several different telescopes. We were taught how to use the different adjustments and zooms on the telescopes 🔠while Damso told us all about what we were viewing. As the night went on we viewed Saturn (his favorite planet), Jupiter & other stars and constellations. Damso's love of the stars and his passion in showing others the wonders of the universe was evident. It was just such a lovely evening and we left feeling as if we had made a new friend. He even sent us pictures he had taken that evening to us. If you are in Santiago, don’t miss this extraordinary stargazing opportunity.
Written 27 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Vicky,
Thank you for your raving review of our Stargazing Experience and we are SO pleased to hear it was such a unique experience.
We hope you had a nice stay in Chile and hope to welcome you back on a next occasion.
Warm regards, Suzanne - Chile Off Track Tours
Written 10 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maxine A
19 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
We had a great trip to the observatory. We were picked up by Susie who was super friendly and informative. When we arrived Demaso already had a telescope set up so we could see sunstorms before it set. We got to see stars like Sirius while the sky was still light. As the night went on we used more and more advanced telescopes, and saw several stars and constellations not visible in the northern hemisphere. Demaso was extremely knowledgeable and passionate, we couldn’t have asked for a better host. He is so generous to open his home to guests to share his passion! He also has three dogs who were very sweet. We can’t recommend this enough, and would love to go again.
Written 12 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful Stargazing Experience with us!
Thank you for booking with us!
Warm regards - Suzanne, Chile Off Track Tours
Written 10 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Glory Kadigan
New York City, NY191 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
Excellent experience. Multiple telescopes and observatory. I saw close ups of Venus, Jupiter, the moon, the sun and even a galaxy. The property was wonderful. It’s a private home of an astronomer with both indoor and outdoor lounge spaces, a pool, a bar, and grounds full of surreal sculptures created by the astronomer. His family served us wine and snacks. A wonderful stargazing unique experience. I’d do it again!
Written 10 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Glory! I'll pass on your review to the astronomer, he'll be really happy to read it. Also, thanks for reviewing, we really appreciate it!
Written 11 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pippa M
Shaftesbury, UK133 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
What a great evening. Yes, it is a bit more expensive than some of the other tours you can do in the Santiago region, but so worth it. Damaso and his colleague Franco describe themselves as "romantic astronomers". You spend the evening in their garden on the outskirts of Santiago. The garden is a quiet paradise full of telescopes of all shapes and sizes. You start of watching sunspots and solar flares on the setting sun, then move to the planets in the evening light and finally to the stars/satellites after dark. Throughout you will be plied with charcuterie board, snacks, ceviche and endless wine while entertained by the hosts.
Francisca at Chile Off Track was super helpful getting all the logistics sorted for this evening.
Francisca at Chile Off Track was super helpful getting all the logistics sorted for this evening.
Written 1 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your feedback! We'll pass it on to Damaso, as he also loves to hear back from travellers. This tour is really a special experience and I'm very happy you enjoyed yourselves!
Written 2 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
annbuggey
Hixson, TN1 contribution
Mar 2023
This tour was not accurately described or what we expected. If you are interested in a good dinner and limited stargazing, fine. Our primary interest was astronomy and we were shown 1 view in three telescopes. The staff were excellent, the food was very good, but the very long drive from Santiago was not worth the time and expense.
Written 9 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Ann,
As our primary Observatory was not available, we have provided an alternative facility further from Santiago. This had been communicated to you and is mentioned in the tour description as well.
We also gave you the option to reschedule or cancel the tour when reached out to you and mentioned this.
Regards,
Suzanne
Written 28 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
vakamalua
reston, va599 contributions
Feb 2020
Yes, this experience is a bit pricey but worth every penny to view the Sun and Stars at this amazing private observatory. With our passionate, fun and laid-back host, D'Amaso (along with his wife and teenage son/helper), we observed the Sun, Venus, Binary Stars, Orion and its Nebula and many more. We learned so much and we had a fascinating conversation about the Cosmos and our place in it; D'Amaso was open to all questions. There were eight that evening but we were never rushed or had to wait for our turn at the many telescopes including the one in the dome. The evening included pick-up and drop-off and a nice wine and cheese selection.
After traveling for five weeks, this was our last evening before returning home to the US. It was a spectacular way to end our journey--in the Stars! Don't miss.
After traveling for five weeks, this was our last evening before returning home to the US. It was a spectacular way to end our journey--in the Stars! Don't miss.
Written 3 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Vakamulua,
Thank you so much for your kind words and we are so pleased to hear you had an AMAZING experience with us!
Safe trip back home and hope to host you again one day!
Warm regards,
Suzanne.
Written 11 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kerrie N
Chantilly, VA50 contributions
Dec 2019
My 14 year old hopes to be an astrophysicist and while we were planning our trip to Chile, this tour was his #1 pick. He was NOT disappointed and in fact our entire family enjoyed our evening greatly. This tour is very different than a regular tour -- the vibe is much closer to a picnic at a friend's house with super cool telescopes. We were able to observe the sun in daylight -- and saw solar flares! Damaoso pointed out the features the moon, various stars, nebulae and Venus. He was patient with both my kids' questions and made sure they could see and understand the awesome-ness of the universe.
The wine, strawberry juice (my son's new favorite drink!) and homemade snacks were delicious too!
The wine, strawberry juice (my son's new favorite drink!) and homemade snacks were delicious too!
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
raffaitaly
7 contributions
July 2019
From the moment we got in touch with Chile Off Track everything just went super smooth.
Suzanne was very prompt in her emails and helped us to tailor our experience in Chile! She organized a pick up from the airport for our party of 4 and various day trips from Santiago (we LOVED the horseback ride & the Observatory tour!).
We also added a few more days in Colchagua for a WINE & DINE Tour which was simply amazing. We relaxed at the lodge, with fireplace & pool for the summer, had great food and visit 6 wineries. Everything was organized well and the Chile Off Track is extremely professional. The guides are lovely & informative, the drivers are punctual and Suzanne is always stand-by via WhatsApp which we appreciated. I can definitely recommend this company to plan your holiday in Chile!
Suzanne was very prompt in her emails and helped us to tailor our experience in Chile! She organized a pick up from the airport for our party of 4 and various day trips from Santiago (we LOVED the horseback ride & the Observatory tour!).
We also added a few more days in Colchagua for a WINE & DINE Tour which was simply amazing. We relaxed at the lodge, with fireplace & pool for the summer, had great food and visit 6 wineries. Everything was organized well and the Chile Off Track is extremely professional. The guides are lovely & informative, the drivers are punctual and Suzanne is always stand-by via WhatsApp which we appreciated. I can definitely recommend this company to plan your holiday in Chile!
Written 22 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Raffa,
Thank you for your kind words and so happy to hear you enjoyed your trips with us!
Can't wait to have you back on your next trip!
Warm regards,
Suzanne.
Written 3 December 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TripswithAngie
24 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Fantastic tour. We drove about an hour and a half from our Santiago hotel to a hill top compound. The views were incredible. We learned so much about indigenous culture and astronomy. Highly recommend.
Written 20 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is it possible to book for one person? I am travelling solo on business
Written 17 April 2022
Dear Sir/ Madame. This sounds wonderful. I was thinking of going with my 9 year old son to the observatories near (inland from) La Serena but this could be a great place to visit too! What sort of equipment is available to star-gaze? If one were to compare to the observatories near La Serena, how would this compare in terms of what one can see etc? Is there a place to stay over? Thanks so much for your responses. All best Fred
Written 19 December 2018
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