Atacama Desert Tours & Day Trips from Chile

For a first visit, some of the must-see Atacama Desert Tours include Valle de la Luna, the El Tatio Geysers, Piedras Rojas, and the Altiplanic Lagoons. You can also round out your trip with Laguna Cejar, Puritama Hot Springs, Rainbow Valley, or an Atacama Desert stargazing tour. The best combination will depend on how many days you have and the altitude you feel comfortable reaching.

We recommend spending 3 to 4 days in San Pedro de Atacama. In three days, you can combine several of the most popular Atacama Desert Tours, such as Valle de la Luna, the El Tatio Geysers, Laguna Cejar, and a stargazing experience. With an extra day, you can add Piedras Rojas and the Altiplanic Lagoons or simply explore the desert at a more relaxed pace.

There are half-day and full-day Atacama Desert Tours to salt flats, lagoons, geysers, valleys, and unique geological formations. Other options include swimming in salt lagoons, visiting hot springs, stargazing tours, cultural experiences, and multi-day packages that combine several excursions over 3 or 4 days.

Booking tours separately gives you more flexibility and works well if you already know the area or only want to take one or two excursions. An Atacama Desert tour package is usually more convenient for a first visit because it combines several of the main attractions and makes planning a 3- or 4-day stay much easier.

It is best to book your Atacama Desert Tours before arriving, especially during peak travel periods, holidays, or if you have limited time and need specific departure times. Popular experiences such as stargazing tours and Piedras Rojas are better booked in advance. Some excursions can also be affected by weather conditions, availability, or the phases of the moon.

Yes. San Pedro de Atacama itself sits at around 7,900 ft (2,400 m) above sea level, while tours to places such as Piedras Rojas, the Altiplanic Lagoons, and the El Tatio Geysers can reach more than 13,100 ft (4,000 m). It is a good idea to rest when you arrive, stay hydrated, and start with lower-altitude tours. If you develop a severe headache, nausea, dizziness, or difficulty breathing, you should not continue ascending.

San Pedro de Atacama can be visited year-round. From December through March, the region can experience the Altiplano rainy season, which may occasionally cause road closures or changes to some Atacama Desert Tours. The rest of the year is generally drier, although nighttime temperatures and early-morning excursions can be very cold in any season.

You can travel from San Pedro de Atacama to the Uyuni Salt Flats on shared or private multi-day tours that cross the border into Bolivia. It is a good idea to spend a few days in San Pedro first and gradually take higher-altitude Atacama Desert Tours, although this does not completely prevent altitude sickness. Some routes finish in Uyuni, Bolivia, while others return to San Pedro de Atacama.