Atacama Desert: 4-Day Tour Package
Discover the Atacama Desert in 4 days with 5 top tours and local guides included
Briefing
This 4-Day Atacama Desert Tour Package is designed for travelers who want to experience the five must-see excursions around San Pedro de Atacama. Over four unforgettable days, you’ll gaze at the stars on an astronomical tour and learn all about the constellations, explore the Moon Valley with its dramatic geological formations, discover the striking red landscapes of the Piedras Rojas area, witness the powerful steam columns of the famous Tatio Geyser, and unwind at Cejar Lagoon, where you can float in its salty waters.
This package is also the perfect way to acclimate to the region’s altitude before heading to the legendary Uyuni Salt Flats.
Below, you’ll find all the details of this incredible experience:
Tour details
Included
- Excursion Astronomy Tour
- Moon Valley Tour Excursion
- Excursion Geyser del Tatio Tour
- Cejar Lagoon Tour
- Tour Piedras Rojas Excursion
- Shared transport
- Professional guide (Spanish-English)
- Individual photo (Astronomical Tour)
- Snack, juice and pisco sour (Tour Valle de la Luna and Tour Laguna Cejar)
- Entrance fee (Moon Valley Tour)
- Breakfast (Geyser del Tatio Tour and Piedras Rojas Tour)
- Lunch (Tour Piedras Rojas)
- Entrance fee Piedras Rojas and Altiplanic Lagoons (Tour Piedras Rojas)
Not included
- Entrance to Tatio Geyser (15.000 CLP) - (Geyser del Tatio Tour)
- Entrance to Cejar Lagoon (Cejar Lagoon Tour)
- Entrance to Tebenquinche Lagoon (Tour Laguna Cejar)
- Entrance Chaxa (Tour Piedras Rojas)
- Accommodation
- Meals
Important information
The itinerary for this package is indicative, and the order of the tours may vary depending on availability and weather conditions. Once your reservation is confirmed, you will receive detailed information about which days each tour will take place.
Please note that temperatures in the early morning hours can be very cold, so we recommend bringing all the warm clothing you feel is necessary to stay comfortable.
For the Cejar Lagoon tour, departure times vary throughout the year: from October to March, tours depart at 3:30 PM, and from April to September, departures are at 3:00 PM.
The Piedras Rojas tour is available for travelers ages 8 and up.
During full moon nights, the stargazing tour does not take place. Instead, it will be replaced by the Rainbow Valley tour.
Cancellation policy
Free cancellations!
If you cancel at least 48 hours before the tour begins, you will be refunded 100% of the amount paid. After this time, or in case of a no-show, no refunds will be provided.
Tour itinerary
DAY 1 Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour
📍 Start of the tour: San Pedro de Atacama office (first shift) and lodging (second shift)
🚐 End of tour: at your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama
🕗 Time: 7:50 P.M. or 10:00 P.M.
⌛ Duration: 2.5 hours
Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour
The guide will pick you up at your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama. With this stargazing tour you will learn all about the universe, the galaxies, the solar system and the constellations, discovering one of the best night skies in the world! The guide will give you the corresponding explanations while you observe the objects of interest through the professional telescope. In addition, there will be a photo session with the stars. You will be back 2 hours and a half later.
DAY 2 Moon Valley tour Atacama
📍 Start of tour: San Pedro de Atacama office
🚐 End of tour: at your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama
🕗 Time: 3:30 P.M.
⌛ Duration: 5 hours
Moon Valley tour Atacama
On the Moon Valley tour, the meeting point will be at the San Pedro de Atacama office. On this day, you will learn all about this unique landscape where you will visit the Duna Mayor, Mina Victoria and Tres Marías. In the late afternoon, you will approach the Ckari Viewpoint where you will observe one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world over the great Cordillera de la Sal.
DAY 3 Piedras Rojas Tour Atacama
📍 Start of the tour: from your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama
🚐 End of tour: at the municipal parking lot of San Pedro de Atacama
🕗 Time: 6:00 a.m.
⌛ Duration: 12 hours
Piedras Rojas Tour Atacama
The guide will pick you up at your accommodation at 6 am. On the Piedras Rojas tour you will discover the characteristic reddish landscape surrounded by lagoons in the middle of the Chilean altiplano. You will also visit the Salar de Atacama and its lakes located at more than 4.00 m.a.s.l. You will also visit the famous Tropic of Capricorn and the altiplanic lagoons Miscanti and Miñiques. You will be back in San Pedro de Atacama around 6:00 pm.
DAY 4 Geysers del Tatio tour and Cejar Lagoon Atacama Tour
Geysers del Tatio tour
📍 Start of the tour: from your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama
🚐 End of tour: downtown San Pedro de Atacama
🕗 Time: 5:00 a.m.
⌛ Duration: 7 hours
Cejar Lagoon Atacama Tour
📍 Tour start: from San Pedro de Atacama office
🚐 End of tour: at the municipal parking lot of San Pedro de Atacama
🕗 Time: 2:20 PM
⌛ Duration: 5 hours
Geysers del Tatio tour
Today we have to get up early! At 4:30 a.m. the guide will pick you up at your accommodation, but don't worry, as a reward you will see one of the most impressive sunrises. Today you will visit the mythical geothermal field Geyser del Tatio.
After breakfast with your group, you will visit the last stop before returning to San Pedro de Atacama: Vado de Putana. Here you will be able to observe hundreds of pink flamingos and Andean camelids. You will be back at 12:30 noon.
Cejar Lagoon Atacama Tour
In the afternoon, you will head to the Salar de Atacama and enjoy some spectacular lagoons. You will visit the Cejar Lagoon, where they say the water is saltier than the Dead Sea, and also the Laguna Piedra, where you will experience a bath with a floating effect.
Later you will visit the Ojos del Salar and the Tebenquiche Lagoon, where you will appreciate how the sky merges with the whiteness of the salt desert. You will be back in San Pedro de Atacama around 7:00 pm and put an end to this 4 Day Atacama Desert Tour.
What to bring to Atacama Desert: 4-Day Package tour
- Trekking shoes
- Sunglasses
- Comfortable and warm clothing
- Sunscreen
- Water
- Small backpack
- Towel (Cejar Lagoon Tour)
- Swimsuit (Tour Laguna Cejar)
Where does the tour Atacama Desert: 4-Day Package start
The tour starts in San Pedro de Atacama and most travelers arrive from 3 zones:
- From Santiago de Chile: the best option is to fly directly to Calama. Upon arrival you can take a transfer that will take you to San Pedro de Atacama. We recommend the company Transfer Pampa for being the most reliable.
- From Peru: most probably you will arrive directly from Cuzco or Arequipa. In this case we recommend you to take a bus that crosses the Arica-Tacna border and then takes you to San Pedro de Atacama, although it is a somewhat complex combination, since it is necessary to combine several buses.
- From Salta (Argentina): there is a direct bus that takes approximately 11 hours.
Questions & Answers
The stargazing tour is cancelled due to bad weather?
The tour may be cancelled due to weather conditions, such as cloud cover.Does the stargazing tour operate every day?
No, the tour will not be available during the full moon period, as it prevents a good view of the stars.Is the climate in Geyseres del Tatio really very cold?
Yes, both in winter and summer the weather during the early morning hours is very cold. We advise you to bring all the necessary warm clothes, if you don't need them you can leave them in the minibus, so don't worry if you think it is too much.What is the maximum altitude reached on the Piedras Rojas Tour?
The maximum altitude you will reach is 4200 m. For a good acclimatization, we recommend eating light meals and drinking plenty of water the days before the excursion.Can I swim in the lagoons visited during the Piedras Rojas Tour?
No, the lagoons visited during the tour are not suitable for swimming.
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