Atacama Desert Tours from San Pedro de Atacama
Every Atacama excursion leaves from San Pedro de Atacama, a town of about 4,000 people at 2,407 m. Nothing here is a ticket you turn up and buy — the sights are spread across a hundred kilometres of desert at altitudes between 2,400 and 4,320 m, and getting to them means either a tour or a rented 4x4. These are ten tours, one for each kind of day, chosen on review depth rather than on price. The order you take them in matters more than which ones you pick.
Start low, then go high
Altitude decides the shape of an Atacama week. San Pedro at 2,407 m is a mild adjustment. El Tatio at 4,320 m and the altiplanic lagoons at 4,140 m are not, and the operators themselves recommend doing lower excursions first. Valle de la Luna, the salt lagoons and sandboarding are all close to town and close to town height.
Half day sightseeing Valle de la Luna Tour from San Pedro
Four hours in the salt-crust valley 13km from town, timed for the sunset. 4.8 from 333 reviews, about $32 — the cheapest and best-rated.
4 hours 4.8 (333)
salt lagoon / swimming Laguna Cejar Floating Tour, San Pedro
Four hours at the salt lagoons on the Salar de Atacama, where the brine holds you up. 4.6 from 56 reviews, about $39.
4 hours 4.6 (56)
activity / adventure Sandboarding in Valle de la Muerte
Three and a half hours on the dune above Death Valley, board and instruction included. 4.9 from 134 reviews — the best-rated tour here.
3 hours 30 minutes 4.9 (134)
The high days, once you have adjusted
These are the two that go above 4,000 m and the two that people most often do too early. Both leave in the dark, both are long, and both are considerably better experiences on day three than on day one.
Pre dawn excursion El Tatio Geysers Sunrise Tour with Breakfast
Pickup at 4:30am for the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere at 4,320m, with breakfast. 4.8 from 1,122 reviews, about $77.
6 hours 4.8 (1,122)
Full day high altitude circuit Piedras Rojas and Altiplanic Lagoons Tour
Ten hours to the red rocks, the lagoons at 4,140m and the Salar de Atacama. 4.7 from 786 reviews, about $89. Not a first-day tour.
10 hours 4.7 (786)
The night
The reason a third of the world's large telescopes are within sight of this desert: high, dry air and effectively no light pollution. One thing decides whether your night is worth the money, and it is the moon rather than the operator.
Longer, and further out
If you have four days, Rainbow Valley is what the three-day itineraries drop. If you have a week and a passport, the crossing to Uyuni is a different order of trip: three days across the Bolivian altiplano, ending in another country.
Half day with cultural site Rainbow Valley and Petroglyphs Tour
Six hours to the mineral-striped valley and the Yerbas Buenas rock art, the excursion most itineraries skip. 4.7 from 55 reviews, about $33.
6 hours 4.7 (55)
Multi day, crosses a border San Pedro to Uyuni Salt Flats, 3 Days
The three-day crossing into Bolivia, sleeping above 4,000m. Passport required. 4.7 from 20 reviews, about $350.
3 days 4.7 (20)
Getting there, and doing it all at once
There is no airport at San Pedro; flights land at Calama, 100 km away. And if you would rather not sequence four separate bookings yourself, one package already does it in the right order.
transfer Calama Airport Transfer to San Pedro
The 100km shared transfer between El Loa airport and San Pedro de Atacama, 90 minutes. 4.6 from 804 reviews, about $31.
1 hour 30 minutes 4.6 (804)
Multi day combination Best of Atacama: 4 Tours in 3 Days
Four excursions over three days, sequenced so the high-altitude day comes last. 4.7 from 345 reviews, about $389.
3 days 4.7 (345)
| Tour | From | Highest point |
|---|---|---|
| Calama airport transfer | $31 | 2,407 m |
| Valle de la Luna | $32 | 2,600 m |
| Rainbow Valley and petroglyphs | $33 | 3,100 m |
| Stargazing | $34 | 2,407 m |
| Laguna Cejar | $39 | 2,300 m |
| El Tatio geysers | $77 | 4,320 m |
| Piedras Rojas and the lagoons | $89 | 4,140 m |
| Sandboarding | $92 | 2,500 m |
| Three-day combination | $389 | 4,320 m |
| Uyuni crossing, three days | $350 | over 4,900 m |
What every option includes
- ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on every tour here
- ✓ Reserve now, pay later on every tour here
- ✓ Pickup from accommodation in central San Pedro
Why the fees are never in the price
Almost every headline price on this page excludes the entrance fee, because those fees are not the operator's to collect. Valle de la Luna is administered by CONAF with the Atacameño communities. El Tatio, Piedras Rojas and the lagoons are charged by the communities that own the land. They are taken on the spot, in Chilean pesos, usually in cash, and they add real money to a day. Two listings in this set include the fee and both are named on their pages.
Cash, and where there is none
San Pedro has ATMs and they run out, particularly in January and February. Everything outside the town takes cash only. Draw what you need for the week in Calama on the way in, or on your first morning, rather than at 4 a.m. on the way to the geysers.
What a tour price does include
Transport, a guide, and the pickup from your accommodation if it is inside the urban area of San Pedro. Several operators explicitly do not collect from the surrounding ayllus — Quitor, Yaye, Checar, Sequitor, Solor and Coyo — or from Toconao. If you have booked somewhere quiet outside the centre, check that before you book a 4:30 a.m. start.
Booking ahead or booking in town
You can walk into any of the agencies on Caracoles and book for tomorrow, and in a quiet month that is often cheaper. In January, February and July it is not, and the tours with the best records sell out. Two of the products here also have hard deadlines of their own: the Cejar admission closes 12 hours before departure and the Valle de la Luna reserve ticket must be bought at least a day ahead and cannot be bought at the gate.
How booking works
Pick the day, not the price. Decide how many days you have, put the low excursions first and the 4,000 m days at the end, then book each one through its page here. Every booking is taken by GetYourGuide, not by this site, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. Carry Chilean pesos in cash for the fees collected on the ground.
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need in the Atacama?
Three full days is the honest minimum, and the reason is altitude rather than the number of sights. Two days gets you the low excursions; the third is when El Tatio stops being unpleasant.
Do I need to book tours in advance?
In January, February and July, yes. Outside those months the agencies in town can usually fit you in for the next day. Two things have hard deadlines regardless: the Cejar admission closes 12 hours ahead and the Valle de la Luna ticket must be bought a day ahead online.
Are the entrance fees included in the tour price?
Usually not. They are collected on the spot by the communities and by CONAF, in Chilean pesos, normally in cash. Two of the ten listings here do include them and say so on their pages.
Which tour should I do first?
A low one. Valle de la Luna, the salt lagoons or sandboarding are all close to town and close to town height. Leave El Tatio at 4,320 m and the altiplanic lagoons at 4,140 m until you have been at altitude for a day or two.
Can I do the Atacama without tours?
Partly. With a rented 4x4 you can reach Valle de la Luna and the salar yourself, but Valle de la Luna requires a ticket bought a day ahead, El Tatio means driving a mountain road in the dark, and the fuel and rental for two people usually costs more than the tours do.