The signature Atacama experience, at the lowest price of any stargazing tour the partner sells.
- Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before it starts
- Duration2 hours 30 minutes
San Pedro de Atacama sits at 2,407 m in the driest desert on Earth, and that combination — thin dry air and almost no light within a hundred kilometres — is why the world's largest telescopes were built within sight of it. This tour takes you out of town to a dark site for two and a half hours, with telescopes, a guide, blankets and something hot to drink. It is the cheapest stargazing product the partner lists and it carries 774 reviews at 4.8, the joint-deepest record of any night tour in the Atacama inventory.
Compare Atacama ToursKey facts
night / stargazing- Duration
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Meeting point
- Collected from accommodation inside San Pedro de Atacama; the operator confirms the time by WhatsApp
- Price
- CLP 32,594 per person
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before it starts
Included
- ✓ Guide
- ✓ Use of telescope
- ✓ Red wine, pisco sour, and juice
- ✓ Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate
- ✓ Snack
- ✓ Blankets
- ✓ Astrophotography
Not included
- ✗ Tips
- ✗ Bathroom
What you actually see
A guided naked-eye tour of the southern sky first, then the telescopes. From this latitude you get the parts of the sky that never rise from Europe or North America: the Magellanic Clouds, the Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri, and the galactic core of the Milky Way passing close to overhead rather than skimming the horizon. What the telescopes are pointed at depends on the night and the season, which is why no honest listing publishes a target list in advance.
The one thing that decides whether it is worth it
The moon. A full moon washes out everything faint, including the Milky Way, and no telescope fixes that. Tours run regardless, and the operator will not tell you that your date is a poor one. Check the phase before you book — we publish the new and full moons for the next eighteen months, in Chilean local time.
How cold it gets
Cold enough that blankets are part of the product. Winter nights in San Pedro drop below freezing and the tour stands still in the open for most of two hours. Wear more than you think you need; the afternoon you booked it in was 25 °C warmer.
What is included
A guide, use of the telescopes, astrophotography, blankets, and a choice of red wine, pisco sour, juice, tea, coffee or hot chocolate with a snack. Tips are not included, and the operator notes there is no bathroom at the site. Alcohol and drugs brought by guests are not allowed.
Who should take a different one
If you came specifically to look through a large instrument rather than to be taught the sky, the big-telescope tour is the better match even at twice the price. If you want the sky and a proper meal, the astronomical excursion with wine and snacks runs an hour longer.
Who should not book this
- Anyone booking on or near a full moon
- People who will not stand outside in the cold for two hours
- Anyone expecting to photograph the sky on a phone
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Atacama, Stargazing experience
CLP 32594Same price, 780 reviews at 4.73, a different operator. Take whichever has your date.
Check availability -
Astro Tour with big telescopes
CLP 679385.0 from 20 reviews and roughly twice the price. The draw is aperture: if you came to look through a large instrument rather than to be shown the sky, this is the one.
Check availability -
Astronomical Excursion with Stargazing, Photos, Snacks and Wine
CLP 459774.85 from 61 reviews, three hours, and it feeds you. Worth the difference on a cold winter night.
Check availability
Check prices & dates
Book your tickets in advance: popular time slots sell out.
Compare Atacama ToursHow to book
Book through the button on this page and you go to the operator's listing on GetYourGuide, where you choose a date and pay them directly. Reserve now, pay later is available, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead. This site earns a commission on that booking at no extra cost to you.
This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Does the moon phase matter?
Yes, more than anything else. A full moon drowns out the Milky Way and the faint objects. Book within a few days of a new moon if your dates allow it.
How cold is it?
Below freezing on winter nights, and cold enough at any time of year that blankets are included. Dress for standing still outdoors after dark at 2,400 m.
Is there a bathroom?
No. The operator lists the lack of one explicitly, because the site is out in the desert away from any building.