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Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama

Our most recommended things to do in San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama: Valle de la Luna Sunset Tour

1. San Pedro de Atacama: Valle de la Luna Sunset Tour

Meet your group at the meeting point and travel to Valle de la Luna, located 13 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama. Explore the lunar-like landscape which will mesmerize you with its colorful geology. Discover interesting rock formations composed of natural minerals, including Las Tres Marías created by wind erosion over many decades. See other sights such as the Grand Dunes, the Salt Cave, the Amphitheater, and the Coyote Stone. At the end of the day, admire the sunset from an exceptional lookout point overlooking the valley. Enjoy a panoramic view of the rugged beauty of the Atacama desert, and see the beautiful colors of the sky as the sun gradually sets.

Piedras Rojas, Altiplanics Lagoons & Salar Full-Day Tour

2. Piedras Rojas, Altiplanics Lagoons & Salar Full-Day Tour

Be collected from your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama around 6:30 AM. Your first stop, after an hour, will be at the Miscanti and Miñiques highland lagoons, located at 4,200 meters above sea level. In these lagoons, enjoy breakfast and admire the fauna and flora here.  The next visit is to the Salar de Talar, known as Piedras Rojas or purple stones. The beauty of this place will leave you speechless. Continue to your next stop at the Atacameño village of Socaire, where you can observe the terraces of cultivation and the village church. Then visit the Salar de Atacama, Chile's largest salt lake. Here are the national flamingo reserve and the Chaxa lagoon, which is home to three types of flamingos as well as other species. Return to San Pedro de Atacama around 5:00 PM. 

San Pedro de Atacama: El Tatio Geysers Tour

3. San Pedro de Atacama: El Tatio Geysers Tour

Discover the third largest geothermal field in the world and the largest in the southern hemisphere in the Atacama Desert. At 4,200 meters (13,780 feet) above sea level, the Tatio Geysers are a natural marvel that will take your breath away, in more ways than one. Leave early in the morning, before sunrise, after pickup from your hotel. Arrive at the geysers early to have the opportunity to observe the contrast between the sunrise and the steam from the heat of the magma-affected waters. After sunrise, savor a complete breakfast with bread, cheese, ham, scrambled eggs, coffee, chocolate, milk, and jam. Once you've eaten, spend some more time exploring the 80 geysers around the national park. From there, ride through the Putana Valley. See endemic flora and fauna and stop at a lagoon to see flamingos before returning to your hotel.

Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama

4. Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama

Start or end your time in San Pedro de Atacama stress free with a reliable shared transfer service between your accommodation and the airport. Please confirm the departure time with your airline at least 24 hours before your service to avoid any delay, and keep in mind that the distance between Calama airport and San Pedro de Atacama is 1.5 hours. Some of the drivers speak little or no english, so please ask for assistance over the phone in case of any miscommunication. Upon arrival at the airport, your driver will be waiting by the exit door to greet you with a card that says your name. If you are traveling from your hotel to the airport, you will usually be picked up at least three hours before your flight departure. On the way between the airport and your hotel, enjoy comfortable and air-conditioned transport, listen to music, or ask your driver about things to do during your stay in San Pedro de Atacama.

San Pedro de Atacama: Hidden Lagoons of Baltinache

5. San Pedro de Atacama: Hidden Lagoons of Baltinache

Meet your local host in the main street of San Pedro de Atacama to begin your experience. Heading towards the southeast of the desert taking the scenic route to the hidden lagoons of Baltinache. During the 1-hour drive, see all the rock and salt landscapes that make up the desert, and learn about why this area is believed to have been at the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago. At the entrance of the lagoons, make use of the locker room in case you want to change into your bathing suit. From there, walk to the beginning of the track where you can visit all 7 lagoons. Be stunned by the crystal clear waters of the lagoons and wonder how such a thing is possible in the middle of nowhere. If you wish to take a dip, you are permitted to swim in the first and last lagoons only, for conservation purposes. Due to the amount of salt that they have in the water, experience the sensation of floating like a cork. It is recommended that you start in the last lagoon so that you don't have to walk all the way there with salt on your body. After a few hours of free time, use the facilities again to shower. Then, enjoy the scenic ride back with the opportunity to catch the sun setting over the desert. Finally, arrive back in San Pedro de Atacama where your memorable tour concludes.

San Pedro de Atacama: Etno-Astronomical Tour

6. San Pedro de Atacama: Etno-Astronomical Tour

Enjoy two different views of the night sky during your tour. The first will be the Western vision, which studies the universe, the brightness of the stars, and their planets. You can observe, with a telescope, objects in the solar system, deep space, and constellations. Learn about the cosmos and its formation.  Then, go on an ethnic astronomical journey to understand how the ancient inhabitants of the Andes interpreted the universe, the milky way, and the night sky. Many centuries before the arrival of the Spaniards, in the indigenous settlements of America, many wise observers of the universe interpreted the objects of the night sky. In all the black spaces, they observed figures that gave them information about their daily life including animals, water, rivers, schedules, and life after death. 

La Paz: Uyuni Salt Flats & San Pedro de Atacama 3-Day Tour

7. La Paz: Uyuni Salt Flats & San Pedro de Atacama 3-Day Tour

Day 1 09:00 p.m. Bus La Paz to Uyuni. Day 2 07:00 a.m. Arrival to Uyuni city. 10:30 a.m. Tour Uyuni Salt Flats Day 3 Tour Uyuni Salt Flats + National Reserve Day 4 Tour Uyuni Salt Flats + National Reserve 10:30 a.m. Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. 2:00 p.m. Arrival time to San Pedro de Atacama. DAY 1 Go to the bus office at 8:30 p.m. for the check-in, then bus departures at 9:00 p.m. Inside the bus, enjoy the service of Dinner (Meat and Vegetarian Option), Breakfast, a Bottle of Water, a Hot Drink, Heating, Toilets, a Polar Blanket, Wi-Fi and First Aid Kit. DAY 2 Arrive in Uyuni City at 7:30 a.m. then go to our office 1 block near from bus station, Start your tour leaving Uyuni town at 10:30 a.m. from Perla de Bolivia's office. Visit: Train Graveyard, the small settlement of Colchani (salt miners´ workshops next to the salt flats), handicrafts made of salt, and textile art made of llama and alpaca fiber. Next, “Ojos de Agua Salada” (‘saltwater eyes’), a hotel-museum made completely of salt, Isla Incahuasi. Then, make sure you and your group pose for some fun perspective- and proportion-distorted photos, taken against the backdrop of the striking white surface of the salt flats. To end of the day, head to an open, spacious area for the unique experience of seeing a beautiful sunset, spreading its dazzling colors all over the salt flats, and finally arrive at Ajencha town to have dinner and night stay in the hotel. DAY 3 Start off at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast. Visit: Galaxy Caves, Chiguana Desert, Ollagüe, the rocky road “El Pasito Tuntun”, the famous: Cañapa, Hedionda, and Chiarcota Lagoons in which flamingoes can be seen. Finally in the day, enter “Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve”, Desert of Siloli, Rock tree, and the immense Red Lagoon to see more pink flamingos in their natural habitat. Stay the night at a hotel in Huayllajara. DAY 4 Get off to an early start around 5:00 a.m. to visit: Sol de Mañana Geyser, Hot Springs, Dali Desert, Green Lagoon, White Lagoon on the foot of Licancabur volcano. Then head back to the Bolivia-Chile border (Hito Cajon), Guide will assist with your border crossing at 10:30 am, finally arrive at San Pedro de Atacama at 2:00 p.m. The drop-off point is at San Pedro de Atacama’s main square.

San Pedro de Atacama: Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience

8. San Pedro de Atacama: Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience

Experience the night sky from a mindblowing perspective, by witnessing an interpretation done by local Andean readers. Head out of town for an insightful ethnoastronomy experience on the outskirts of San Pedro de Atacama. Gaze up at the stars through 3 professional telescopes. Enjoy a transfer from your hotel and drive directly to the Ayllu de Solor, where your adventure awaits. Learn how native people have interpreted the sky for centuries, visualizing figures in each empty black space to represent animals, water, rivers, calendars, and other earthly objects. Discover every figure with the help of three telescopes: a 16 Meade and two 18 and 20 Skywatchers. Find out what each of them means with a reading by a local expert. Hear about the importance of the journey after death and acquire an appreciation for the native religion and culture. At the end of your experience, ride safely back to your hotel.

San Pedro de Atacama: 3-Day Special Activity Combo

9. San Pedro de Atacama: 3-Day Special Activity Combo

Delight in 3 days of activities and discover the must-sees in the Atacama Desert, from San Pedro de Atacama. The natural attractions of Atacama, the driest and highest desert in the world, are scattered around San Pedro. Get ready to find conical volcanoes, blueish lagoons, steaming geysers, and rock formations that appear to be from another planet. Llamas, vicuñas, guanacos, foxes, and graceful flamingos can also be experienced in this unique wildlife environment. The 3-day pack will be a combination of the 4 tours below. The local partner will contact you before to coordinate the days on which you will attend each one. El Tatio Geysers Tour: Visit El Tatio Geysers to be mesmerized by the largest geothermal field in the southern hemisphere and the third-largest in the world. Ride through the Putana Valley, observe flora and fauna, and stop at a lagoon to see flamingos. Salt Flats Route Tour: Explore northeastern Chile’s natural wonders of the Atacama Salt Flats and a few lagoons, with breakfast included. End the day at the Tara Salt Flat and the volcano lookout. Vallecito Sunset Tour: Explore the Atacama Desert with a visit to Vallecito and stop by the famous magic bus to later on end your day watching an amazing sunset. Hidden Lagoons of Baltinache Tour: Visit the hidden lagoons of Baltinache or Seven Lagoons, one of the secret places of the Atacama Desert. This is a wonderful landscape, of which only the first and the last one can be used for bathing. Due to the high salt concentration they contain, you will experience the flotation effect like the Dead Sea.

Atacama: San Pedro de Atacama Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride

10. Atacama: San Pedro de Atacama Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride

Begin the day with early pickup from your hotel or accommodation via a comfortable, air-conditioned 4WD jeep. Be driven to the flight launch area and meet the hot air balloon team for a briefing on the flight and the balloon. Watch as the team mounts and inflates the baloon with hot air. Hop inside the basket and take off over the Atacama Desert between the Domeyco Cordillera and the Andes. Snap photos of the sunrise behind the Licancabur Volcano and enjoy a bird's eye view of sights like Moon Valley, Death Valley, the Atacama Lagoons, the Salt Mountain range, and Atacama desert. Enjoy flying over the mesmerizing landscapes of San Pedro de Atacama. After landing, partake in a breakfast based on quality products. Listen to the stories of the Atacama people and learn more about the region and its people while you eat and reflect on the ride.

Top sights in San Pedro de Atacama

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What people are saying about San Pedro de Atacama

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 327 reviews

Spectacular

Unforgettable landscapes A demanding tourism with alarm clocks at the wooden bell we are rewarded by panoramas of the beginning of the world .. even of March or the moon Breathtaking .. especially if we remember the altitude of more than 4000 meters! Exoticism of swimming in the brine of a high salar…. We are reassured the shower is planned "Latin" organization with program changes by email sent to spam while you sleep! Big mess for the pick up at the airport with an overexcited monoglot "(des) organizer" It is recommended to have solid notions of Spanish: globalization is struggling to break through in this region! Including in necessarily electronic banking transactions No manifestation of ostracism or xenophobia however: smile of rigor and desire to help Quite unpleasant to have to pay the entrance to the parks in addition to the excursion especially since it is advisable to do it online... Who skates dry!

That was the best tour I ever had. I took part in the tour on 20.02.2023, together with my wife. The tour guide Pato was indescribably good. As well as our driver Cesar. Pato has a lot of knowledge, which he passed on in Spanish as well as in very good English. He was very attentive and addressed each guest by name. He gave us very important information about altitude sickness and how to proceed at this altitude to avoid unpleasant situations. The landscape was breathtaking and with a little luck you can see a lot of animals on the way. I can definitely recommend the tour.

Very nice program with Felipe. A lot of know how about old culture and their way to see the stars. He was of course also up to date on all the new stuff in Astrophysics. I can really recommend that experiance

Majestuoso

Cheapest option to get to San Pedro from Calama.. Representative was waiting in arrivals to meet us. Be aware that the GYG app is only available if you have WiFi, which we weren’t always able to access.

Excellent experience with a very professional and very nice team, which also provides lots of information on the Atacama. I recommend.