Experience the vastness and silence of the Atacama Desert on this tour through Chile’s North. Get to know the highlights of San Pedro de Atacana and discover geysers, valleys, volcanos, geological formations, salt lakes, lagoons and much more.
This tour will take you to Hierbas Buenas, where petroglyphic images are carved into volcanic stone, and through the colorful Rainbow Valley with its red, green, blue and yellow shades. The impressive Salt Lake of Tara and Tebinquiche invite for some scenic photography in the desert sun.
Arrival at the airport of Calama, transfer to San pedro de Atacama, acommodation in the hotel.
Afternoon: Moon Valley
Departure from the hotel at 16:00 hrs to enjoy a panoramic view over the Cordillera of the Andes, the Great Salt Lake of the Atacama, the Oasis of San Pedro and the Cordillera of the Salt. We move on to visit the Death Valley (also called Mars Valley), exploring its labyrinths and canyons on an easy hike of about 35 minutes. After a stop at the Salt Caves, where you can appreciate the heart of salt, gypsum and clay, we continue to the Moon Valley, visiting the Amphitheater, the Three Marias and finishing the day with an impressive view over the Andes.
We leave San Pedro at 08:00 am to the west. When we get to the Cordillera of Domeyko we will take the route to the village Rio Grande. Here we visit the sector of Matancilla and Rainbow Valley, big colorful rocks and hills in White, Yellow, Red and Green. After this unique natural spectacular we will return to the sector Hierbas Buenas where you will get to know the ancient petroglyphs. They are the evidents for old caravans that crossed the Andes on their journeys from the Northeast of Argentina and the Bolivian Highlands to the Pacific Ocean. The paintings and engravings show different scenes and symbols: you will find human forms, lamas, birds, monkeys and dogs.
Afternoon: Eyes of the Salt Lake and Lagoon Cejar
We leave San Pedro around 16:00 hrs. At 30km south of the town you can find surprisng lagoons located in the Salt Lake of the Atacama. First of all we will visit the Lagoon Cejar, a lagoon of Green color and a White shore due to the high amount of salt in the water. This high concentration of salt allows you to flow easily just like in the Dead Sea. You will have the time to enjoy a bath, then we move on to the Eyes of the Salt Lake. These two lagoons are round, possess sweet water and are very deep. Although this water is much colder and sweet there is the possibility to take a bath, too.
Finally we visit the lagoon of Tebinquiche, where you will have a great view over the mountains right when the sun sets. In summer, this lagoon transforms into a small white salt lake.
Departure in the morning. We leave San Pedro de Atacama to go south and visit the village of Toconao with its colonial church and the old fruit gardens. From there we move on to the Great Salt Lake of the Atacama, the third biggest in the world and the one with the highest Lithium production on earth. Also we visit the Lagoon Chaxa, part of the Flamingo National Reserve. The excursion continues to the village of Socaire, located at an altitude of 3.250m over sea level and at a distance of 89km of San Pedro. It is a prehispanic village characterized by cultivated terraces and its beautiful church. Nowadays it is well known for the typical food of the Atacama. We move on to the Highland lagoons Miscanti and Meñiques, located over 3.500m over sea level and surrounded by the mountains of the Andes. It is one of the few places where you can find the Horned Tagua, among many other species of birds and mammals like the Andean Fox and the Vicuña. We continue on the international route that leads to Argentina to visit the Salt Lake Talar and the Lagoon Tuyajto. Lunch or Picknick, then we return to San Pedro where we arrive around 17:00hrs.
We leave the hotel at 07:00 am to go east on the route that leads to Jama. We will pass the volcano Lincancabur and cross the mountains of the Cordillera of the Andes. On the way we visit the wetland of Quepiaco and the precious Salt Lake of Pujsas, located at the foot of the mountain Pili. This salt lake offers an incredible spectacle in summer, when the pink color of thousands of flamingos contrasts with the white and yellow of the salt lake.
In continuation we visit the Monks of Pacana (enormous stones which stand upright in the sand of the desert), move on to the Cathedrals and then we stop at the Salt Lake of Tara (part of the National Reserve of the Flamingos). The salt lake is located at an altitude of 4.300 meters and is surrounded by various volcanoes. You will find rivers and lagoons habited by lamas, very common animals in this area. The lagoon of the salt lake has a surface of 3 to 25km² depending on the time of the year. The main source of alimentation is the river Zapaleri which comes from Bolivia and gives the possibility for many different kinds of plants to grow and animals to live in this region. You will find flamingos, guallatas, ducks, vizcachas, foxes and vicuñas.
Departure at 04:00 am northwards. We cross the hills and mountains of the Cordillera of the Andes to get to the Tatio Geysers after about 1,5 hours. They are located 89km from San Pedro at an altitude of 4.230m over sea level. The geothermic field consists of more than 80 active geysers of different magnitudes and has to be visited very early for in the morning the water shoots with more intensity. This is due to the high differece between water temperature and atmospheric temperature at sunrise which causes condensation of the steam. In Summer the atmospheric temperature reaches about - 6ºC and in Winter it can reach -20 ºC. You will get time to visit different geysers and steam columns and also to take a bath in the natural thermal pool. We will have breakfast at the geysers, then we return to San Pedro passing the village of Machuca. Arrival approximately at 12:00 hrs in San Pedro.
At the accorded time we realize the transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to the Airport of Calama.
Day 1. Airport Calama – San Pedro de Atacama – Moon Valley
Arrival at the airport of Calama, transfer to San pedro de Atacama, acommodation in the hotel.
Afternoon: Moon Valley
Departure from the hotel at 16:00 hrs to enjoy a panoramic view over the Cordillera of the Andes, the Great Salt Lake of the Atacama, the Oasis of San Pedro and the Cordillera of the Salt. We move on to visit the Death Valley (also called Mars Valley), exploring its labyrinths and canyons on an easy hike of about 35 minutes. After a stop at the Salt Caves, where you can appreciate the heart of salt, gypsum and clay, we continue to the Moon Valley, visiting the Amphitheater, the Three Marias and finishing the day with an impressive view over the Andes.
Day 2. Petroglyphs of Hierbas Buenas – Rainbow Valley – Lagoons Eye of the Salt Lake – Cejar Lagoon – Tebinquiche
We leave San Pedro at 08:00 am to the west. When we get to the Cordillera of Domeyko we will take the route to the village Rio Grande. Here we visit the sector of Matancilla and Rainbow Valley, big colorful rocks and hills in White, Yellow, Red and Green. After this unique natural spectacular we will return to the sector Hierbas Buenas where you will get to know the ancient petroglyphs. They are the evidents for old caravans that crossed the Andes on their journeys from the Northeast of Argentina and the Bolivian Highlands to the Pacific Ocean. The paintings and engravings show different scenes and symbols: you will find human forms, lamas, birds, monkeys and dogs.
Afternoon: Eyes of the Salt Lake and Lagoon Cejar
We leave San Pedro around 16:00 hrs. At 30km south of the town you can find surprisng lagoons located in the Salt Lake of the Atacama. First of all we will visit the Lagoon Cejar, a lagoon of Green color and a White shore due to the high amount of salt in the water. This high concentration of salt allows you to flow easily just like in the Dead Sea. You will have the time to enjoy a bath, then we move on to the Eyes of the Salt Lake. These two lagoons are round, possess sweet water and are very deep. Although this water is much colder and sweet there is the possibility to take a bath, too.
Finally we visit the lagoon of Tebinquiche, where you will have a great view over the mountains right when the sun sets. In summer, this lagoon transforms into a small white salt lake.
Day 3. Salt Lake Atacama – Lagoons Miscanti and Miñiques – Salt Lake of Tara – Lagoon Tuyajto
Departure in the morning. We leave San Pedro de Atacama to go south and visit the village of Toconao with its colonial church and the old fruit gardens. From there we move on to the Great Salt Lake of the Atacama, the third biggest in the world and the one with the highest Lithium production on earth. Also we visit the Lagoon Chaxa, part of the Flamingo National Reserve. The excursion continues to the village of Socaire, located at an altitude of 3.250m over sea level and at a distance of 89km of San Pedro. It is a prehispanic village characterized by cultivated terraces and its beautiful church. Nowadays it is well known for the typical food of the Atacama. We move on to the Highland lagoons Miscanti and Meñiques, located over 3.500m over sea level and surrounded by the mountains of the Andes. It is one of the few places where you can find the Horned Tagua, among many other species of birds and mammals like the Andean Fox and the Vicuña. We continue on the international route that leads to Argentina to visit the Salt Lake Talar and the Lagoon Tuyajto. Lunch or Picknick, then we return to San Pedro where we arrive around 17:00hrs.
Day 4. Salt Lake of Tara
We leave the hotel at 07:00 am to go east on the route that leads to Jama. We will pass the volcano Lincancabur and cross the mountains of the Cordillera of the Andes. On the way we visit the wetland of Quepiaco and the precious Salt Lake of Pujsas, located at the foot of the mountain Pili. This salt lake offers an incredible spectacle in summer, when the pink color of thousands of flamingos contrasts with the white and yellow of the salt lake.
In continuation we visit the Monks of Pacana (enormous stones which stand upright in the sand of the desert), move on to the Cathedrals and then we stop at the Salt Lake of Tara (part of the National Reserve of the Flamingos). The salt lake is located at an altitude of 4.300 meters and is surrounded by various volcanoes. You will find rivers and lagoons habited by lamas, very common animals in this area. The lagoon of the salt lake has a surface of 3 to 25km² depending on the time of the year. The main source of alimentation is the river Zapaleri which comes from Bolivia and gives the possibility for many different kinds of plants to grow and animals to live in this region. You will find flamingos, guallatas, ducks, vizcachas, foxes and vicuñas.
Day 5. San Pedro de Atacama – Tatio Geyser – Airport of Calama
Departure at 04:00 am northwards. We cross the hills and mountains of the Cordillera of the Andes to get to the Tatio Geysers after about 1,5 hours. They are located 89km from San Pedro at an altitude of 4.230m over sea level. The geothermic field consists of more than 80 active geysers of different magnitudes and has to be visited very early for in the morning the water shoots with more intensity. This is due to the high differece between water temperature and atmospheric temperature at sunrise which causes condensation of the steam. In Summer the atmospheric temperature reaches about - 6ºC and in Winter it can reach -20 ºC. You will get time to visit different geysers and steam columns and also to take a bath in the natural thermal pool. We will have breakfast at the geysers, then we return to San Pedro passing the village of Machuca. Arrival approximately at 12:00 hrs in San Pedro.
At the accorded time we realize the transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to the Airport of Calama.
