Day 1:Santiago - Calama - San Pedro de Atacama - Moon Valley
Hotel:
Standard:
San Pedro de Atacama
Meals:
Breakfast: Excluded; Lunch: Excluded; Dinner: Excluded
Fly from Santiago (airport code SCL) to Calama (airport code CJC). Upon arrival, take a private vehicle about 1.5 hours to San Pedro de Atacama, known as the oasis of the Atacama Desert. Along the way, enjoy the desert scenery of the world's driest region. San Pedro de Atacama features distinctive adobe architecture and offers many restaurants, hotels, and craft shops. In the afternoon, visit the Valley of the Moon (Valle De La Luna) located southwest of Atacama, passing through Death Valley (Mirador Valle de Muerte) and the three rock formations called Tres Maria. At the Valley of the Moon, enjoy afternoon tea while watching the sunset over the Andes mountains as the moon rises. Check into the hotel. It is recommended to rest early for the next day's activities. Please book flights arriving before 11:30 AM.
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San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
San Pedro de Atacama is the heart of Atacama Desert tourism, offering access to surreal landscapes like salt flats, geysers, and valleys that feel otherworldly.
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Valle de la Luna
Valle de la Luna is a surreal desert landscape with moon-like terrain, sand dunes, and salt formations, best seen at sunset.
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Valle de la Luna (Passing By)
Valle de la Luna is a surreal desert landscape with moon-like terrain, sand dunes, and salt formations, best seen at sunset.
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Tres Marias (Passing By)
Striking rock formations near San Pedro de Atacama, shaped by wind erosion into natural sculptures resembling three figures.
Day 2:San Pedro de Atacama - Rainbow Valley - Atacama Salt Lake - Toconao - Jerez Valley - Flamingo Reserve
Hotel:
Standard:
San Pedro de Atacama
Meals:
Breakfast: Included; Lunch: Included; Dinner: Excluded
After breakfast, visit Rainbow Valley, located about 90 km from San Pedro de Atacama near the Yerbas Buenas petroglyphs. The valley features a variety of colors from red, beige, green, white, yellow, combined with white salt and blue sky, due to different concentrations of clay, salt, and minerals. The area also has interesting rock formations due to erosion. In the afternoon, visit the third-largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Atacama, located 62 km south of San Pedro de Atacama. Pass through the small desert town of Toconao and Jerez Valley. The salt flat sits at 2,300 meters above sea level, covered with salt crystals that shine in the sunlight. Then visit the Flamingo Reserve, where flamingos can be seen flying or walking in the lake. Stay overnight in San Pedro de Atacama.
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San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
San Pedro de Atacama is the heart of Atacama Desert tourism, offering access to surreal landscapes like salt flats, geysers, and valleys that feel otherworldly.
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Rainbow Valley
A colorful valley in the Atacama Desert, where mineral deposits create vibrant layers of red, yellow, and green rock formations.
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Salar de Atacama and Laguna Chaxa
The Salar de Atacama is Chile's largest salt flat, where the shallow Laguna Chaxa hosts vibrant flamingo flocks against a stark white landscape.
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Jerez Valley
A serene valley near San Pedro de Atacama, featuring dramatic canyons and unique desert flora.
Day 3:San Pedro de Atacama - Tatio Geysers - Calama - Santiago
Meals:
Breakfast: Included; Lunch: Excluded; Dinner: Excluded
Depart from Atacama at 5:00 AM to drive approximately 2.5 hours to Tatio (El Tatio) to watch the geothermal geysers. There are dozens of geysers with steam rising several meters due to temperature differences. The water is near boiling point and can be used to boil eggs and heat milk for breakfast on site. After sunrise, the geyser activity calms down. For those interested, there is an opportunity to enjoy hot springs (bring swimsuit and towel). Around midday, return to Atacama and take a private vehicle to Calama airport for the flight back to Santiago. Please book flights departing after 5:00 PM or stay an extra night.
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San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
San Pedro de Atacama is the heart of Atacama Desert tourism, offering access to surreal landscapes like salt flats, geysers, and valleys that feel otherworldly.
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El Tatio Geysers
El Tatio Geysers is the largest geyser field in the Southern Hemisphere, famous for its dramatic steam eruptions at dawn.