Day Tours in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
San Pedro de Atacama is a small village on the outskirts of the Salar de Atacama, the salt flats. It’s one of the driest regions on earth with almost no rainfall! Ranging from 2,100 to 4,500 meters above sea level, a visit to this desert requires some warm clothing, sunscreen, good walking shoes and a suimsuit at any time of year! The Atacama Desert has one of the largest geysers from the nearby volcanic activity, of course there are local hot springs to enjoy!
This article is thanks to a friend from Spain, Maria, a fellow travel enthusiast who recently traveled throughout Chile. She spent her 3 days in the Atacama Desert enjoying the local lagoons with wild flamingos, horseback riding through the desert, taking a dip in the Puritama Hot Springs and even going Sandboarding down the desert dunes. The small village of San Pedro is a very popular among young tourists and backpackers, be sure to add it to your next trip to Chile!
San Pedro de Atacama
The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on earth. The best and easiest way to see the main tourist attractions inside and around the desert is from San Pedro de Atacama, a very young backpacker tourist city. The nearest town with airport is called Calama, located a 100 km from San Pedro, once you arrive to Calama, you can take a shared van, or rent a car and go on your own. I encourage you all to rent a car and get lost around this incredibly different area, it’s really worth it!
When I arrived, I was surprised about the night life of the small town, the numerous young backpackers and the huge number of adventure activities like sandboarding, archaeology tours and horseback riding.
Next to the town square, in one of the streets that comes out of it, is the San Pedro de Atacama Craft Market. One street full of small shops where you can buy beautiful typical North Chilean souvenirs: gloves, scarfs, jewelry, bags, hand painted cups… Is open everyday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
You can also find a huge variety of food. Some of the places have typical north Chilean food and the rest eastern or modern cuisine. I can recommend you Adobe and Baltinache if you want to try something more typical but a really good style. Here are the best foods to try in Chile.
San Pedro de Atacama is so small, with less than 4,000 residents and is located at 2,100 m (7,000 ft) above sea level. Tourists sometimes experience mild altitude sickness, so take it easy on the first day or two until you acclimatize. Temperatures in San Pedro de Atacama are the highest in January-February up to 28 C degrees and can reach as low as -2 C degrees in July-August. Don’t expect any rain, there really isn’t any.
Atacama Desert - Chaxa Lagoon
The Salar de Atacama is the third largest salt flat in the world at over 100 km long and 80 km wide. At the center is a lagoon called “Laguna Cejar” which is very popular among tourists because the high salt concentration allows you to float while bathing. A large portion of the salt flats is part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve. Visit the larger Chaxa Lagoon in the salt flats and expect to see many lovely pink flamingos!
Popular Tour Companies in San Pedro
- Incahuasi Tours: Horseback Riding, Trekking, Photography, Birding etc..
- Turismo Layana: Archaeological Tour, Laguna de Cejar, Salar de Atacama, Puritama Hot Springs etc..
- Vive Atacama: Tatio Geysers, Laguna Cejar, Puritaaa Hot Springs, Moon Valley etc..
- Atacama Experience: Eco-Cultural Tours, Expeditions, Trekking, Flamingo Reserve, Andean Villages, Pakana Monks
Tours are available in the local Spanish, English hand even German depending on the company from $30+ USD per person. If you’d like to book a tour in advance, we are partnered with Viator, a tripadviser company.
Puritama Hot Springs
All year open hot springs, you will find eight naturals swimming pools with different temperatures. As of 2011 the hot springs are managed by Explora Hotel and charge an entrance fee of 15.00 Pesos ($22 USD).
The hot springs are quite small and very touristy, expect to see lots of tour buses and vans in the parking lot. The hot springs open to the public at 9:00 am until 1:30 pm where they close for 30 minutes and then re-open for the evening.
While a dip in the water is very relaxing, note that the temperature is only 33.5 C degrees (92.3 F), a standard hot tub is usually around 37 C degrees (100 F). There are also few places to eat within proximity to the hot springs so a budget traveler may want to bring water and an snack.
Make sure to bring your own padlock for the lockers, a small plastic bag for your camera and phone and flip flops for the hot boardwalk around the pools.
If you don’t have a car to get there, ask another tourist who is going that way for a lift. Otherwise you can book a tour, which is really just transportation for $26 USD.
Tatio Geysers
The Tatio Geysers are the third largest geyser fields in the world and are located in the Andes Mountains of Northern Chile at roughly 4,320 meters (14,170 ft) above sea level. At such an altitude you’ll need warm clothing, even if the valley below is 28C degrees! Temperatures in the mountains drop quickly and you’ll want to make the most of this experience by being warm walking around and enjoying the scenery but also after taking a dip in the geyser hot springs! Tours leave early to view the geysers at sunrise, so best to book a tour in advance and be ready to hop out of bed at 4 am!
The geysers are created from the volcanic activity in the region and a source of geothermal energy. The geysers are very popular with around 400 visitors enjoying the site on any given day.
In addition to being bundled up in warm clothing, bring a microfiber towel, drinking water, snacks and of course, a swimsuit.
Sandboarding the Dunes
I’m a crazy snowboarder lover and I must try the sandboard over the Atacama Desert dunes. After four hours of sandboarding I have to sincerely say that it’s incredibly funny and exhausting! Every time I went down the dune I had to climb it again with the board and the boots, but going down all over the sand, it’s another feeling. It requires a much more complicated technique than snowboarding but something that you must try if you are an adventure lover.
A four hours sandboard experience cost around $30 USD and I booked with a travel agency called San Pedro Sandboarding Mystic (Youtube).
Another Sandboarding tour operator is Sandboard San Pedro.
Warning: Sandboarding requires a lot of walking, an hour may leave you completely exhausted. You must also carry your helmet and board up the sand dunes. Some physical fitness is required.
Horseback Riding in the Desert
The travel agencies offer a huge variety of tours: bikes, trekking, climbing, astronomy, archaeology tours… I chose to do a three hour horse route inside the Marth Valley. The horseback riding tour will make you feel like an amazon riding on the dunes, very funny – it hurts a little when you are not use to it–, but it will give you the opportunity to see the desert from another point of view, to feel the animal, feel the wind, feel the freedom and the magic of Atacama.
A three hour personal ride costs around $30 USD, and I booked it with the owner of the horses, not with any agency. The barn was next to our cabin in Domingo Atienza Road.
Other horseback riding tour operators
Archaeology Tours
Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum: Created in 1957, it’s names comes from the french archaeologist Gustavo Le Paige, who dedicated his life to study the archaeology of the zone. The museum contains the largest collection of archaeological pieces of the Atacama culture. The museum is unfortunately closed until renovations are completed. I read that the company in charge of the construction renovations went bankrupt. It’s quite a lovely museum so we’ll keep you updated for the re-opening.
There are a number of grant cultural and archaeological tours operating out of San Pedro. One of the most popular sites is Pukara de Quitor, a pre-columbian hill fortress and archaeological site. It was designated a National Monument in 1982. These tours aren’t just a journey to examine dirt, but a journey back in time covering the history and culture of the region, from the indigenous Atacamena and Licanantai people that dates back to 500 AD, to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, and the battles fought when cultures clashed.
Hostels & Casas
Mamatierra Hostel
- Location Score: 10/10
- Air-con Rooms: Yes
- Private Rooms: 2 Twin Bed, 1 Double Bed, 2 Double Bed Ensuite
- Bunks to a Room: 5 Bed Mixed Dorm
- Female Only Room: No
- Security Locker: Yes
- In-House Restaurant & Bar: No
- Free to Use Kitchen: Yes
- Breakfast Included: Yes
- Towel: Yes
- Price: Bunk from $28 USD & Private Rooms from $70 USD
Mamatierra Hostel is a modest hostel located 5 minutes walking from the center of San Pedro. The hostel has everything you need, soft beds, lockers, a kitchen for your use and helpful staff. If you don’t speak Spanish, booking a hostel with staff that will go above and beyond to help you with tours and any problems that arise is priceless. Plus, breakfast is included. If you are leaving early in the morning for a tour, they’ll even make you a packed meal to take with you!
Airbnb Rentals
For solo travelers, a hostel is still the cheapest accommodation, but for couples or a group of friends looking for a private room, there are small cabins or villas to rent through Airbnb.
Prices range from $50 USD to $150+ USD for a private cabin or casa. Some of the cabins come with pools like Lodge Rio Yaye which has room for three.
Getting to San Pedro de Atacama
There are three ways to reach San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile. Leaving from Santiago by bus or by renting a car. Or flying to Calama and then taking a bus or renting a car from the airport. Flights from Santiago to Calama cost $170 USD round-trip and booking early is recommended.
If you choose to drive from Santiago, it’s 20 hours up route 5 best split over two days with a stop in Caldera.
Car Rental Services
I rented the car trough www.rentalcars.com and the total amount for 3 days was $115 USD. How can you get the car? Once you have landed and taken the bags, when you exit through the door to the outside you will find a row of counters of different brands that offer car rental services. You have to locate the counter of the web with which you have reserved the car previously.
If you haven’t book it in advance, no worries, you could to it there and there they will provide you with all the information.
Long-Distance Buses & Mini Vans
If you prefer to rent a van from Calama to San Pedro, there are many options for it, one of the biggest company is called Transfer Lincabur (Tripadvisor) and a round trip will cost you $30 USD. It worked the same way, once you have gone through the outside door, you will find many people offering these services.
Long-Distance Bus Companies from Santiago. Check out Busbud.com for schedules and prices
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