Atacama Desert Tour 3 days

Your private Atacama Desert tour starts when you arrive at Calama Airport. Your driver will meet you and take you to your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama. The transfer usually takes about 90 minutes.
Your excursion starts at around 15:00 - 16:00. You will be taken to Moon Valley, found in the Cordillera de la Sal desert. This site is characterized by natural salt and clay sculptures formed by wind and water over thousands of years, giving it a moon-like appearance. Our first stop is the Salt Caves (Cuevas de Sal), featuring impressive specimens of salt concretion, thus offering the initial feel of the area's geology. Next, we will visit the Amphitheatre, a vast natural rock formation. We'll take a walk at this spot, letting you fully experience this geological wonder's profound tranquility and unique acoustics.
Our journey continues to the Three Marias (Tres Marias), impressive limestone structures formed by wind erosion. Then, we move to the Great Dune, where a panoramic view of the expansive sandy plain unfolds. You can take time for reflection or photography from this elevated vantage point.
For the second part of our mid-day tour in the Atacama desert, we proceed to Death Valley, also known as Mars Valley (Valle de Marte), which features narrow sand ridges and various geological features. It is well-suited for trekking and sandboarding, making it an ideal spot for these activities. The Atacama half-day tour concludes at the Kari Viewpoint, set atop the Salt Mountain Range. Here, you'll get to view a sunset that will turn the sky into a beautiful blaze of red and orange and the mountains contrasting deep violet before the darkness of the actual night sets in.

Today, our Atacama desert tour brings you to the high Andean plateau shared between Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Leaving behind the comfort of San Pedro de Atacama village, we will drive south through this vast, beautiful, rather desolate area. When we cross the Tropic of Capricorn (that connects almost all the deserts of the Southern Hemisphere), we will ascend to the altiplano and then go to the pre-Inca terraced fields of Socaire. Here, the Atacameño people have kept their way of life, farming, and craft for generations.
The main attraction of this Atacama desert day-tour will be the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, large natural water reservoirs in the heart of the high part of the Atacama desert. Their turquoise saline waters stand out against the volcanic mountains at over 4,000 meters above sea level, in the Los Flamencos National Reserve area. Here, you can observe vast flocks of Chilean and Andean flamingos that frequent these lagoons. The hills surrounding this area are colored terracotta and purple due to the presence of iron, manganese, and other minerals. We will have a picnic-style lunch in nature and then proceed to the next destination of our Atacama desert private tour, which continues towards the Red Rocks (Piedras Rojas) formed due to the wind and water erosion from volcanic rocks beautifully colored by the native oxides. During the entire Atacama tour and this particular journey across the high landscapes, we will be able to see this region's vicuñas, rheas, and other inhabitants in their natural habitat.
When returning to San Pedro City, we will visit the Chaxa Lagoon in the Atacama Salt Flat. This lagoon system is made up of several shallow salt pans where flamingos feed on tiny organisms that live in the mineral-rich waters.

On our last Atacama desert tour day, we're starting early, about 05:00, to visit the El Tatio Geysers, aiming to arrive just before dawn when the geysers are most active, and the steam is most visible because of the temperature difference between the geothermal field and the cold morning air. El Tatio is a significant site of our Atacama tour as this is a natural miracle unique in Chile; in fact, it has a total of over 80 active geysers, which makes it the biggest geyser field in the Southern Hemisphere and the third biggest in the world. The geyser discharging occurs at an average height of 75 cm, while the height of individual eruptions could reach up to 6 meters. The water boils at about 85°C (185°F) at an impressive altitude of over 4,500 meters. Nearby, a thermal hot spring pool is available for bathing and is open to all visitors with some space limitations.
On our return, after sunrise, we will stop in Machuca village, where traditional buildings and a church add charm and offer a chance to interact with locals who have raised llamas and farmed in this high-altitude area for generations. Then, we will stop at the Putana River Wetland Viewpoint to take a moment and observe the wetlands' local birdlife and vibrant colors. If we are fortunate, we might also see other wildlife, such as guanacos and suris.
Before returning to San Pedro, our last stop will be Guatín Canyon, where the Puritama and Purifica rivers merge. Also known as the Valley of Cacti or Quebrada de Cardones, this canyon is home to many centuries-old cacti growing up to 7 meters tall, considered endangered species. We will take a short walk to see the most significant specimens and take photos.
At the end of our Atacama desert private tour, around 14:00, we will return to San Pedro de Atacama village for lunch. After that, a private transfer will take you to Calama "El Loa" airport for your onward evening flight back to Santiago city.