Mysterious and enchanting, Chile’s Atacama Desert is captivating. The high elevation and ultra-dry climate create endless unusual landscapes and salt flats, while its main town is a lush desert oasis. There seems to be no limit to the unique things to do in San Pedro de Atacama and its surrounding desert, the driest non-polar desert in the world.
Best things to do in San Pedro de Atacama region
We spent six nights in the Atacama desert, and while San Pedro de Atacama is an interesting town, the real magic happens in the surrounding desert.
Below, the highlights are grouped in suggested daily itineraries or check out map of the best things to do in San Pedro.
First, let Chile inspire you …
Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama – Day 1
We will be hitting some higher elevations today. Remember, if you start to get a headache from the elevation, drop back down. We had no elevation problems here.
Valle del Arcoiris – Rainbow Valley
Elevation: 3,156 metres (10,350 feet)
Rainbow Valley is a striking example of colours in nature. The valley’s mineral and rock formations display in red, orange, yellow, green, and purple. This, along with the white salt and blue sky, makes a “rainbow” of colours that appear even more vibrant in person.
PRO TIP: If you are driving, our advice is to ignore the washboard dirt road suggested by the Google maps GPS navigator. Instead, stay on the paved road towards Hierbas Buenas, and then continue on to Rainbow Valley.
⇒ Reserve a Rainbow Valley Tour
Hierbas Buenas – Petroglyphs
Elevation: 3,130 metres (10,270 feet)
Hierbas Buenas (often spelt Yerba Buenas) is home to 11,000-year-old petroglyphs on various rock outcroppings. It has the largest concentration of rock art in the region. (We have also seen interesting petroglyphs south of the Atacama desert in Valle del Encanto.
PRO TIP: Drive between the rock groupings, as the last one is quite a distance to walk on a hot day.
Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama – Day 2
Valle de Jere – Quarry and oasis
Elevation: 2,520 metres (8,270 feet)
Valle de Jere is a centuries-old settlement with a handmade irrigation system fed by a river running through the gorge. There are gardens, a quarry, petroglyphs, and cave-type dwellings once inhabited by the Likan-Antay people. Blocks created from the quarry rock have been used in local building construction.
PRO TIP: According to a local, it is okay to enter the cave dwellings. As Sarah quickly discovered, many have a small tunnel to crawl through before entering the large room.
Laguna Chaxa – Atacama salt flats and flamingoes
Elevation: 2,3oo metres (7,550 feet)
Laguna Chaxa is located in the Salar de Atacama (salt flats) and is the best place in the region to see flamingos. A park ranger guided us through the information centre behind the ticket booth before we headed down the boardwalk to the large salt lake, where the flamingos seemed to concentrate. As the path loops through the salt flats, you pass several interpretive panels.
PRO TIP: It’s best to visit early, as the birds have often flown away for the day by 2 pm.
If you prefer to take a tour, check out this option that includes Los Flamencos National Reserve and Socaire Village.
⇒ Reserve your Atacama Salt Flat Day Trip
Socaire – Inca-style terraces
Elevation: 3,300 metres (10,825 feet)
We stopped here to see the Inca-style terraces. In this tiny village, we also found a charming church, saguaros (a type of cactus), a school, and several small shops and cafes.
Laguna Miscanti – High altitude lake
Elevation: 4320 metres (14,170 feet)
This deep blue lake is located in the altiplano (high altitude tableland). It’s a mix of fresh and saltwater that is renewed by the seepage of both rain and groundwater. It freezes in winter. There are often wild vicuña (a relative of the alpaca) at the water’s edge. As a result of the high altitude, I had a massive headache that went away once we descended.
PRO TIP: Allow a bit of extra time to get here. The speed limit on the road to Laguna Miscanti is 20 km/hour.
We have only found one tour that includes Laguna Miscanti:
⇒ Check availability of this Full-Day Piedras Rojas, Altiplanicos lagoons, and Salar de Talar Tour
Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama – Day 3
Valle de la Luna – Moon Valley
Elevation: 2,508 metres (8,230 feet)
Photo Credit: ©Sarah Albom. All rights reserved.
Valley of the Moon is one place that lives up to its reputation. Once inside the park, the rugged views no longer look earthlike. It’s known for its resemblance to the surface of the moon as well as its dunes, mountains, and unique rock formations. You will want your camera here. (More on Moon Valley coming soon.)
Pukará de Quitor – Pre-Columbian archaeological site
Elevation: 2,490 metres (8,170 feet)
Pukará de Quitor is a pre-Columbian archaeological site. When we arrived, we were told it is an uphill climb to reach the site, it takes at least two hours to explore, and should not be done in the heat of the day. It was highly recommended that we return when it was cooler, but we ran out of time, and that never happened. Our only shot is from the ground, looking up at the site.
Valle de Marte or Valle de la Muerte – Valley of Death or Mars Valley
Elevation: 2,500 metres (8,200 feet)
Called either Valle de Marte (Mars Valley) or Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley), it’s an otherworldly area with two names. Vehicles can drive 4km into the park, but the final kilometre is walked as there is quite a bit of sand on the road beyond the parking area. For us, however, the highlight of this valley is the landscape during the first two kilometres of driving.
PRO TIP: Sandboarders love this place, as there is a huge dune towards the beginning often used for the sport.
Atacama Desert stargazing
Claiming the clearest skies in the world, the Atacama desert is well known by stargazers. We visited during the full moon, and therefore none of the stargazing tours took place. Before the bright moon rose, there were more stars than we see in most spots in the world. ⇒ Reserve your desert stargazing tour here
Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama – Day 4
El Tatio – Geyser field
Elevation: 4,320 metres (14,170 feet)
El Tatio is the third-largest geyser field in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Having just been to Rotorua, New Zealand, recently, we opted not to visit the geysers, although seeing sunrise here is a popular road trip amongst tourists who are willing to get up early and start driving in the dark by 5 am. ⇒ Reserve your Taito Geysers and Machuca tour here
Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama – Day 5
Aldea de Tulor – Archeological site
Elevation: 2,390 metres (7,840 feet)
Before heading out to the archaeological site, a guide took us to the interpretive centre and offered us samples of some of the edible plants and seeds used by the people who once lived here. Here I tried chañar seeds, a flavour used in the local ice cream.
At the site, we found a life-size replica of one of the huts and the archaeological remains of what has been discovered. Some of the earliest houses to be uncovered have begun to collapse. As a result, much of the site is not unearthed, just uncovered.
PRO TIP: There are two car parks; one at the entrance, the other at the site.
Archaeology fans may want more. If this is you, check out this tour: Reserve your archaeological tour here
Pukara Lasana – Pre-Columbian archaeological site
The ruins of this 12th-century fortress, located to the east of Calama, are a maze of rooms, homes, buildings, entrance-ways, and rubble. Well worth a visit, especially if you are spending a night in Calama.
Elevation: 2,606 metres (8,550 feet)
Things to Do in San Pedro de Atacama Town – Day 6
Elevation: 2,408 metres (7,900 feet)
The historical section of San Pedro de Atacama is most likely where you will be staying and is interesting in its own right. We enjoyed a free city tour with Tours4Tips. However, the company has discontinued the tours in this area. Here are some of our highlights of San Pedro de Atacama:
Caracoles is the main street in the historic district
All buildings in the historic district are adobe, and none can exceed 6 metres. (The modern section of town has concrete buildings). Interestingly, there is only one licensed bar in town, and it’s on Caracoles Street. Therefore, tourists need to order food in a restaurant if they are drinking. However, it’s rumoured that if locals just want to drink, the staff will place dirty dishes on their table.
Church of San Pedro de Atacama
Whether or not you choose to enter the church, be sure to notice the pattern on the fence. It features two common symbols in the region. The triangle symbolises the volcano, and the other shape represents the Andean (Inca) cross.
Markets of San Pedro de Atacama
The artisanal market, as well as the produce market (not shown here), are open daily.
Enjoy one of the San Pedro de Atacama restaurants
Chilean food is a flavourful journey for the senses. We enjoyed just about every meal we ate as we travelled through the country, so much so that we took a cooking class in Valparaiso. San Pedro de Atacama restaurants were no exception. Here are our favourite options:
- El Huerta: If you want to feel like a local, eat here. After your meal, lie on one of the hammocks in the back and relax.
- Agua Loca: Lured in off the street with a free drink, Agua Loca turned out to be a great choice. I enjoyed the live music and my perfectly prepared steak.
- There are several ice cream shops in town, pick one and try a flavour called Chañar. It’s made from a tree nut of the same name and has a similar flavour to manjar (Chile) or dulce de leche (Argentina).
- Regardless of where you eat, if you drink alcohol, try a Pisco Sour with Rico Rico.
Practical information and tips on visiting the Atacama Desert
- If you are heading to a high altitude, spend a few days acclimatizing first.
- A tea made from coca leaves is helpful both in preventing and reducing the symptoms of mild altitude sickness. It’s widely available in the region.
- Bring bottled water with you on any desert walk or long car drive.
- Don’t drink the local tap water as it has too many minerals.
- The summertime Atacama desert temperature is hot during the days and cold in the mornings and at night. Bring a jacket if you are heading into the desert, even if you plan to be back early.
- Most of the parks have a nominal entry fee and will provide a park map. If you ask, someone will highlight the key stops.
- Valle de la Luna, Valle del Marte, and several other parks offer an early entry discount for entry before noon.
- According to our city tour guide, desert parties often turn dangerous late at night. He recommends leaving when other people start to show.
- We flew from Santiago to Atacama and rented a rental car in Calama (we recommend RentalCars.com). It’s an easy one-hour drive to San Pedro de Atacama, the main base town for exploring the region.
- There are various bus options to get to San Pedro de Atacama.
- There is only one petrol (gas) station in San Pedro de Atacama, and while many blogs we read said it was hard to find, we felt it was well sign-posted, albeit out of the way.
- After exploring the Atacama desert, we flew to La Serena and headed north to Isla Damas to see penguins, an opposite sort of experience to the desert that quickly highlighted for us the diversity of Chile.
- If the Atacama is your first stop in Chile, be sure to check out our travel guide.
Where to stay in San Pedro de Atacama
The options range from five-star luxury to just a bed in a backpacker’s dormitory. We opted for mid-range accommodation.
Hard Road Atacama
We stayed here in a 100-year-old converted adobe house. The rooms were clean but small, and the bathroom was tiny. However, the pool was welcoming, the breakfast delicious, and the staff super friendly and helpful. While the price seemed high, it appears to be normal for the region. Reserve your stay at Hard Road Atacama
If we were to return, I think I would upscale quite a bit. We believe the best hotels in San Pedro de Atacama are:
Hotel Pascual Andino
Luxury in the heart of town. This one costs a bit more than where we stayed, but it looks like it would be worth it. With a rustic atmosphere, a pool, shaded outdoor areas, and a spacious room, this will be our choice if we return. Best of all, it is located right in the heart of town. Reserve your stay at Hotel Pascual Andino
Ckuri Atacama
Another top-rated option, this one is about a 12-minute walk to town, or take one of their bikes. Reserve your stay at Ckuri Atacama
See more of our South American itinerary or our South America travel safety tips.
More from South America
Starting with our South American itinerary and our general safety tips for travelling in the region.
Which of the things to do in San Pedro de Atacama will make it onto your bucket list?
Photo Credits:
All photos on this page are either shot by our team and watermarked as such or stock images from Depositphotos.
Anda
Your long trip to South America makes me very jealous, Rhonda. I always wanted to see the Atacama desert. I’m glad to see it in your wonderful pictures. Mars Valley looks indeed like from out of space. Your post gives me a lot of practical details about to see here, so I’ll bookmark it for future reference.
Laurie
This trip looks wonderful! Such beautiful photos. My daughter-in-law is Chilean. We have visited her in Chile, but never went farther north from Santiago than Valle de Elqui. I would also love to see the penguins at Isla Damas. Loved this post!
Rhonda Albom
We were staying in La Serena (very near Elqui Valley) when we did Isla Damas as a day trip. It wasn’t too far – less than a 2-hour drive.
stevebethere
I enjoyed the tour Rhonda fab captures and scenes I have seen so many places and that’s due to all your posts heheh!
Have a tourtastic week 🙂
Katie Dundas
Love the Moon Valley photo! Reminds me a little bit of Namibia. Always love visiting a desert, so unlike anywhere else.
Carol
So much to do and so much to see – great post!
Jill
Your South America posts are showing me that there is so much I don’t know about it. I really knew nothing about the Atacama desert but wow! I’d love to go now. And what a cool photo of the flamingos flying. You just don’t see that everyday where I live.
Obligatory Traveler
Wow! There is so much to do. Seems like it could be hard to squeeze it all in. I know I’d especially like seeing the flamingos, the geyser field, and the ruins. Thanks for putting such a detailed list together.
Rhonda Albom
The geysers are quite popular, but not on our personal list. The ruins and flamingoes though, glad we saw them both.
Sharon
Deserts appeal to me, and there’s certainly a lot to see in San Pedro de Atacama. I’ve found petroglyphs in the Anza Borrego desert in California, which are especially fascinating I think. I love the history of a barren landscape. There’s so much life in a desert if you look closely.
Rhonda Albom
I used to live in California, but I don’t know the Anza Borrego desert. Too bad, as I really enjoy finding that looking at petroglyphs.
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – gosh I’d love to visit – and I’d be back to see all your tips, advice and ideas … love the photos – thank you – cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
It’s well worth a visit.
Amy Franks
I’ve never heard of those chanar seeds, what sort of flavour do they add?
Rhonda Albom
They are a bit like a caramel, but it’s a natural sweetness.
Gina Gao
This seems like such an interesting place to visit, can’t wait to actually go. Thank you for sharing!
Rhonda Albom
The vastness makes it so interesting, yet it was so difficult to capture in photos.
Kathy@DavesTravelCorner
Never been thinking to visit a desert until I see this article. I appreciate the desert scenery through your photographs. And they are cool!
Rhonda Albom
I am glad I have inspired you to go somewhere new. The Atacama desert is the driest desert in the world outside of the polar regions.
Paul Pietrangelo
I don’t think I’d like this place. If you had a monster headache I know that my head after two brain operations and having metal in my head would probably blow up. Ouch! The land is to desolate for me. See ya Rhonda.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
I only had a monster headache at the super high elevation. There are few places up that high, and they are easy to skip.
hilary
I’ve never seen flamingoes in the wild, only in zoos. I would love to see one flying about. The terrain here reminds me a lot of Utah, here in the States.
Rhonda Albom
I have seen flamingoes before, but I had never seen them fly. It was so beautiful.
sue davies
Love the Atacama Desert. We spent time there a while ago. We combined this with Easter Island, another incredible experience. We spent a long time watching the Flamingos flying. Your post brought back great memories.
Rhonda Albom
Although we spent a lot of time deciding where to go, I instantly regretted skipping Easter Island when I read your comment.
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
I am sending this to David with a title in capitals ‘I WANT TO GO HERE’. I have tried in the past to interest him in the Atacama Desert but despite more than one trip to Chile I have never succeeded. Perhaps your stunning photos will win out where I have failed.
Rhonda Albom
It’s an easy flight from Santiago to Calama, then an hour drive to San Pedro de Atacama. If you are renting a car, use rentalcars.com, and steer clear of going through Europcar directly. More on this coming soon, but they really burned us.
Jane
Oh, so beautiful! I’m so into the petroglyphs and flamingos—I’ve never heard of these animals being into desert climates! I’m not sure I’ll be able to visit San Pedro de Atacama in my lifetime, thanks to asthma not working well in desert climates, but it’s definitely beautiful and seems to contain many things I’d be interested in in one place!
Rhonda Albom
I was also surprised to learn that flamingos live up in the high desert. And as for desert breathing, be aware that Atacama is the driest non-polar desert in the world.
L. Diane Wolfe
I love the church and the market. All of it reminds me of New Mexico.
Rhonda Albom
Yes, I was having Deja Vu from Santa Fe New Mexico whenever we were in town.
Luci
I’ve never heard of Atacama, it is so beautiful. If I ever get a chance to go down there I would have to do at least half of those in one trip. Very beautiful pictures.
Rhonda Albom
We stayed a week and did them all (except the geysers). Atacama is probably best known either for being the driest desert in the world or for having the clearest skies.
Luke - GSE Solutions
I’m with Candice these sites are on my must see list! I am travelling to Chile on business in a few weeks with GSE Solutions. If possible I would love to see Markets of San Pedro de Atacama. This photography is amazing too! Safe Travels. Luke
Rhonda Albom
I hate to sound negative, but there are better markets in other parts of Chile, and better things to see in the Atacama region. Which part of Chile are you heading too? We just spend nine weeks, mostly in Chile and Argentina.
Sandee
Hubby and I would love to visit this desert. We love all things desert and have spent many hours exploring areas around us. So much life. So much history.
You’re photographs are amazing as always.
Have a fabulous day and weekend, Rhonda. ♥
Rhonda Albom
It’s not too far from you – just due south. 🙂
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Quite the variety of elements. Moon Valley is cool. Where do the flamingos go in the afternoon?
Rhonda Albom
Excellent question Alex, and I have no idea. I tried to look it up but found nothing. It was the park ranger who told us this, and then we saw them start to fly – but they generally didn’t go far.
Ladylebz
The desert is the best! And super interesting that there are rock inscriptions – we have similar inscriptions from the San tribes of Southern Africa 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I loved finding petroglyphs. I have seen them in Arizona, and a few other spots around the world, but I think the ones in Atacama are the best I have seen.
Ryan K Biddulph
That oasis looks like something else Rhonda. We saw one in the arid desert of Oman last month. Seeing an engineering feat baffles me. Keeping sweet water flowing in a desolate area? Way cool. I’d love seeing those flamingos take flight too.
Rhonda Albom
The oasis did remind me a bit a bit of Nizwa, and a palm desert we stay at in the Sahara. As for the flamingos, I had never seen one fly before that day in Laguna Chaxa.
Jennifer Maune
It would be so amazing to see petroglyphs in person! And I’m loving all of the beautiful views. Putting this on my bucketlist!
-Jennifer
Rhonda Albom
I agree. We had a blast looking for them at some of the sites. We saw petroglyphs in three separate locations in the desert.
Candice
These photos are so beautiful! They make me really want to see these sites in person! Thanks for sharing!
Rhonda Albom
Believe it or not, the sites are even more spectacular in person.