National Holidays: The best of San Pedro de Atacama - Express 4 days / 3 nights

The Valley of the Moon is a sector in the Cordillera de la Sal and undoubtedly the most visited. Its mountains speckled with glimmers, enormous dunes, rock formations, and ravines make it a true spectacle to behold. You can see the Three Marias, the Canyon, the Amphitheatre, the Victoria salt mine, and the Licantay viewpoint.

We will start the tour departing from San Pedro de Atacama towards the Cordillera de la Sal in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, heading to one of its most picturesque spots: the Valley of the Moon. The names already give a clear hint of the landscape, where rock formations shaped by erosion, salt blankets, the Great Dune, and views that will make you feel like you're on another planet reign supreme.

We will visit the Three Marias, the Canyon, and the Amphitheatre. To conclude the journey, we will enjoy the sunset from the Licantay viewpoint, where you can witness how the desert changes colors, with towering volcanoes on the horizon, offering a breathtaking spectacle that will leave you speechless.

• Physical
  Very low
• Nature
  Very high

We will pick you up at your hotel in the morning to begin the journey outside the city. The trip to Piedras Rojas and Altiplánicas Lagoons will take us through important tourist spots within the Atacama Desert.

To reach Piedras Rojas, or Salar de Aguas Calientes as it is also known, we will have to drive up to 3,800 meters in altitude and walk for 1 hour and 15 minutes to see these reddish rocks, as well as the lagoons and salt flats in the vicinity.

Subsequently, we will move to the Altiplánicas Lagoons Miscanti and Miñiques area, where our guide will provide explanations about the flora and fauna that inhabit the area. Likewise, we will make a stop at Chaxa Lagoon, where you can see flamingos. Similarly, we will pass through Socaire and the Tropic of Capricorn, where we will make a short stop for photographs. Then, we will return to San Pedro de Atacama to conclude our tour.

• Physical
  Very low
• Cultural
  Medium
• Nature
  Very high

It is located in the Río Grande basin, about 90 km from San Pedro de Atacama, very close to the Petroglyphs of Yerbas Buenas. It owes its name to the wide range of shades that can be observed in the valley's hills. The colors reflect the richness and varying concentrations of clay, salts, and minerals.

We start very early, heading 90 km from San Pedro to the Río Grande basin, where we reach the Rainbow Valley. Its name is given due to the variety of colors that can be seen in the valley's hills; earthy tones, reds, beige, greens, whites, and yellows. All combined with traces of white salt and a blue sky. The colors of this area showcase the ecological richness of clay, minerals, and salts. We will visit this place on a 1-hour hike, with a 1-hour return. Then, we will move to the Salado River area, where a small valley forms, and we can take a hike to appreciate the landscape.

Afterward, we will visit the Petroglyphs of Yerbas Buenas, and finally return to San Pedro de Atacama, where the activity concludes.

INCLUDES BREAKFAST 

• Physical
  Medium
• Nature
  Very high

San Pedro de Atacama, in northern Chile, boasts one of the world's best skies for astronomical observation. Come and experience this incredible nocturnal spectacle.

What does this experience include?

9:00 PM: Transportation to Ayllu de Cucuter, where the sky opens up to connect us with the cosmos.

• Cosmological introduction and recognition of the celestial vault through constellations.
• Astrophotography and observation of at least 7 objects through high-end telescopes, including image stacking and deep space astrophotography with the Evscope. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to do personal and couples astrophotography, as well as enjoy slow-motion shots and deep space astrophotography at no additional cost.

11:00 PM: Return to the hotels

INCLUDES APETIZZER

• Nature
  Very high

In this incredible destination, we will explore one of the most significant geothermal fields in the world: the 'Geysers del Tatio,' located at 4,200 meters above sea level. This is the largest group of geysers in the southern hemisphere and the third largest in the world.

In the early morning, we head towards one of the entrances to the Andean highlands, where we will go directly to one of the most important geothermal fields in the world, the 'Geysers del Tatio,' with 80 geysers and their steaming fumaroles, a unique spectacle in the world. We will spend approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes there, then enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast before continuing our journey back. As we venture into the hills and mountains of the Andes, we will contemplate important high-altitude ecosystems with rich biodiversity, such as the wetlands of Machuca and Vados de Putana. Finally, we will visit the village of Machuca.

INCLUDES BREAKFAST.

• Physical
  Very low
• Cultural
  Very low
• Nature
  Very high