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5 Day itinerary in Chile, South America

5 days in San Pedro de Atacama

Embark on a captivating 5-day adventure to one of Chile's most surreal destinations: San Pedro de Atacama. This journey offers an unforgettable blend of breathtaking landscapes, unique natural phenomena, and cultural immersion, all while staying in a charming Hotel.

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PabloDaniela

By Pablo and Daniela

Overview

Physical Difficulty

Light
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Recommended Age

Everyone

Operated in

English, Spanish

GUIDANCE

On Some Day Trips

starting point

Calama

trip type

Private

trip attributes

Hiking

Culture & History

Purposeful Travel

Start

Night

End

Highlights

1

Witness sunrise at Tatio Geysers, marvel at steam columns, and spot vicuñas in serene Putana Wetland

2

Explore Moon Valley’s surreal beauty: walk the Great Dune, see Three Marys, and view Coyote Rock.

3

Discover the Altiplano, visit Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, Piedras Rojas, and flamingos at Chaxa

4

Gaze at the stars under Earth’s clearest skies, guided by experts sharing stories of constellations

Itinerary

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Day 1

place Airport Transfer, Hotel Check-in and Astronomy tour

  • Upon arrival at the airport, you will be greeted with a sign displaying your name. The transportation company, Transfer Pampa, will take you to San Pedro de Atacama in a shared vehicle.

  • Check-in: Your hosts will welcome you to this amazing destination and give you a tour of the hotel facilities, which include a pool, spa, and restaurant.

  • You’ll have the afternoon free to relax. 

  • In the evening, get ready to experience the most amazing astronomical tour, where you’ll witness the beauty of the night sky like never before. For this, you need to head to a meeting point Tocopilla & Palpana just 6 minutes walking from the hotel. This is the only tour where you need to go to a meeting point; for the rest, they will pick you up at the hotel. Once you meet the guide, you will head to a location with no light pollution to observe the sky while the guide shares interesting stories. On the way back, you will be dropped off at the hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Day 2

place Moon Valley

  • Breakfast buffet

  • You’ll have the morning free to explore the town or relax at the hotel.

  • Pick-up between 3:00 PM and 3:40 PM at the hotel: be amazed by a unique landscape where you’ll visit the Great Dune (Duna Mayor), Victoria Mine (Mina Victoria), and the Three Marys (Tres Marías), finishing with a breathtaking view of Coyote Rock (Piedra del Coyote) alongside the majestic Salt Mountain Range (Cordillera de la Sal). The tour will conclude around 7:00 PM.

The tour includes: Transportation + a guide + entrance fees.

  • For the next day, please inform the staff that you’ll be leaving early in the morning so that they can prepare your breakfast as a lunch box.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3

place Piedras Rojas + Altiplanic Lagoons + Chaxa Lagoon

  • Pick up your lunch box

  • Full-day tour: Pick-up between 6:00 AM and 6:40 AM at the hotel. During this excursion, you will travel along the international route to Aguas Calientes Salt Flat and Piedras Rojas to explore this stunning area. Next, you’ll visit the Altiplanic Lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques, located at the base of the volcanoes with the same names. Additionally, you’ll stop at the landmark marking the Tropic of Capricorn. Finally, on the way back, you’ll visit Chaxa Lagoon, home to the highest concentration of flamingos. With some luck, you might spot all three species found in Chile: the Andean Flamingo (Parina Grande), the James's Flamingo (Parina Chica), and the Chilean Flamingo (Flamenco Chileno).

  • Return: Around 5:45 PM.

The tour includes: Transportation, a guide, breakfast, and lunch + entrance fees.

  • For the following day, please inform the staff that you’ll be leaving early in the morning so they can prepare your breakfast as a lunch box.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4

place Tatio Geysers (4,500 m.a.s.l.) in the Morning and Cejar Lagoon + Ojos del Salar + Tebinquinche Lagoo

  • Pick-up between 4:30 AM and 5:10 AM at the hotel. You’ll visit the third-largest geothermal field in the world, the Tatio Geysers, where you’ll have time to marvel at this one-of-a-kind site. Afterward, you’ll stop at the beautiful Putana Wetland (Vado de Putana), where you may spot vicuñas and a variety of birdlife. Finally, you’ll see the village and wetlands of Machuca from the vehicle.

Return: Around noon.

The tour includes: Transportation, a guide, and breakfast + entrance fees.

After this tour, we recommend taking a nap, having lunch, and recharging for the afternoon.

  • Pick-up between 2:30 PM and 3:10 PM at the hotel. During this tour, you’ll visit several lagoons within the Atacama Salt Flat, the largest salt flat in Chile. First, you’ll arrive at the famous Cejar Lagoon and Piedra Lagoon. In the latter, you’ll enjoy a swim and experience the unique floating effect, similar to the Dead Sea. Next, you’ll visit the Ojos del Salar, two deep freshwater pools in the middle of the desert. Finally, you’ll head to the stunning Tebinquinche Lagoon, where you can walk along its trail and take in the magnificent views of the sky blending with the desert and the white salt flats. At the end of the tour, you’ll enjoy a snack accompanied by a pisco sour.

  • The tour includes: Transportation, a guide, snack, juice, or pisco sour + entrance fees.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5

place Check-out

The transfer pick-up from the hotel will be at a time to be confirmed (approximately 3 hours before your flight from Calama to Santiago).

Check-out is until noon, and you should wait at the hotel, as it will be the pick-up location.

Meals: Breakfast

What’s Included

Meals expand_less

  • Breakfast (5)

Transport expand_less

  • Transportation from Calama airport to San Pedro de Atacama (round trip)

Activities expand_less

  • Tour to the Moon Valley. Includes transportation, snack, and enterance fee
  • Tour to Geysers del Tatio. Includes transportation, breakfast and enterance fee
  • Tour to Cejar Lagoon + Ojos del Salar . Includes transportation and enterance fee
  • Tour to the Altiplanic Lagoons Miscanti & Miñiques, the Red Rocks (Piedras Rojas), and to the Chaxa

Not Included expand_less

  • Transportation from Santiago to Calama
  • Anything not mentioned before

About Pablo

TEAM LEAD

+1 Local experts

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star_outline 5 (16 reviews)

Expertise: 

Indigenous culture

Hiking

Wellness retreat

Kayak & Canoe

Nature & Wildlife

Food & Culinary

With a Master’s in Tourism from Spain, I’ve lived in three countries and explored over 30, gaining a global perspective on travel. Now, I lead one of Chile’s top nature escape companies, crafting unique experiences for both locals and travelers world

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By choosing to travel with us, you support local communities, wildlife, and the environment. We are dedicated to positively impacting the world through every journey we offer.

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FROM PRICE PER TRAVELER

$1,965.00 USD