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Excursions in the Atacama Desert
Atacama Contact presents you the best excursions to experience the diversity and beauty of the Atacama Desert, offering you a personalized and flexible service that will adapt to your tastes. We differentiate ourselves by searching in our outings moments of intimacy, away from crowds, in contact with nature, hiking and serving outdoor meals in extraordinary places.
Click on the name of the places below to navigate the site
Half Day Excursions
Special Itineraries
Essential
Visit the classic and unmissable jewels of the Atacama. Enjoy the rich variety of landscapes the Atacama has to offer.
3 Full Days
Difficulty: Easy
Trip Type: Photography, culture and low difficulty treks.
1rst day: Moon Valley.
Night, Astronomy.
2nd day: Chaxa lake in the Atacama salt flat, Miscanti & Miñiques altiplanic lakes.
3rd day: Tatio Geysers
Vertical Ecology
All the most remarkable sites and a tour through the variety of landscapes and natural wealth of The Atacama.
4 Full Days
Difficulty: Easy
Trip Type: Photography, culture and low difficulty treks.
1rst day: Great Atacama Salt Flat. Night, Astronomy tour.
2nd day: Geology of Atacama.
3rd day: Lakes of the Altiplano.
4th day: Tatio Geysers.
Specter of Atacama
Discover the Likan-Antay culture that has inhabited the region for 12,000 years.and admire the rich variety of landscapes of the Atacama desert.
5 Full Days
Difficulty: Easy
Trip Type: Photography, culture and low difficulty treks.
1rst day: Archeology, followed by lunch at an organic farm. Afternoon, Cactus forest trek.
2nd day: Geology of Atacama.
3rd day: Miscanti and Miñiques altiplanic lakes. Night, Astronomy tour.
4th day: Tara Salt Flat.
5th day: Tatio Geysers.
Photography
Tailor made excursions to achieve amazing photographs.
X Full Days
Difficulty: Easy.
Trip Type: Photography.
In this modality, we meet with you at your hotel, to show you sites and photos for you to decide what you are interested in photographing.
A guide with technical knowledge of photography will consider the angle of the light and framing when suggesting sites and angles according to your ideals.
If you are not a photographer, the specialized guide can collaborate with you to coach you about handling your camera and the lighting.
Generally, we leave early enough that we can be at the site at dawn or dusk. If necessary, we can even camp on the sites.
Excursions in San Pedro de Atacama Full Day
 Gardens of Toconao |  Lunch at Chaxa |
|---|---|
 Float in Cejar |
Great Atacama Salt Flat
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 2400 meters
Total distance: 135 km
Walking distance: 1,9 km
Duration: 6 hrs
Meals Included: Lunch
Tickets for reservations: 8.000 clp + 15.000 clp
We travel south to the village of Toconao where we discover a labyrinth of gardens, then continue our journey towards the heart of the salt flat, the Chaxa lake where we'll see up to 3 species of flamingos, and observe the unique geology of the salt, we'll enjoy a nice lunch here. Then we'll go to the lake Cejar to bathe in a water so salty that it's impossible to sink.
 Moon Valley |  Rainbow valley |
|---|---|
 Yerbas Buenas pictoglyphs |  Layers |
Geology of Atacama
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 3200 meters
Total distance: 170 km
Optional hikes: 7 and 14, distance 11.3 km
Duration: 6 to 8 hrs
Meals Included: Lunch
Tickets for reservations: 10.800 clp + 5.000 clp + 5.000 clp
We'll visit the salt range visiting the moon valley to marvel at its extra planetary landscapes. We'll then continue climbing the Domeyko range where we'll visit a site where the ancient
atacameños speak to us through petroglyphs carved in the rocks. We'll end with a visit to the striking Rainbow Valley where we'll have an outdoor lunch to enjoy this landscape.
 Tatio geysers |  Vizcacha |
|---|---|
 Llaretas |  Great white geyser |
 Machuca marsh |
Tatio Geysers
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 4320 meters
Total distance: 200 km
Optional hikes: 1, distance 4,2 km
Duration: 5 to 7 hrs
Meals Included: Breakfast or Lunch
Tickets for reservations: 15.000 clp
We travel north towards the geysers. On the way back we enjoy vast and varied landscapes, we also witness the ancient activities of the inhabitants of the plateau, the sulfur mining, the collection of the Llareta and the raising of llamas. We pass by the wetlands of Putana overflowing with life, we see the town of Machuca. Excellent excursion to observe the variety of the altiplanic fauna. Breakfast or lunch included depending on the time of departure. You may combine this with Puritama hots springs.
 Pakana monks |  Tara view point |
|---|---|
 Tara lagoon |  Cathedrals of Tara |
Tara Salt Flat
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 4490 meters
Total distance: 270 km
Walking distance: 2.8 km
Duration: 8 hrs
Meals Included: Lunch
Tickets for reservations: no
We take the Jama pass towards the East, driving in the altiplano at more than 4800 meters of altitude between volcanoes and rivers of sediments. We arrive at the lake Quepiaco where we can see some of the fauna that inhabits this extreme landscape. We continue to arrive to at the monks of the Pacana, enormous pillars of rock that have bared witness to the intense volcanic activity of the region. Then we walk next to the cathedrals of Tara arriving to the salt flat where llamas graze and the flamingos live. We have lunch with these views and later begin our way of return.
 Aguas Calientes lagoon |  Suri |
|---|---|
 Red rocks |  Talar salt flat |
 Tuyajto lagoon |
Lakes of the Altiplano
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 4490 meters
Total distance: 325 km
Optional hike: 11, distance 7.5 km
Duration: 6 to 8 hrs
Meals Included: Lunch
Tickets for reservations: 10.000 clp
We travel south along the salt flat, as we ascend the Andes, we take a new perspective that reveals the huge pools where lithium is gathered and the lakes that form at the edge of the salt flat. We cross the town of Socaire and continue our journey through the plateau until we arrive at Tuyajto. A lake lined with salt hexagons, then we go to Talar (Red Rocks) where we have lunch nest to the lake's hot waters in front of vicuñas and flamingos.
 Quepiaco marsh |  Pujsa salt flat |
|---|---|
 Islands of borax and sulfur |
Pujsa Salt Flat
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 4500 meters
Total distance: 190 km
Walking distance: 400 m
Duration: 6 hrs
Meals Included: Lunch
Tickets for reservations: no
We go up the Jama pass to access the altiplano, we travel through extra planetary landscapes surrounded by volcanoes pouring rivers of sediments of different colors. We arrive at the Quepiaco wetlands where we can observe the fauna that inhabits these extreme places, on the way we can get a glimpse of the antennas of the ALMA observatory. Finally we arrive at the salt flat of Pujsa ,where we see numerous islands of borax, reddish water produced by algae and yellow sulfur stains.
 Atacama salt flat, Chaxa |  Nacimiento canyon |
|---|---|
 Miscanti and Miñiques |
Lakes Miscanti & Miñiques
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 4000 meters
Total distance: 254 km
Walking distance: 1 km
Duration: 8 hrs
Meals Included: Lunch
Tickets for reservations: 10.000 clp + 8.000 clp
This journey through vertical ecology, allows us to see how natural resources are distributed in relation to altitude and its geo-ecological floors.
We continue our journey towards the heart of the Atacama Salt Flat to see the flamingos that inhabit the Chaxa lake and observe the strange formations on the ground.
We continue the trip crossing the Tropic of Capricorn and we pass through the town of Socaire that stands out for its millenarian cultivation terraces. Finally our ascent through the high plateau culminates with the discovery of the jewels of the mountain range: two beautiful lakes, Miscanti and Miñiques.
Excursions in San Pedro de Atacama Half Day
 Toconao gardens |  Chaxa lagoon |
|---|---|
 Flamingos |
Atacama Salt Flat, Chaxa Lake
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 2400 meters
Total distance: 110 km
Optional hikes: 13, distance 1.6 km
Duration: 4 hrs
Tickets for reservations: 8.000 clp
We travel south along the east side of the salt flat, on the way we see Tambillo, a man made forest. Then we arrive to the town of Toconao where we see the fruit trees and the green passages that extend the oasis communicating terraces. We continue towards the Atacama salt flat where we visit the Chaxa lake where we see flamingos and talk about the unique geology of the place.
 Quitor pukara |  Construction detail at Tulor |
|---|---|
 Tulor ruins |
Arqueology
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 2450 meters
Total distance: 50 km
Walking distances: 1.1 km
Duration: 4 hrs
Tickets for reservations: 5.000 clp + 5.000 clp
We go to the Coyo Oasis to discover the oldest testimony of a sedentary settlement in Atacama, the town of Tulor (800 BC). Formed by a group of circular mud constructions, this settlement grew organically until reaching almost 8000 square meters. Then we visit the Pukará of Quitor, an ancient fortress where the Lican-Antay fought the Spanish.
 Ckari caves |  Salt formations in Ckari |
|---|---|
Moon valley |  Three Maries |
Moon Valley
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 2450 meters
Total distance: 50 km
Optional hikes: 7, distance 5.3 km
Duration: 4 hrs
Tickets for reservations: 10.800 clp
Moon Valley gets its name thanks to the evaporite (salt) that covers it, and gives it a lunar appearance. Its landscapes make us travel to other geological times; The bare earth demonstrates the planet's enormous forces in a dramatic gesture of the elements.
We will stop at the most attractive points according to your interests and capabilities.
Cejar Lagoon |  Tebenquiche Lagoon |
|---|---|
 Mirror |
Lakes of the Salt Flat
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 4500 meters
Total distance: 60 km
Walking distance: 800 m
Duration: 4 hrs
Tickets for reservations: 15.000 clp + 5.000 clp
Afternoon (But can be done in morning also). We travel directly through the salt flat, as we advance the soil becomes increasingly salty. First we visit the Cejar lake where we can bathe. Here the water is much saltier than the sea which makes us float, we have changing rooms and showers. We continue to find two cenotes, the Eyes of the Salt Flat, and we end up watching the sunset in the Tebenquiche lake, home of the oldest micro-organisms in the planet, with an extraordinary view of the Andes.
 Puritama |  Road to the pools |
|---|---|
 Hot spring |
Puritama Hot Springs
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 3500 meters
Total distance: 55 km
Optional hikes: 3 or 4, distance 4,7 km or 3 km
Duration: 3 to 4 hrs
Tickets for reservations: 25.000 clp
We ascend the Andes range to the thermal baths of Puritama where we access a well equipped complex, with restrooms and changing rooms. Here you can bathe in beautiful pools of crystalline thermal water, you can also take advantage of this trip to enjoy a walk in the pre-cordillera.
 Rainbow valley | Petroglyphs |
|---|---|
Colored layers |
Rainbow Valley
Difficulty and Altitude: Easy, 3200 meters
Total distance: 160 km
Optional hikes: 14, distance 6 km
Duration: 4 to 6 hrs
Tickets for reservations: 5.000 clp + 5000 clp
We ascend the Domeyko range where we often spot guanacos. First, we'll visit an arqueological site in Yerbas Buenas where the ancient atacameños speak to us through numerous petroglyphs carved in the rocks. Then we visit the striking plutonic formations of the Rainbow Valley, here, the folding of the earths crust exposes colorful strata.
