When to go
December through April is peak season for the Atacama Desert, so if you’re on a budget try visiting this destination off-season.
With that said, December-February is also summertime in Chile. Meaning that you’re going to have the most enjoyable weather during this timeframe.
How to get there
Check out my post How to Get to the Atacama Desert On a Budget from Valparaíso
Length of stay?
If you’re timeline is extremely short, then two full days is sufficient for the must-sees.
For those that have a little more time on their hands, four to five days is a perfect amount of time to really benefit from what San Pedro (and the Atacama Desert) has to offer.
After this timeframe you’ll probably grow tired of all the expensive tours and feel ready to move on. That is, unless you rent a car.
Renting a car will allow you to bypass all the tours and timetables so that you can experience the Atacama Desert on your own time. And, the more travelers you are, the less expensive the rental will be. Friends of mine went through this van rental service during their time there. They were vanlife-ing it while our other friends and I were hosteling it and I have to say, I was a little jealous. I truly think they did it right.
So, if you’re working on unlimited time or you have more than five or six days to play with, I’d recommend eight to ten days to really feel the life of the desert.
Making the most of the Atacama Desert
Once you finally make it to San Pedro, you’re adventure begins. Whether you arrive by plane or by bus, you’re going to want to drop a load off at your accommodation prior to setting out in Atacama’s great outdoors.
Where to stay
Your budget will define how much luxury you will find yourself in when it comes to accommodation.
Hostel
If you’re traveling on a budget, I’d highly reccomend Backpackers San Pedro. This friendly hostel is affordable, well-located and offers an amazing backdesert. A perfect space to meet other backpackers, hang out by the night fire under the stars or catch a little sun while sipping your fresh-pressed morning juice.
To reserve a night’s stay, I’d recommend booking directly through their website or contacting via Whatsapp. This will save you the extra fees that come along with booking services from Hostelworld or Booking.
You can reach their website here.
If you don’t mind traveling a little on the outskirts of the Atacama Desert, try staying in Valle de Elqui. (Also known for being one of the top stargazing hubs in South America.)
There’s an amazing hostel there called Cosmo Elqui Valle.
For more information on that particular hostel or to find out more about what there is to see and do around Elqui Valle check out my blog post Wandering the Mystical Valley of Elqui, Chile.
Camping
Whether you’ve decided to rent your own vehicle or not, the Atacama Desert is going to be one of the best places to camp thanks to its night sky.
Hotels
If you can afford to spend a little extra, I can’t recommend enough Elqui Domos. Also located in Valle de Elqui, Coquimbo, Chile.
Here you’ll find more luxurious domes than Cosmo Elqui Valle and the hotel also features its very own obseratory.
Click here to find out more.
What to see
One of the easiest (and most efficient) ways to see the Atacama Desert from your base of San Pedro is by booking tours.
Tour after tour after tour.
Some of them start as early as 7am, picking you up at your place of stay and only lasting a few hours into the day. Allowing for you to easily work in 2 or 3 tours in total over the course of a single day.
If you have the time and plan on renting your own private vehicle, you really don’t need to book any tours unless you’re really looking for structure and a set schedule to hold you accountable for keeping your timetables.
The perk of having your own vehicle is that you can literally wake up and go whenever you’re ready. You can stay as long (or as little) as you feel like in a particular spot. And you have the freedom camp out in the van, were that to appeal to you.
But back to the first option. To get you started…
Tours
Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of tours and tour agencies you’ll see when arriving at San Pedro for the first time. This little town lives off tourism.
Pretty much every agency will offer the same tours over and over again, with only slight variations in pricing.
I really recommend Cosmo Andino Expediciones. This is a really highly rated tour agency that’s always provided excellent experiences. In my experience, they were well-organized, their vans were super comfy, and the people working there were always super friendly and knowledgeable about the desert.
To find out more about this agency, click here.
San Pedro also has a couple of companies that offer free walking tours.
So if you happen to find yourself with some extra time on arrival day or perhaps a couple free afternoon hours following a morning tour, check out one of these tours.
I always like starting with one of these because here you’ll get a solid lay of the land. And the tours are always sprinkled with useful information that will help you better sort your time during your visit.
Valle de Luna
Valle de la Luna (or Moon Valley) is most known for it’s grandiose formations of sand and stone that act as a canvas for earth’s natural sculptors: wind and water.
The colors and the textures that can be seen here are magnificent. Making this an ideal spot for sunrise and sunset.
Valle de la Muerte
Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley) is also commonly known as Valle de Marte (Mars Valley) and has been a grounding point used for all sorts of field testing in preparations for missions to Mars.
According to NASA, this desolate piece of Chilean land is the perfect earthly equivalent to the plant of Mars. So if you’re looking for an otherworldly experience, you don’t want to miss this valley.
This particular spot is also known for having some of the darkest skies on our planet. Making it an ideal place for stargazing 😉
So take your time here. Take in the landscape. The view is breathtaking.
TIP: Tour groups typically come here early afternoon and head to Valle de la Luna after for sunset.
Salar de Atacama
The largest salt flat in Chile (and third largest in the world).
Salar de Atacama features breathtaking lagunas where you can often see flamboyances of flamingos.
Lagunas Antiplanticas
This is the most expensive of the lagunas to visit here in San Pedro, but I definitely found it to be one of the most spectacular.
Geysers de Tatio
The Geysers of Tatio are truly an amazing sight, but probably one of my least favorite sightseeing destinations in the Atacama.
Partially because I’ve seen Old Faithful in Wyoming and really, in my honest opinion, a geyser is a geyser.
However, the main reason this sight would rank closer to the bottom of my list is because this particular wonder can only be witnessed in the nippy early AM air. (Brrrrrrrr)
The Desert Hand
Located on the the Pan-American Highway, as you approach San Pedro de Atacama is the beautiful 36-foot-tall Mano del Desierto (The Desert Hand) creeping its way out of the desert sand.
This astounding piece of art was created by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal in 1992.
TIP: If you travel by bus, you probably won’t see the sculpture and the bus for sure will not stop for pictures. It’s best to get there by private vehicle.
Atacama Night Sky
If you don’t know already, the Atacama Desert is one of the best places in the world to see the night sky. Thanks to its high altitudes, unpolluted skies and dry air.
Here you’ll find some of the world’s best observatories, allowing you to see the sky like you’d never before imagined.
And if you want an even closer experience to the cosmos, there are plenty of amazing campsites to spend your nights looking up at the stars above as well as hotels, like Elqui Domos, that focus on creating the best astronomical experience possible for you.
Adventure in the Atacama Desert
As I mentioned before the Atacama Desert is known just as much for its adventure as it is its nature.
To find out more on what adventure awaits you during your stay at the Atacama Desert, check out this short post Guide to the Best Atacama Adventure (coming soon)
