Top 8 Full-Day Tours in San Pedro de Atacama

1.Piedras Rojas, Altiplanics Lagoons & Salar Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 592 reviews · 10 hours · from $85Our pick

Join a small group of up to 14 for a long Atacama day with guides such as Cheryl, Christian, Camila, or Mauricio. You’ll visit Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Piedras Rojas, Chaxa Lagoon, Socaire, and Toconao, with breakfast and lunch included. Expect cold mornings, strong sun, high altitude, and outstanding photo stops.

“We enjoyed the whole tour. It’s lot to learn about different places and our tour guide Carolina helped us to know more about the places. She also took some beautiful pictures of ours. We highly recommend everyone for this tour and our tour guide Carolina and her companion driver”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Full Day Tour to Geyser del Tatio, Vado Putana and Machuca

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $50Best value

Leave San Pedro at 4:30 am for El Tatio, where cold dawn air makes the geysers most active. A guide such as Alex or Ernesto explains the volcanic field, then you stop at Vado Putana and Machuca, with breakfast, hotel pickup, shared transport, and central drop-off included. Expect high altitude, a small group, and a return around noon.

“Great excursion, but should not be called a full day tour. This tour started early but was worth seeing the Geysers. They are a very unique experience and very cool to watch. The stops after to Rio Puntana and Machuca were also nice. The guide Alex was very informative and stopped so we could take a lot of pictures.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Full Day Tour to Ruta de los Salares

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $70

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama into the high Andes with guides such as Nicolás, Francisco, or Ulysses. See Licancabur, Monjes de La Pacana, and three remote salt flats, with outdoor breakfast, lunch, wildlife, geology, and wide-open desert views. The group is limited to 18 people.

“The actual landscape of the salt flats and the views on the journey there and back were amazing .”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Full Day Tour Piedras Rojas Altiplanic Lagoons Chaxa Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $140

Set out at 6:00 a.m. from San Pedro de Atacama for Piedras Rojas, the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, Socaire, and Chaxa Lagoon. Small groups of up to 15 visit flamingo country and high-altitude salt flats. Guides such as Florencia, David, Diego, Anita, and Marco have led departures, with breakfast and lunch included.

“An amazing day. Truly beautiful sights to see. Florencia and David were very knowledgeable and supper helpful. The lunch was basic but oh so flavourful. The views postcard worth.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.The Salt Flats Route, Full day

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 15 reviews · 6 hours · from $78

Leave San Pedro de Atacama at 8:00 for Chile’s high border country. You’ll see Licancábur, flamingo-filled lagoons, the Moai of Tara, the Cathedrals of Pakana, and the Salar de Tara area with a bilingual guide. Pickup, shared transport, breakfast, and a snack are included. Guide Pedro has earned especially warm praise.

“Pas de mensonge par exemple… sur l’activité il est écrit qu’on va au salar de Tara, dans la réalité on n’y va pas…. Nous avons été pris les derniers donc, au fond, on entend pas bien les questions posées et encore moins les réponses, et on peut difficilement poser de questions. C’est donc plutôt 3,5 que 4”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Andean Saltflats full-day with breakfast and lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 6 reviews · 7 hours · from $81

Spend about seven hours above San Pedro de Atacama visiting Licancabur Volcano, Queipiaco wetland, Monje de La Pacana, Aguas Calientes, Quisquiro, and Black Lagoon. Breakfast and lunch are included, with English and Spanish guidance. Denny and Alvaro have earned especially warm praise for their guiding, driving, timing, and food.

“Très satisfaite de la prestation du guide,j'ai passée un très beau moment”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.The Salt Flats Route, Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviews · 6 hours · from $78

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama toward Paso de Jama with a bilingual Spanish and English guide. You’ll see Licancábur volcano, high-altitude lagoons, flamingos, ostriches, Pakana rock formations, and Salar de Tara. Breakfast and a snack are included, but bring warm layers and plan for no toilets along the route.

“I think that this tour is an easier (shorter, extra hours of sleep) option to see the salt lagoons and their inhabitants. It also takes you to Pakana rock formations, which are amazing. The tour starts with a decent breakfast, but get ready for cold winds. The big issue to note is that there are no toilets available along the whole way.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Piedras Rojas, Altiplanics Lagoons & Salar Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3 reviews · 10 hours · from $87

Leave San Pedro at about 6:30 AM for Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Piedras Rojas, Socaire, and Chaxa Lagoon. Your English or Spanish-speaking guide includes breakfast and lunch, while entrance fees cost extra. Expect 10 hours, high altitude, big views, and a 5 PM return.

Check availability →Read our full review