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Atacama Desert Tour: Volcanoes, Salt Flats, Lagoons
4.7
20 Ratings
San Pedro de Atacama
Embark on an unforgettable day trip to Piedras Rojas and Altiplanic Lagoons in the Atacama Desert. Explore stunning landscapes, volcanoes, salt flats, and lagoons at over 4,000 meters above sea level.
Embark on an unforgettable day trip to Piedras Rojas and Altiplanic Lagoons in the Atacama Desert. Explore stunning landscapes, volcanoes, salt flats, and lagoons at over 4,000 meters above sea level.
Duration:
11 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Piedras Rojas - • Toconao • Talar Salt Flat, also known as “Piedras Rojas” (Red Rocks) • Chaxa Lagoon • Miscanti Lagoon
- Lagunas Miscanti y Miniques - These stunning lagoons nestled between volcanoes offer the perfect backdrop for desert photography. The striking contrast between the rugged mountains and the vibrant lagoon colors creates a…
- Piedras Rojas - • Toconao • Talar Salt Flat, also known as “Piedras Rojas” (Red Rocks) • Chaxa Lagoon • Miscanti Lagoon
- Lagunas Miscanti y Miniques - These stunning lagoons nestled between volcanoes offer the perfect backdrop for desert photography. The striking contrast between the rugged mountains and the vibrant lagoon colors creates a truly enchanting setting.
- Salar de Atacama - The Salar de Atacama is Chile’s largest salt deposit, featuring a white, rugged surface that conceals a vast brackish lake. Spanning 300,000 square kilometers, its full grandeur is visible due to the dry air, though this clarity can make judging distances challenging.
- Laguna Chaxa - This extraordinary location, encircled by volcanoes, mountains, and ranges, offers a profound sense of peace as visitors approach its plankton and crustacean-rich waters. Although swimming is not permitted, the journey is still thoroughly enjoyable.
Situated at 4,500 meters above sea level, Laguna Chaxa is a must-see for bird enthusiasts.
What's Included
- Park entries included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Park entries included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
Additional Information
Experience the ultimate day trip in the Atacama Desert, offering everything you desire. Discover stunning volcanoes, expansive salt flats, and picturesque lagoons. The breathtaking landscapes on this journey will leave you in awe.
The tour ascends to over 4,000 meters above sea level, so it is advised to get plenty of rest the night before and wear warm clothing to stay comfortable in the cold.
Experience the ultimate day trip in the Atacama Desert, offering everything you desire. Discover stunning volcanoes, expansive salt flats, and picturesque lagoons. The breathtaking landscapes on this journey will leave you in awe.
The tour ascends to over 4,000 meters above sea level, so it is advised to get plenty of rest the night before and wear warm clothing to stay comfortable in the cold.
Location
Piedras Rojas
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(20 Ratings)
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176omars
Nov 5, 2024
Exploring the Atacama - We bought this and other tours with the Full Tour. The agency at Atacama was punctual on all the tours, the attentive and knowledgeable guides of the attractions, and the very good scripts. The breakfasts and snacks offered on the tours were very satisfying. We got a very interesting cost/benefit ratio. I recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7856swfeliper
Apr 25, 2024
Full Tour Agency - Wow, the best experience we've ever had, the Full Tour agency accompanied us the entire time, from closing the package to the last tour. Thank you very much for the work done.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marciapn4428fv
Oct 22, 2023
The guide Teresa was wonderful, she took great care of the passengers and the explanation was wonderful. - Incredible landscape, there is no way to describe this place, only those who have been there can describe how it feels and the spectacle of nature
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anacristinamd2181dy
Oct 16, 2023
Excellent Organization - Amazing to have seen much of the Atacama Desert - The landscapes are stunning, we took lots of photos. Unforgettable and peaceful place. I am very satisfied with the tour, we made great choices. Everything very well organized by Diego Hengler note 10000 :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannas534
Sep 22, 2023
Amazing experience - It was simply perfect! From start to finish, the company fulfilled everything agreed. If you searched at the right time, we have incredible guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna
Aug 11, 2023
Wonderful experience, you can't miss it!! - The landscape is absurdly beautiful, the guides are attentive and very careful with Brazilians!! You can trust with your eyes closed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U4535
Jul 29, 2023
phenomenal tour - The landscapes are amazing and guides Nicole and Veronica were excellent, even taking excellent photos. I loved the tour and the information made by the guides. I recommend the tour, but you are worried because in winter it is very cold....
Review provided by Tripadvisor
40familyof4
Sep 4, 2023
Good tour, but expensive - This was a very long tour (we spent probably 7hrs in the small bus) with only 2 bathroom stops. Overall, it was a very good experience. Our driver (Adele) and tour guide (Nicole) were excellent. We visited a flamingo reserve and different lagoons. Nicole is very experienced and used pictures/ books as needed to tell us about the fauna and history of the different areas. We saw a few additional animals along the way (fox, llama). The tour is bilingual (even though the booking makes it appear it would only be one language).
The tour had to be changed because 2 parks were closed for maintenance at that time. The tour company texted us the day before and asked if we were OK with the change. The parks had been closed for a while (we heard about it in the local tourist office) and the tour operator should have adjusted the description on the website. Instead of visiting one of the parks we were dropped off at a restaurant in San Pedro de Atacama at 3 PM for lunch (which was included in the tour).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mczink
Dec 30, 2024
Could Be Improved: Rushed and Disorganized Experience - While the landscapes of the Atacama Desert are undeniably breathtaking, my experience with this tour unfortunately fell short of expectations. There were several organizational and logistical issues that impacted the overall enjoyment of the trip.
Firstly, the pick-up time was unexpectedly moved forward to 6:00 AM the evening before, which caused some last-minute adjustments on our end. While such changes can happen, earlier notice would have been appreciated. Once the tour began, it felt rushed—our driver seemed to be in a hurry, and though safety was not directly compromised, it made for an uncomfortable ride. Additionally, the guide appeared disengaged and provided only minimal information about the incredible places we visited, which was disappointing given the rich history and natural beauty of the region.
A significant letdown was that we did not visit the Salar de Atacama, a key highlight of the itinerary. No explanation was given for this omission, leaving us feeling like we missed out on an essential part of the experience. To add to this, at the end of the tour, we were dropped off at the outskirts of town instead of our original pick-up location, which was inconvenient and unexpected.
The Atacama Desert is a truly magical place, but I believe this tour could improve significantly with better communication, a more engaged guide, and adherence to the promised itinerary. I hope future travelers have a better experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Toby_c
Apr 1, 2024
Ripped me off - Tour company asked for $20 directly via PayPal for park fees. I paid this. This was outside of Viator .
I was given the wrong start time twice, I challenged this and it was still confirmed. I went to sleep and miss local guide messages with an earlier pick up time. I missed the trip.
Viator refunded me as this was the agent error, not mine, despite the agent blaming me!
After several efforts my request for refund of $20 has been ignored. This is theft.
This was my experience and I managed to rebook a trip locally which was £50 cheaper.
Your call whether you want to deal with this company or not. I wouldn't.
Review provided by Viator
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