Tours by vehicle

Likanantai culture tour

After a short walk from the hotel to Pukara de Quitor, we will drive to the historic old town of San Pedro. There, we will stroll around the picturesque town, visit the church and the highly respected museum. We then drive to the archealogical ruins of Tulor - a 2800 year old settlement - visiting a variety of ancient villages along the way.
Duration: half day
Level: easy
Altitude: 2440m
Acclimatisation: none required

Tocanao/Atacama saltflats

On the way to the famous saltflats of San Pedro de Atacama, we visit the lovely town of Tocanao and the Valle Escondito de Kunza (the hidden valley) where we visit the church and artesan market stalls in the central plaza. From here, we continue our journey to the saltflats. On arrival, there is a gentle 20 minute walk to the Laguna de Chaxa where we can see wild flamingos and other birds native to the area. Later, when the setting sun catches on the mountains and the lagoons, you will see one of the most incredible sunsets the world has to offer.
Duration: half day
Level: easy
Altitude: 2300m
Acclimatisation: none required

Sunset at Moon Valley

A 20 minute drive brings us to the spectacular Moon Valley. This is one of the most famous national parks in Chile and for good reason. The enormous sand dunes and dramatic rock formations create a stunning lunar landscape born of land lifts and centuries of erosion. The sunsets here are extraordinary and no visit to San Pedro is complete without an trip to the Moon Valley to watch the sun go down.
Duration: half day
Level: easy
Altitude: 2450m
Acclimatisation: none required

Valle de Jere

A 45 minute drive from the hotel takes us through the village of Tocanao to the Quebrada de Jere (Jere Gorge). A gentle walk through beautiful, cultivated gardens allows you to appreciate the centuries-old irrigation systems that enabled man to settle in the area. The verdant vegetation, thanks to the Jere River, provides a wonderful contrast to the dryness of the surrounding desert. During this tour, we will also see a number of pre-historic petroglyphs: drawings carved into the rocks that acted as signposts for the Incas on their travels to and from the sea.
Duration: half day
Level: easy
Altitude: 2475m
Acclimatisation: none required

The Tatio Geysers

We leave the hotel before dawn to arrive at the famous geysers at daybreak: the steam and vapors are all the more impressive with the cold and the light of the early morning. At the geyser field, we will also see geysers thermal pools, mud fountains, colourful rock formations, hot streams and flora and fauna. The return journey is quite stunning with an abundance of widelife and beautifully contrasting landscapes.
Duration: half day
Level: medium (due to the altitude, not the effort required)
Altitude: 4321m
Acclimatisation: two days

Altoandina Lagoons

A two and a half hour drive south east from the hotel brings us to the high Andean lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques. The lagoons are surrounded by beautiful snowcapped mountains and a wide variety of flora and fauna. The lagoons provide a stunning contrast and the combined effect is an amazing explosion of colours from white, blue and silver through to red, pink and yellow.
Duration: full day
Level: medium
Altitude: 4200m
Acclimatisation: three days

The altiplanic villages

A two and a half hour drive takes us across the high plains to the lovely village of Caspana. On the way, we will enjoy a wide variety of widelife native to the area such as llamas, vicuñas, zuris, foxes and vizcachas. We will have lunch in Caspana, which is famous for its white liparita stone buildings and its narrow paved streets. We then visit the tiny village of Chiu-Chiu, which dates back to 3000 BC. This is a good excursion for your last day at Alto Atacama as the villages are in the direction of the airport in Calama.
Duration: full day
Level: medium
Altitude: 3322m but up to 4500m at one point
Acclimatisation: three days

Tara salt flats

From the hotel, we drive towards the Andean cordillera. The journey takes us through the wonderful meadows of Quepiaco where you can also see the Pakana Monks - incredible rock formations created by years or erosion. We will have a buffet lunch at the salt flats while enjoying the local flora and fauna, before returning to the hotel.
Duration: full day
Level: medium
Altitude: 4300m
Acclimatisation: three days

Trekking

Moon Valley

A 30 minute drive takes us to Moon Valley. Once inside the national park, we will begin a 9km trek through the dunes, gorges and flats that have helped make San Pedro famous throughout the world.
Duration: half day
Level: medium (a three hour trek covering 9km)
Altitude: 2450m
Acclimatisation: none required
Note: this excursion is not recommended for people with vertigo

Los Colorados

From the hotel, we take a short drive along the ancient road which crosses the Cordillera de la Sal. From here, we begin a delightful trek along the top of the cordillera which provides panaromic views of San Pedro, the oasis, the salt flats and the snowcapped Andean mountains. We descend via the dunes of Moon Valley.
Duration: half day
Level: medium (a two and a half hour walk covering 7km)
Altitude: 2700m
Acclimatisation: none required
Note: this excursion is not recommended for people with vertigo

Kari Gorge

A 20 minute drive from the hotel brings us to the Kari viewpoint from where we will walk along a narrow path into the Kari Gorge. Here, you can see spectacular rock formations of gypsum, clay and salt and see how the wind and water have left their mark over thousands of years.
Duration: half day
Level: medium (a two hour walk covering 5km, some very steep descents)
Altitude: 2600m
Acclimatisation: none required
Note: this excursion is not recommended for people with vertigo

Los Cardones Gorge

A 45 minute drive takes us to Guatin where we will walk through this lovely gorge, carved over the centuries by the Vilama River. During the walk, you can enjoy the beautiful contrasts provided by the colourful rocks and vegetation.
Duration: half day
Level: medium (a two walk covering 4km, some steep/slippery terrain)
Altitude: 3166
Acclimatisation: one full day

Alto Katarpe

This trek takes in the viewpoint at Katarpe with its stunning view across the cordillera and the Katarpe Valley. We will visit the old administrative centre of the Incas and see a wide variety of petroglyphs which, thousands of years ago, served as crucial signposts to the nomadic Incas. We return to Alto Atacama via the lush San Pedro River and the village of Katarpe
Duration: half day
Level: easy (a two hour walk covering 5km)
Altitude: 2721m
Acclimatisation: none required
Note: this excursion is not recommended for people with vertigo

Tambo Katarpe

A 15 minute drive takes us to the village of Katarpe. Here, we visit the old church and enjoy a gentle walk through wonderful plateaus and gorges until we arrive at the tambo of Katarpe. A tambo is where the Incas stored vital provisions for their regular trips from the Andes to the sea and back. This excursion gives visitors a wonderful cultural insight into the lives of the nomadic Incas.
Duration: half day
Level: easy (a one and a half hour walk covering 3km)
Altitude: 2510m
Acclimatisation: none required

Katarpe/Devil's Gorge

We drive 15 minutes to the village of Katarpe. After visiting the church, we trek through the gorges of the Cordillera de la Sal. We exit via the Devil's Gorge, through spectacular high walls of salt, clay and gypsum.
Duration: half day
Level: medium
Altitude: 2530m
Acclimatisation: none required

Waillar

We one hour drive brings us to the small town of Machuca. We trek along the Machuca River, following an ancient shepherd's route and passing the old farm at Peñaliri with its lovely cultivated terraces, until we reach Rio Grande. Today, Rio Grande is home to less than 100 people, the majority of whom work the land to produce lettuce, corn, alfalfa and potatoes and to raise herds of llamas, sheep and goats.
Duration: full day
Level: medium (a five hour trek covering 14km)
Altitude: 3800m
Acclimatisation: two days

Alto Socaire

This demanding trek begins an hour and a half to the south east of San Pedro. It involves a steep and long climb but you are rewarded with incredible views of the oasis, the Andes and the salt flats. As we descend towards the gorge below, you can enjoy the tranquility of this remote area, a tranquility interrupted only by the sound of the Socaire River. We end the trek walking along an old shepherd's path which follows the path of the river.
Duration: full day
Level: difficult (a six hour trek covering 12.5km)
Altitude: 4200m
Acclimatisation: two days

Montaña

Toco

This is a relatively short but very challenging excursion - the reward is the incredible view from the top. Here you get the best views of the cordillera, the salt flats and the oasis - you can even see the famous Bolivian lagoons that sit on the other side of the Andes.
Duration: half day
Level: difficult
Altitude: 5600m with variations of up to 500m
Acclimatisation: three days

Cycling tours

Katarpe Valley

We cycle from the hotel along the river into the heart of the lovely Katarpe valley. This bike ride takes in the village of Katarpe, the old Inca administrative centre and the tambo. A tambo is where the Incas stored vital provisions for their regular trips from the Andes to the sea and back. This excursion gives visitors a wonderful cultural insight into the lives of the nomadic Incas.
Duration: half day
Level: easy (a three hour bike ride covering 15km)
Altitude: 2500m
Acclimatisation: none required

Ayllu de Quitor/San Pedro village

This gentle bike ride takes us across the beautiful Quitor valley and into the town of San Pedro itself. Along the way, you can enjoy the stunning landscapes, flora and fauna which has made the area so popular with travellers in the know.
Duration: half day
Level: easy (a two hour bike ride covering 10km)
Altitude: 2460m
Acclimatisation: none required

Cejar Lagoon

We cycle from the hotel through San Pedro and then along a flat and sandy route to the Lagoon. The lagoons are a striking white colour which contrast spectacularly with the surrounding mountains and vegetation. And, because thet are located inside the Salar de Atacama, the lagoons are extremely salty which makes swimming in it quite a floaty experience.
Duration: half day
Level: medium (a two hour bike ride covering 22km)
Altitude: 2410m
Acclimatisation: none required
Note: if you want to swim in the lagoon, we advise that you take waterproof sandals as the ground is very hard and jagged in places.

Inca Pass

From Alto Atacama, we cycle up to the cordillera until we reach the ancient tunnel that cuts though the cordillera. The tunnel is an amazing feat of engineering built by the Incas to reduce travelling times from the Andes to the sea. We pass through the tunnel and return to the hotel via Mars Valley.
Duration: half day
Level: difficult (a three hour bike ride covering 20km with two steep climbs)
Altitude: 2700
Acclimatisation: two days

The Desert Valleys

We cycle towards Mars Valley and climb up to the Cordillera viewpoint. From here, you can see across the oasis and the salt flats to the snowcapped Andes. On our way back to the hotel, we pass through the famous Moon Valley.
Duration: half day
Level: difficult (a three hour bike ride covering 30km)
Altitude: 2600m
Acclimatisation: two days

For further information and booking inquiries please send us and e-mail.