Llamas on the Moon

Your Atacama trip begins in San Pedro de Atacama, in the heart of the desert. The town lies on the edge of the Salar de Atacama, a dazzlingly white salt lake with the snow-capped Licanacabur volcano in the background. San Pedro is a pleasant little town, once you’ve settled in to your guesthouse take a look around the town. There are several good restaurants to choose from.

This morning is free for you to spend as you please. You could go skiing, desert-style on a sandboard. In the afternoon you’ll head into the Atacama Desert with a small group. You’ll stop off at some of the most scenic points before arriving at the Valle de la Luna, a surreal lunar-like landscape. Enjoy an amazing sunset colouring the valley red, purple, green and blue as the moon slowly rises in the sky.

To see El Tatio erupt, the world’s highest geyser, you’ll need to leave before dawn at 4am. When you arrive at the Tatio geysers, around 7am, it’s still freezing cold, so you’ll need to wrap up warm. After a small breakfast you’ll go for a walk through the field of bubbling mud pools and steaming pools. There are a couple of thermal pools where you can wallow in the hot water, so if you fancy an al fresco swim, don’t forget your swimming gear. If you’d like to add this excursion we’ll also book an extra night in San Pedro as part of your Atacama tour.

After breakfast you’ll be ready to head onwards to your next destination.