Trek through the heart of Chile’s Atacama Desert, exploring Moon Valley, Rainbow Valley, Río Grande, Machuca and the Tatio Geysers before reaching high-altitude lagoons and the Atacama Salt Flat. After each day’s adventure, return to the comfort of your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
Upon arrival at Calama Airport, take the program’s scheduled transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, approximately 1.5 hours away. The drive crosses the dramatic Cordillera de la Sal and reaches its highest point near Barros Arana Pass before descending toward the desert oasis. After lunch and a trip briefing, head to Moon Valley for a short walk among its striking rock and salt formations, staying to watch the colors of the desert change at sunset. Return to San Pedro for dinner.
Transfer Distance: Approximately 100 km / 62 mi
Moon Valley Walking Time: Approximately 30 min
Maximum Altitude en route: 3,418 m s. n. m. / 11,214 ft ASL
San Pedro de Atacama: 2,407 m s. n. m. / 7,897 ft ASL
Overnight: La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama
Meals: lunch and dinner
After breakfast, travel west into the Domeyko Range for a full-day exploration of Rainbow Valley and Yerbas Buenas. Hike through a mineral-rich landscape streaked with shades of copper, silver, green and violet, created by millions of years of erosion and geological activity. Continue to Yerbas Buenas, an important archaeological site where ancient petroglyphs carved into the rock depict animals, routes and symbols left by the desert’s early inhabitants. Return to San Pedro after the trek.
Hiking Distance: 14 km / 8.7 mi
Hiking Time: 5–7 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 3,525 m s. n. m. / 11,565 ft ASL
Elevation Gain: 147 m / 482 ft
Elevation Loss: 406 m / 1,332 ft
Overnight: La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama
Meals: breakfast and box lunch
Set out early for San Bartolo and begin one of the expedition’s most challenging trekking days. The first section follows the Río Grande riverbed, including several shallow river crossings, before passing an abandoned mine, an old mining cemetery and ancient petroglyphs. Continue through an increasingly arid valley where shade is scarce, surrounded by some of the driest landscapes on Earth. By late afternoon, reach the small Andean village of Río Grande before returning by vehicle to San Pedro de Atacama.
Hiking Distance: 22 km / 13.7 mi
Hiking Time: 7–8 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 3,228 m s. n. m. / 10,591 ft ASL
Elevation Gain: 394 m / 1,293 ft
Elevation Loss: 285 m / 935 ft
Overnight: La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama
Meals: breakfast and box lunch
Return to Río Grande and begin the trek toward Machuca, following the Peñaliri River through changing high-altitude landscapes. Pass old settlements and weathered agricultural terraces that reveal how earlier Andean communities cultivated this arid environment. The trail continues past cactus-covered terrain before climbing through highland grasses and shrubs, with views toward Licancabur Volcano. Finish at the small Andean village of Machuca before returning by vehicle to San Pedro.
Hiking Distance: 15 km / 9.3 miOvernight: La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama
Meals: breakfast and box lunch
Leave San Pedro early for the Tatio Geysers, one of the world’s highest geothermal fields. Explore the steaming fumaroles as the morning light reveals the surrounding Altiplano landscape. On the return journey, stop near the Vilama River and begin a two-hour trek through the high desert toward the Puritama hot springs. After the hike, enjoy time to relax in the warm thermal waters before returning to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
Hiking Distance: 8 km / 5 mi
Hiking Time: Approximately 2 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 4,267 m s. n. m. / 13,999 ft ASL
Elevation Gain: 375 m / 1,230 ft
Overnight: La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama
Meals: breakfast, box Lunch and dinner
Travel into the high Andes to explore the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, surrounded by volcanoes and the vast colors of the Altiplano. Continue through Socaire and viewpoints overlooking the Salar de Talar and Piedras Rojas, with a stop at Tuyajto Lagoon. If conditions allow, enjoy lunch outdoors before descending toward the Atacama Salt Flat. In the afternoon, visit Chaxa Lagoon, where flamingos and other high-altitude birds inhabit the salt flat’s shallow wetlands, before returning to San Pedro for your final evening.
Total Walking Distance: Approximately 3.8 km / 2.4 mi
Miscanti & Miñiques: approximately 2.45 km / 1.5 miOvernight: La Casa de Don Tomás, San Pedro de Atacama
Meals: breakfast, box Lunch and dinner
After breakfast, enjoy your final morning in San Pedro de Atacama before your scheduled transfer to Calama Airport for your onward flight, bringing your seven-day journey through the Atacama Desert to a close.
Meals: breakfast
Updated October 4th, 2022
Dear Traveler,
We are very happy to announce that there are currently no travel restrictions in Chile.
Together with the above mentioned, it is mandatory to comply with the following requirements:
In case you have any questions, we will be happy to help you!
Best,
The Team at Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia
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