Holiday in Atacama Desert
Area in Chile — tips, highlights & best time to visit 🇨🇱
Country
Chile
Type
Area
Best time to travel
Year-round (almost never rains), best from March to November (fewer tourist crowds)
Budget/day
80-140€: Hotel, organized tours (Valle de Luna 20€, Geysers 40€), restaurants
Getting there from Germany
Flight to Santiago (about 15h), domestic flight to Calama (2h), then 1h bus/taxi to San Pedro.
About Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the driest place on Earth — an extraterrestrial landscape of salt flats, geysers, moon valleys, and lagoons inhabited by flamingos at over 2,400 meters high. San Pedro de Atacama, the base camp for all adventures, is a charming oasis village of adobe houses. The clearest sky in the world makes the Atacama the best place for stargazing on the planet.
Top 4 highlights in Atacama Desert
The places you absolutely must not miss.
Valle de la Luna
The Moon Valley with bizarre rock formations and sand dunes offers a surreal play of colors at sunset.
Geysire El Tatio
The highest geyser field in the world (4,320m) spews steaming fountains into the icy air at dawn.
Salar de Atacama
Chile's largest salt flat with Laguna Chaxa, where flamingos wade in the pink light.
Starry Sky
The clearest night sky in the world offers the Milky Way, Magellanic Clouds, and thousands of stars visible to the naked eye.
Hotels in Atacama Desert
Vergleiche tausende Hotels, Apartments und Resorts auf Expedia – mit Bestpreis-Garantie, kostenloser Stornierung und Bonuspunkten.
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Reise-SIM für Atacama Desert
Günstig surfen im Urlaub mit travSIM
Pauschalreisen & Rundreisen
Berge & Meer – 170 Tage Cookie
Best time to travel for Atacama Desert
Recommended travel time
Year-round (almost never rains), best from March to November (fewer tourist crowds)
Summer
Hot during the day (25-32°C), cool at night (5-10°C), very rarely rains
Winter
Warm during the day (18-25°C), freezing cold at night (-5 to 0°C), absolutely dry
How much does a holiday in Atacama Desert cost?
Average costs per person per day
Budget
40-60€: Hostel, supermarket food, bicycle, stargazing for free
Hostel, Street food, Public transport
Mid-range
80-140€: Hotel, organized tours (Valle de Luna 20€, Geysers 40€), restaurants
Hotel, Restaurant, Excursions
Luxury
300€+: Luxury lodge (Alto Atacama), private tours, astronomy with professional telescope
Boutique hotel, Fine dining
Book a package holiday to Atacama Desert
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Compare package holidays now4 travel tips for Atacama Desert
Insider knowledge that makes your holiday better.
Altitude sickness possible at 2,400m — drink plenty of water, acclimatize slowly
El Tatio geysers are only active in the morning (departure at 5 AM!) — warm clothing is mandatory, it is -10°C!
Do not drink tap water — high natural arsenic content
The stargazing tours are an absolute highlight — the clearest sky in the world
Food & drink in Atacama Desert
These specialties you must try!
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