Discover the mystical beauty and inspiring geology of the Atacama Desert with a spirit of adventure! Hike through the surreal and colorful rock formations in the Moon Valley and Gatchi Gorge. Explore Death Valley on horseback along the Salt Mountain Range. Mountain bike to the Salt Flats and swim in Cejas Lagoon. Summit Soquete Mountain for amazing views of El Tatio Geysers. Spend your nights in San Pedro de Atacama, where our lodge options provides relaxing accommodations while appreciating the traditional ways of life of the indigenous communities of the area.
Highlights
Hike through the surreal rock formations in the Moon Valley & Gatchi Gorge
Horseback ride in Death Valley, part of Cordillera de la Sal
Mountain bike to the Salt Flats & take a dip in Cejas Lagoon
Ascend to the Summit of the Soquete Mountain for views of El Tatio Geysers
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Arrive at Calama Airport and drive straight to San Pedro de Atacama, past the impressive rock formations of the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountains). Once in San Pedro meet your guide for a briefing over lunch about the upcoming days of adventure. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure.
Day 2: Horseback Ride Death Valley | Hike Kari Gorge and Moon Valley
After breakfast, head out on horseback towards Death Valley, part of Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountain Range) with astounding views of the ancient rock formations. After lunch say goodbye to your trusty steed and begin hiking through the mountain range and into the Kari Gorge, which offers more strange and beautiful rock formations. Continue on to the Moon Valley, to experience the reflective and surreal experience of being so small in such a vast space. Finish the day watching the sunset from Duna Grande (the Big Dune), before returning by car to your hotel in San Pedro.
Start hiking through the relative silence of the Gatchi Gorge until you reach the rough and roaring Puritama river. Spot some Atacamenian cultural artefacts before ascending to the source of the Puritama at 11,500 feet (3,500m). Continue on by car to the Cuesta del Diablo (Devil’s Hill) at 13,100 feet (4,000m). From here finish the day with rush, on a 19 mile (30km) mountain bike ride back down to San Pedro de Atacama.
After breakfast, pedal your way to the Atacama Salt Flats. At about 11 miles (18km) into the ride stop to have a dip in the salt water at the pristine Cejas Lagoon, continue on by bike to your lunch spot. After lunch in Toconao drive to a village in the Talabre Gorge, located at 11,500 feet (3,500m) and from here everything heads downhil, on your bike, to the edge of the Salar de Atacama. Witness a spectacular sunset, hopefully amongst pink flamingoes, before heading back to San Pedro. This day involves approx. 28 miles (45km) of cycling.
Today is well worth the early start! With a 4am departure from the hotel, drive to the world’s highest geothermal field, the El Tatio Geysers at 14,100 feet (4,300 m) for a fantastic sunrise. The combination of the spouting geysers and morning sun is very special indeed. Eat breakfast with the geysers before hiking up to the summit of Soquete Mountain, giving you another outrageous view of the geysers from above. The day includes approximately 4-5 hours of hiking before heading back to the comfort of the hotel for a farewell meal.
Day 6: Depart Atacama
1 Breakfast
Take the final day of the trip to relax and wander around the village, visiting its handicraft shops, church and museum. This afternoon transfer to Calama’s Airport for your flight back to Santiago.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
We were referred by a satisfied client and the booking of the trip was everything we wanted to do, and they listened to the types of hotels, sightseeing, etc. we wanted to do.
Jan S
1 month ago
Rapa Nui was on my bucket list for a long time so I worried that it would not meet my expectations. Our tour could not have been better. Our guide was knowledgeable and professional with an understanding of the island that made it come alive. I would and have recommended this trip to everyone that will listen.
elisa wright
1 month ago
Mary Curry is the BEST! I have worked with her for multiple family trips for over 10 years, and she is responsive, works within your preferences and budget, has great suggestions and has personal travel experience at many of the locations. We prefer active family vacations and Adventure Life and Mary Curry make sure that is what we get!
Heather Spanbauer
2 months ago
My tour operator was helpful. Unfortunately she was unable to get my single-supplement canceled. Not too many tours charge for that anymore and I almost canceled my trip because of that.
Joel
3 months ago
Excellent communication and coordination for our proposed trip. It couldn't have been smoother, and any question we did have was rapidly addressed. It has made the whole process nearly seamless.
