Atacama Desert ToursAtacama Desert Tour 3 Days: Packages, Day Plan & Fees
An atacama desert tour 3 days plan should settle three things before you pay: which tours, in which order, and what the park fees add on top. Three days in San Pedro de Atacama is enough for the headline sights if you stack them in the right sequence. The rule most plans repeat is the same. Keep the low sites early and leave El Tatio and the altiplano lagoons, both above 4,000 m, for the end. This page gives you the day-by-day order, the entrance fees per site with how each is paid, and the choice between staying in Chile or crossing into Bolivia. Both routes sit inside the wider Atacama Desert tours catalog.
The Tours We Compare
Prices are per person and read from each tour's listing. The price shown is the lowest option on the listing, and each card says whether the park fee is in that price. The main button on each card opens the tour's own page, and "Check Availability" opens the platform that takes the booking.
Best of Atacama: 4 Tours in 3 Days
Four tours over three days: El Tatio at dawn, Piedras Rojas and the altiplano lagoons, Valle de la Luna at sunset and the Baltinache lagoons (walk only for now). Park fees are listed as included, with two paid at the agency.
- Category
- Multi-Day Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- PUKARUMI TRAVEL AGENCY
“Very well organised tour with pickups with lovely breakfast/lunch. Very informative and nice tour guides. Would highly recommend this tour company.” — Anne
Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour & Back
Cross the Bolivian border for the Salar de Uyuni, colored lagoons and flamingo highlands, returning to San Pedro on day three.
- Category
- Multi-Day Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Koa Travel
“Freddy is a great professional and a great person! He explains in details all atractions on the way and also some local culture interesting details, which are important…” — Romero José Silva
San Pedro de Atacama: 4-Day Guided Tour with Pickup
A four-day guided programme around San Pedro de Atacama with hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, breakfast, lunch and all fees and taxes in the price. It suits first-timers who want the area's main sights arranged in one booking and rated suitable for all fitness levels.
- Category
- Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Turismo Chile Tours
San Pedro de Atacama: 4-Day Tourist Package with Meals
A four-day package with entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, dinner and an air-conditioned vehicle all in the price, plus a WhatsApp group for the schedule the day before. It suits travellers who want no extra tickets to buy and a group capped at 15.
- Category
- Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Sileia Tours
Compared Side by Side
Each row reads the price, length and rating off the tour's own listing. The Park fees column says whether the ticket for the sights on the route is in that price or paid on the day, which is the line that changes the real cost.
| Tour | From | Length | Park fees | Rating | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best of Atacama: 4 Tours in 3 Days | $329 | 3 days | Listed as included, El Tatio and Baltinache paid at the agency | 4.7 (346) | Check Availability Details |
| Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour & Back | $880 | 3 days | Included (US$25 Bolivian park fees) | 4.7 (90) | Check Availability Details |
| San Pedro de Atacama: 4-Day Guided Tour with Pickup | $520.00 | 4 days | Included | 4.8 (177) | Check Availability Details |
| San Pedro de Atacama: 4-Day Tourist Package with Meals | $420.00 | 4 days | Included | 5.0 (130) | Check Availability Details |
Fees from the operators' listings and the official ticket sites. Figures current in Q4 2026.
What Three Days Cost in Total
The package price is only part of the bill. Entrance fees are charged per site by the local communities, and some take cash while others sell online by card only.
Entrance Fees Per Site and How They Are Paid
Fees change often and differ for Chileans and foreigners, so treat these as the figures the operators currently publish. The payment split matters more than the amounts: Valle de la Luna, Cejar, Chaxa and the Piedras Rojas and Miscanti and Miñiques tickets sell online by card, while El Tatio, Baltinache, Tebenquiche, Rainbow Valley and Yerbas Buenas take cash on site. Bring pesos in small notes either way.
| Site | Foreigner fee | How paid |
|---|---|---|
| Valle de la Luna | 10,800 CLP (about $11) | Online by card, at least a day ahead |
| El Tatio | 15,000 CLP (about $15) | Cash at the gate |
| Laguna Cejar (swim at Laguna Piedra) | 15,000 CLP adult aged 13-59 (about $15) | Online by card, timed slot |
| Piedras Rojas + Miscanti and Miñiques | 13,000 CLP (about $13) | Online by card |
| Laguna Chaxa | 13,714 CLP (about $14) | Online by card, Toconao platform |
| Tebenquiche | 6,000 CLP (about $6) | Cash on site |
| Rainbow Valley + Yerbas Buenas | 5,000 CLP each (about $5) | Cash on site |
Package Price Against the Same Days Bought Separately
The operators' own package prices differ widely because what is inside differs. TravelCoachChile sells its 3-day pack at 105,000 CLP with entrance fees excluded and paid to the communities. Nomades puts its 3-day plan with airport shuttle and tours at 172,000 CLP.
Howlanders includes the Moon Valley, Cejar, Tebenquiche and El Tatio fees in its package price. In the catalog, the Best of Atacama: 4 Tours in 3 Days is $329 with park fees listed as included, though the listing says the El Tatio and Baltinache tickets are paid in advance at the agency, so confirm at checkout. Buying the four days separately from the catalog cards lands near $71 plus $38 plus $86 plus a stargazing tour from $30, before the fees that are not included.
| Provider | 3-day price | Fees included? |
|---|---|---|
| TravelCoachChile | 105,000 CLP | No, paid to the communities |
| Nomades | 172,000 CLP | Not stated |
| Best of Atacama combo | $329 | Included, but El Tatio and Baltinache are paid in advance at the agency |
Source: TravelCoachChile, SanPedroAtacama, Howlanders, Nomades, Nomades entrance guide, CONAF, Laguna Cejar.
Three Days, Day by Day
Three ways to spend the same three days: the packaged order, a self-built order and the plan stretched to a fourth day. All of them end at the highest and coldest sites.
The Order the Operators Use
San Pedro sits at 2,400 m, so allow a day to adjust before anything above 4,000 m. The packaged programs converge on the same sequence. The SanPedroAtacama program, capped at 12 travelers, runs Rainbow Valley plus Valle de la Luna on day 1, El Tatio with Laguna Cejar on day 2, then the altiplanic lagoons with Piedras Rojas and Laguna Chaxa on day 3.
The Howlanders package opens with stargazing and Moon Valley and closes with El Tatio and Cejar. Nomades fixes the same logic: the highest-altitude tours go at the end, and its 4-day plan puts El Tatio on the final morning, picked up at 04:30 and back by about 12:30.
- Day 1: arrive, rest, then stargazing or the Valle de la Luna sunset tour
- Day 2: Laguna Cejar in the afternoon, or Rainbow Valley in the morning
- Day 3: El Tatio at dawn, or the Piedras Rojas and altiplano lagoons full day
- Stretch to 4 days: add a rest morning or a second low-altitude afternoon before the big days
A Self-built 3-day Plan with the Catalog Tours
If you book the days separately instead of a package, the same order works. Day 1, take the Valle de la Luna Sunset Tour at $71, departing between 15:30 and 16:10, with the 10,800 CLP ticket included and bought online. Day 2, do the low morning or afternoon first: the Cejar Lagoon Float & Salar Tour at $38 runs 4 hours with sunset at Tebenquiche, and the 20,000 CLP Cejar ticket is paid separately 12 hours before departure.
Day 3, finish high. The Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons Full-Day at $86 covers about 4,200 m at the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons with both park fees and two meals included, or take the El Tatio Geysers & Wetlands Sunrise Tour at $81 with a pre-dawn start at 4,300 m.
| Day | Tour | Price | Fee in price? | Top altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valle de la Luna Sunset Tour | $71 | Yes, 10,800 CLP online | Low, near town |
| 2 | Cejar Lagoon Float & Salar Tour | $38 | No, 20,000 CLP paid 12 h before | Low, near town |
| 3 | Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons Full-Day | $86 | Yes, about 29,000 CLP | 4,200 m |
| 3 alt. | El Tatio Geysers & Wetlands Sunrise Tour | $81 | Contradictory, confirm at checkout | 4,300 m |
Stretch It to Four Days
TravelCoachChile sells its pack stretched over 4 days at 150,000 CLP and 5 days at 170,000 CLP, against 105,000 CLP for 3 days, and SanPedroAtacama says its program can be spread over 4 or more days for acclimatisation. In the catalog the 4-day route is already packaged: the San Pedro de Atacama: 4-Day Guided Tour with Pickup at $520.00 with all fees, breakfast and lunch included and groups capped at 12, or the San Pedro de Atacama: 4-Day Tourist Package with Meals at $420.00 with entrance fees and three meals a day included for up to 15 travelers. The extra day buys a rest morning before El Tatio, which is worth it if you land at Calama the same day you start.
Source: SanPedroAtacama, Howlanders, TravelCoachChile, Nomades.
How to Choose
The combo is four day tours, not a package holiday
It includes pickup, a bilingual guide, food as described and the Valle de la Luna, Piedras Rojas, altiplano lagoon and Chaxa tickets. The listing also names El Tatio (CLP 15,000) and Baltinache (CLP 6,000) under Includes, but its notes say those two are paid in advance at the agency, so confirm at checkout, and Baltinache is walk-only for now. It does not include accommodation or hotel transfers.
You sleep in your own bed in San Pedro.
Uyuni is a border crossing, and it shows
A shared van to the Hito Cajones border, then a 4WD across Bolivia with two nights in a heated hotel and meals included. The US$25 national park and Isla Incahuasi fees are included, dinner on the second night is not. The operator states plainly that it is not for travellers who want luxury or comfortable temperatures.
Bring your passport and cash.
Altitude is the constraint on both
The combo hits 4,320 m at El Tatio and 4,200 m at the lagoons. The Uyuni route sleeps above 4,000 m. Both operators set upper age limits and exclude anyone prone to altitude sickness, so check the listing.
Acclimatise in San Pedro first.
Dates That Change the Plan
Three things move a 3-day schedule: the season, the moon and one closed viewpoint. Check all three before you fix the order of your days.
Season, Moon and Closures
Departure times shift with daylight. Howlanders lists its Cejar departure at 15:30 from October to March and 15:00 from April to September, and SanPedroAtacama runs Valle de la Luna at 16:00 in summer against 15:00 in winter, returning at 20:30 and 19:30. The moon matters for the night: stargazing tours do not run for a few days either side of full moon, and Howlanders replaces stargazing with Rainbow Valley on those dates.
Book stargazing ahead either way, it sells out. One closure changes the sunset itself: the Ckari viewpoint in Valle de la Luna is closed until further notice, possibly to the end of 2026, so tours take sunset at an authorised spot the guide chooses. El Tatio dawn stays cold in any season, averaging about -6 C in summer and falling to -20 C in winter, so pack layers, gloves and a hat.
- Cejar departs 15:30 October to March, 15:00 April to September
- Valle de la Luna sunset 16:00 summer, 15:00 winter
- Full moon: stargazing swapped for Rainbow Valley
- Ckari viewpoint closed, sunset spot set by the guide
- El Tatio dawn: about -6 C in summer, down to -20 C in winter
Arrival and the Last Day
Fly into Calama El Loa airport (CJC). The drive to San Pedro is about 1 h 30, and a shared shuttle runs about CLP 17,000 (about $17) per person, so count on 2 to 3 hours from landing to hotel. That makes day 1 an afternoon day: rest, drink water, then stargazing or the Valle de la Luna sunset tour.
On day 3, work backwards from your flight. An El Tatio pickup at 04:30 puts you back in San Pedro about 12:00, which leaves room for an afternoon transfer to Calama but not much slack, so book an evening flight from CJC if El Tatio is on your last day.
Source: Howlanders, SanPedroAtacama, VisitChile, Chile Travel, Nomades shuttle.
Best Option by Traveler Type
Three days, four tours, one booking
Best for: Short trips to San Pedro
The Best of Atacama combo covers the four headline sights with the main park tickets included.
Best of Atacama: 4 Tours in 3 DaysCross into Bolivia
Best for: Overlanders
The San Pedro to Uyuni 3-day tour crosses the altiplano to the Salar de Uyuni and returns.
Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour & BackPlanning Guides
Background reading that applies to every tour on this page.
Multi-Day Atacama Tours: Common Questions
Does the 3-day Atacama combo include a hotel?
No. It includes pickup from your San Pedro accommodation, the guide, food as described and the main park tickets, with El Tatio and Baltinache listed as included but paid in advance at the agency per its notes, but you arrange and pay for your own bed. The listing is explicit that accommodation and hotel transfers are not included.
How many days do I need in the Atacama?
Three full days covers the four headline sights without rushing, which is exactly what the combo is built around. Add a day if you want a volcano climb, and add two nights before any high-altitude tour. Our guide on how many days you need works through the trade-offs.
Do I need a visa for the Uyuni crossing?
You are crossing into Bolivia, so entry rules depend on your nationality and change. Check with the Bolivian consulate before booking. Carry your passport, cash in bolivianos for fees, and expect a border stop at Hito Cajones.
How cold does the Uyuni tour get?
Cold enough that the operator warns the trip is not for travellers who want comfortable temperatures. You sleep above 4,000 m; the hotel on the route has heating and hot water, but the days on the altiplano are exposed. Pack as you would for winter.
What can I do in the Atacama desert in 3 days?
Three days covers the four headline sights: Valle de la Luna at sunset, a lagoon afternoon at Laguna Cejar or Tebenquiche, the Piedras Rojas and altiplano lagoons full day, and El Tatio at dawn. Keep the two sites above 4,000 m for days 2 and 3 so you acclimatise first. The full day-by-day order is in the Three Days, Day by Day section above.
Are entrance fees included in a 3-day package?
It depends entirely on the package, so check before paying. TravelCoachChile excludes all entrance fees and collects them for the communities. Howlanders includes the Moon Valley, Cejar, Tebenquiche and El Tatio fees. The Best of Atacama combo lists park fees as included but says the El Tatio and Baltinache tickets are paid in advance at the agency. The fees table lists every site and how it is paid.
Is 3 days enough, or should I book a 4-day Atacama tour?
Three days is enough for the main sights if you arrive rested and keep the altitude order. Four days is better if you land at Calama the same day, because the transfer eats the first afternoon. TravelCoachChile sells 4 days at 150,000 CLP and 5 days at 170,000 CLP against 105,000 CLP for 3. For packaged 4-day options see the 4-day tours on this page.
How do I get from Calama to San Pedro for a 3-day tour?
Fly to Calama El Loa airport (CJC), about 1 h 30 from San Pedro by road. A shared shuttle costs about CLP 17,000 (about $17) per person and needs a minimum of 4 passengers, with 2 to 3 hours from landing to hotel. Land early on day 1 so the afternoon tour is still possible, and read the arrival timing notes before booking day 3 flights.