Set between the Andes and the Pacific, the Atacama stretches the length of northern Chile – a vast, stark wilderness that feels like nowhere on Earth.
This is the driest non-polar desert on the planet – a high-altitude plateau of salt pans, smoking volcanoes and mineral-rich lagoons in bright turquoise and rust. It is a place of extremes, yet one where life has found extraordinary ways to adapt and thrive.
Over the years, we’ve vetted its lodgings, road-tested its experiences, and collaborated with expert guides, astronomers and archaeologists to shape a more thoughtful way of experiencing the region. What follows is our guide to exploring the Atacama at its most rewarding.
Where exactly is the Atacama Desert?
The Atacama is a vast expanse on Chile’s border with Bolivia and Argentina, covering more than 100,000 square kilometres.
Most travellers base themselves in San Pedro de Atacama, a weathered adobe town that once thrived at the heart of Inca trade routes spanning Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. Today, it serves as a springboard into near-uninhabited reaches of the altiplano -the immense Andean plateau that defines much of what people associate with the Atacama: lithium-rich salt lakes, flocks of pink flamingos, smoking volcanoes and hissing geysers.
In Copiapó, in the west, with fog-fed ecosystems known as lomas appearing suddenly among the rocks. Where the desert meets the Pacific, cliffs plunge into the ocean and small fishing communities harvest seaweed and shellfish as they have for generations.
Those after a true frontier adventure can make the multi-day crossing into into Bolivia via Paso Sico or Hito Cajón – high-altitude routes that wind through the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve to the Uyuni salt flats. It’s a demanding journey, but one of the most exhilarating in South America.
How do you get to the Atacama Desert?
Most travellers will arrive into Calama, the nearest airport to the Atacama Desert. From Santiago, the flight takes around two hours.
From Calama, it’s a 75-minute drive to San Pedro de Atacama, where most travellers base themselves. Transfers are straightforward and typically arranged in advance through lodges or guides.
There is a paved landing strip in San Pedro de Atacama, for small planes only. Due to the limited infrastructure, take-offs and landings are only allowed just before sunset.
For those travelling overland, the Atacama can also be reached from Bolivia via high-altitude crossings such as Paso Sico or Hito Cajón, often as part of a longer journey from the Uyuni salt flats.
What are the best places to stay in the Atacama Desert?
Our top pick is Awasi Atacama. With just 12 circular standalone rooms and a one-to-one guide and vehicle model, there are no fixed schedules here; every experience is shaped around the guest. The architecture is inspired by pre-Incan design, with volcanic stone, thatch, and, interior courtyards.
Tierra Atacama, recently reopened after renovation, is a masterclass in modern desert architecture: polished concrete, native wood, and expansive views of Licancabur Volcano. The lodge runs entirely on solar power and has a spa focusing on Andean treatments, including volcanic stone massages, high-altitude infusions, and soaking tubs with sunset views.
Explora Atacama is the largest of the three, with 50 minimalist rooms, its own stables, and one of Chile’s finest private observatories. The ambitious menu of daily explorations makes it the natural choice for those who want to cover serious ground. True to the Explora ethos, adventures are usually small group affairs, though private outings can be arranged on request.
For true solitude, we can set up private, fully-service tented camps in isolated parts of the desert, along riverbanks, on canyon rims, or beside rock formations. Expect bell tents with proper beds, solar lighting, llama-wool blankets, gas-heated showers, and hot water delivered to your tent in copper basins. Dinner is served by a private chef on a candlelit table beneath the stars; in the morning, wake to dawn rising over the nearby volcanoes.
What are the best things to do in the Atacama Desert?
STARGAZING
Long before the Atacama became a lodestar for space agencies and global observatories, its clear night skies guided the agricultural calendars of ancient Andean cultures. Several lodges maintain private observatories, where astronomers – many of them locals trained in both scientific and Indigenous sky knowledge – guide guests through constellations, cosmic mythologies and pre-Columbian celestial systems.
For the technically inclined, private visits to the ALMA Observatory (home to the world’s most advanced radio telescope array) can include access to the control room and conversations with resident scientists mapping the origins of the universe.
LANDSCAPE EXPLORATION
Journeys through the Atacama’s landscapes take many forms. Ride on horseback with Atacameño horsemen, following old caravan routes across dry riverbeds and open plateaus. Set out by foot on gentle canyon hikes, or make a full-day trek to remote lava fields and high ridge lines. With the right preparation, it’s possible to summit volcanoes like Lascar, which vents smoke into the sky.
For those drawn to speed and adrenalin, there are quad bikes, desert dune buggies, and downhill mountain rides from high lakes to salt flats.
WILDLIFE
Guided by biologists and field naturalists, explore the salt flats, wetlands and shallow lagoons, home to numerous rare species. At Putana Bofedal and the Tara salt flats, flamingos feed in mirrored pools, watch Andean foxes cross the grasslands at dusk, and silence is broken only by birdsong and wind.
For photographers, we can arrange spotter scopes, hides, and early access to make the most of the light.
HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHTS
Take to the air at first light in a hot air balloon, drifting over the Cordillera de la Sal and the salt flats below, with views of Licancabur’s smoking cone. After landing, a breakfast is served in the open desert. The silence is near-total, save for the burners and the wind.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
The Atacameño people have lived in this region for millennia, developing systems of water capture, farming, and astronomy that long pre-date the arrival of the Spanish.
Visit villages like Toconao and Socaire, where traditional farming continues on ancient stepped terraces. The 10th-century Pukará de Quitor fortress, partly built into the hillside from mud and white volcanic rock, offers a glimpse into pre-Columbian defence strategies. Further afield, vast geoglyphs, some over 100 metres in length and rivalling the scale of the Nazca Lines, are etched into desert hillsides. The Gigante de Atacama is the largest prehistoric anthropomorphic figure on Earth.
Private visits to textile weavers, silversmiths and potters can be arranged in their homes and studios.
How long should you spend in the Atacama Desert?
Three to five nights is about right, allowing time to adjust to the altitude, explore the desert’s various different landscapes and experience it at different times of day.
What is the best way to combine the Atacama Desert with Bolivia’s Uyuni salt flats?
The Atacama Desert can serve as a launchpad for a private, multi-day overland journey into Bolivia’s remote southwest, ending on the Salar de Uyuni.
Travelling in a private 4×4 with guide and support team, cross a lunar-like expanse dotted with sulphur lagoons, steaming geysers and the abstract rockscapes of the Salvador Dalí Desert. The route is raw and breathtaking: snow-capped volcanoes, windswept plains, lagoons and smoking fumaroles.
Each day is paced for acclimatisation and exploration. Along the way, bed down in simple, characterful lodges, chosen for their location and comfort.
The expedition culminates on the Salar de Uyuni. In the dry season, it is a salt crust as far as the eye can see; in the wet season, it becomes a mirror reflecting the clouds. Accommodation here might be a salt-brick lodge, or a luxury Airstream placed directly on the flats, with a chef flown in from La Paz to serve a candlelit dinner beneath the stars.
What is the best time to go to the Atacama Desert?
San Pedro de Atacama and the surrounding area have a very dry, mild climate year round. Days are typically warm, while nights can be cold, with significant temperature drops after sunset.
Each season offers something slightly different. Autumn and spring tend to be temperate and least crowded. Summer brings warmer days and the occasional rainstorms high in the altiplano, while winter offers bone-dry days and stargazing conditions at their clearest – though temperatures can fall well below zero after dark.
How high is the Atacama Desert – will I feel the altitude?
Much of the Atacama Desert sits above 2,400 metres, with many excursions reaching 4,000 metres or higher. Most travellers feel some effects such as shortness of breath and light fatigue, particularly in the first 24-48 hours.
Pacing is essential to avoid altitude sickness: begin with lower-altitude explorations and build up gradually to acclimatise yourself, drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol and coffee for the first day or two. Our guides are equipped with oxygen should it be needed, and certain lodges also have oxygen at reception.
What should I pack?
Light, summer clothes during the day: t-shirts, shirts, shorts, swimwear. Warmer clothes for the evening: sweater, jacket, fleece jacket, long trousers.
Sandals, sunscreen, glasses, hat, warm clothes, comfortable footwear, special shoes for hiking, backpack, windbreaker or fleece jacket.
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Our experience in the Atacama comes from years of careful planning and close work with local guides and specialists.
The terrain can be challenging, distances long, and many routes unmarked. Success comes down to good timing, detailed planning, and local knowledge. We collaborate with trusted guides and hosts to create experiences that are only possible through our deep connections, from private al fresco dining with one of Bolivia’s leading chefs to a Gaston Ugalde-inspired art and dance installation amidst the salt flats.
CONTACT US
Considering a journey to the Atacama Desert? Speak to our specialists today.
Conde Nast Traveler Specialists every year since 2017
