The Valle de la Luna is the trip most people take first in San Pedro de Atacama, often on the afternoon they arrive. This guide is for you if it is on your list. It helps you pick the start time, buy the right ticket, and know how the visit works once you are past the gate, because the valley runs on rules and timed trails.
Morning or afternoon
We collect you at 07:00 or 13:00. The valley opens at 09:00, so with the early start you spend the first part of the morning waiting for the gates. The 13:00 start is the one that fits.
The official tourism board says the last group can enter at 17:30 and that visitors may wait inside the reserve for the sunset. In winter the limits are tighter: vehicles enter between 08:00 and 16:00 and everyone leaves by 17:30, which can be before sunset. Hours change with the season, so check the official ticket page before you go. If you want to stay for the sunset, message us and we will make the tour longer.
The valley sits above 2,500 metres in the Atacama Desert. In January and February the altiplanic winter brings a higher chance of rain and storms to the region. If bad weather hits the valley itself, the ticket seller lets you use your ticket on another day or ask for a refund.
How the visit is run
The valley is a sector of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, which covers more than 73,000 hectares in seven sectors around San Pedro. Entry is managed by Indigenous communities working in co-administration with CONAF, the national forestry agency.
You do not wander freely. Visitors go in groups of up to 12, and families or independent visitors name a leader for each group. A park ranger registers you at the start of each trail and explains the route, and you stay on the marked paths. Each trail has its own limits:
- Duna Mayor viewpoint: a one-way trail with two groups on it at a time, and about 40 minutes in all, viewpoint included.
- Tres Marías: a walk of about 15 minutes to the rock figures, with up to 24 people on the path.
- Kari viewpoint: the last route, with a stay of up to an hour per group. A ranger announces how many can go up.
Food and alcohol are not allowed inside, and neither are pets or drones. Anyone who breaks the rules is asked to leave without a refund.
How the four hours fit together
The drive out is short, about half an hour from your hotel to the first stop. From there the afternoon is three walks: up to the Duna Mayor viewpoint over the great dune, along to the Tres Marías, and up to the ridge at Kari for the view over the Cordillera de la Sal with the volcanoes behind. The road back to town takes about half an hour, and we drop you at your hotel or in the centre.
The valley has other sectors, such as the Anfiteatro and Mina Victoria. The itinerary can change on the day, so if you would rather swap a stop, tell your driver. The trail limits above still apply, and the rangers decide when each group goes in.
On your own or with a driver
You can go without a tour. The official ticket page sets entry hours for private cars, motorcycles and bicycles, and cyclists must wear a helmet and a reflective vest and carry water. Going on your own, the work is in the timing, the ticket and the heat, and you still join the ranger groups on each trail.
A private car takes the planning off your hands. You do not watch the clock for the trail slots, and you are not waiting for a coach of strangers at each stop. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to buy and bring
The entrance is not included in our price. Tickets are sold online through the official ticket seller, and the tourism board advises buying in advance, especially in busy seasons. Tickets are not in your name, so one person can buy for the whole group.
- Water. You cannot eat inside, so have lunch before a 13:00 start.
- A hat, sunglasses and sun cream. There is almost no shade.
- Closed shoes for sand and loose ground.
- A warm layer if you plan to stay for the sunset.
Who it suits
This is the right first day. San Pedro sits at about 2,400 metres, and the valley is barely higher, so it lets you see the desert without climbing. The medical advice is to spend two or three nights at around 2,450 to 2,750 metres before you go higher. Use this day for that, and keep El Tatio and the high lagoons for later in your stay.
Calama airport is about an hour from San Pedro by road, so a morning flight still leaves time to check in and take the 13:00 start. The walks are short, but sand and sun make them tiring around midday. If you travel with children, check the age bands when you buy their tickets.
Think twice if anyone in your group has trouble on soft sand or uneven ground. Duna Mayor is a climb, and the rangers keep everyone moving along each trail.
Questions people ask
Can we stay for the sunset?
Yes, except in winter, when everyone must leave by 17:30. Message us and we will make the tour longer. Check the season's closing hours on the official ticket page first.
What if there are more than 16 of us?
You travel in two vehicles together, on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the afternoon
Buy your valley tickets for the date, then book the 13:00 start. If you are still choosing between trips, our guide to day trips from San Pedro de Atacama puts the five side by side, and the Rainbow Valley tour makes a good second day. Pick-up times and what is included are on the Valle de la Luna private tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
