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The world's driest desert · Chile

Atacama Desert

The driest place on earth — salt flats and geysers, flamingos and vicuñas, and the clearest night skies anywhere.

Getting there

Fly to Calama (CJC), then ~1 hr to San Pedro de Atacama

Best for

Salt flats and lagoons, geysers, flamingos, stargazing, altiplano landscapes, vicuñas

The land

A high desert of salt flats, volcanoes and altiplano lagoons in northern Chile

Good to know

The Atacama's skies are among the clearest on earth — world-class stargazing country

What it is

The Atacama is the driest desert on earth — a high-altitude world of salt flats, geysers and flamingo lagoons, beneath the clearest night skies anywhere.

Based at the oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama, this otherworldly high desert offers the Tatio geysers steaming at dawn, the Salar de Atacama with its flamingos, the altiplano lagoons and vicuñas at altitude, the lunar Valle de la Luna at sunset, and some of the finest stargazing on the planet.

PhotoAtacama Desert — the world's driest desert.

The reason to come

The high desert

The Atacama is pure other-worldliness — salt, fire, ice and the clearest of skies.

Geysers & salt flats

The Tatio geysers at dawn and the flamingo-dotted Salar de Atacama.

Altiplano lagoons

High-altitude lakes with flamingos and vicuñas.

Stargazing

Some of the clearest, darkest skies on earth.

Worth knowing

The driest place on earth

Parts of the Atacama have never recorded rain — an alien landscape of salt, volcanoes and impossibly clear skies.

PhotoFlamingos on the Salar de Atacama beneath the volcanoes.

When to come — honestly

A year-round high desert.

Year-round

Best

A year-round high desert — warm days, cold nights and clear skies.

March – November

Good

Driest and clearest; the brief 'Bolivian winter' can bring summer rain.

June – August

Good

Coldest nights but superb clarity for stargazing.

The Atacama sits at altitude — acclimatise gently, as the high lagoons and geysers exceed 4,000 m. Nights are cold year-round.

Context

The northern desert

The Atacama is Chile's otherworldly north — a high desert of salt, geysers and dark skies.

It pairs with Patagonia on the longer cross-country journeys, a study in contrasts.

We base the Atacama at San Pedro, balancing the altitude with a gentle acclimatisation.

Beyond the obvious

More to Atacama Desert.

PhotoTatio geysers

Tatio geysers

Steaming at dawn.

PhotoSalar & lagoons

Salar & lagoons

Flamingos on the salt flats.

PhotoStargazing

Stargazing

Under the clearest skies.

Why Wild Voyager

We get you to the wildlife and the light.

From the Atacama's skies to Patagonia's pumas, we time your visit to the season and pair you with the expert local guides who deliver.

Handpicked stays

We choose the lodge or estancia that fits your dates and group, not whatever is left.

We time it right

We build your visit around the season and the wildlife that delivers.

Journeys

Trips through Atacama Desert

6 Days · 5 Nights

Atacama Explorer

14 Days · 13 Nights

Atacama & Patagonia

20 Days · 19 Nights

Ultimate Southern Andes Expedition

Where to stay

Where you’ll stay in Atacama Desert

Signature Collection

PhotoExplora Atacama

Signature

Explora Atacama

An all-inclusive Explora lodge in San Pedro, with its own expert guides and excursions.

Luxury Collection

PhotoNayara Alto Atacama

Luxury

Nayara Alto Atacama

A design desert lodge tucked in a canyon near San Pedro, with an observatory.

Classic Collection

PhotoHotel Desertica

Classic

Hotel Desertica

A comfortable boutique hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, a relaxed desert base.

Wildlife you may see

Birds

Plan your Atacama Desert journey.

Explore the salt flats, geysers and lagoons and stargaze. Tell us your dates and we will build the route around it.

Plan a Atacama Desert trip

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season