The Atacama Desert is one of the most magical places I’ve ever been. There’s something about the vastness of it, the incomprehensible scale, the changing landscapes every 20 minutes that completely blew my mind. For being such a large region there’s SO much you can do in just a few days!
I’d plan to spend at least 3-4 nights in the area to get the most out of your trip, longer if you want to take it slower. It’s also VERY high altitude so don’t forget to take that into account!
Where to Stay
San Pedro is a small town with dusty dirt roads and SO much charm. I stayed at Terrantai Lodge which I highly highly recommend. They’re a family owned boutique hotel, one of the oldest hotels in San Pedro. It’s walking distance to everywhere in town, all the shops, restaurants, etc.
Every morning there’s fresh baked croissants, afternoon tea & snacks, free wine tastings, and a pool to relax during the mid-afternoon.
If you stay at Terrantai Lodge, use code AMANDABROWN on their checkout page for 25% off your stay!!
If Terrantai isn’t quite what you’re looking for, here’s a few additional hotel recs in the area!
They are listed roughly from most-to-least expensive.
PS: you can click on the hotel names and it will take you to the Booking.com page for that hotel – I make a small commission on any hotels booked though my links at no cost to you so I truly truly appreciate anytime you use my links!
Tried & True Rules for finding hotels on Booking.com:
- filter on 8+ review scores
- filter on Free Cancellation
- filter on Air Conditioning
- BONUS: filter on Free Parking if you have a rental car
What To-Do
There’s so many varying landscapes within a few hours that it’s worth either having a rental car or booking tours. For rental cars i like to book them through DiscoverCars! Even if you get a rental car, some things you’d still need a tour because the roads aren’t really safe to drive in a rental car (aka you need to be experienced off-roading).
A lot of these activities you’ll want to book in advance as some things sell out depending on the season.
PS: you can click on the tour names and it will take you to the Get Your Guide page for that exact tour – I make a small commission on any tours booked though my links at no cost to you so I truly appreciate anytime you use my links!
Laguna Piedra Salt Pools
Laguna Chaxa
Lunch at Franchuteria
Mirador Likan-Antay
Sunset at Mirador Coyote
I hope you have the BEST time!!
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