El Tatio Geysers Tour from San Pedro de Atacama
Description
Don't miss this early morning tour to El Tatio geyser field, one of San Pedro de Atacama’s most popular surrounding attractions and one of the biggest geothermal fields in the world with more than 80 geyers. With a local guide, you'll arrive at El Tatio at sunrise, when the cold, high-altitude air creates a mystical landscape of steam. Then enjoy a light breakfast. End your tour with a stop in the small adobe village of Machuca.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour starts with hotel pickup by van before dawn — yep, that's early! — from San Pedro de Atacama. The hotel pickup starts from the Hotels located nearby San Pedro de Atacama urban zone. We will drive north of San Pedro de Atacama to El Tatio, an approximate 1.5- to 2-hour trip. The El Tatio Geyser Field stands just over 14,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile and getting there is half the fun. You’ll travel up windy scenic mountain roads surrounded by snow-covered active and dormant volcanic peaks along the way. Magma beneath the surface acts to heat an underground source of water resulting in an explosive release of pressure.
Your arrival at the geyser field coincides with the rising sun, which gives the geysers their most spectacular appearance. In the cold, early morning air of sunrise, each geyser is topped with a white column of steam that disappears when the temperature warms up. You have about two hours to walk around the field, marveling at the geothermal wonders and taking pictures. Then enjoy a light breakfast that typically includes a ham and cheese sandwich, biscuit, fruit, juice, tea and coffee. After about three hours total at El Tatio, head back toward San Pedro de Atacama, stopping in the village of Machuca.
You have about an hour here to explore the very tiny village (about 10 residents) at your leisure, checking out its wooden church, handful of adobe houses with thatch roofs, and artisan shop. If you wish, try a llama empanada, the local specialty (own expense). Finally, make the drive back to San Pedro de Atacama.
Finally, make the drive back to San Pedro de Atacama, where your tour ends with hotel drop-off around midday. Remember that this trip takes approximately 3 hours to get back to San Pedro de Atacama.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Remember that the Hotel pick up is included only on Hotels located nearby San Pedro de Atacama urban zone. If your Hotel is located on Ayllus far away from the downtown, please let us know to arrange a meeting point for being picked up.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothes including trekking pants and shoes, and a windbreaker or warm jacket
- Note: Please bring cash to pay the entrance fees and any additional expenses
- Note: El Tatio sits at an elevation of nearly 14,000 feet, which may cause altitude sickness for some; it is recommended that you drink plenty of hot tea or water prior to the tour and carry any necessary medication
- Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times
- Note: It is not recommended for children under 10 years old to use the pools due to the high water temperatures
- Pick up is from 5:00 to 5:40 summer time and 04:30 to 05:10 winter time.
- You must let us know if you have health problems, medication allergy or any problem that may affect physical performance during the tour
Reviews(110)
The tour is filled with some boring stops, only the geysers are fine, also not very beautiful. Guide is a very nice lady.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We appreciate your comments and are pleased to know that you had a positive experience with our guide. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure in the future.
Camilla and Daniel are very friendly and friendly guides. Let's explain everything in the geyser constitution We have a rich breakfast after the first stop before going to Machuca village. Thank you both very much.
¡Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia! 😊 Nos alegra saber que disfrutaron el tour junto a Camilla y Daniel. Ellos siempre ponen mucho entusiasmo y dedicación para explicar cada detalle sobre los géiseres y hacer que la experiencia sea especial y entretenida. Qué bueno también saber que disfrutaron el desayuno después de la primera parada y la visita a Machuca
Amazing trip. Had to wake up early, but it was absolutely worth it. The geysers at sunrise were incredible and the landscapes felt surreal. The guides were friendly and everything was well organised. Definitely one of the highlights of our Atacama trip and highly recommended for anyone visiting San Pedro de Atacama.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re very happy to hear that the early wake-up was worth it and that you enjoyed the magical sunrise at the geysers. The landscapes of Atacama are truly unique, and it’s great to know the experience became one of the highlights of your trip. We also appreciate your kind words about our guides and organization — our team always works hard to make every tour smooth, safe, and memorable. Thank you for recommending us, and we hope to welcome you again on another adventure in San Pedro de Atacama!
Of the tours in Atacama this was my favorite. Lili reinforced the safety protocols for the group at all times and guided the tour with great respect for the places visited, Paolo helped us to identify the fauna with an illustrated guide and extra indications, my husband and I took advantage too much, even though the stop in Machuca is super quick (20min). My tip is wearing warm shoes and several layers of socks, snowboots are NOT an exaggeration for this ride. The use of the bathrooms in Machuca is paid but can be paid by card in the local restaurant.
¡Muchísimas gracias por compartir su experiencia! 😊 Nos alegra saber que este fue su paseo favorito en Atacama y que disfrutaron tanto de la experiencia junto a Lili y Paolo. Para nosotros es muy importante mantener siempre la seguridad del grupo y el respeto por cada lugar que visitamos, así que nos encanta saber que eso se reflejó durante el tour. También agradecemos mucho sus recomendaciones para futuros viajeros, especialmente sobre la ropa y el calzado adecuado para el frío de la zona 🌨️. Y gracias por mencionar el tema de los baños en Machuca y las opciones de pago, seguro será muy útil para otros visitantes. ¡Esperamos recibirlos nuevamente en una próxima aventura por el desierto!
The Geysers are an incredible experience. For some reason though we were combined into a tour provide by another operator (not Atacama Connection) and the tour guide could have been better- it was really difficult to understand what was said.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re really glad to hear you found the geysers incredible—they truly are a unique natural wonder. We’re sorry, however, that the tour arrangement and guide did not meet your expectations. Occasionally, logistics require us to coordinate with partner operators, but we understand how important clear communication and a high-quality guiding experience are. Your feedback about the guide is very valuable, and we’ll be sure to address it with our partners to improve future tours. We appreciate your comments and hope to provide you with an even better experience next time!
I don't know. Nature in a wonderful expression.
¡Muchas gracias por tu comentario! 🌿 Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste de esta experiencia y que pudiste conectar con la belleza de la naturaleza. ¡Te esperamos nuevamente para seguir descubriendo juntos estos paisajes maravillosos!
Great mesmerising experience with an excellent guide who was informative, funny and supportive.
Thank you for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a mesmerizing experience and that your guide made it even more enjoyable with their knowledge and sense of humor. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon!
Dress warmly and in layers. It will be very cold prior to sunrise at 14,000 ft (4.3 km). It warms up by breakfast time. The geyser area is COLD. But worth it…sunrise is magical. The rest of the tour has amazing scenery, wildlife and volcanic formations. Highly recommend.
Thank you very much for your helpful feedback! 😊 We’re glad you enjoyed the experience and highlighted the importance of dressing warmly—temperatures can indeed be very cold before sunrise, but as you mentioned, it’s absolutely worth it for such a magical moment. It’s great to hear you also appreciated the scenery, wildlife, and volcanic landscapes. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again soon!
Of all the places we visited while in the Atacama Desert, this was the most disappointing and the only one we would have skipped, in retrospect. The geysers are just not that interesting. If you have seen geysers at, for example, Yellowstone or Iceland, the ones at Tatio really pale by comparison. Also, the trip is long and uncomfortable. The ride there and back is very long on some very poor roads. Plus, while we were prepared for it to be cold, it was not just cold, but below freezing, and several people on the tour were very uncomfortable.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that this experience was not as enjoyable as you expected. The Atacama Desert offers very different landscapes, and each destination has its own charm and unique characteristics. The Tatio Geysers, in particular, are valued not only for the geysers themselves but also for their high-altitude scenery, the sunrise experience, and the natural surroundings, which can be quite different from places such as Yellowstone or Iceland. Due to the remote location and altitude, the journey can be long and temperatures are often below freezing at sunrise, which is why we always recommend checking the conditions of the destination in advance to be fully prepared. We truly appreciate your comments, as they help future travelers have clearer expectations before visiting this unique place.
Interesting and novel "tourist" experience. Imposing the grandeur of nature. The negative thing was that my wife gave her altitude sickness, causing her to faint from hypoxia. The van did not have any element to treat this (oxygen, hypotensives, etc), a situation that should be present in every transport going to El Tatio and that other companies, if they had. Serious lack of preparation, anticipation and shelter of its passengers. What’s more...the van driver had been hired eventually and he told the guide that the company where he worked did have all kinds of elements in front of this type of emergency, frequent on this tour. The company mentioned is Turismo Layana.
Gracias por compartir su experiencia. Lamentamos sinceramente la situación que nos comenta y entendemos la preocupación que genera un episodio de mal de altura, especialmente en un lugar como los Géiseres del Tatio, que se encuentran a más de 4.300 metros de altitud, donde algunas personas pueden presentar síntomas incluso sin antecedentes previos. Queremos aclarar que, en Chile, el uso de oxígeno medicinal y de medicamentos como tratamiento frente a síntomas de hipoxia está regulado por la normativa sanitaria, y su administración se considera un acto de carácter médico. Por esta razón, los guías de turismo no están autorizados a suministrar oxígeno ni fármacos si no cuentan con la certificación o formación de salud correspondiente. Nuestros procedimientos se ajustan a estas regulaciones y a los protocolos de seguridad vigentes para actividades turísticas en altura. Todos nuestros guías cuentan con capacitación en primeros auxilios y en manejo de emergencias en zonas de gran altitud, lo que les permite actuar de manera adecuada ante situaciones como la que usted describe, priorizando siempre el descenso a menor altura y la asistencia inmediata, que es el procedimiento recomendado en estos casos. Entendemos que existen diferencias entre operadores respecto al equipamiento disponible, pero no todos los elementos pueden ser utilizados libremente si no se cumplen las condiciones exigidas por la normativa sanitaria, ya que su uso indebido puede implicar riesgos para los pasajeros. Lamentamos sinceramente el inconveniente vivido por su esposa y agradecemos sus comentarios, ya que nos ayudan a seguir revisando y mejorando nuestros protocolos para brindar una experiencia segura a todos nuestros pasajeros.
