Valley of the Moon in San Pedro de Atacama with Guided Tour
Description
Discover the surreal landscapes of the Valley of the Moon, one of the most emblematic scenes of San Pedro de Atacama. The tour takes in iconic formations such as Las Tres Marías, the Natural Amphitheater and the Great Dune, from where you can get panoramic views of the Salt Range and the desert environment. The experience also includes the viewpoint of Ckary, a privileged point to contemplate the vastness of the valley and the contrasts of the Andean landscape. Along the way, a bilingual guide shares information about the geology, flora and fauna of this unique ecosystem. The tour ends after witnessing the colors of the sunset, leaving unforgettable memories of one of the most striking landscapes of the Atacama Desert.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will have the opportunity to climb this impressive dune and enjoy spectacular views of the Valley of the Moon and the surrounding volcanoes at sunset, creating a magical moment.
From this elevated point, they will look at the moonscape of the valley in its full extent, with rock formations that stand out against the blue sky and the vastness of the desert.
You will experience the natural acoustics of this unique place called the Amphitheater, surrounded by rock walls that create a special atmosphere, perfect for reflecting and enjoying the landscape.
You will admire unique rock formations that look like three aligned mountains, with panoramic views of the desert that stand out for their colors and textures.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- What to bring: 1.5 liters of still water per person, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, comfortable walking shoes, coat for sunset.
- Payment must be made in advance before the start of the itinerary, preferably in cash. We will contact you to request payment. If the reservation is last minute, we will request payment. Payments made through the payment link may incur a 4% surcharge due to taxes.
Reviews(29)
Although the tour is very nice and the places are beautiful, the guide Carolina was impatient with the group and constantly rushed us with a complaining tone.
Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia. Lamentamos que el ritmo del recorrido y la percepción sobre la comunicación de la guía hayan afectado su experiencia. Agradecemos sus comentarios, ya que nos ayudan a seguir mejorando. Nuestra prioridad es la experiencia al cliente así que vamos a tratar los detalles internamente. Nos alegra saber que, a pesar de ello, pudo disfrutar de los hermosos paisajes del Valle de la Luna y esperamos tener la oportunidad de recibirle nuevamente en el futuro. 🌵✨
Guide: Carolina Pinto Due to issues beyond the agency's control (weather), we had to reschedule this tour in our itinerary, and it ended up being our last experience in San Pedro de Atacama. Unfortunately, my mother and I said goodbye with a terrible experience. The guide's communication is terrible. I say this with much respect, but even in Spanish (her native language and mine as well), it was difficult to explain things about the tour itself. And not to mention her level of English, which (again, without disrespect) is deficient. I am sure that the people who only understood English did not understand anything about the tour and only took photos. A job whose main function is to explain things feels very complex in that context. Nowhere in the tour description does it indicate that a hike (uphill) through dunes is performed. I would have preferred to know because, personally, I was already exhausted, but regardless of this, at no point did the guide ask if the whole group felt capable of doing that hike or if we could go slowly and at our own pace. Something related to the previous point, after that walk and when we were already at Las Tres Marías, I noticed that a child was feeling unwell (dizziness), and I personally had to ask the driver to open the car so the child could sit down. And I assisted him with water and something to eat. The driver only helped by opening the door for me. And the guide, who at that moment did not find out about the situation, later, when she was aware that we had returned to the car for this reason, showed zero interest in the child. Although this tour does not go up to such a high altitude compared to San Pedro, we are still at an altitude of 2300 m, and everyone reacts differently. It is worrying to think about having felt unwell during this tour because I feel that I would not have received any help. It was quite disappointing to walk past other groups and listen to the other guides: clear explanations, good English, recommendations on how to take photos. It was a world of difference. On other tours here in San Pedro I have had great experiences with guides, this was the exception. This bad experience does not erase any of how incredible other tours are and everything I experienced in San Pedro and its surroundings, but it is worth recording what was described, because they are very avoidable bad experiences.
Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia de forma tan detallada. Lamentamos sinceramente que este tour no haya estado a la altura de sus expectativas, especialmente considerando que fue su última experiencia en San Pedro de Atacama. Valoramos mucho sus observaciones sobre la comunicación durante el recorrido, el desarrollo de la caminata y la atención brindada ante una situación de malestar, ya que nos ayudan a identificar oportunidades de mejora. Compartiremos sus comentarios con el equipo para revisarlos internamente. Agradecemos también que reconozca el resto de las experiencias vividas en el destino y esperamos tener la oportunidad de brindarle una experiencia que refleje el nivel de servicio que buscamos ofrecer.
I have no complaints about the guide Lore, but they promised us a cocktail that ultimately did not happen. When I encountered a group from this same agency at another destination, I noticed that they are a bit stingy with the food.
Gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nos alegra saber que quedó conforme con Lore y su trabajo durante el tour. Respecto al cóctel, entendemos su comentario. Este formaba parte de nuestra experiencia anteriormente, pero debido a trabajos y reparaciones en el recorrido tuvimos que ajustarlo y retirarlo del itinerario para respetar los tiempos disponibles del tour y mantener la calidad de la experiencia. También agradecemos su observación sobre el servicio; comentarios como este nos ayudan a seguir mejorando. 🌵✨
Mix of landscapes. You feel you are in another planet. Unique experience. Amazing people from the tour, very knowledgeable and nice
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re very happy to hear that the landscapes made you feel like you were on another planet. The Atacama Desert truly offers a unique experience. It’s also great to know that our team’s knowledge and kindness helped make the tour even more special. We hope to welcome you again in San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
Excellent experience, excellent guide and driver (Manu and Sergio) 10/10 both, excellent photographers as well. Very pleasant experience. 100% recommended.
¡Muchas gracias por su reseña! Nos alegra enormemente saber que tuvo una excelente experiencia junto a Manu y Sergio. Les haremos llegar sus palabras; seguro estarán muy felices de saber que también destacaron como fotógrafos. Gracias por recomendarnos al cien por ciento. Esperamos recibirle nuevamente en San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
This tour was really fun, and our guide, Duncan, was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable. The happy hour was lovely. I booked this tour through Denomades, and I wish they'd included information about how much walking/hiking was involved because it was fine for us, but was a challenge for at least one in our group.
Thank you for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that Duncan made the experience so enjoyable with his knowledge. We’re also glad you liked the happy hour. We appreciate your comment regarding the walking involved. We’ll take it into account to improve the information shared before the tour. We hope to welcome you again in San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
Tour was well organised, our tour guide Pauli was great, very informative and made sure the group stayed together. She helped keep the spirits high! The Moon Valley was a little disappointing though, wished we had more time exploring the valley. Not sure if that was all for the Moon Valley or if there’s more to it that we didn’t manage to explore. We just went to a viewpoint for 10 mins (which was very crowded with other groups) before heading down towards a (very small) salt mine. The sunset viewpoint at the end was very nice, but not in the Moon Valley park. A little underwhelming to be honest.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re very happy to hear that you found the tour well organized and that Pauli made such a positive impression. We will gladly share your kind words with her/she truly strives to keep the group engaged and ensure everyone feels included. We’re sorry to hear that the visit to Moon Valley felt underwhelming. The itinerary inside the park follows the official circuit and time regulations established by the park administration, which limit the duration and access to certain areas in order to preserve the site and manage visitor flow. While the viewpoints and stops are predefined, we understand that expectations may vary, especially during busy periods. We truly appreciate your honest feedback, as it helps us continue improving how we communicate the experience beforehand. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again and provide an even more memorable visit to San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
An agency with good guides and excellent Service, has several options and are very organized, that makes your tour pleasant. They keep you informed and send recommendations.
¡Muchas gracias por su reseña! Nos alegra saber que valoró la organización, la variedad de opciones y el trabajo de nuestros guías. Para nosotros es fundamental mantener una comunicación clara antes y durante cada tour, enviando recomendaciones que permitan a nuestros pasajeros disfrutar la experiencia de la mejor manera. Gracias por confiar en Layana Travel. Esperamos acompañarle nuevamente en San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
Andreia (Andy) you're the best of all the yaws! I was a happy trip and I recommend this trip a lot. Andy answered all of you asked
¡Muchísimas gracias por su reseña! Nos alegra enormemente saber que tuvo un viaje feliz y que Andrea, hizo una gran diferencia en su experiencia. Le haremos llegar sus palabras, ya que para nosotros es muy importante que cada guía responda todas las preguntas y acompañe al grupo con dedicación. Gracias por recomendarnos. Será un placer volver a recibirle en San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
Our Andrea Guide showed us the valley of the Moon in detail, moving through the sectors contrary to the influx of public so our experience was more pleasant, great knowledge. Later we were taken to a viewpoint to finish the trip to see a beautiful sunset, accompanied by a good cocktail.
¡Muchísimas gracias por su reseña! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaron el Valle de la Luna junto a Andrea y que valoraron su conocimiento y la forma estratégica en que organizó el recorrido para hacer la experiencia más agradable. Siempre buscamos que nuestros pasajeros puedan disfrutar con mayor tranquilidad cada sector del parque. Qué bueno también que la puesta de sol y el cocktail hayan sido un lindo cierre para el tour. Gracias por confiar en Layana Travel. Esperamos recibirles nuevamente en San Pedro de Atacama. 🌵✨
