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Small-Group Altiplanic Lagoons Tour: Red Stones, Flamingo Reserve & Talar Salt Flats
4.2
19 Ratings
San Pedro de Atacama
Experience the beauty of the Altiplanic Lagoons, Talar Salt Flats, and Piedras Rojas on a small-group tour. Discover stunning landscapes and vibrant colors!
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- San Pedro de Atacama - After a morning pick-up at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, you will start your adventure into amazing and arid landscapes.
- Toconao - First, get ready to know this particular town. It enchants by its simplicity, the calmness of its people, its climate, the handicrafts and the architecture, where earthy and white colors abound. It is an ancient town built with volcanic rock and an oasis, its freshwater allows the growing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
- Laguna Chaxa - Next up, you will head to Los Flamencos National Reserve to visit the marginal zone of the Atacama Salt Flats. You will reach Chaxa Lagoon, located in the northern sector of the Atacama Salt Flat, where you will get to see flamingos in the wild and migratory birds. Observe the salt crusts on the surface of the Salar, generated by the evaporation of saline groundwater. You will have some free time for pictures.
- Socaire - Then, get to know the small altiplanic village of Socaire with its iconic church and its agriculture. It is located at 3,500 masl and is the main natural balcony of the Atacama Salt Flats. Socaire was formerly important for its gold mines and currently it is characterized by its typical cuisine. Here, you will have some minutes to admire its church (historical heritage).
- Lagunas Altiplanicas - Finally, the moment you were waiting for; you will arrive at Miscanti and Meñiques Altiplanic Lagoons. Be amazed by its intense blue waters fed by underground rivers and enjoy the surrounding landscape of volcanoes and mountains. The lagoons are located at 4,300 masl and surrounded by the Andes Mountain Range and the Meñiques Volcano. Keep your eyes wide open; here, you may see flamingos and other birds (species such as Tagua Cornuda, Parinas Chicas, the Caití, Baird’s Sandpiper, Puna Plover, Pato Juarjual and the Guallata).
- Piedras Rojas - To further add to your experience, start a 1-hour hike along the foothills of the southern Andes, towards Talar Salt Flat, also known as Piedras Rojas, a place where the rocks are tinted by natural oxidation and weathering. A perfect spot for pictures!
- San Pedro de Atacama - At the end of the trip, you will be driven back to San Pedro de Atacama. **Notes: Schedules and the order of the visited attractions are estimated and may change due to the guide’s evaluation.
What's Included
- Professional bilingual driver-guide assistance in English and Spanish
- Complimentary breakfast
- Lunch included
- Air-conditioned transportation
- Convenient hotel pick-up and central drop-off
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Entrance Fee
Additional Information
This excursion gives you the chance to better get to know one of the main attractions while being in the company of other tourists but keeping away from big crowds: Breathe in the sight of a gorgeous scenery beside the Altiplanic Lagoons, enriched by their vivid blue waters nourished by subterranean rivers of thew. Additionally, a trip to Talar Salt Flats, also known as Piedras Rojas, awaits you, where you can marvel at the vibrant hues of the rocks! An experience you simply must have!
- IMPORTANT: Passport name, number, nationality and date of birth are required at time of booking for all participants
- Please advise specific dietary requirements, restrictions or allergies at the time of booking. You may use the “Special Requirements” box for that matter
- Please bring: Closed or trekking shoes, water, comfortable clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hat, fleece in summer and jacket in winter.
- You may have to complete the risk acceptance form before starting the trip
- Minimum age: 12 years old. Maximum age: 70 years old
- Ending time: 17:30 approximately (winter)
- IMPORTANT: this excursion is not allowed for pregnant women
- Please keep in mind that we will reach a height of 4500 m.a.s.l. so some people may suffer from altitude sickness
- People with hypertension, edema or embolism (only with medical authorization)
Location
San Pedro de Atacama
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.2
(19 Ratings)
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Heatherscompass
Nov 22, 2023
Amazing experience in Atacama - Absolutely loved this tour with Ernesto, our incredible guide. He went out of his way to make everyone feel welcome and cared for, and we had a great group. The communication leadinf up to the tour was excellent - very clear instructions via WhatsApp, including the exact pickup time. In addition to making us great meals, he shared information about the area as we drove about and at each stop. He's also an excellent photographer and shared group pics with everyone. The lagoons, flamingos, etc. were all excellent but Piedras Rojas was the highlight for me - unlike anywhere I've been. Wonderful tour, wonderful guide, highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_g
Nov 17, 2023
Incredible tour in Atacama - Very well organized and great communication throughout. Absolutely loved Ernesto, our guide - so friendly, knowledgeable, respectful, and attentive to everyone in our group. Each stop was more impressive than the last. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Kimfromsandiego
Nov 16, 2023
Excellent tour! - Really enjoyed this tour and our guide Ernesto was outstanding. Interesting enjoyable and well-planned / organized. The breakfast and lunch that ware prepared by the guide adjacent to the coach in a very scenic place were both excellent. Wonderful experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurie_c
Oct 16, 2023
Highly recommend this company and this tour - I absolutely loved this tour! Far exceeded my expectations. Our guide, Ernesto, was excellent! We went to many spectacular places and saw much wildlife. Ernesto made a great breakfast and lunch for us. We had a good group. Ernesto knows how to create a good atmosphere for the group to bond well. We all had SO much fun!
Review provided by Viator
Cristian_b
Aug 7, 2023
Awesome day! - Our guide Ernesto was the best! Very knowledgeable and friendly. Breathtaking views and experience!
Very complete tour that includes breakfast and light lunch. Note that tour lasts 12 hours and not 9 as noted in Viator description.
Review provided by Viator
Emily_y
Aug 1, 2023
Beautiful - My, my, my, what a beautiful place. Ernesto, our guide, was amazing—so knowledgeable and kind. Thank you for this once in a lifetime experience!
Review provided by Viator
64robyne
Jan 16, 2023
An amazing day - This was my favourite tour of the Atacama. I appreciated that everything was included and that we didn’t have to carry extra money to pay the park entrance fees. Our guide Jirmosa ( I don’t think that is how you spell her name sorry) was a passionate experienced guide who knew the very best time to take us to the Chaxa Lagoon to get a silent and private viewing before the hoards of tourists! Our experience here was special. Next we went up to the Altiplanic lakes and walked around marvelling at their beauty. We saw lots of Vicuña and bird life including a Rhea. On to the Salar de Tamara most remarkable place with red iron rocks fused with basalt from a pyroclastic explosion. The views here were stunning and it was wonderful to have so much time to walk around. We then stopped for lunch in a small eatery that had wonderful food . At the end of the excursion we got taken back to our hotel. This was much appreciated
Review provided by Tripadvisor
404peterw
Feb 4, 2023
Great Tour but have a suggestion - The tour was great and we visited many of the best sites in Atacama. The guides were excellent, knowledgeable and very friendly. Because of the distances between the sites was significant and worth the drive, the drives were long. This was ok, but there were 1 or 2 too many people in the van we were in. Being last in I was in the last row of four, between some big folks and it was very uncomfortable after a 9 hour tour. The tour company needs to consider that the space available in the van may not adequate if there are some larger folks and therefore book a couple less people. It is a small group tour. This is the only negative on a good day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zsoltr486
Apr 28, 2024
Book it locally with the agency instead of pay for Viator (or the agency in contract with Viator) - The tour itself is amazing and the organization by the local agency was fantastic! BUT if you book it directly with the local agency instead of Viator, the price is 1/3rd of the price Viator asked for! So you can save 2/3 of the money if you go directly to the local agency and book the tour there! 2/3rd margin is sorry but what do you think about yourself??? It is a theft!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel_e
Mar 26, 2024
Save your money and book once you get to San Pedro - The tour itself was great, and I would recommend doing a similar tour. However, the issue I have with this listing is that the tour agency offering it is based in Argentina and essentially partners with a place in Atacama that helps fill buses for other random tour operators. We were placed with Horizonte and had Cami as our guide, who was great. The going rate for this tour from most agencies based in San Pedro is about $60 USD with additional entrance fees, which is less than half of what this tour charges. Save your money and just book in person when you get to the desert- there are more than enough spots to book day prior and you'll get a much better deal.
Review provided by Viator
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