How to Visit San Pedro de Atacama
Getting to San Pedro de Atacama
Getting to San Pedro de Atacama is a bit of a challenge. The nearest airport is Calama, which is over 2 hours away by car. There are daily non-stop flights from Santiago to Calama on LAN (now LATAM,) which were reasonably priced at around $210 round trip. Service was on an Airbus A321, and the flight took 2 hours and 15 minutes.
The airport in Calama is very nice but extremely small. It only has a few gates, and almost all of the flights were headed to Santiago. Upon arriving in Calama, I was able to claim my bag and find a man holding a sign with my name. He then took me to a van that would serve as my shuttle to San Pedro de Atacama.
The shuttle driver did not speak English, but I was easily able to explain to him in Spanish that I wanted to go to the Hotel Corvatsch. The ride was scenic, taking us through the outskirts of the Atacama Desert. The airport itself is on the outskirts of Calama, so I never did get to see the downtown area of Calama.
After about two hours I was the first one to be dropped off. I had considered renting a car and driving, but upon seeing the roads of San Pedro de Atacama, I was glad that I had decided to take a shuttle. At $25 one way, it was well worth the price not to have to navigate the narrow dirt roads.
The prices have gone up $3 since my visit. I have included the links below if you are interested in purchasing a transfer. Please know, that as an affiliate of Viator I will receive a small commission if you purchase using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
San Pedro de Atacama - Table of Contents
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Accommodations in San Pedro de Atacama - Hotel Corvatsch
The tiny town of San Pedro de Atacama is mostly made up of hotels, restaurants, and small shops. There are hotels for all price ranges although the cheaper ones are very basic and the expensive ones are all-inclusive. I was staying four nights and chose one that was in the middle price range.
Hotel Corvatsch was precisely what I wanted in a hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. It was located right near the center of the town, was relatively inexpensive, and had beautiful grounds that showcased the desert landscape. My room was around $125 a night and included a reasonably comfortable queen bed.
Most visitors to San Pedro de Atacama expect it to be sweltering. In reality, the Atacama is very cold in the winter, and often the temperatures were well below freezing. The heater in my hotel room would only turn on between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am. Most nights I went to bed slightly chilly until the heater began to run.
The room had a toilet and bathroom, but all toilet paper was to be deposited in the garbage next to the toilet. Flushing anything except human waste could cause the pipes to back up. I figured they meant business since the sign was in about 12 different languages, so I was careful to make sure that I didn’t flush any toilet paper.
The Town of San Pedro de Atacama
The town itself is enjoyable to walk around. There are many different restaurants, and gift shops tucked in between the hotels are tour agencies. I tried to use as much of my free time as possible to walk around the town.
During my trip, I sampled various restaurants, purchased many different items, and enjoyed walking around looking in the various shops.
As I walked around San Pedro de Atacama, there were a few additional sights to take in. Depending on the location of the buildings it was often easy to see the Licancabur Volcano in the background. There was also a cathedral in the middle of a plaza which seemed to be a meeting point and a place where people would hang out. It was a beautiful little church that they designed to fit the desert landscape.
Atacama Desert Tours Departing from San Pedro de Atacama
I would enjoy my time in San Pedro de Atacama taking multiple tours and spending my free moments exploring the tiny town. Spanish was helpful, but I was able to speak a little English.
Due to the road conditions and lack of cell phone service, I recommend taking a tour or hiring a guide to see the sights of the Atacama Desert. This is my only travel blog company where I don’t recommend the tour company I toured with. Below, are various tour options for all budgets. Vaitor works with many different agencies so before booking I would make sure it isn’t with Cosmo Andino.
I am an affiliate partner of Viator. If you book a tour using one of the links below I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider booking using one of my links.
Prices are accurate as of May 2023.
 Lagoons in Atacama Salt Flat - Half Day - Typical Tour - San Pedro de Atacama - $68.00 Lagoons in San Pedro de Atacama salt flat welcome you to this land next to the desert valleys. This vast space gathers the flora and fauna that lives in the dry habitat of the Antofagasta Region, and allows an exchange of experiences between people and biodiversity. |
 4-Day Best of Atacama: Moon Valley, Tatio Geysers and Altiplanic Lagoons - $585.00 4-Day tour getting to know San Pedro de Atacama, a small town in the driest desert of the world! Skip the hassle of dealing with logistics as we take care of your Calama airport round-trip transportation! |
 Full day Altiplanic Lagoons + Red stones viewpoint + Salar de Atacama - $216.86 Full day to learn about Chile and its geographies, take the best pictures in the driest desert in the world. |
 Atacama Salt Flat and Altiplanic Lagoons Day Tour - $98.00 Discover the Atacama Salt Flat, the largest in Chile, home to one of the most important Flamingo Reservations, the Flamingos National Reserve. Make a soft walk along a path to the Chaxa Lagoon, in order to appreciate the rich fauna of the place. |
 Small-Group Tour to Altiplanic lagoons, Atacama saltflat & Flamingo reserve - $79.00 San Pedro de Atacama, a laid back oasis town on the edge of the direst desert on the earth. Little adobe houses, cozy restaurant are the base to explore one of the Chile's most spectacular sceneries. |
 Piedras Rojas Trekking in Atacama - $239.70 This walk is designed to enjoy the incredible landscapes offered by the Salar de Atacama basin and its high plateau. We can spend a nice day making gentle walks between salt flats and highland lagoons, passing through unique scenarios that the desert will give us. During the day we will share lunch and later a cocktail while enjoying the beautiful sunset. |
 3-Day Classic Atacama - Moon Valley & Geysers del Tatio - $396.74 Venture into the Atacama Desert, one of the most hostile places in the world on a 3-day tour and skip the hassle of dealing with logistics as we take care of your Calama airport round-trip transportation. Get to know San Pedro de Atacama and explore some of Chile’s most spectacular sceneries: |
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