Taking a Tour of the Atacama Desert’s Valle de la Muerte
About My Trip to the Atacama Desert
When I visited the Atacama Desert, I was a rookie traveler and knew little about the logistics of getting around in a foreign country. I knew what I wanted to see but wasn’t sure how to navigate my way to each of the sights. Since I was an inexperienced traveler, I decided it would be best to take tours and figured that taking a tour of the Atacama Desert’s Valle de la Muerte was the best way to see the Atacama’s famous Death Valley.
In total, I booked what was supposed to be three tours, but on the final day, my tour company forgot to pick me up. I went with the company Cosmo Andino Expeditions for all of my tours and found their service was excellent at times. There were a few issues that I will highlight later on which make it unlikely that I would recommend this company in the future. Due to this, I will not post their link on my website. Below is my experience taking a tour of the Atacama Desert’s Valle de la Muerte, which is also known as Death Valley.
Taking a Tour of the Atacama Desert's Valle de la Muerte - Table of Contents
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Tour the Atacama Desert's Valle de la Muerte - My Experience
My first tour in the Atacama Desert was a tour of the Valle de la Muerte. The Atacama is one of the driest places in the world, and while touring the Valle de la Muerte, we visited some of those extremely dry places.
Including with the tour was an English-speaking tour guide that was active throughout the journey showing us the best places for pictures. Our tour of the Atacama Desert’s Valle de la Muerte lasted six hours and cost around $65.
It was a great way to start my visit to the Atacama Desert, although this particular tour was a little bit slower-paced than some of the other tours. If this had been my only tour with Cosmo Andino, I would definitely have been able to recommend their services. Unfortunately, the next day was not as successful.
Our first stop while touring the Atacama Desert’s Valle de la Muerte had an excellent view of the rock formations, dunes, and the Licancabur Volcano.
Below is a picture of me on the famous “Coyote Rock.” Our tour guide said the rock got its name because it is where the coyote would try to push a rock on the roadrunner. He also explained that “no one had even fallen off it yet.” The keyword being “yet,” made me guess that he didn’t have confidence in my coordination and balance. Regardless, Coyote Rock was not dangerous at all, and even in a strong wind, I was never close enough to the edge to feel like I was in any danger. Coyote Rock and the surrounding area was a great first stop on our Valle de la Muerte Tour.
My tour of the Atacama Desert’s Valle de la Muerte stopped at a few different sand dunes. I was happy that our driver dropped us off at the top, which allowed us to run down the dunes. When we arrived at the bottom, the van was waiting, which saved us the difficulty of climbing back up the dunes. If I hadn’t have taken a tour of the Valle de la Muerte, this wouldn’t have been a possibility, as walking up the dunes would have been very difficult.
Although it was a bit of a walk, it was definitely worth it to get to run down the dunes.
You can see our van at the bottom of the above-pictured dune. It is the white one just past the shadow. As I ran down the dune, I did wipe out multiple times. The sand is like powdered sugar, and it did not hurt at all. The biggest problem was the sand that became trapped in my shoes, clothing, camera, phone, and backpack. I do not believe I ever got the sand out of my shoes.
Not all of the dunes were safe to climb as some of the had rocky areas.
Tour the Atacama Desert's Valle de la Muerte - The Mars Valley
Although technically still part of the Valle de la Muerte, our second stop on this tour was the Valley of Mars. The red rocks, especially around sunset, look like the topography of Mars.
This stop, we mostly explored on our own. Some of the older members of our group decided to stay close to the van. I walked at least a few kilometers into the valley, enjoying the view of the white salt deposits on the red rocks. By the time I arrived back at the van, it was nightfall.
Below are some of my favorite photos of the Mars Valley.
Valle de la Muerte Tours and Packages
Due to the road conditions and lack of cell phone service, I recommend taking a tour or hiring a guide to see the Valle de la Muerte and Mars Valley. This page is my only travel blog page where I don’t recommend the tour company I toured with. Below are various tour options for all budgets. Viator 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 April 2023.
 Moon Valley Tour from San Pedro de Atacama - $53.00 See the unearthly landscape of the Valle de la Luna — Moon Valley — on a tour from San Pedro de Atacama. One of the driest places on the planet, the valley is made up of dunes, caverns, sharp peaks and natural depressions, creating an unbelievable moon-like scene in the Salt Mountain Range. With a guide, you’ll explore the area on foot, checking out caves, canyons and climbing a dune for a sunset view that will take your breath away. |
 Atacama Desert Trekking Experience - $113.16 This excurssion contemplates a tour of the impressive Cordillera de la Sal, in the Atacama Desert, reaching its highest point to enjoy magnificent panoramic views that will leave us speechless. |
 Moon & Death Valley in San Pedro de Atacama - $144.62 A tour that will take you through landscapes that look like another planet because of the amazing geological formations found there. The walk will take place in the Cordillera de la Sal, and enter the Los Flamencos National Reserve, to go to the Moon Valley, where saline sculptures stand out. |
 Private Afternoon Tour Moon Valley from San Pedro de Atacama - $150.00 Welcome to San Pedro de Atacama Chile |
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