Tatio geysers and the funiculars of Valparaíso

The Valle de la Luna, the Tatio geysers at dawn at 4,300 m and the high Andean lagoons around San Pedro de Atacama, the funiculars and painted zinc houses on Valparaíso’s hills and, in Santiago, the Museo de la Memoria and the Andes at the end of every street.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

San Pedro de Atacama → Valparaíso → Santiago · 7–10 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

ChileSan Pedro de Atacama
Days
4–5
When
Apr–May · Sep–Nov
Per person/day
Average 66,200 CLPMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
ChileValparaíso
Days
1–2
When
Jan–Mar · Nov–Dec
Per person/day
Average 80–130 USDMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
ChileSantiago
Days
2–3
When
Mar–May · Sep–Nov
Per person/day
Average 110,000 CLPMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For a first trip to Chile that combines high desert, a port city and the capital.

Not for anyone who wants to go to the Tatio straight after arriving, since San Pedro sits at about 2,400 m and the body needs time before the highest outings.

The strategy

San Pedro comes first: you arrive through Calama airport (CJC), with flights from Santiago, then by transfer van or bus in about 1h30. Keep the first day for acclimatising in the village, book outings with an agency and buy separately the tickets sold only online; check the booking calendar for the days the Valle de la Luna closes, and note that the Mirador de Kari has been closed since 27 May 2026. Then the flight from Calama lands at Santiago airport (SCL), where direct buses leave for Valparaíso, taking 1h40 to 2h, without going through central Santiago. In Valparaíso, stay on Cerro Alegre or Cerro Concepción and wear closed shoes, as the streets are stone and stairs. For Santiago, buses leave Valparaíso’s bus terminal every few minutes, and the trip ends in the capital, about 22 km from the airport for the flight home. November is the month when all three stops are in their best season.

What you will see

Valle de la Luna, San Pedro de Atacama. A valley in the Cordillera de la Sal, 13 km west of town, with dunes, salt and clay ridges and formations such as the Tres Marías, managed by the Asociación Indígena Valle de la Luna within the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos.
Ascensor El Peral, Valparaíso. A 1902 funicular that departs from a gateway beside Plaza Sotomayor and reaches the Paseo Yugoslavo, a lookout suspended over the port.
Cerro Santa Lucía, Santiago. The former Huelén, a 69 m rock outcrop over the city, landscaped by Vicuña Mackenna in 1872 with terraces, staircases, and the Terraza Neptuno.

Day by day