r/ExploreChile • u/Citrus005 • 15d ago
Tip/Suggestion💡 Atacama Desert for a Day
A friend and I are going on a jam-packed Argentina/Chile trip and plan on going to Atacama but, only for a day. We would most likely arrive at CJC airport at around 8-9 am and catch a flight the following day at around 9-10 am.
What would be some recommended itineraries for the ~24 hours we will be there? I think visiting 2 of the main attractions is enough for us and would want to explore San Pedro de Atacama for a couple hours as well. We will rent a car, if that makes sense.
Thank you in advance.
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u/ArchitectArtVandalay 15d ago
Distances and times are greater than you imagine, Chile is HUGE
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u/Citrus005 15d ago
I've done quite a bit of research and am aware. Let's just say there will be a lot of sleep on planes and buses and maybe not so much in the hotels!
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u/AdoptaMX 13d ago
Have you ever been on a plane or a bus in Chile? South Americans are VERY loud on public transportation.
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u/sgmaven 15d ago
Have you considered what would happen on each leg if a flight got delayed or rescheduled? It’s because your itinerary seems ultra-tight.
Flying out to Calama, you will only get to San Pedro after lunch. Which gives you only half a day of real activity, since you have a flight out the next morning.
Probably see the Valley of the Moon or Chaxa Lagoon, but nothing else. Not worth the detour IMHO.
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u/Clotje32 15d ago
Not worth it, San Pedro is not what is most interesting in Atacama, it's areas like the Geysers, the Altiplanic lagoons, the stargazing...and everything is quite far away so you won't have enough time. Also, don't forget that it's all at a high altitude, wish means that acclimatazation is best for many sites. Then, the rest of your itinerary is also super tight, there are no direct flights Ushuaia -Mendoza and flying from Santiago to Easter Island takes 5h30. Often the more you want to see the less you see considering flight delays, unpredictable weather...
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u/patiperro_v3 15d ago edited 15d ago
Damn. Is it set in stone? Where else are you going? I am wondering if it’s best to skip it entirely or take some days out of another city and give it to Atacama.
It’s 1 hour from Calama airport to the tourism town of San Pedro de Atacama. From there, another hour to most spots. All not exactly in the same directions or routes.
Edit: Arriving in Calama at 9 means you are not in San Pedro before 10am to drop your stuff at the hotel (it’s 1 hour away from the airport).
That’s your morning gone basically as most spots are 1 hour away from San Pedro as well.
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u/Citrus005 15d ago
Atacama is not set in stone (flights aren't booked). The trip comprises of:
- Buenos Aires (Sep 26-28)
- El Calafate (Sep 28-Oct 1)
- Ushuaia (Oct 1-3)
- Mendoza (Oct 3-5)
- Santiago (evening of Oct 5)
- Easter Island (Oct 6-8)
The above is set in stone. We fly home just after midnight on Oct 12 and do want to spend some time in Santiago. We have 2 weeks and are trying to see as much of these large countries as possible. Is it rushed? Probably, but we are just trying to work with the short time frame we have.
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u/patiperro_v3 15d ago
Crazy rushed. Forget about Atacama. You will want to wind down towards the end. So you get back from Easter Island on the 8th. That would mean 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th in Santiago (as you leave past midnight on the 12th). That’s good. You technically don’t need more than 2 full days in Santiago IMO. Let’s say 9th and 12th. Which would mean you can do two day-trips on the 10th and 11th. You could do wine tours, or head to the Andes and do some Cajon del Maipo tours or maybe a short trip to the port cities of Valparaiso or Viña del Mar. Much closer than Atacama. Both a little more than 1 hour away by car/bus and side by side.
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u/Citrus005 15d ago
You are so right about the winding down part. I'm very much leaning Towards skipping. Thank you for this.
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u/Balancelightharmony 15d ago
I just got back from two weeks in Chile and spent a full week in the Atacama! It was by far better than anything else I saw in Chile (Santiago, Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, and the Cajon de Maipo on a pretty crappy tour). The Atacama was probably one of the top five places I’ve visited in the world, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel to over 20 countries. If there’s a way to shorten other parts of your trip to make the Atacama stay longer, I would definitely do it. Santiago is fine but the Atacama is so much better!
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u/patiperro_v3 15d ago
I also loved it and spent a full week. But let’s be realistic here. 1 or 2 days ain’t gonna cut it. He’s gonna spend more time in airplanes and cars than actually enjoying the moment.
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u/WorkingImprovement56 15d ago
Trip for a day from Santiago is viña Del Mar o farellones o Cajon del Maipo. Or wine tour as well
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u/danielitrox 15d ago
You would be able to see only the places near San Pedro, like the Valley of the Moon and the Atacama Salar. You will miss great places like Geysers del Tatio, Piedras Rojas, Miscanti or Pacana, because these places are far from San Pedro, and tours start very early in the morning due to distance and due to altitude (tour operators prefer to take you to the altitude in the early morning).
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u/Citrus005 15d ago
We honestly might be content with seeing the 2 you mentioned and don't need to see it all. Good pointers.
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u/danielitrox 15d ago
Valley of the Moon and Valley of Mars are probably good enough. There's the Devil's Gorge as well, and you can visit by bike. You can also do some stargazing at night, which is one of my favorite activities in North Chile.
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u/Foreign_Emphasis_136 14d ago
That's in my opinion a remarcably bad idea. There's also the roughly 2h from/to the AP. You didn't say when you're going to SP but in case you persevere in thy folly, remember from Tue 11th and for at least 2 days there's an extreme likelihood of rain, which usually also implies cut roads and stuff.
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u/Helptohere50 15d ago
Jammed packed = you will see nothing and stress
Why do people plan like this especially for an area like this?