Puna Salt Flats Tour San Pedro de Atacama: Lagoons & Volcanoes

Cross the high-altitude salt flats where Licancabur's shadow meets Quimal once a year.

A full-day tour from San Pedro de Atacama into the Puna high desert, visiting salt flats, lagoons and volcanic formations in Los Flamencos National Reserve above 4,000 meters. The route follows the road toward Paso de Jama, stopping at Tara Salt Flat with its white-bordered lagoon, the Tara Cathedrals rock formations, Quisquiro salt flat, and viewpoints where flamencos and vicuñas rest in the water. A live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or German leads the tour. Pickup from your hotel, an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water and snacks are included. The day runs 7 to 8 hours at high altitude with significant elevation gain.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Puna Salt Flats and Volcanoes

• Visit Licancabur volcano viewpoint
• Stop at Quepiaco wetland viewpoint
• Explore Tara Salt Flat in Los Flamencos Reserve
• Enjoy viewpoint with colorful hills and lagoons
• Visit Quisquiro salt flat and surrounding hills
• See the stone monks guarding Tara salt flat

The experience

The Tara Salt Flat sits at the heart of this tour, a landscape shaped by millions of years of volcanic activity and wind erosion. At 4,400 meters high, the flat stretches across a plateau where white salt borders frame an opaque lagoon, and brown and yellow hills rise in the distance. The Tara Cathedrals (red rock formations that reach 40 meters high) stand as the geological sentries of this basin, their humanoid shapes carved by the same freezing wind that now cuts across the salt. Stopping here means standing at the foot of stone guardians that have weathered far longer than any human structure, a visual weight that shifts how the landscape feels.

The tour moves through multiple viewpoints and salt flats, each one revealing a different angle of the Atacama valley. Quepiaco Viewpoint offers a moment of stillness where flamencos and other birds rest in the water alongside vicuñas, with Licancabur volcano rising in the background. Quisquiro salt flat, hidden from the main road and often missed by passing travelers, spreads across undulating terrain where small lagoons form between rises of land. The wind here moves with enough force to test a hat. Throughout the day, the sun's intensity at altitude is deceptive. The light is strong but the heat is thin, replaced by the cold that wraps around you at this height.

Your guide speaks your language and travels with you in an air-conditioned vehicle, which matters when the day alternates between intense sun exposure and the thin air above 4,000 meters. Bottled water and snacks are provided to manage the altitude and the distance. Hotel pickup is included, so the logistics of getting to the trailhead are handled. The full day takes 7 to 8 hours, accounting for the elevation, the stops, and the time needed to absorb the scale of what you're standing in front of.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• a live guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian, French or German.
• bottled water and snacks throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Under 8: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 31 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Capricornio Expediciones

Is this one for you?The tour climbs above 4,000 meters and spends the full day at high altitude with wind exposure, so it suits travelers comfortable with elevation and cold rather than heat. The route follows the road toward Paso de Jama and stops at viewpoints and salt flats rather than requiring long walks, making it accessible to those who can manage altitude but prefer not to hike steep terrain.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Tara Salt Flat like when you arrive there?

Tara Salt Flat sits at 4,400 meters in Los Flamencos National Reserve, a landscape of white-bordered lagoons and eroded geological formations shaped by volcanic activity. The Tara Cathedrals, red rock formations 40 meters high, rise from the basin, their shapes carved by wind over millions of years. The plateau stretches for kilometers, and the cold at this altitude is more present than the sun's heat.

How high do you go on this tour, and what does the altitude feel like?

The tour crosses terrain above 4,000 meters, with stops at 4,400 meters at Tara Salt Flat. The altitude brings thin air and intense sun, but the cold is the dominant sensation: a wind that wraps around you and a temperature that makes the strong light feel weak. Bottled water and snacks are provided to help manage the elevation.

Will I see wildlife on this tour?

Yes. Flamencos and other birds rest in the lagoons at Quepiaco Viewpoint and elsewhere along the route. Vicuñas also appear in the water and across the landscape. The tour is built around stopping to observe these animals in their habitat rather than passing by quickly.

What does the Licancabur volcano have to do with this tour?

Licancabur, at 5,900 meters, is the most prominent volcano in the San Pedro valley and visible from almost everywhere in the region. According to local legend, once a year the sun rises behind Licancabur and its shadow touches the slope of Quimal, a neighboring hill, allowing the two peaks to "meet" briefly. The volcano appears in the background at several viewpoints on this tour and serves as a landmark throughout the day.

Is this tour physically demanding?

The tour involves significant elevation (above 4,000 meters), and wind exposure at multiple stops. You travel by air-conditioned vehicle and stop to view the landscape rather than hike long distances, but the altitude and cold are real factors. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.