Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons tour from San Pedro de Atacama
Red rocks, salt flats and high-altitude lagoons in one guided day
This full-day tour from San Pedro de Atacama covers the region's signature desert landscapes: the Tropic of Capricorn, Chaxa Lagoon (where flamingos gather), the red stone formations of Piedras Rojas, and the Miscanti and Miñiques Altiplanic Lagoons. The guide provides information about local flora and fauna, and the tour includes breakfast, lunch, all entry tickets and transport. You'll walk for about an hour and fifteen minutes at high altitude to reach the red rocks and surrounding salt flats.
Step-by-step itinerary
Tour to Piedras Rojas and Lagoons
- Pass Tropic of Capricorn, breakfast stop
- Stop at Chaxa Lagoon, see flamingos
- Drive 2 hours to Piedras Rojas
- Walk 1h15m to red rocks and salt flats
- Visit Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons
- Stop for photos in Socaire town
- Pass through Toconao town
- Chaxa Lagoon Entry included 1h
- Toconao passing by
What’s included
- Breakfast with fruits, bread, juice, coffee, tea, cookies, cheese and cake.
- lunch.
- all entry tickets to Piedras Rojas and Chaxa Lagoon.
- transport in a vehicle.
- a live guide in English or Spanish.
- hotel pickup.
Times
- Every day 07:00
Before you book
Operated by Puka Rumi Travel Agency
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The experience
Toconao marks the start of the route. You begin at the Tropic of Capricorn with a stop to photograph the marker and eat a breakfast of fruits, bread, juice, coffee, tea, cookies, cheese and cake. From there the tour moves to Chaxa Lagoon, the heart of the Atacama salt flat, where flamingos feed in the shallow water and the guide explains what draws them there.
After a two-hour drive, you reach Piedras Rojas: the red rocks shaped by geological forces that make them singular in the desert. The vehicle climbs to 3,800 meters of altitude, and from there you walk for an hour and fifteen minutes across red stone, lagoons and salt flats, with time to photograph the landscape. The altitude and the walk are the physical center of the day. The guide travels with the group and describes the flora and fauna as you move through it.
The return route passes through the Miscanti and Miñiques Altiplanic Lagoons, where the guide offers more detail about the region's ecology, and through the town of Socaire for pictures before returning through Toconao. Lunch is included and served during the day. The tour runs ten hours from start to finish, with a live guide speaking English or Spanish.
Is this one for you?Book this if you're comfortable hiking at 3,800 meters. The walk at Piedras Rojas is moderate but the altitude is the real demand, and everything (transport, meals, and entry to Laguna Chaxa and the Tropic of Capricorn) comes as one package.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (7 to 12 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.
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 Chaxa Lagoon and why do flamingos gather there?
Chaxa Lagoon sits at the heart of the Atacama salt flat and is a feeding ground for flamingos, which you'll see during the tour. The guide explains the ecology of the lagoon and what draws the birds to it.
How high do we climb and how much walking is involved?
The vehicle reaches 3,800 meters of altitude at Piedras Rojas, and from there you walk for one hour and fifteen minutes across the red rock formations, lagoons and salt flats surrounding them.
What meals and drinks are included?
Breakfast is included at the Tropic of Capricorn stop, with fruits, bread, juice, coffee, tea, cookies, cheese and cake. Lunch is also included and served during the day.
What does the tour include in terms of entry fees?
All entry tickets are included: the Piedras Rojas red stones entrance ($18.75 USD per person) and Chaxa Lagoon entrance ($15 USD per person).
Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons tour from San Pedro de Atacama
10h · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 126 per person
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