How to Visit Valle de la Luna, Chile: A Self-Drive Guide from San Pedro de Atacama
Valle de la Luna Chile: The Self-Drive Guide I Wish I'd Had
Here's the thing about Valle de la Luna that nobody on the internet will tell you straight: it's the EASIEST location to visit in the Atacama Desert in Chile on your own.
In a region where half your activities involve 4am alarms for geysers and dusty 4x4 transfers to lagoons at altitude, Valle de la Luna is the chill one. It's only 13 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama. You can drive yourself in a rental car, you don’t necessarily need a guide to take you there or show you around. You can take your time. It is so easy to do on your own. And it is so worth it. It was honestly one of the coolest places that I have been able to visit so far.
What is Valle de la Luna?
Valle de la Luna sits about 13 kilometers outside San Pedro de Atacama, in northern Chile. If you’re coming in from the Calama airport, you’ll drive straight past the entrance. Around 33 MILLION years ago, this whole area was underwater. Tectonic plates did their dramatic thing, folding and shoving rock layers around, and then wind and rain spent the next few million years sculpting what's left into shapes that genuinely do not look like they belong on Earth.
The result is a valley so lunar-looking that scientists have tested Mars rover prototypes here. And the name? I'll be honest, I assumed "Moon Valley" because of the craters and the otherworldly vibe. But it's actually because a lot of it is white. The valley is crusted in salt deposits from when it was the ocean floor, and when you're standing there surrounded by red rocks, gold sand dunes, and these shocking white salt patches under the bluest sky you've ever seen in your life… yeah. Moon vibes. Despite the moon vibes, the area used to be called Las Salinas because of all the salt here. There are also old salt mines in the area.
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Rental Car or Tour to visit Valle de la Luna?
If you have a rental car, skip the tour. If you have your own car, you really don’t need a tour for this. In fact all of the locations that I visited in the Atacama Desert I used with our rental car. The only one that I would say book a tour is for the geysers (which I did not visit but everyone says go with a tour). Visiting Valle de la Luna with a rental car is really easy and do-able. The roads are not bad at all.
Everyone in San Pedro will try to sell you a Valle de la Luna tour. Every hostel, every tour stand on the main street, every Instagram ad. And tours are fine! They're easy. If you don't have a car, a tour is a great option.
BUT. Tours all run the same route at the same time. Which means every single Valle de la Luna tour arrives at roughly the same moment, at every spot. We discovered that as soon as we drove in, and ended up going to the furthest point away first just to avoid some of the crowds. When you self-drive, you can make your own choices. You basically have several of the best viewpoints TO YOURSELF. Even the drive to the valley entrance is a straight shot on a paved road. No 4x4 needed. But if you really want to do a tour or have decided to not rent a car here are my recommendations on GetYourGuide:
The Ticket Situation
Everyone online will tell you that you MUST buy tickets in advance, and that the official website is the only way. The problem is that the website can be glitchy and annoying. We figured out that they only sell the tours one week in advance, if you can get it to work. We still booked our tickets ahead of time online, but you can buy them in person at the entrance. It’s one of the few places where you don’t actually need to buy a ticket ahead of time. They accept foreign credit cards.
Current ticket prices:
General admission: CLP $10,000 (about $11 USD)
Students, seniors over 60, and kids under 12: CLP $5,000
For the all-day access and the views you're about to see, it's one of the best-value activities in the entire Atacama Desert.
When to Go: The Self-Driver's Schedule
When self-driving, a lot of people recommend going right at opening, spend the morning there, leave at midday, and then drive back for the sunset. We didn’t do this. We decided to visit Laguna Chaxa in the morning, and then in the afternoon head to Valley de Luna, so it was all in one swoop. The joy of taking your own car is you can plan it the way you want to. You really should aim to be in the area at some point for sunset however. The view from Mirador Ckari at sunset is magical and a must do.
How to visit Valley de Luna
Visiting the Valley de Luna is honestly so easy. When you arrive at the entrance, you’ll hand over your ticket and an attendant will pull you to the side, show you the map, draw on it so you know the route, tell you where to go and how long each route takes. They did a really good job of explaining everything in detail and it was super helpful. Way easier than what I expected. I had struggled to find out what exactly we were going to be doing once we got here, but it’s literally just some walks in each spot. They’re not that intense either.
The valley has five main areas, and each has its own group-size rules and time limits. When we were there they weren't strictly enforced, but I can imagine in peak days or times they may be.
The whole experience is basically a driveable out and back. The attendants recommended first Duna Mayor, Achaches (as labeled on the map) where there are three viewpoints, Mina Victoria (Victoria Mine) where the salt mines are, and Tres Marias (the rock formations). Then you head out to the sunset view point Mirador Ckari. Like I said above, we arrived at a time when multiple tour groups arrived, so we decided to drive the circuit in reverse and drove all the way to the Tres Marias first. We didn’t go in depth to all of the spots as we were a little conscious of our time for sunset.
1. Duna Mayor Viewpoint
Time: 40 minutes total, max 10 min allowed at the top
This is the Big Dune. You hike up along the ridge of a massive sand dune, and from the top you get this INSANE panoramic view of the salt valley spread out below. Bright white salt, red cliffs, and sand dunes going off into forever.
This is the stop where self-driving pays off because if you time it well and you can get the place to yourself. We got to the top and there was only one other couple up there who left soon after we arrived. You’re only allowed ten minutes at the top, and you can’t go back on yourself down the loop, but it is well worth the sand in your shoes afterwards.
2. The Achaches Loop
Time: the full loop is about an hour
There are three viewpoints in a loop, and everyone stops at Mirador 1 for a quick photo and then leaves. Apparently the other two stops are better than the first one. I wouldn’t know unfortunately, since one of them was closed when we attempted it. Maybe because it was getting too close to closing time.
3. Victoria Mine (the salt caves)
Time allowed: 30 minutes
This is polarizing. Some tours make a BIG deal out of the salt caves because you crawl through narrow tunnels, flashlights illuminating salt crystals that look like diamonds, and the guide tells you to stop and listen for the rocks CREAKING as salt expands and contracts. For some people this is a highlight. I am a little claustrophobic and we’re also in the Ring of Fire with tons of volcanos. Getting stuck in a cave if a volcano pops off is not my idea of fun. Can you tell I have anxiety? We stood outside and heard some creaking and cracking which was neat.
Here's what I think: if you're self-driving and tight on time, this is the one to skip. If you have time, you may as well, as long as you’re not claustrophobic.
4. Tres Marías (the rock formations)
Time: 15 minutes
Three weathered rock pinnacles that look like the Virgin Mary and two companions (hence the name). Quick stop. 15 minutes is plenty.
At this point, you have now seen everything you can, and you’re heading out of the park to Mirador Ckari. You will show your ticket entrance here as well.
5. Mirador Ckari (the sunset viewpoint)
This is where sunset happens. The mountain range and volcanos turn pink, orange, purple, magical. It's gorgeous.
I'll be honest though, the sunset itself from Ckari was slightly less mind-blowing than I expected. What I found MORE beautiful was when the last light was hitting the distant volcanoes and the low clouds caught fire opposite to the sunset. So go for sunset, absolutely, but keep your eyes on the landscape behind you. That is where all the magic happened.
Also, make sure you stay AFTER the sun goes down. The 15-20 minutes of afterglow is when the color really does the wild purples and pinks. Most people leave too early. The park attendants do start shuffling you out pretty quickly but the after glow on the landscape is just incredible.
What to Pack for Your Self-Drive Day
The Atacama is not a place where you can just wing it. It's a bit remote and the cellphone service is spotty. There is only one gas station for miles. While the Valle de la Lunda is only 15 minutes from San Pedro, if you are tacking on anything else than you need to be prepared. The environment is not the most hospitable so I highly recommend the following:
Water and drink it. You are at 2,500+ meters of elevation in the driest desert on the planet. The altitude is dehydrating in itself and the whole place is dry too.
Sunscreen, reapplied like you mean it. The UV here is off the charts. I got burnt so easily. And I get that I’m a red head and fair skinned and so that’s part of the territory but seriously think about your skin. The white salt reflects everything right back at you so its a lot easier to get sunburnt than you think.
A hat and sunglasses. Sand also blows in your eyes easily which isn’t fun if you have contacts.
Proper shoes. Hiking boots or sturdy sneakers. I took my hiking boots but I don’t think they were necessary, decent sneakers are fine.
Layers for sunset. It's 90°F during the day, but the second the sun starts setting, the temperature drops. Bring a light jacket or a jumper for Mirador Ckari. You may also want a buff or neck gaiter if the wind picks up and there is a lot of sand blowing about.
Lunch or snacks for the parking lot, NOT inside the valley. Food and alcohol are not allowed inside, and rangers will kick you out with zero refunds if you break that rule.
Be mindful of your camera. The sand is FINE and it gets everywhere. When I was researching this trip I read about a lot of people damaging their cameras from the sand.
Important Tips for Valley de Luna
The trails are STRICTLY marked. Rangers take it seriously, and they should. The ecosystem is fragile and they will kick you out for going off-trail. Respect the boundaries as they exist for a reason.
Don’t go over the speed limit. When we visited Laguna Miscanti, we saw someone break the speed limit and they were kicked out immediately. While I didn’t see this happening at Valley de la Luna, I would not be surprised if it does happen.
Altitude is sneaky. Valley De Luna is not the highest elevation you’ll encounter, but if you’re doing it without having acclimatized yet it can push you. Take things really slowly and drink a lot of water
Parking is easy. There's space at every trailhead, you typically reverse bay park because if the volcanos kick off you need to be able to leave quickly.
Bathrooms are located at the entrance and at the Duna Mayor.
Is Valle de la Luna Worth It?
Yes, Valle de la Luna is worth it, even if you just got for the sunset. What struck me about this area was just how OLD it is. How much has happened before centuries and centuries ago. How much of this planet is shaped by slow, enormous, patient forces: oceans that dried up, plates that collided, wind that's been at work for a million years sculpting the same rock. And then you, some traveler with a rental car and a sunburn (aka me), get to show up and witness it for a brief moment in time. It made me feel very small, in a good way. It reminded me to orientate myself in what feels like an overwhelming busy chaotic stressful world.
The sunset is also out of this world. The actual sun setting behind the mountains - eh. The beautiful pinks, purples, grays, and blues hitting volcanoes and the alien-like landscape? Magic. Honestly so magical. I was in awe. They make you leave the viewpoint pretty quickly after the sun goes down, but it is honestly one of the most magical sunsets I have ever seen. And if you’ve followed me around long enough on my instagram you know I am partial to a South African sunset. I would say a Chilean sunset can compete!
The entire trip is really easy and the sunset views are well worth the visit.
Valle de la Luna FAQs
Can you self-drive to Valle de la Luna? Yes, and I'd recommend it. The road from San Pedro de Atacama is paved, the drive is about 20 minutes, and parking is available at each trailhead. A regular rental car (no 4x4 needed) is totally fine.
How much does Valle de la Luna cost? General admission is CLP $10,000 (roughly $11 USD). Kids, students, and seniors are half-price at CLP $5,000.
Can I buy Valle de la Luna tickets at the entrance? Yes. The onsite kiosks accept foreign credit cards, which is a lifesaver because the official website often doesn't. Buying at the entrance takes about two minutes.
How long do you need at Valle de la Luna? To complete all the hikes you probably need 3-4 hours. My mom and I didn’t do all the hikes, and it took us around 2 hours.
What's the best time to visit Valle de la Luna? I think it's sunset. But others suggest morning for the hikes with fewer crowds, sunset for the famous pink/orange/purple light show at Mirador Ckari.
Do I need a tour for Valle de la Luna? No. If you have a rental car, self-driving is easier, cheaper, and lets you beat the crowds. Tours are the choice if you don't have a vehicle. Here’s a link to some that look good.
How far is Valle de la Luna from San Pedro de Atacama? About 13 kilometers. 15-20 minutes by car on paved road. Super easy.
What should I wear to Valle de la Luna? Hiking shoes, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and layers. It's hot during the day and chilly at sunset.
Planning the rest of your Atacama trip? Don't miss Laguna Chaxa and Laguna Miscanti. San Pedro de Atacama is the base for desert adventures.
