The 15 Best Altiplanic Lagoon & Salt Flat Tours

1.Piedras Rojas, Altiplanics Lagoons & Salar Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 592 reviews · 10 hours · from $85Our pick

Start early from San Pedro de Atacama for breakfast beside the Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, then visit purple Piedras Rojas, Socaire, Chaxa Lagoon, the flamingo reserve, and Toconao. A small group, bilingual guide, driver, breakfast, and lunch make this a practical way to see the highlands in one long day.

“What an awesome day!!!! Our guide Andrea was fantastic and we had a wonderful group of fun women! Cesar was our driver and he was great too - the breakfast and lunch were both amazing. Highly recommend this tour”

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2.Portillo and Laguna del Inca Day Trip with Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 572 reviews · 10 hours · from $45

Travel by air-conditioned minivan from Santiago to Portillo and Laguna del Inca, stopping at Salto del Soldado and Ruta Los Caracoles. Guides such as Sebastian, Sol, Carlos, and Edison share local stories in Spanish or Portuguese. You get mountain views, free time, and a simple picnic with llamas when available.

“my trip was great! the guide Sol is amazing! I loved her sense of humour and always patience and lovely!. The place is beautiful 😍”

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3.Baltinache Lagoons

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 359 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

Ride from San Pedro de Atacama with a bilingual guide such as Francisco, Daniel, or Mauricio, stopping at a former salt-mining area before walking among seven Baltinache Lagoons. One lagoon may allow floating, depending on current conservation rules. Shared transport, hotel pickup, and a local snack are included, but bring cash for the CLP 12,000 entrance fee.

“This was an interesting tour with a great guide. He was very informative, enthusiastic and provided a lovely breakfast”

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4.Triple tour: Red stones, highland lagoons and Chaxa Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 219 reviews · 10 hours · from $85

Spend 10 hours above and across the Atacama Desert, visiting crimson Piedras Rojas, Socaire, the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, and flamingo-rich Chaxa Lagoon. A bilingual guide such as Karla, Manu, or Cristian explains the geology, culture, and wildlife. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, shared transport, and pickup in San Pedro are included, but park fees are extra.

“So much fun! And so many great views. It was also like a mini safari with the amount of wildlife we saw!”

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5.Red Stones and Altiplanic Lagoons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $75Top rated

Spend about 10 hours visiting Red Stones, Miscanti Lake, Chaxa Lagoon, Socaire, and Toconao from San Pedro de Atacama. Guides such as Marlon and Juan bring clear explanations and patience, while breakfast and lunch make the long day easier. Park entry costs extra.

“Marlon is an excellent guide. He is very knowledgeable and interacts well with his group. Company also communicates well regarding pick up, what to bring, etc. The scenery is stunning with a variety of things to see on this trip. Highly recommend this activity and this tour company!”

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6.Red Rocks & Altiplano Lagoons Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 108 reviews · 10 hours · from $129

Spend 10 hours above the Atacama Desert with a bilingual guide, visiting the Tropic of Capricorn, Chaxa Lagoon, Piedras Rojas, and the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons. Expect breakfast, lunch, hotel pickup in central San Pedro, high-altitude walking, and guides such as Lolo, Nico, or Nicolas who bring local wildlife and geology to life.

“The guide Niklas is great, he immediately puts you in a good mood, is able to adapt well to the travelers and provides information during the trip about the itinerary, the stops, geographical features, the historical classification of the places and the animal life in the mountains. I can only recommend this tour, not least because of the good guide.”

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7.Altiplanic Lagoons & Piedras Rojas Tour from San Pedro de Atacama

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 87 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $113

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama to Chaxa Lagoon, the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, Piedras Rojas, Socaire, and Toconao. Expect a 10 to 11-hour day, mountain roads, high altitude, lunch, English and Spanish commentary, and a group of up to 15 people. Guides have included Pedro, Carla, Ivan, and Juan Pablo.

“Our tour was absolutely fantastic, and one of our favorite trips in San Pedro. Truly showcases Chile’s vast topography, and above all we had a fantastic guide - Juan Pablo - who kept things exciting and was incredibly knowledgeable! I highly recommend this tour and if you can ask for Juan a Pablo please do!”

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8.Full Day Tour Piedras Rojas Altiplanic Lagoons Chaxa Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $140

Start at 6:00 am for an 11-hour journey from San Pedro de Atacama to the Tropic of Capricorn, Piedras Rojas, the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, Socaire, and Chaxa Lagoon. Guides such as Florencia, David, Diego, Anita, and Marco have led informative outings, but meal and vehicle quality may vary.

“The food promised in the description was Gourmet with premium drinks and what was offered was pretty ordinary. It was absolutely like cheat.”

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9.Baltinache Hidden Lagoons

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 64 reviews · 4h 30m · from $58

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama to the blue salt lagoons of Baltinache with a bilingual English-Spanish guide. You’ll have about two hours for sightseeing and swimming, followed by a cocktail and coffee tasting. Pickup is included, but park admission costs extra and the tour is not suitable for children under six or pregnant women.

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10.Laguna del Inca and Portillo Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 61 reviews · 9 hours · from $54

Travel from Santiago to Portillo in a small, air-conditioned minivan with an English, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide. Stop at a major Chilean history monument, cross the Chacabuco Tunnel, view Aconcagua, and spend free time at Inca Lagoon and the ski resort. You can also ride the ski lift or buy lunch with a view.

“La atención del guía fue muy buena, experiencia recomendada, la laguna esta ubicada en un centro de Ski, hay mucha gente y en realidad no puedes acercarte tanto a donde esta la laguna.”

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11.Full day tour in Portillo and Laguna del Inca

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 61 reviews · 10 hours · from $50

Travel from Santiago in a small group of up to 20 people to Chacabuco, Salto del Soldado, Cuesta Caracoles, Portillo, and Laguna del Inca. Expect a long van day, English, Spanish, or Portuguese guiding, a picnic, short stops, and dramatic Andes views. Breakfast is extra, and the schedule can vary.

“Výlet byl naprosto příšerný, za ty peníze to opravdu nestálo. Vyzvednutí bylo okolo 5:30 a v popisu aktivity bylo napsáno, že doba trvání je deset hodin. Jak je tedy možné, že zpátky jsme byli už cca v 14:15? Navíc jsme neviděli ani všechny slibované body (např. vodopád Salto del Soldado). Průvodce byl asi jen na ozdobu, protože nám za celý výlet nic moc neřekl. Jen to, co se týkalo organizace, typu "Toto je hotel Portillo, Laguna del Inca je za ním. Běžte se tam sami podívat. Máte na to hodinu a půl." Samotná laguna byla taky celkem zklamání, protože k ní nebylo možné jít, byla za lyžařským areálem. Ale co…”

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12.Half-Day Tour to Laguna Cejar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $35Best value

From San Pedro, you visit the Salar de Atacama, Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar, and Laguna Tebinquiche in a small group of up to 12. The salt water makes floating easy, while guides such as Alex, Javier, Rafael, Ernesto, Sergio, and Sofia have been praised for clear explanations. Snacks, juice, and a pisco sour finish the afternoon.

“The tour was fun. I liked that it was only a half day so we still had free time during the day to explore the town. You start out with swimming in Laguna Cejar, which is a fun experience. You float so easily and the water is refreshing. The only downside to this part of the tour is that the workers at the laguna rushed us a bit, which made everyone kinda stressed, trying to get out of the water and rinse off quickly. We then stopped 2 more times to see other lagunas that you could not swim in. We were also given some snacks and juice or pisco…”

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13.Uyuni Salt Flats 4-days tour from Atacama> private room available

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 44 reviews · from $325

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni in a small group of up to 12, crossing the Bolivian border in a seven-seat 4x4. You’ll visit geysers, flamingo-filled lagoons, hot springs, Incahuasi Island, and the salt flats, with three meals daily and hostel stays. Spanish-speaking guides may include Guilder, Raul, or Walder.

“Indescritível, Desde o primeiro café da manhã até a última janta tudo foi muito bem planejado e cuidado.”

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14.Piedras Rojas and Altiplanic Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · from $109

Travel from San Pedro de Atacama to Socaire, Laguna Miscanti, Laguna Miñiques, Piedras Rojas, and Salar de Atacama. A bilingual guide, breakfast, lunch, and hotel pickup are included. Guides such as Natalie, Alex Sánchez, and Giuliana have led this route, which suits travelers seeking a small-group day with broad desert scenery.

“Thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip ! It was so very different from the desert trips and the altiplano scenery was beautiful . Natalie was an excellent guide and gave us lots of interesting information .”

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15.Cejar Lagoon Tour: San Pedro de Atacama

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 4 hours · from $37

From San Pedro de Atacama, you will float for about 30 minutes in salt-rich Cejar Lagoon, see the spring-fed Ojos del Salar, and walk beside bright Tebenquiche Lagoon. Guides such as Daniel and Manuel offer English or Spanish commentary, photos, safety advice, and a snack stop. The price is $37, plus a separate 20,000 Chilean peso entry ticket.

“O tour foi super divertido, nosso guia Manuel tirou fotos, explicou coisas interessantes sobre o deserto e sua energia contagiante fez o tour ser mais leve. Horários pontuais e o picnic estava uma delícia. Uma pena o dia estar nublado pois estava frio ao sair da lagoa, mas eles nos deram roupões então foi tudo muito confortável.”

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