Name: 7-Day Bike & Hike Tour - Atacama Desert
Start: 2024-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2024-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, Chile

AMITY TOURS

Email address verified

11 reviews

Jun 1 - Oct 31, 2024

Group size: 4 - 10

7-Day Bike & Hike Tour - Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, Chile

Select

Download Brochure

AMITY TOURS

Email address verified

11 reviews

Jun 1 - Oct 31, 2024

Group size: 4 - 10

Hike & bike among astonishing landscapes surrounded by volcanoes and secret paths between valleys, salt flats & gorges.
You will learn more about the history of the Atacama Desert, culture, archaeology, native flora and fauna.

Atacama Bike Hike Tour Highlights

Explore the hidden corners of the driest desert in the world
Luxury accommodation
Ckari Gorge trail hike in Moon Valley
Star-gazing experience
Cejar Lagoon and Ojos del Salar
Atacama Salt Flat and endemic fauna and flora
Savor Chilean cuisine and taste the best local wines
Cacti Valley, Guatín ancient settlement and Puritama hot springs
Third largest Geothermal field in the world: Tatio Geysers
Cultural experience and special encounter with the Likan Antai indigenous community
High plateau Andean Villages: Caspana, Chiu Chiu, Pre-Columbian fortresses and settlements

Before we kick off our bike and hike tour in the Atacama Desert, you should take a day or two to adjust to local time and recover from your travels, and allow for any flight or luggage delays. You should fly into Calama airport (CJC).

In Chile, domestic flights are operated by 3 local airline companies: Latam, Sky Airline and JetSmart.

Official Airport Transfer

The official shuttle company at Calama's Airport is called TransVip.

They are the only authorized shuttle company at the airport, and their staff wears a green and orange uniform.

By contract with the airport, they must have available transport based in the domestic flights arriving every day.

They have a counter at the airport, on the ground floor next to the car rental companies.

They offer regular shuttles to San Pedro de Atacama at $12.000 pesos (USD $17 per person), and they need a minimum of 4 people.

If they don't have the 4 minimum passengers, or if you want to have a private shuttle, with the same company you can do it at $75.000 (USD $100 per vehicle).

You don’t need reservations and you can pay in Credit Card or Cash. The ATM is on ground floor.

All their shuttle services will drop you off at the hotel or address you are staying in San Pedro de Atacama.

Driving time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

For the pre-night stay, we recommend staying at Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás in San Pedro de Atacama, which is well-located with lots of restaurants and other facilities just a short walk away.

Suggested Hotels

Professional tour guide
English-Spanish speaking (8:1 guest-to-guide ratio)
Private transportation
Modern Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with trailer & bicycle rack
5 nights accommodation
At Noi Casa Atacama
1 night accommodation
At Noi Borde Loa Hotel
All activities
Cycling and hiking (6 bike rides and 4 hikes), local culture and hot springs
Meals
6 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 2 dinners. We also include the first glass of Chilean wine, beer or soft drink during our group dinners
Unlimited water
+ 1 glass of Chilean wine, 1 beer or 1 soft drink during our group dinners
0 waste on-route snacks
drinking water, local beer, isotonic drinks, trail-mix, fresh fruit and home-made energy bars
Gratuities
At hotels & restaurants
Insurance
Medical and accident
Bike Rental
Hard-tail mountain bike or gravel bike (+ helmet, pedals and water bottle)
Amity goodie
Cycling jersey
Entrance fees
To national parks, reserves, hot springs, and local attractions
Basic cycle parts
Cable housing, tubes, tires and spokes

Day 1
Day 1
Los Ayllus ride - Hike in Moon Valley - Star-gazing at night
On the first day of our bike and hike tour, our local team will meet you at La Casa de Don Tomas Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama at 9am. They will brief you on the adventure ahead and answer any questions you may have.

We will start building bikes and fitting rental bikes, ready for our first ride on the Atacama Desert!

Morning Ride. This morning, we will have a great introductory experience to the Likan Antay culture and its way of living. We will leave the hotel by bike and ride through different ayllus. The Ayllu is an ancient type of organization and land management, created by the Altiplano people who inhabited these desert sites.

We will pass by Solcor, Sequitor & Tulor. We'll make our first stop at the archeological site Tulor, one of the oldest sites in northern Chile. Then, we will meet Wildo and his family at the Coyo ayllu, and share with his family some daily activities and ancestral cosmovision.

We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Coyo tasting typical food prepared with local products.

Distance by Bike: 30 kilometers / 18.6 miles
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level / 7.875 feet
Intensity level: Low/Easy

Afternoon Hike. During the afternoon, we’ll head toward the Moon Valley, located in the Salt Mountain Range, which forms a natural barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Salt Flat. The hike starts at the Coyote rock, a strange rock formation and getting deep into the mountain range and it geologic forms.

We’ll hike 2 hours by the Kari George, admiring beautiful views of Atacama. The Moon is well-known due to it statuesque and rocky formations. Salt emerges to the surface, covering the surface with a dry, whitish layer that gives the place a lunar aspect.

Distance Hiking: 8 kilometers / 5 miles
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level / 7.875 feet
Intensity level: Low/Easy

Evening activity. At night we will enjoy an amazing astronomy outing. We'll spend 2 hours that starts with an astronomy lecture in a specially equipped room, followed by a naked eye star-gazing and finally, a celestial bodies telescopic observation.On our first day, you will meet our local team of professional guides at hotel. They will help you fit your bike to your satisfaction.

Morning Ride
This morning, we will have a great introductory experience to the Likan Antay culture and its way of living. We will leave the hotel by bike and ride through different ayllus. The Ayllu is an ancient type of organization and land management, created by the Altiplano people who inhabited these desert sites.

We will pass by Solcor, Sequitor & Tulor. We'll make our first stop at the archeological site Tulor, one of the oldest sites in northern Chile. Then, we will meet Wildo and his family at the Coyo ayllu, and share with his family some daily activities and ancestral cosmovision.
We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Coyo tasting typical food prepared with local products.

Distance by Bike: 30 Km
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Low/Easy

Afternoon Hike
During the afternoon, we’ll head toward the Moon Valley, located in the Salt Mountain Range, which forms a natural barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Salt Flat. The hike starts at the Coyote rock, a strange rock formation and getting deep into the mountain range and it geologic forms.

We’ll hike 2 hours by the Kari George, admiring beautiful views of Atacama. The Moon is well-known due to it statuesque and rocky formations. Salt emerges to the surface, covering the surface with a dry, whitish layer that gives the place a lunar aspect.

Distance Hiking: 8 Km
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Low/Easy

Evening activity
At night we will enjoy an amazing astronomy outing. We'll spend 2 hours that starts with an astronomy lecture in a specially equipped room, followed by a naked eye star-gazing and finally, a celestial bodies telescopic observation.

Meals: Lunch and evening cocktail
Accommodation: Noi Casa Atacama
Read more
Day 2
Day 2
Cacti Valley hike in Guatín & hot springs - Chaxa Lagoon ride
Morning Hike
After breakfast, departure from your hotel towards the North-East. The excursion starts out by ascending from the Guatín settlement surrounded by hundred-year-old cactus.
The hike begins climbing along a 820-feet slope towards the Puritama hot springs. Once we reach the hot springs, we will relax in mineral hot water and enjoy snacks.

Distance Hiking: 6,8 kilometers
Elevation: 3.600 meters above sea level
Intensity Level: Beginners-Intermediate

Afternoon Ride
In the afternoon, we will bike from San Pedro to Toconao. Upon arrival, we will visit the main Plaza, the Church and the historic Bell tower, all of them historic symbols of this town. Moreover, we will visit some vegetable gardens and sample some local wine.
Afterwards, we will continue biking towards Los Flamencos National Reserve, where the Atacama Salt Flat is located and bird watching is amazing. The Atacama salt flat is the biggest salt field in Chile and its large quantities of salt make the surface white and rough.
There, we will wait until sunset and then head back to hotel in San Pedro.

Distance by Bike: 63,7 kilometers
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Low/Easy
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Noi Casa Atacama
Read more
Day 3
Day 3
Cejar Lagoon ride - Piedra de la Coca ride & Mars Valley
Morning Ride
Today we’ll bike towards Ojos del Salar, the Tebinquinche & Cejar Lagoons, where you’ll get the change to swim, enjoying the gravitational effect caused by the amount of salt condensed, floating very easily. Your eyes will be amazed with the beautiful turquoise color of the lagoon.

Distance by bike: 40 kilometers
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Low/Easy

Afternoon Ride
After lunch, we start riding from hotel towards Catarpe Valley. We'll pedal through an ancient tunnel before starting a descent that will take us to the Piedra de la Coca, a site with petroglyphs.
We continue our excursion to the Paciencia Valley through stony grounds and on our way back we pass through the Mars Valley.

Distance by Bike: 36 kilometers
Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Intermediate
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Noi Casa Atacama
Read more
Day 4
Day 4
Bike & Hike from Guatín to Machuca & Río Grande
Today, we will experience a full day excursion combining biking & hiking. We will start biking from Guatín towards Machuca Village, starting at 3.600 meters above sea level. We will go biking uphill, passing by the intermediate gorges, rock formations until we get to the high flats where Machuca is located.
There, we will enjoy the wetlands and we will be able to appreciate different bird species.

Afterwards, we will hike along a creek to the Grande River. In this exploration, we can see fauna and typical Andean farming terraces. The path is an old caravan trail and goes alongside the river. We will stop for lunch at Peñaliri, an abandoned village and continue hiking until we reach Rio Grande a very charming and authentic village.

Distance by Bike: 22 kilometers
Distance Hiking: 16 kilometers
Elevation: 3.600 -4.000 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Intermediate
Meals: Breakfast and box Lunch
Accommodation: Noi Casa Atacama

Read more
Day 5
Day 5
El Tatio Geysers hike
Today we will enjoy a hike at the Tatio geothermal field. We will hike through abandoned shelters and native wildlife. This hike around the Copa Coya Hill to the Tatio Geysers provides unforgettable moments. The red-hued rock which the wider valley is known for turns to a dusty grey or pale orange throughout this excursion, which begins on the trails surrounding Copa Coya Hill.

The route is known to attract its fair share of on looking wildlife as you hike, including native Vizcachas, Vicuñas and an abundance of llareta plants, the longest-living in the world.

We will enjoy lunch at the geothermal field with the chance to take a bath at the thermal pools. Later, we’ll return to San Pedro de Atacama and enjoy dinner together with your local guides.

Distance Hiking: 9 kilometers
Elevation: 4.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Intermediate & Advanced
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Noi Casa Atacama
Read more
Day 6
Day 6
The Andean Villages to Alto Loa ride
Today we will leave the town of San Pedro de Atacama to discover beautiful and charming towns at the Alto Loa. We will drive towards the area of Tocorpuri, passing some wetlands and long plateaus.
We will start biking at 4.000 meters on a paved road. The road has rolling hills and amazing views to volcanoes and ravines. We will bike for about 40 kilometers descending the famous Cuesta de la Chita until we reach the town of Caspana, which is developed in an environment of agricultural crops and small livestock.

After lunch, we will continue biking alongside the Alto Loa area to get to Ayquina village and the isolated Turi Pukara, a residential and ceremonial of the Atacama culture, dating from the year 1250.
Finally, we will drive to Calama, where we will stay overnight and enjoy our farewell dinner together.

Distance Biking: 89 kilometers
Elevation: 4.400 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Intermediate & Advanced
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Farewell Dinner
Accommodation: Noi Borde Loa Hotel
Read more
Day 7
Day 7
Ride Chiu-Chiu Village & Lasana Valley - Transfer to Calama Airport
After breakfast, we will drive from the hotel towards Chiu Chiu, a village located in an oasis that in pre-Hispanic times had a large concentration of Likan Antay population and that was part of the Inca Trail.

We will start biking through Lasana Valley, until we arrive at Lasana Pukara, a well-preserved 12th century fortress with more than 100 buildings built in stone.
After visiting this archeological site, we will finally head towards Calama Airport (CJC), in order for you to catch your next flight.

End of our services.

Distance Biking: 20 kilometers
Elevation: 2.700 meters above sea level
Intensity level: Low/Easy
Meals: Breakfast
Read more

Day 1

Los Ayllus ride - Hike in Moon Valley - Star-gazing at night

On the first day of our bike and hike tour, our local team will meet you at La Casa de Don Tomas Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama at 9am. They will brief you on the adventure ahead and answer any questions you may have.

We will start building bikes and fitting rental bikes, ready for our first ride on the Atacama Desert!

Morning Ride. This morning, we will have a great introductory experience to the Likan Antay culture and its way of living. We will leave the hotel by bike and ride through different ayllus. The Ayllu is an ancient type of organization and land management, created by the Altiplano people who inhabited these desert sites.

We will pass by Solcor, Sequitor & Tulor. We'll make our first stop at the archeological site Tulor, one of the oldest sites in northern Chile. Then, we will meet Wildo and his family at the Coyo ayllu, and share with his family some daily activities and ancestral cosmovision.

We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Coyo tasting typical food prepared with local products.

Distance by Bike: 30 kilometers / 18.6 miles

Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level / 7.875 feet

Intensity level: Low/Easy

Afternoon Hike. During the afternoon, we’ll head toward the Moon Valley, located in the Salt Mountain Range, which forms a natural barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Salt Flat. The hike starts at the Coyote rock, a strange rock formation and getting deep into the mountain range and it geologic forms.

We’ll hike 2 hours by the Kari George, admiring beautiful views of Atacama. The Moon is well-known due to it statuesque and rocky formations. Salt emerges to the surface, covering the surface with a dry, whitish layer that gives the place a lunar aspect.

Distance Hiking: 8 kilometers / 5 miles

Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level / 7.875 feet

Intensity level: Low/Easy

Evening activity. At night we will enjoy an amazing astronomy outing. We'll spend 2 hours that starts with an astronomy lecture in a specially equipped room, followed by a naked eye star-gazing and finally, a celestial bodies telescopic observation.On our first day, you will meet our local team of professional guides at hotel. They will help you fit your bike to your satisfaction.

Morning Ride

This morning, we will have a great introductory experience to the Likan Antay culture and its way of living. We will leave the hotel by bike and ride through different ayllus. The Ayllu is an ancient type of organization and land management, created by the Altiplano people who inhabited these desert sites.

We will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Coyo tasting typical food prepared with local products.

Distance by Bike: 30 Km

Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level

Intensity level: Low/Easy

Afternoon Hike

During the afternoon, we’ll head toward the Moon Valley, located in the Salt Mountain Range, which forms a natural barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Salt Flat. The hike starts at the Coyote rock, a strange rock formation and getting deep into the mountain range and it geologic forms.

Distance Hiking: 8 Km

Elevation: 2.400 meters above sea level

Intensity level: Low/Easy

Evening activity

At night we will enjoy an amazing astronomy outing. We'll spend 2 hours that starts with an astronomy lecture in a specially equipped room, followed by a naked eye star-gazing and finally, a celestial bodies telescopic observation.

Meals: Lunch and evening cocktail

Accommodation: Noi Casa Atacama

Our self-guided bike tour around Lago Llanquihue was truly the trip of a lifetime. The bike ride itself offered challenging hills, varied terrain (beaches, countryside, small towns, forests, etc), and incredible lake and volcano views the whole time. We also very much enjoyed biking up to the waterfalls and Lago Todos los Santos, where we took a boat across the river for a fun lunch. The accommodations (Casa Ayacara, Entre Volcanes Lodge, and Hotel Awa) were all great in different ways, and everyone was extremely friendly. We also enjoyed the food and restaurants in the region a lot as well. From a logistics standpoint, the RideWithGPS maps were very helpful and the luggage transport service was always on time and reliable. We arrived to each hotel after biking to find our bags had already been moved into our room, which was so nice. Caitlin with Amity Tours was SO SO helpful in making this trip as incredible as it was. She helped us by suggesting an itinerary, and then listening to what we wanted and making adjustments and customizations to the trip to make it absolutely perfect. I cannot thank her enough for helping us think through every little detail. A few of the great things she did was help us book a private hot tub experience at Cancagua Day Spa near Fruitillar (which was a highlight of our trip, for sure) as well as adjust our itinerary to allow us to lodge in a different area and have a dedicated bike day to go to the waterfalls/Lago Todos los Santos. She was patient, flexible, understanding, professional, and, above all, absolutely nailed it! Thanks Caitlin!

By Patrick K for Megan & Patrick's Milestone Birthday Adventure! on Feb 18, 2024

we had great food, met wonderful people, and learned a lot and kept safe by our enthusiastic guides.

By Gail H N for (2) 6-Day Patagonia Experience in Torres del Paine Gail on Dec 24, 2023

Even though concerned about the lack of internet, this made the experience even better! The standard dome was a bit chilly but so comfortable once in the well blanketed bed. The yoga was a great addition and the food couldn't have been better. I liked the choice of activities every day and loved the guides. Great trip!

By Betsy B for 6-Day Patagonia Experience in Torres del Paine Betsy Barrett on Dec 23, 2023

The Eco Domes are fantastic. We had a Superior Suite Dome which was large with lots of storage. It had both a wood stove and a bathroom heater. The bed was very comfortable. The food at Eco Camp is plentiful and delicious. Our guides were great--so knowledgeable about Chile and the local flora and fauna. Lots of little surprises each day. It was great having a yoga option. The logistics of getting to and from Eco Camp were perfect. Highly recommend this trip.

By Joan S for 6-Day Patagonia Experience in Torres del Paine Joan and Robert on Dec 22, 2023

Thanks for a great Chilean hiking trip. We enjoyed every minute of it. David was a wonderful guide. He was very knowledgeable about the areas we hiked, always organized, and took us through all that the volcanoes had to offer……Wind, rain, snow, sun, and some amazing views. A big thank you to Eduardo our driver for safely getting us to and from all our hikes. It was an excellent few days of hikes, delicious food, beautiful accommodations and fun with David and Eduardo.