Atacama Lagoons & Salt Flats Tours
Atacama lagoons and salt flats tours split into two very different days, and the difference is altitude. The lagoon tours split into two very different days. The altiplano run — Piedras Rojas, Miscanti, Miñiques, Laguna Chaxa — is ten to twelve hours and takes you to 4,200 m, where the colour comes from minerals and the air is thin enough to notice. The salt lagoons closer to town — Cejar, Baltinache — are half-days where you float in water dense enough to hold you up. All of it sits inside our Atacama Desert tours catalog.
The Tours We Compare
Every one of these 6 tours was checked on 2026-08-06: price, rating, review count and operator read from the tour's booking-platform listing. The main button on each card opens our own page for that tour; "Check Availability" goes to the platform that takes the booking.
Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons Full-Day
The tour Atacama veterans call their favorite: Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons at 4,200 m, the red rocks of Salar de Talar and flamingos at Laguna Chaxa.
- Category
- Landscape & Nature Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Ruta Chile
- Booked via
- GetYourGuide
“We got to see different natural areas of the Atacama, and the team prepared a delicious breakfast and lunch. The guide gave very interesting explanations about the places we visited.” — Sofiia
Booking, payment and cancellation are handled by GetYourGuide. Price checked 2026-08-06.
Piedras Rojas Day & Night + Stargazing Combo
A 13-hour marathon: Piedras Rojas and the altiplanic lagoons by day, telescopes under the world’s clearest sky by night.
- Category
- Stargazing Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Owner Experience 🟣
- Booked via
- GetYourGuide
“It was an amazing experience with an amazing tour guide. Andrea was very knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed all the sites! Highly recommend!” — Anibal
Booking, payment and cancellation are handled by GetYourGuide. Price checked 2026-08-06.
Baltinache Lagoons Magic Bus Tour
Seven hidden salt lagoons in the Cordillera de la Sal aboard a retro “magic bus” — float in Dead Sea-level salinity far from the crowds.
- Category
- Landscape & Nature Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Owner Experience 🟣
- Booked via
- GetYourGuide
“Excellent day and trip all day. Alex was excellent, very knowledgeable, great secret spots, awesome food and even better taste in music!!” — Ricardo
Booking, payment and cancellation are handled by GetYourGuide. Price checked 2026-08-06.
Cejar Lagoon Float & Salar Tour
Float effortlessly in a 28%-salinity sinkhole lake in the Salar de Atacama, then Ojos del Salar and sunset at Tebenquiche lagoon.
- Category
- Landscape & Nature Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Whipala Expedition
- Booked via
- GetYourGuide
“Amazing tour! The lagoon was lovely to swim in and amazing to float! The snack was very filling and so amazing we didn't need to buy dinner afterwards.” — Suzannah
Booking, payment and cancellation are handled by GetYourGuide. Price checked 2026-08-06.
Piedras Rojas, Altiplanic Lagoons & Chaxa Full-Day Tour
Ten hours across the altiplano to Piedras Rojas, the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons and the flamingos of Laguna Chaxa, with both entrance tickets and two meals…
- Category
- Landscape & Nature Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Puka Rumi Travel Agency
- Booked via
- Viator
Booking, payment and cancellation are handled by Viator. Price checked 2026-08-06.
Ruta de los Salares Full-Day Salt Flats Tour
Seven hours along the salt-flat route east of San Pedro — Salar de Pujsa, Quisquiro and Aguas Calientes, the Pacana Monks and a Licancabur viewpoint —…
- Category
- Landscape & Nature Tours
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Puka Rumi Travel Agency
- Booked via
- Viator
Booking, payment and cancellation are handled by Viator. Price checked 2026-08-06.
Compared Side by Side
The lines that actually change the decision: what you pay, how long it takes, how high it goes, who pays the park fee, and who runs it.
| Tour | From | Duration | Book | Max altitude | Entrance fees | Pickup | Cancellation | Operator | Traveler rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons Full-Day | $85 | 10 hours | Details | 4,200 m at the Miscanti and Miñiq… | About 29,000 CLP per person — included in the price | Hotel pickup in San Pedro; drop-o… | Free cancellation 24h | Ruta Chile | 4.7/5 (757) |
| Piedras Rojas Day & Night + Stargazing Combo | $45 | 3 - 13 hours | Details | About 4,200 m at the Miscanti and… | Included — Piedras Rojas, altiplano lagoons and Lag… | Hotel pickup in San Pedro; exact… | Free cancellation 24h | Owner Experience 🟣 | 5/5 (3) |
| Baltinache Lagoons Magic Bus Tour | $69 | 4 hours | Details | Not confirmed | Park admission included | Round-trip transport; exact picku… | Free cancellation 24h | Owner Experience 🟣 | 5/5 (3) |
| Cejar Lagoon Float & Salar Tour | $38 | 4 hours | Details | Not confirmed | 20,000 CLP per person NOT included — the operator r… | Meet at Tocopilla 418A, central S… | Free cancellation 24h | Whipala Expedition | 4.6/5 (49) |
| Piedras Rojas, Altiplanic Lagoons & Chaxa Full-Day Tour | $112 | 10 hours | Details | About 4,200 m at the altiplano la… | Included — Piedras Rojas 15,000 CLP and Laguna Chax… | Pickup offered from San Pedro de… | Free cancellation 24h | Puka Rumi Travel Agency | 4.9/5 (566) |
| Ruta de los Salares Full-Day Salt Flats Tour | $71 | 7 hours | Details | Not confirmed | None — every stop on this route is free to enter | Pickup offered; otherwise meet at… | Free cancellation 24h | Puka Rumi Travel Agency | 4.9/5 (124) |
Entrance fees are the line that changes the ranking. Each figure above is what the operator states on its own listing; park prices are set by CONAF and the local communities, not by us, and they move. Check the fee at checkout.
How to Choose
Altitude separates the two groups
Piedras Rojas and the altiplano lagoons sit at 4,200 m. Cejar and Baltinache are near the valley floor. If you have just arrived in San Pedro, do the low ones first and give yourself two nights before going up.
Entrance fees vary from included to substantial
The full-day Piedras Rojas tour folds about 29,000 CLP of fees into the price. Laguna Cejar does the opposite: 20,000 CLP is not included and the operator wants it paid twelve hours before departure. That is a real 20,000 CLP swing between two tours that look similarly priced.
Floating has rules
The salt lagoons ask for biodegradable sunscreen or none at all, and a rinse afterwards — the salt crust is unpleasant when it dries. Bring a swimsuit, a towel and flip-flops; almost none of these tours supply them.
Best Option by Traveler Type
The full altiplano day
Best for: Landscape photographers
The Piedras Rojas full-day tour runs ten hours to 4,200 m with about 29,000 CLP of park fees and two meals included.
Piedras Rojas & Altiplanic Lagoons Full-DayRed rocks by day, stars by night
Best for: Travellers short on days
The day-and-night combo adds a telescope session to the same altiplano circuit. Priced by option.
Piedras Rojas Day & Night + Stargazing ComboHalf a day, floating
Best for: Anyone acclimatising
The Baltinache hidden lagoons and Laguna Cejar are four-hour trips near the valley floor.
Baltinache Lagoons Magic Bus TourPlanning Guides
Background reading that applies to every tour on this page.
Atacama Lagoons & Salt Flats Tours: Common Questions
Which Atacama lagoon can you swim in?
Laguna Cejar and the Baltinache lagoons. Both are salt lagoons dense enough to float in without effort. The altiplano lagoons — Miscanti, Miñiques, Chaxa — are protected and closed to swimming.
How high are the altiplano lagoons?
About 4,200 m at Miscanti and Miñiques. That is high enough that the operators recommend acclimatising in San Pedro first, and several exclude travellers with heart or blood-pressure conditions outright.
Are entrance fees included in lagoon tours?
It depends entirely on the tour, and the difference is large. The full-day Piedras Rojas trip includes about 29,000 CLP of fees; the Laguna Cejar tour excludes a 20,000 CLP ticket and asks for it twelve hours in advance. The comparison table above lists each one.
What should I bring to a salt lagoon tour?
Swimwear, a towel, flip-flops, biodegradable sunscreen and drinking water. The salt dries hard on skin and hair, so a rinse afterwards matters more than you expect.