Top La Serena Day Trips

This experience stands out by offering a boutique stargazing journey in the Elqui Valley, one of the best places in the world for astronomy thanks to its exceptionally clear skies. Unlike large observatories with crowded groups, this tour takes place in a private and peaceful setting, allowing for a more personal and immersive connection with the night sky. Guided by an expert, you will explore stars, planets, and deep space objects through professional telescopes in a relaxed and intimate environment. The experience also includes astrophotography, giving you the opportunity to capture unforgettable moments under one of the clearest skies on Earth.

Set out from Coquimbo port on a private sightseeing tour of La Serena, known for both its historic architecture and exquisite beaches. Visit some of the city's stone-built churches as well as its Archaeological Museum, exhibiting artifacts from Easter Island's Rapanui culture. Continue onto La Serena Lighthouse en route to Coquimbo city, another place known for its white sands as well as seafaring traditions. After lunch stop by the Cross of the Third Millennium and Guayacan, a neighborhood rich in copper smelting history. This shore excursion includes round-trip transport.

Discover one of northern Chile’s top nature experiences without hassle of organizing logistics yourself. This tour to the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve from La Serena takes you past the islands of Gaviotas, Choros, and Damas while watching for penguins, dolphins, sea lions, and otters. On Isla Damas, you can walk across white-sand beaches for a closer look at its desert flora and dramatic landscapes.

This tour stands out by offering a complete and immersive journey through the Elqui Valley, one of Chile’s most scenic and culturally rich destinations. From breathtaking mountain landscapes to charming traditional villages, you will experience the true essence of the region in a single day. Unlike standard tours, this experience combines culture, gastronomy, and local traditions, including visits to a pisco distillery and a high-altitude winery, where you will enjoy guided tastings of regional products. The journey also includes a traditional lunch in the heart of the valley, allowing you to connect with the flavors and lifestyle of northern Chile. With a well-balanced itinerary, comfortable transportation, and expert guidance, this tour is perfect for travelers looking to discover the Elqui Valley in a deeper and more authentic way.

This private tour offers a total immersion in the culture, flavors and mysteries of the Elqui Valley. Its unique value lies in: Exclusivity : Being 100% private, you enjoy each stop at your own pace with a dedicated guide, without the rush of massive tours. Sensory Contrasts: We combine relaxation in lavender fields, a premium pisco tasting in Capel and the tasting of exclusive organic wines at Cavas del Valle. Sustainable Gastronomy: Lunch at Villa Seca, sampling typical dishes cooked slowly using only the energy of the Elquin sun. Stories and Riddles: We visited Gualliguaica, the historic town relocated by the Puclaro Reservoir, and the UFO Lookout of Paihuano, to discover the details of the famous "Chilean Rosewell". A route designed to live the true magic of the valley!

Explore Chile's lush Elqui Valley on a private shore excursion from your La Serena port of call. Set out for this stunning region where the bulk of Chilean pisco is produced, stopping first at Puclaro, an artificial reservoir offerings spectacular views of the area. Next tour a pisco factory, learn about the distillation process of this national spirit and enjoy a sampling or two before continuing on to Vicuña, the birthtown of poet Gabriela Mistral. Peruse the Gabriela Mistral museum, then enjoy lunch in Villaseca before returning to port.

The Elqui Valley is the most valuable cultural and mountain destination in Chile, creator of the most emblematic cultural treasures of our country. Its illuminated atmosphere allowed the creation and development of various cultural practices that make it a dream destination for those seeking relaxation, inspiration, cosmic connection and advanced knowledge about Chile's cultural heritage. Its beautiful geography welcomed ancient indigenous peoples, churches and hacienda houses of the first conquerors surrounded by pyramidal mountains full of minerals, energy and a transparent atmosphere, propagated tropical, desert and Mediterranean crops and the oldest wine and pisco cellars in the country. You will discover the art of the Diaguitas, the legacy of the Incas, the origins of Chilean and Argentine wine, the advanced astronomical observatories and the places that inspired mystics and the first female Nobel Prize winner for literature in Latin America, Gabriela Mistral.

Discover one of northern Chile’s most-important archaeological landscapes in the company of a guide who brings its ancient stories to life and explains the meanings behind the mysterious petroglyphs. This guided tour from La Serena takes your through the Valle del Encanto provides insights into the pre-Columbian Molle culture that you'd likely miss visiting on your own.

This experience stands out by offering one of the best opportunities in Chile to observe fin whales, the second largest animal on Earth, in their natural habitat. Located in the remote and protected waters of Chañaral de Aceituno, this tour takes you far from crowded tourist areas and into a unique marine ecosystem where wildlife thrives. With a high probability of sightings during the season, you may encounter not only whales, but also dolphins, seabirds, and other marine species. Combined with a scenic journey through the coastal desert and a visit to a traditional fishing village, this experience offers a rare and unforgettable connection with Chile’s wild nature.