Top La Serena How to Get Around in 2026

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.

Get up close to Chile’s coastal wildlife on this full-day tour from La Serena, including hotel pick-up. Drive past vibrant fields of desert wildflowers (depending on the season), then cruise around the windswept Gull, Choros and Damas islands. After spotting bottlenose dolphins, sea lions and penguins at the Humboldt Penguins National Reserve, tuck into a delicious seafood lunch (included), then spend time relaxing on the islands’ white sand beaches.

We offer the perfect blend of astrotourism and tastings with local flavors. You can do this experience just with your group, that way you will have a totally private and personalized experience.

Effortlessly explore the Elqui Valley without the logistical overwhelm, on a full-day tour from La Serena. Learn about the people who have called the region home, from Indigenous peoples to a Nobel Prize winner, visit a wine cellar to taste high-altitude wines, learn about the region's pisco-making heritage, and enjoy a hearty homestyle lunch.

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 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.

Avoid the hassle of navigating remote mountain roads at night and enjoy a stress-free experience of northern Chile’s world-famous dark skies. This small-group astronomy experience at Pangue Observatory provides telescope viewing far from light pollution and 4,265 feet (1,300) meters) above sea level. Learn about planets, galaxies, and constellations while enjoying an immersive experience that thrills for novices and astronomy enthusiasts alike.

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.

Discover a unique phenomenon: a Valdivian forest that survives in a semi-arid climate thanks to the mysterious "camanchaca" fog. Fray Jorge National Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, is a true oasis of biodiversity. Walk along trails surrounded by nature, breathe fresh air, and marvel at the views.

More than a wellness activity, this is a deeply personal immersion into the natural rhythms of the Elqui Valley. Every experience is thoughtfully adapted to each guest and shared exclusively with one or two people, creating space for genuine presence, reflection and rest. Rather than following a scripted routine, you'll experience practices that have become part of Loreto's own journey, gently woven together with the silence, landscapes and ancestral spirit of the Andes. Here, nature is not simply observed—it becomes an essential part of the experience.

We will arrive at one of the most beautiful and fascinating coastlines and marine reserves in Chile, possessing one of the sites with the greatest diversity of marine species, islands, resources, and geographies: "the borders of the Green North of Coquimbo, the Atacama Desert, and the bloom of the Humboldt Current." We will travel through the ancient coastal mountain range, crossing enigmatic and attractive natural spaces, historical sites, pre-Columbian settlements, and refuges controlled by feared descendants of the Changos indigenous people and pirates until we reach the paradise of fishermen, divers, and navigators in the sea-lion leather rafts, the most experienced of Chilean prehistory "Los Changos, Choros and Camanchacas." We will navigate the island Chañaral de Aceituno, the largest in the Humboldt Penguin Reserve and in Northern Chile, to see its surprising and varied fauna of cormorants, petrels, puffins, albatrosses, seagulls, vultures, otters, dolphins, whales, and penguins that live in cacti.

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 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.

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.

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!