Top North Chile Archaeology Tours

See a different side of the Atacama Desert on a private archaeological tour that explores the lesser-known ancient villages of Tulor and Pukará de Quitor. A guide sheds more light on the region's pre-Columbian history than you’d get if walking through the ruins alone, while opting for a private tour ensures undivided attention and a relaxed pace.

We will go through great mysteries of the area that the Archaeological remains show us on the slopes that enclose this transversal valley where for thousands of years Andean men descended towards the coast. We will visit important geoglyphs and also the famous "Archaeological Museum of Azapa", where the Mummies of the Chinchorro Culture stand out, approximately 10,000 years old, the oldest in the world.

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.

The Atacama Desert is one of the largest and driest deserts on earth and it's a top destination in Chile thanks to arresting ancient landscapes. On this half-day tour, explore a desert highlight called the Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna). Once located under the ocean, this landscape has been sculpted by water, wind, and time to create sloping dunes, caves, and rock formations. The scenery is even more dramatic in the evening light as the sun sets at the end of this tour.

Immerse yourself in the history of Chile as you explore Iquique and its surroundings. Visit the UNESCO-listed Humberstone town which was once a booming nitrate extraction site, observe the local flora and fauna, see the petroglyphs carved into the mountain slopes, and visit the salt-mining desert town of Salar Grande. This tour is great for those interested in learning about the history, culture, and daily life of northern Chile.

This 4-day tour of the Atacama Desert takes the planning and guesswork out of exploring the region’s highlights. Your guide accompanies you to the otherworldly landscape and salt caves at Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), vibrantly colored red rock formations Chaxa Lagoon, and off-the-beaten-track sites that you might miss on your own. All transportation is included with daily hotel pickup and drop-off, so you can choose your own accommodation and meals to suit your tastes.

Visit one of the highlights of the Atacama Desert in a more intimate way on this small-group tour. Venture into the Rainbow Valley and marvel at the shades on the surrounding hills: red, brown, green, white, yellow and sky blue colors. Add historical and cultural value to the experience by visiting the Yerbas Buenas petroglyphs, where the local people left an important relic of their culture.

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.

The Atacama highlands are home to otherworldly natural attractions such as salt flats, wetlands, and a caldera—but this rugged and high-altitude region is best explored with a guide and a reliable, 4WD-equipped vehicle. Ideal for adventure seekers not looking to skimp on safety, this full-day, small-group tour of the Salt Route takes in the highlights with breakfast, guiding, and hotel transfers included.

Come to Atacama, the driest desert in the world and discover this mystical place, its stunning beauty and natural wonders. Not recommended for people suffering high blood pressure, heart failure, asthma, or other similar ailments, for whom visiting places above 4,000 meters (13,123 ft.) of altitude may present a health risk (the tour is done mostly above 4,000 meters of altitude, even reaching 4,300 meters (14,307 ft.) of altitude one of the days of the tour). No allowed for pregnant women.

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.