San Pedro de Atacama’s Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) is one of the most popular and touristy things to see in the Atacama Desert. We were truly blown away by the unique landscape that looked as though it belonged on another planet or only in the movies. Now, you can visit the alien-like terrain as part of an organized tour, by hiring a car or by renting a bike. We’re always down for adventure, so we chose the latter.
In this guide we show you how to explore Valle de la Luna by bike, based on our experiences.
Our Experience
We spent 4 days in San Pedro de Atacama as part of our 10-week journey through South America. We’d just finished hiking the W Trek in Patagonia and spent a few days relaxing in Santiago, before flying high into the dry Chilean desert. Staying at the same altitude for a few days to acclimatize was important, so we planned to visit the Valley of the Moon the first morning after we arrived.
We met another couple at breakfast in our hotel and together we all decided to explore Valle de la Luna by bike. It was the Atacama Desert, so adventure was the name of the game! After picking up our bikes, we hit the road and quickly arrived at the entrance. We paid, filled up our water bottles and spent the next 4 hours exploring. Read more about us.
Bike, Car Or Tour?
The first thing you need to decide is the means of transport that works best for you. Throughout this guide we’re going to show you what to expect if you rent a bike to see Valle de la Luna, but just so you know early on, there are pros and cons. It’s crucial to know you can also visit independently if you hire a car and you can visit as part of a paid tour group.
Here’s what you should do if cycling doesn’t sound like the right fit after reading this guide:
Car hire – Make sure you hire from Calama El Loa airport (where you’ll land) because they have lots of typical rental car agencies. We recommend comparing prices on both Rental Cars and Discovercars to find the cheapest option. Type “Calama El Loa Airport” and input your dates. You can then drive through the valley any time during opening hours.
Tour – Every other building in San Pedro is a tour agency, so you can book in person when you arrive. We booked a stargazing tour and a one-way Bolivia salt flats tour to Uyuni at different agencies in San Pedro, so they are legit. Or you can book this tour of the valley in advance through a well known operator. Most tours into the valley begin around 4:00pm and stay for sunset.
Important Safety Information
Okay, let’s get back to cycling. Here are the key things you need to know about riding into the Valley of the Moon by bike:
- The entire cycling route is totally exposed from start to finish
- There are rarely any clouds in the sky year round
- November-March has the hottest temperatures
- You must take lots of water and wear sunscreen
- You can fill water bottles at the entrance and Duna Mayor
- Helmets are vital because the terrain is uneven
- Eating is not allowed after you enter the valley
- You can’t buy any food on site
- Only water and energy drinks can be purchased
- You can’t stray from designated footpaths
- Valle de la Luna is open 9:00am-6:00pm
San Pedro de Atacama and Valle de la Luna are around 8,000 ft above sea level, so it might take you a day or two to get used to the altitude. High elevation exercise can be seriously dangerous when combined with heat and complete exposure. Please only attempt to cycle into the valley if you’re in good shape and you prepare properly. We don’t want to put you off, we just want to make sure you stay safe!
What do others think? The valley has a 4.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor and a 4.6/5 rating on Google, but most of those reviews were left by people who took tours. Find reviews left by people who cycled for a more accurate representation.
Bike Rentals In San Pedro
There are a few bike rental agencies in San Pedro de Atacama, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding bikes. It’s important to try out all bikes before you agree to pay for them. We hired ours from Ciclo Aventura Atacama, here’s the Google Maps location. They have a 5/5 rating on Google and we had absolutely no issues with them.
The bikes were in good order, the helmets were solid and they were friendly. They had options to hire for 6, 12 and 24 hours. We turned up as they opened at 8:30am, paid for 6 hour rentals and we were away by 8:40am. It must have been around 1:30pm by the time we returned the bikes, so we were well within the 6 hours. Overall, the whole process was nice and easy.
It might seem like a good idea to rent bikes the night before you plan to visit Valle de la Luna so you can get an early start and beat the heat. But you can’t enter the touristy area until they open the gates at 9:00am. So it’s not worth paying the extra money to rent bikes for longer, unless you also plan to use them to cycle to other places like Valle de la Muerte.
Cycling To Valle De La Luna
It’s only about 5.7km (3.5 miles) from downtown San Pedro de Atacama to the Valle de la Luna information building at the entrance. There are several routes you can take, but we recommend heading west out of town on B-241 and then south on Ruta 23 because the tarmac roads are actually in pretty good shape. Here’s the route.
If you go for a shorter route heading south through town you’ll end up on narrow dusty roads. They will be quieter in terms of traffic, but they will also take longer and be less comfortable.
From the entrance building, it’s all uneven gravel roads and uphill climbs. We won’t lie, it’s not the easiest route to cycle. You might have to get off and push up a few hills, then on the way back you need to be careful going downhill. The good news is that the terrain around you is transfixing from the moment you arrive, so it takes your mind off feeling tired.
Paying To Enter
It costs US $14 (around 13,000 Chilean Pesos) per adult to enter Valle de la Luna when visited independently. Child (11-17) and senior (60+) tickets cost US $7 (around 6,500 Chilean Pesos). Note: Prices have changed significantly since we visited.
There are two different ways you can pay entry fees:
- In advance – Buy entry tickets online at this official website with debit/credit or PayPal.
- In person – Buy tickets when you arrive at the entrance building (card only, no cash).
Some of the reviews online say that they had issues paying with card in person at the entrance building due to postal codes not being accepted or cards requiring confirmation from banks back home. Therefore, the safer option to guarantee entry is to book online.
Walkthrough: Our Valle De La Luna Bike Trip
Now, let’s walk through our Valley of the Moon experience so you know what to expect:
Entrance Building
It took us around 20 minutes to reach the entrance building from town, so we arrived around 9:00am. It was a hot day in February and the sun was already beating down on us. We stopped to pay (it was cheaper a few years ago when we did it), fill up our water bottles and check for any safety issues. We also brought snacks and were told we couldn’t eat inside, so we ate everything before entering.
Caberna de Sal
The first stop was a salt cavern which was around 4.7km (2.9 miles) from the entrance. We noticed a small structure and a sign stating that the salt cavern was closed due to a recent flash flood, so we couldn’t see it. When you visit, you’ll walk up a sandy area to the right side of the road, which leads to salty rocks with narrow cracks. Inside, you can hear the salt crackling.
Duna Mayor
After another 1.8km (1.1 miles) with some steep uphill sections, we arrived at the Major Dune. It had a parking area, a toilet, a water fill station and a place to lock our bikes up. We followed little red arrows leading up a snaking path until reaching our first real wow moment at a rocky summit on top of the dune. Despite being called Valley of the Moon, the amazing amphitheater view looked more like Mars.
Valle de la Luna Amphitheater
We hopped back on the bikes and cycled along a straight and flat road cutting the amphitheater in half. Being inside the bowl-shaped terrain was a cool experience, but the photos weren’t as good as they were from elevated positions. We also had a few trucks and cars go blazing by us here so we had to be careful.
Mirador Achaches
After 1.5km (0.9 miles) we locked our bikes up at another parking area and hiked up a sandy trail to reach Achaches Viewpoint. It was tough going because the heat was really picking up but it was well worth it for the incredible summit views. We could see the 5,916m tall Licancabur along with other snow capped volcanoes on the distant horizon.
Mina Victoria
It’s important to note here that we’d seen the best of the terrain and it only got worse from here. Only continue if you feel good and you really want to see everything else. We did jump back on our bikes and cycle 1.2km (0.7 miles) down to Victoria Mine, but we wished we hadn’t because there wasn’t really anything there. It added a lot of distance and elevation, plus it was getting hot.
Las Tres Marias
We turned back at the mine because the sun was evaporating us and turning us into salt to add to the salty environment. But if you continue here, after another 1.8km (1.1 miles) you’ll reach The Three Marias. It used to be a unique formation with three small and narrow eroded rocks sticking up, but there’s only two left. If you’ve ever been to Utah or Arizona, you certainly don’t need to see it!
The Return Journey
It’s 17km (10.5 miles) back to San Pedro if you go all the way to The Three Marias. Plus, the first part of that ride heading back up to Mirador Achaches is uphill. But if you turn around at Mirador Achaches it’s only 14km (8.7 miles) back to San Pedro and it’s mostly downhill. It’s up to you, but from experience we advise turning around after hiking up to Achaches Viewpoint.
Cycling Route Map
Click or touch the map below to activate. Zoom in and out, move around the map and you’ll see the locations for bike hire, entrance building and attractions inside the valley. We recommend clicking on the “view larger map” icon in the top right to expand the map because it’s much easier to see.
Map key:
- Purple – San Pedro bike rental
- Orange – Valley entrance
- Blue – Valley attractions
We’ve also included cycling directions between the bike rental spot in San Pedro to all attractions inside the valley. Follow it exactly for the easiest and most comfortable experience.
Best Time To Visit
Valle de la Luna is busiest during the hottest part of the year from November through March when most tourists travel around South America. You’re more likely to share the roads and viewpoints with lots of people if you visit in peak season, and the heat can play a major role with your safety. On the other hand, if you visit during Chile’s winter season it will be cool and quiet.
We visited Valley of the Moon in February and it was exactly what we expected. Hot, exposed and hard work. It wasn’t as busy as we thought it might be, but maybe that’s because many of the tour groups didn’t arrive until later in the afternoon.
In warmer months it’s important you arrive as it opens or leave it until much later in the day. We wanted to avoid the worst part of the day, so we arrived first thing and ended up making it back to San Pedro by 1:30pm. Any longer and we’d have been struggling.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: The landscape really was amazing. And going independently by bike gave us complete control and flexibility over how long we stayed at each stop. The bikes were also a very affordable and fun way to explore.
What we don’t like: The heat, altitude and exposure made for tough conditions. It should open earlier so visitors can beat the heat, and the road could be in better condition after entering.
Is Valle de la Luna worth it? Yes, it’s definitely worth visiting Valle de la Luna either by tour, car or bike because the terrain is astounding. Hiring bikes is an adventurous way to experience one of the top attractions in the Atacama Desert, while keeping costs down.
More From Chile
We hope our guide to visiting Valle de la Luna by bike helps with planning your visit to Chile!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.
Thank you so much for this! It’s been many years (1992) since I was in San Pedro de Atacama, and I wanted to include this fabulous location in one of my upcoming books. Your blog has given me details I wouldn’t otherwise be able to add to my story.
As I write, if I have any questions regarding details of landscape, etc, would you be open to answering them?
Thanks again for the great blog
Hi Michelle, we’re so happy you found our guide useful! San Pedro de Atacama would be such an interesting location for a book and we wish you the best of luck. Reach out whenever you need if you have any more questions
OMG, thank you so much! I will definitely take you up on the offer.
My questions will be on little practical details, like where the bike rack is located in the Valle de la Luna. The smells and atmosphere of the place. How easy it was to escape the crowds. That kind of stuff. I hope this is ok? If so, I’ll definitely message with some fact-checking questions when I’m ready And I’ll definitely include a thank you to you both in my acknowledgements!
Michelle xx
Of course and we’re happy to help! Just send us an email whenever you’re ready!