What is it in a nutshell?
A fully bespoke private tented camp set up privately for you and your group in one or more locations among the landscapes surrounding San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile. Equal parts raw adventure and refined hospitality, this experience draws guests deep into one of the planet’s most extraordinary environments. You’ll explore varied desert terrains with private guides before returning each evening to a well-furnished camp and delicious food in an isolated, pristine location.
Is it for me?
Designed for adventurous, culturally curious travellers who are unwilling to sacrifice comfort for remoteness, this experience suits families and groups of friends particularly well. Every aspect is arranged entirely on request, with a dedicated private guide(s) and vehicle(s) providing complete flexibility from start to finish.
Details of your luxury Atacama Desert stay
Desert in motion
Mountain biking between the Andes and the salt flats, floating in salt lagoons, soaking in geothermal hot springs – actively explore the Atacama’s varied terrain at your own pace rather than observe it from a distance.
Culture and artistry
The experience connects guests with the people who have long called the Atacama home. Private pottery and textile workshops with local masters offer an unhurried, intimate encounter with the region’s living artistic traditions.
Reading the sky
Stargazing sessions through the camp’s telescope bring together contemporary scientific understanding and the cosmovision and star myths of the Inca, with sessions led by a combination of local specialists and world-class astronomers.
A chef in the desert
A renowned local chef hosts a pop-up dinner beneath the open desert sky, drawing on the distinct regional produce and flavours of the Atacama in one of the most singular dining settings imaginable.
Sleep under canvas
Each five-metre tent is properly furnished with king or twin beds, a lounge area and a private outdoor bathroom complete with flushing toilet, hot-running-water shower and dual mirrors. The camp is positioned well beyond towns and roads, in carefully chosen locations selected for natural darkness and an unmediated sense of wilderness.
Planning your Holiday to Chile and the Atacama Desert
How long will I need?
We recommend spending one to three nights at your private desert camp. A single night offers a genuine introduction to desert immersion, while two or three nights allow guests to move through a broader range of terrain and settle into a deeper sense of remoteness. Those who extend their stay invariably feel it was the right decision.
When’s the best time to visit the Atacama Desert?
April through to December provides the best conditions to visit. Among the driest environments on Earth, the Atacama rarely sees rainfall at any point in the year, but January to March can bring cloud cover that obscures the night skies. For the clearest, darkest stargazing, the months outside that window are strongly recommended.
How to travel responsibly and sustainably?
The camp is fully mobile and operates on a leave-no-trace basis, so the landscapes you move through remain entirely undisturbed.
Where does it fit into my wider travels?
This experience pairs naturally with the rest of Chile and, for guests with an appetite for further adventure, an extension into the surreal altiplano landscapes of north-west Argentina.
Start planning your bespoke Chile adventure
Our experts are on hand to discuss your travel plans. Get in touch with our Latin America specialists to start planning.
Looking for more Chile inspiration? Take a look at our expert-curated ‘Wings over Patagonia’ itinerary featuring a pioneering seaplane journey through Patagonian Chile.
(Camp images courtesy of Extraordinary Atacama)
