Valle de la Luna: Sunset Tour or Ride There Yourself?
4 min read
Take a guided tour if you want the sunset at the Kari viewpoint without arranging tickets and transport; go alone only by car, because bicycles are admitted in the morning only. Valle de la Luna is part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, and Sernatur calls sunset the best time to see it, when the rock turns violet, red and gold.
Getting there on your own
According to Sernatur the valley lies 13 km west of San Pedro on the road to Calama (another section of the same page says 15 km), about 15 minutes by car or 40 minutes by bicycle. It tells visitors to check the time of last entry and to bring plenty of water and sun protection, and it links to the valley’s official website. That site gives the hours: from September to March, bicycles enter only between 9 and 11 am and cars between 9 am and 5 pm; from April to August, bicycles 8 to 11 am and cars 8 am to 4 pm. Visitors on foot are not admitted. The Ckari sector with the sunset viewpoint admits visitors from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, or to 6 pm from April to August. So a bike ride is a morning trip; for a sunset on your own you need a car.
Four tours compared
| Tour | Length | Group | What the page says about the ticket | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset tour with dunes, caves and the Three Marys | 4.5 hours | Up to 100 | Entrance fee of CLP 10,800 is included for bookings made from 1 October 2026 | Not suitable for wheelchair users or people with recent surgery; sunset stop at Mirador de Kari |
| Guided desert tour | 4 hours | Up to 100 | Valle de la Luna entry ticket listed as included | Duna Mayor, Tres Marías, Ckari viewpoint, pisco sour; not suitable for babies under 1 or people with recent surgery |
| Shared tour through the Moon Valley | 4 hours | Up to 12 | Not included: buy the CLP 10,800 reserve ticket at valledelaluna.com before the tour | Starts at the agency, Tocopilla 418; amphitheatre, Duna Mayor, Tres Marías and about 70 minutes of sunset; not suitable for children under 8, pregnant women, people with mobility impairments or over 70 |
| Valle de la Luna from San Pedro | 5 hours | Up to 14 | The inclusions list a reserve ticket, but the description says you pay the guide | Salt caves, Gran Duna sunset, snacks; not suitable for children under 8, pregnant women, people with heart, back or mobility problems |
Prices are €63 for the sunset tour, €56.16 for the guided desert tour, €31.20 for the shared tour and €37.44 for the five-hour tour.
Reading the small print
The sunset tour’s own page marks several stops as extra fee, but its inclusions say that bookings from 1 October 2026 include the entrance fee, bought online, while earlier bookings pay separately. A booking made now therefore includes it. On the shared tour you buy the ticket yourself: its page says to buy it at valledelaluna.com before the tour. The five-hour tour contradicts itself on the ticket, so check which is true before you travel.
Groups of up to 100 will be busy at viewpoints; the shared tour and the five-hour tour keep to 12 and 14. One reviewer of the guided desert tour reports being switched to Vallecito on a day the valley was closed, which shows the route can change on the day.
Which to book
For most visitors the sunset tour is the best fit: it has 955 reviews, includes the ticket for new bookings and ends at the Kari viewpoint at sunset. Choose the shared tour if group size matters more to you, and buy the reserve ticket online before you go. See all Moon Valley tours. If you plan a long day on the altiplano, read the Piedras Rojas lagoon guide before you fix your order of trips.
