If you’re renting a car in San Pedro de Atacama, Valle de la Luna is the perfect first day trip drive. Everything is close to town, the roads are straightforward, and you won’t be climbing to the extreme elevations you’ll encounter on some of the other day trips.

We actually chose this as our very first drive because it gave us a chance to get comfortable driving in the Atacama before heading farther into the desert. Along the way, we explored the incredible landscapes of Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), tracked down the famous abandoned Magic Bus, and finished the day watching the sunset from Ckari Mirador (viewpoint).

And we learned a few things along the way that will make your experience even better!

Quick Overview

• Driving time: About 90 minutes (not including stops)
• Total time: 5-6 hours with sightseeing and sunset
• Road conditions: Paved inside Valle de la Luna, rough dirt road to the Magic Bus
• Highest elevation: Approximately 8,000 feet (2,400 m)
• Admission required:
  • Valle de la Luna (includes Ckari Mirador)
• Best for:
  • Your first self-drive day in the Atacama
  • Families
  • Photographers
  • Visitors still acclimating to the high desert altitude

Enter these stops in order:

• Valley of the Moon, San Pedro de Atacama (also known as Valle de la Luna)
• Magic Bus Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama
• Mirador de Kari – Piedra del Coyote, San Pedro de Atacama (also known as Ckari Mirador)

Note: I had entered Magic Bus Entrada, but it’s no longer showing up on Google Maps for some reason.

If you’re still booking a rental car, we reserved our SUV through DiscoverCars.com because it made it easy to compare prices across several rental companies before arriving in Chile.

Driving Notes

• San Pedro to Valle de la Luna Visitor Center: about 8 minutes via Ruta 23
• Driving through the Valle de la Luna: depends how many stops you make – we spent about 2 hours there
• Valle to the Magic Bus: drove north and west on Ruta 23, before turning south on B-241 for 12 km. Then turn off B-241 and follow the rough dirt road for 7 km (about 40 minutes total
• Magic Bus back to San Pedro: about 40 minutes
• Return to Ckari Mirador for sunset: about 12 minutes, depending on traffic

Tickets & Reservations

Purchase your Valle de la Luna tickets online through the official website at least 1 day before you plan to go. https://valledelaluna.com/ In 2026, we paid about $7 USD each using the senior discount.

Park admission also includes access to Ckari Mirador later that day, something we didn’t realize until we arrived. Make sure you hang on to the receipt that will grant you access.

A few things to know:

• Tickets can only be purchased on the same day if space is available. It is recommended to purchase ahead of time.
• Last park entry is around 5:00 PM.
• Last entry to Ckari Mirador is around 7:30 PM.
• There is no admission fee for the Magic Bus.

Our Experience Driving to Valle de la Luna & Magic Bus

Valle de la Luna

We arrived around 2:00 PM and found Valle de la Luna surprisingly quiet. After checking in at the Visitor Center, the ranger handed us a map showing the various viewpoints scattered throughout the park and how long it takes to hike them.

Note, there are no bathrooms available in the park after you leave the Visitor Center. And the speed limit in the park is just 20 km/hour. You must stay on the roads and trails at all times to protect the fragile ecosystem. You can also ride a bike throughout the park if that’s your mode of transportation.

There are five viewpoints in the park: Duna Mayor (Major Dune), the Amphitheatre, Achaches Lookout, Las Tres Marias (Three Marys), and the Salt Mine (Victoria Mine).

Some viewpoints require short hikes from the parking lots, some require more extended hiking. Because it was hot, we only did a few short hikes. We mostly enjoyed the drive itself, stopping to take photos whenever the scenery caught our attention.

Jagged rock formations gave way to rolling sand dunes before transforming into salt-covered ridges that really did resemble a moonscape. What surprised us most was how lifeless it felt. We didn’t see a single bird or animal anywhere in the park.

As we reached the end of the road, we saw the famous Las Tres Marias, 3 statues of rocks that represent the Three Marys. Here we had to turn around and retrace our drive.

As we returned to the Visitor Center around 4:00 PM, dozens of tour buses were arriving. That’s when I realized that most guided tours visit late in the afternoon before heading to the sunset viewpoint at Ckari.

Magic Bus

Instead of joining the crowds, we headed off in search of the Magic Bus. Our friends Peter and Karen had told us about the bus, otherwise we never would have known it existed.

Finding it became a bit of an adventure. We headed west on Ruta 23 and then turned south on B-241.

Once we reached the spot to turnoff B241, there were no signs and nothing to suggest we were heading in the right direction. The road became rougher and more deeply rutted, and we seriously debated turning around more than once.

But we kept going, following the loose definition of a “road” and some other cars. Fortunately, we were following another vehicle. After driving about 7 kilometres, the road split. The car ahead kept going, but Bill spotted the bus, sitting off to the right.

Had he not seen it, we probably would have driven right past it too.

The old mining bus is completely stripped—no engine, no seats, no windows, no tires—and completely covered in stickers and graffiti from travelers around the world. If I had thought to bring a can of spray paint, I would have added a Kari + Bill in a heart!

But standing inside the empty shell while looking out through the missing windows at the surrounding desert made for one of my favorite photo stops of the day.

Sunset at Ckari Mirador

After returning to our accommodation for dinner, we headed back out to the Ckari Mirador (viewpoint). This is where our saved receipt became necessary to gain access.

Hundreds of people were arriving for sunset, including probably 60-70 tour buses. Some tour groups were even serving cocktails and appetizers while they waited for sunset.

We stayed long enough to watch the warm light begin glowing across the incredible rock formations and I happily took tons of photos. Then we made what turned out to be a very good decision—we left before the actual sunset.

The access road at Ckari Viewpoint is narrow and very badly rutted. We could already imagine hundreds of cars and buses trying to leave at once in the dark. Instead, we enjoyed a peaceful sunset from Ruta 23 as we drove back toward our accommodation.

Kari’s Tips for This Drive

• Buy your Valle de la Luna tickets online before arriving if possible.
• Always get gas before leaving San Pedro de Atacama. COPEC is the only station in town.
• Download the Google Maps route before leaving Wi-Fi, then take screenshots of the full route and the local turns to save as photos on your device.
• One of you drives, one of you navigates. This saved us countless times.
• Bring lots of water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and sturdy walking shoes.
• There are bathrooms inside the park at the Valle de la Luna Visitor Center but no food or drinks are available.
• The Magic Bus road is rough but completely manageable in a regular SUV. Keep looking to the right as you drive slowly along the road – eventually you’ll spot the bus.
• Get to Ckari Mirador early to get a parking spot and a viewing spot.
• Leave Ckari Mirador a little before sunset if you don’t want to sit in a long traffic jam.

Would We Drive Valle de la Luna Again?

Absolutely.

This is the ideal introduction to self-driving in the Atacama Desert. The distances are short, the scenery is spectacular, and you’ll quickly gain confidence before tackling the higher-altitude routes later in your trip.

If I were doing it again, I’d still visit Valle de la Luna during either in the morning or in the quieter afternoon hours, make the side trip to the Magic Bus, and then decide whether the crowds at Ckari Mirador are worth staying for all the way through sunset.

Would I Take a Tour to Valle de la Luna Instead?

This is probably the one drive where I wouldn’t book a tour.

Having your own rental car lets you explore the viewpoints at your own pace, spend as much or as little time hiking as you like, and easily combine Valle de la Luna with the Magic Bus—something most organized tours don’t include.

The only reason I’d choose a guided tour is if you don’t plan on renting a car during your stay in San Pedro de Atacama, OR you didn’t want to hassle with the traffic leaving the sunset. Then I’d book this this one: Half-Day Tour to Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon)