Quick Facts
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Duration
04 hours 30 minutes
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Rating
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Experience
archaeology, astronomy, hiking
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Best Price
USD $ 16
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Maximum comfort or class
Good
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Departures
1 Departure daily
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Recommended by
2112 travelers
Price may fluctuate due to seasonal demand and other market-driven and regulatory events.
The bus and route from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama
This is a really fun and relatively short trip from the west edge of Chile to almost the eastern edge. This isn’t hard because Chile is such a narrow country. But the most enjoyable aspect of it is going through the epicenter of the driest desert on earth, but ending up in a famed and historic pueblo that will charm your socks off.
San Pedro de Atacama, or S-P-A for short, sits in a place that technically is Chile, but it feels just the same as nearby Argentina or Bolivia, too. So to start, it’s an internationally friendly place. But the draw for most is the incredible array of outdoor adventures, climbs, archaeological digs, and a fantastic small-town high-desert vibe clad in adorable adobe structures that makes visitors feel welcome and entertained between their outings. What’s better, you can get there by bus!
What are the buses like from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama?
SPA is served by the best buses in Chile, which in turn are some of the best buses in South America. These are large coaches, but only if you’re coming from farther away like Santiago will you most definitely get two decks from which to choose (the top deck being regular coach seats and the bottom a luxury cabin). Buses from Iquique have a shorter route, so they usually only include a handsome single deck for all passengers with semi-reclining cushioned seats.
On board, you will find climate control to protect you from the cold and dry air of the altiplano and tinted windows to block the intensity of the solar rays. Most coaches also have toilets, which are cleaned before and after trips, but avoid using them in the middle of the trip if you can. Because of the relative isolation of the area, Wi-Fi may be really spotty on board until you get closer to Calama, which is just 45 minutes before the final destination itself.
How long is the bus ride from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama?
The reason we suggest starting from Antofagasta instead of a more popular tourist center such as Iquique is that it is only a 4-hour and 20-minute trip, which is far shorter and easier than from Iquique and doesn’t require you to transfer in Calama. So, make a plan for spending the night in Antofagasta so you can wake up bright and early to get the only daily bus direct to San Pedro de Atacama. The road conditions are excellent because this is a highly trafficked highway, and you’ll still get to see great views out the window as you go.
What are the bus schedules from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama?
It may be because San Pedro is such a fragile environment and so they don’t want to allow too many visitors at a time, because the only bus departing from Antofagasta is at 4:00 a.m. daily. That’s why we encourage you to get to bed early the night before so that you can get to the bus station by about 3:30 a.m.
We don’t recommend trying to do the long haul from Santiago. Yes, it’s possible, but it is a huge haul of hours and kilometers to make, and you’ll be bypassing several other worthwhile places to visit in Chile that would have been nicer on your bones and back to get there. We encourage slow travel, which means taking the bus on shorter trips, and getting off the bus to explore towns and sights in between larger ultimate destinations.
If you do want to take the bus from Iquique, that is a better alternative, as they have about three departures every day, but they only go as far as Calama. In Calama, you would have to get off the bus and then get another bus from Calama to San Pedro de Atama, and you might find the extra time and hassle not worth it compared to the swiftness of the bus from Antofagasta.
What is the cost of traveling by bus from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama?
Here’s the best part. Not only is it swift and easy, but you can get a seat reserved in advance for under $16. Just click on Reserve Now and then walk to the front of the line with your online ticket and get on board! All seats are in the same class, which is to say there is no first-class cabin on this trip. Bear in mind the Chilean peso is pretty stable, so the only things that will cause the price to go higher are global market phenomena like increased cost of living and wages, shipping and manufacturing of parts, and that kind of thing.
