"INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCE" Tour

"INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCE" Tour

INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCE IN SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA. Discover the ancestral heart of the Atacama Desert through an authentic Indigenous Tourism Experience in San Pedro de Atacama. This enriching journey invites travelers to connect with the living culture, traditions, and worldview of the Lickanantay (Atacameño) people, whose deep relationship with the land has shaped life in this extreme environment for thousands of years. The experience offers meaningful encounters with local communities, where visitors learn about ancestral customs, traditional architecture, agriculture adapted to the desert, and the spiritual significance of nature in Andean cosmovision. Through guided visits, storytelling, and cultural interpretation, guests gain insight into daily life, social organization, and the historical resilience of indigenous peoples in northern Chile.

Depending on the program, the experience may include walks through traditional villages and ayllus, visits to community projects, tastings of local cuisine prepared with native ingredients, and demonstrations of traditional crafts or agricultural practices. These activities are led by community members, ensuring an authentic, respectful, and sustainable form of tourism that directly supports local livelihoods. Set against the dramatic landscapes of the Atacama Desert—volcanoes, salt flats, and high-altitude valleys—this experience combines cultural immersion with natural beauty. Ideal for travelers seeking meaningful travel, cultural understanding, and responsible tourism, the Indigenous Tourism Experience in San Pedro de Atacama offers a profound connection to one of the oldest living cultures in the Andes.

Itinerary

• The experience begins with hotel pick-up in San Pedro de Atacama (approximately between 9:00 and 9:30 AM), as we set out on a journey designed to foster a genuine connection with the Atacameño (Lickan-Antai) culture—an ancestral indigenous civilization with more than 12,000 years of history deeply rooted in the Atacama Desert.
• Throughout the excursion, participants will engage in meaningful cultural exchanges with members of the local Atacameño community or take part in traditional productive activities. These encounters provide valuable insight into both the historical legacy and present-day lifestyle of the Lickan-Antai people, highlighting their customs, social organization, and enduring traditions. Central to this experience is the Andean worldview and Atacameño cosmology, known in the Kunza language as “Patha Ohiri,” which reflects a profound spiritual connection with nature and the land.
• Depending on community availability, the experience may include participation in activities such as an ancestral llama caravan, the preparation of traditional chañar syrup, visits to highland vineyards guided by Ayllu winemakers, the preparation of patasca (a traditional dish), exploration of religious traditions linked to the Virgin Mary in Atacama, or a guided walk through the orchards of Toconao. The specific activity will be confirmed one day prior to the excursion.
• This cultural immersion allows travelers to better understand the significance and challenges of traditional agriculture, livestock raising, ceramics, textile production, gastronomy, and ancestral medicine, all of which continue to play a vital role in Atacameño life.
• The excursion concludes with the return to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, leaving guests with a deeper appreciation of the region’s rich archaeological heritage and living indigenous culture.

Includes

• Guide service in Spanish and English.
• Pick-up from your accommodation,
• Snack.
• Water.

Does not include

• Tips and gratuities.
• Professional guide in French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. If you would like a guide in these languages, please request one in advance and pay an extra fee, subject to availability.
• Other services not described in the program.

Notes:

• Level of difficulty: Low difficulty.
• Minimum age required for the tour: 3 years old.
• Excursion days and schedules may vary depending on the season, weather conditions, and the groups forming.
• The final itinerary will be confirmed upon your arrival in San Pedro and may even change during your stay.