At six it is 5 °F, and all you see is steam and the outlines of the others.
Then the first light comes over the mountains, and the columns begin to glow.
An hour later it is warm, the steam thins – and the field looks like a field.
Scroll –
the sun is coming
At 4,320 m (14,170 ft) El Tatio is the highest geyser field in the world, run by the Atacameño communities of Toconce and Caspana. On September 17, 2026, after snowfalls, the SEREMI de Transportes closed the access roads B-245, B-223 and B-157 (Resolución 1221/2026); the operator reports the field closed because the paths cannot be walked safely. No reopening date is known – the closure ends once SENAPRED, Vialidad and Carabineros clear the roads.
“Geiser cerrado por condiciones climáticas adversas” – the operator's notice on September 22, 2026. On August 11, 2026 the B-223 at Machuca was already blocked by snow. In winter (June–September) this happens repeatedly; agencies rebook or refund.
Flat rate for Chileans and foreigners, about €14, unchanged since 2021. Members of indigenous peoples CLP 5,000, people with disabilities free. Paid at the entrance; on tours usually not included and collected in cash the day before.
The house rules exclude children aged 0 to 8 without exception – altitude, cold, gases, boiling water. Pregnant women too; over-70s are advised against it, and from 60 you should report at the entrance.
Photo: Chris Hunkeler · CC BY-SA 2.0
The alarm goes off at four in San Pedro, the bus rolls at five, and at six you are standing in the dark on the field. It is usually minus 10 to minus 20 °C (14 to –4 °F), and the colder it is, the higher the steam columns – up to 10 m (33 ft). The geysers themselves are small, most fountains under a meter. What you see is backlit steam, boiling water in pools, sinter cones like petrified cauliflower – and, in between, your own breath.
After breakfast at the field you head back via Machuca (a village at 4,000 m / 13,100 ft, church, llama skewers) or the Vado de Putana wetland with its vicuñas and flamingos. You are back in San Pedro around noon. Anyone who underestimated the altitude has a headache by then.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. The entry fee (CLP 15,000) is included in almost no tour. If the road is closed, the agency decides on rebooking or refund.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
El Tatio is not a national park. The field is state land that the government handed to the two Atacameño communities in 2014 under a free 30-year concession. So neither Pases Parques nor CONAF rates apply – the operating company's rules do.
CLP 15,000 for everyone from age 9; per the operator by card or bank transfer, agencies collect cash. Every person, including children, goes on the entrance form. Bring cash – there is no signal up there.
You may enter with your own vehicle (4x4 recommended), pay at the entrance and stay as long as you like – until 4 pm. Agencies need to be registered in the operator's system.
The rows of stones mark the safe ground. Beside them the crust is thin and the water boils. In 2015 a 69-year-old tourist died after stepping behind the barrier for a photo. Touch nothing, feed nothing, no drones without permission.
Children under 9 and pregnant women are excluded, over-70s advised against it. The thermal pool at the field is not in operation according to the operator – if you want to bathe, stop at the Termas de Puritama on the way back.
| Entry, Chileans and foreigners from age 9 · about €14 | CLP 15,000 |
| Members of indigenous peoples with CONADI certificate · about €4.60 | CLP 5,000 |
| People with disabilities (Registro Nacional de Discapacidad) | free |
| Children 0–8 years | no entry |
| Group tour from San Pedro (operators), without entry · about €32 | from about CLP 35,000 |
| Road B-245 from San Pedro de Atacama (via Machuca) | 80–90 km (50–56 miles) of washboard and bends from 2,450 m to 4,320 m (8,040 to 14,170 ft), 1.5–2 hours; snow and ice in winter. Road free, ticket CLP 15,000. Own car: 4x4 or high clearance only, full tank, leave before 5 am. Closed as of September 22, 2026 (Res. 1221/2026). |
| Guided tour from San Pedro | Hotel pickup 4–5 am, sunrise and breakfast at the field, return via Machuca or Vado de Putana, back 12–1 pm. 7–8 hours, from about CLP 35,000 in a group plus entry. If the road is closed, rebooking or refund by the agency. |
| Loop inside the geyser field | Marked paths between geysers, pools and fumaroles, flat, 1–1.5 hours – walk slowly, this is 4,320 m (14,170 ft). With snow or ice on the paths the field stays closed. |
Photo: WeHaKa · CC BY-SA 4.0
Without a car: No public transport; practically all visitors come by tour from San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro is reached from Calama (El Loa airport, 100 km / 62 miles, 1.5 h) by transfer or bus; from Santiago by bus about 24 h.
By car: From San Pedro head north on the B-245 via Guatín/Machuca, 80–90 km (50–56 miles) of unpaved road, 1.5–2 h; 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle recommended, driving in the dark, wildlife and washboard. From Calama alternatively Ruta 21 and B-355 directly. Parking for private visitors at the entrance (separate area). Only with a full tank and a warm car – no gas station, no signal.
Year-round before sunrise (arrival 6–7 am): the colder the air, the higher the steam columns; later in the morning the steam disappears. April to November the air is clear and dry, but June to September snow closures loom (2026: August 11 and from September 17). January/February the 'invierno altiplánico' brings thunderstorms and mud. Best combination of visibility, road and bearable cold: March–May and October–November.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
With only two days in San Pedro, combine the geysers in the morning with the Valle de la Luna in the evening – or take the version with a stop in Machuca.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. Do not put the geysers on your first day – two or three nights at 2,450 m (8,040 ft) lower the risk of altitude sickness.
Photo: Till Niermann · CC BY-SA 3.0
As of September 22, 2026: no. After snowfalls the SEREMI de Transportes closed the access roads from September 17, 2026 by Resolución 1221/2026; the operator reports the field closed because the paths are unsafe. Daily status at eltatio.net/comunicados.
Group tours from San Pedro from about CLP 35,000 (about €32), on GetYourGuide €44–71. On top comes, almost always, the entry fee of CLP 15,000, paid in cash the day before or at the entrance.
Yes, with your own vehicle (4x4 recommended) on the B-245. Ticket at the entrance, registration, no guide required. Stay on the paths and be out before 4 pm.
On arrival at dawn usually –10 to –20 °C (14 to –4 °F), in summer around –6 °C (21 °F). After sunrise it warms up fast. Down jacket, hat, gloves – and sunscreen for the way back.
Often: from 2,450 m (8,040 ft) you go up to 4,320 m (14,170 ft) in under two hours. Headache, nausea, breathlessness. Go only after two or three nights in San Pedro, eat lightly the evening before, no alcohol, drink a lot.
Only from age 9. The operating company excludes children aged 0 to 8 without exception. Agencies book them anyway – clarify beforehand.
CLP 15,000 (about €14) for everyone from age 9, Chileans and foreigners alike; members of indigenous peoples pay CLP 5,000, people with disabilities nothing. Tours from San Pedro cost from about CLP 35,000 on top.
On arrival at dawn usually –10 to –20 °C (14 to –4 °F), in summer around –6 °C (21 °F); after sunrise it warms up fast. Down jacket, hat, gloves, thermal layers, sturdy shoes – and sunscreen for the way back.
80–90 km (50–56 miles) of unpaved road on the B-245 (via Machuca), 1.5–2 hours. Tours pick up at hotels between 4 and 5 am so you are up there by 6; there is no public transport.
About 7–8 hours: departure 4–5 am, sunrise and breakfast at the field, a walk of a good hour, return with a stop in Machuca or at Vado de Putana, back around 12–1 pm.
Only if you ignore the barriers: the water boils at over 80 °C (176 °F), the crust beside the paths is thin. In 2015 a tourist died who stepped behind the stones for a photo. The second hazard is the altitude, the third the icy road in winter.
Not at the moment – the operator lists the geothermal pool as 'not in operation'. If you want to bathe, stop at the Termas de Puritama on the way back.
The Atacameño communities of Toconce and Caspana through their company Administradora y Explotadora Turística El Tatio Ltda.; the state granted them a 30-year concession over 1,533 ha in 2014. CONAF is not responsible.
Always at sunrise; the clearest and safest months for the road are March–May and October–November. June to September snow closures loom, January/February thunderstorms of the Altiplano winter.
Sources · accessed on 22 September 2026
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