6-Hour Astrophotography Workshop in San Pedro de Atacama

6 Hours Round trip from San Pedro de Atacama Easy pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Photograph the Atacama night sky in Vallecito, in the Cordillera de la Sal
02 Discover the famous "magic bus" as part of your final night compositions
03 Learn to plan night sky shots using photography apps
04 Capture galactic center panoramas with advanced image-quality techniques

Join this one-night workshop under the Atacama night sky to explore the technicalities and secrets of landscape astrophotography, from planning and photographic composition to the final post-processing of your images. The session takes place in Vallecito, in the Cordillera de la Sal, where you will photograph the galactic center and create final compositions at the famous "magic bus." Designed for all experience levels, this workshop welcomes everyone from beginners to experts.

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 6 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Astrophotography Workshop in Vallecito and the Magic Bus

You will be picked up from your hotel.
Depart towards the Cordillera de la Sal, specifically to the place known as "Vallecito," where the mythical "magic bus" is located. It is approximately 27 km from San Pedro de Atacama, with an estimated travel time of 30 minutes.
Here, we begin the on-site class, including familiarizing ourselves with photographic equipment, observing the night sky, and planning with the Photopills app. We recommend downloading it in advance.
We will conduct the first photographic tests with the galactic center. Panoramic photographs will be taken, and advanced techniques to improve image quality will be taught.
Then, we will visit the famous "magic bus" to capture the final compositions. To conclude the session, hot drinks and a light snack will be provided.
The private tour finishes at 1:00 am and returns to the hotel.

The Photoshop editing class can be held the next day at the hotel, or we can schedule it online on another day via Zoom.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from San Pedro de Atacama 1 city · 6 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Choose between one to four workshop nights
Round-trip transfer to your hotel
Six hours of field workshops per night
Class on planning and using apps
Advanced capture and composition techniques
Photoshop class (2 hours) with Art Panel Pro plugin
Equipment purchase advice
Late-night snacks and hot drinks

What's Not Included

Accommodation
Travel insurance
Flight ticket

What to bring

DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual mode (option to set exposure time over 15 seconds, ISO from 1,600 upwards)
Wide-angle lens from 10 to 20 mm for APS-C format cameras and 14 to 28 mm for full-frame sensors, with an aperture of F3.5 downwards
Stable tripod
Headlamp with red light option
Intervalometer (highly recommended)
Laptop for the Photoshop class (optional)

Know before you go

Choose nights with low moonlight.
San Pedro de Atacama is 90 km from Calama, the nearest airport. Travel time from Calama Airport to San Pedro is 1 hour and 20 minutes.
San Pedro de Atacama is located at an altitude of 2,400 meters above sea level.
There are pharmacies, grocery stores, restaurants, bars, three ATMs, and currency exchange offices in the town.
The original town of San Pedro is the Lickan Antay indigenous community (Atacameños), who manage all the tourist sites.

Logistics