What to pack for four days in San Pedro de Atacama

Packing for a trip to the desert isn’t simple. You’ll need practical clothing for days out, accounting for very cold mornings and nights but very hot afternoons and cool evenings. 

Since my packing list for Atacama overlapped with my packing list for Patagonia, it was fairly easy to combine the same practical pieces for those two parts of our trip. But once you’re back in the town of San Pedro de Atacama after a day out in the desert, you’ll also want some regular, comfy clothes to relax in. There’s no need to pack anything dressed up as San Pedro is very relaxed. But the hot afternoons and early evenings call for different outfits than mornings in the arid desert. 

Here is what I packed for four days in the Atacama desert

San Pedro de Atacama packing list

Clothing for days out in the desert:

• A waterproof shell coat (The North Face Sheru)

• A fleece jacket (Uniqlo zip up fleece) 

• Uniqlo Airism leggings

• One thermal long-sleeve top (Uniqlo)

• Two T-shirts

• Two vest tops

• Two sports bras

• One pair of socks per day

• A cap

• Sunglasses 

• Adidas Terrex Anylander hiking trainers

• Birkenstock EVA sandals 

• One bikini 

• A backpack 

Clothing to wear in the towns:

• A pair of comfy trousers

• A pair of shorts 

• A jumper

• A plaid shirt

• A T-shirt not worn on days out 

• A pair of regular trainers (Adidas Spezial)

Everything else: 

• Passport with PDI (received when entering Chile)

• Daily toiletries including plenty of SPF

• A phone case with a strap

• A bumbag/accessible bag 

• Water bottle and filter 

• Battery packs 

• A quick drying towel

• A bag for laundry/worn clothes

• Kindle

• An EU plug adapter and relevant chargers

Find out more about how we spent four days in San Pedro de Atacama here.