Entrance/Security gate for Cerro Tololo observatory | Tourist Attraction

June 27th, 2024 by catch-the-wind.com

To book tour (free):

https://noirlab.edu/public/visits/cerro-pachon-chile/

We booked for a Friday morning. The group is asked to meet at this entry gate at 9am. From here a bus takes you up to the Observato
ry. It takes about an hour. Take warm clothes, the inside of the observatory is kept at nighttime tempera.tures. Our tour was mainly in Spanish with some Englush. We arrived back at the guard house at about 12:30. We enjoyed our tour.

February 11th, 2022 by spela.campa8

It is closed due to pandemic and they don't know if it will open again, if anytime.

October 20th, 2018 by Calderescapes

We were booked for the 2:15 tour and wanted to head up early but got stopped here and told we could not drive up until 1:30 and that tour starts at 2:30. You MUST reserve ahead by telephone or going to their office in La Serena. Call 56 5122 05200. They book up months in advance but there is a waiting list and we got a spot on it. The day before tour, you call after 2:30 and they'll tell you if you get a spot. There are two tours every Saturday: 9:15 and 2:15 and there is NO charge. Note: this tour is to see the telescopes only, not the night sky. The tour takes you inside two structures including the telescope that one a Nobel prize in 2011 and was the largest in the world for 20 years. The guide spoke English but more of the tour was in Spanish - suggest you tell him you don't speak much Spanish and he may do more English :) .