2 days · 1 night
Noche de Estrellas
A night of camping under the clearest sky in north-west Mexico.
2027 pre-sale $4,499 MXN · January–June trips, bank transfer only
From $4,999 MXNSee experience
El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere ReserveUNESCO World Heritage Site
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico · since 2017
Experiences in the Sonoran Desert
Camping trips and expeditions from Hermosillo to the El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Innovation AwardMexican Tourism Product 2024
Travelers' Choice 2026Tripadvisor · three years running
241 expeditionsof two days to El Pinacate
CONANP permitto operate inside the reserve
Experiences
Three ways to live the desert
All of them leave from Hermosillo and include at least one night of camping, because what you come to see is the night sky.
2 days · 1 night
Dunas con la Luna
Climbing to the top of the dunes just as the sun goes down, and walking back by the full moon.
2027 pre-sale $4,499 MXN · January–June trips, bank transfer only
From $4,999 MXNSee experience
4 days · 3 nights
Sonora Salvaje
Desert, sea and stars. Three protected natural areas, one Mexican state.
2027 pre-sale $11,999 MXN · January–June trips, bank transfer only
From $12,999 MXNSee experience
Coming from abroad with a day to spare? We also run day trips to Tiburón Island and San Carlos, and private trips.
Stars or moon?
The same desert, in opposite phases of the moon
| Noche de Estrellas | Dunas con la Luna | Sonora Salvaje | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 days, 1 night | 2 days, 1 night | 4 days, 3 nights |
| The star of the trip | ⭐ New moon and the Milky Way | 🌕 Sunset and full moon on the dunes | ⭐ or 🌕 depending on the date |
| Stargazing talk and telescope | Yes | No | No |
| Pick-up | Hermosillo, Santa Ana, Caborca, Sonoyta | Hermosillo, Santa Ana, Caborca, Puerto Peñasco | Hermosillo only |
| Fitness level | Intermediate · 5 km dune hike (Nov–Mar) | Intermediate · 5 km dune hike at sunset | Intermediate · 4 days at expedition pace |
| Sleeping gear | Bring or rent | Bring or rent | Included |
| Reserve entrance | $650 MXN in cash (foreign visitors) | $650 MXN in cash (foreign visitors) | Included |
| From | $4,999 MXN | $4,999 MXN | $12,999 MXN |
| 2027 pre-sale · January to June trips, bank transfer only | $4,499 MXN | $4,499 MXN | $11,999 MXN |
Our tours are guided in Spanish only: at the moment we do not run tours in English. Before you book, make sure you are comfortable following a trip in Spanish.
Calendar
Upcoming departures
- 14–15 November 2026Sat – SunNoche de EstrellasMeteor showerAvailableBook my place
- 24–25 November 2026Tue – WedDunas con la LunaSupermoonAvailableBook my place
- 25–28 November 2026Wed – SatSonora Salvaje🌕 Full Moon version
- 2–5 December 2026Wed – SatSonora Salvaje⭐ Starry Nights version
- 4–5 December 2026Fri – SatAvailableBook my place
- 13–14 December 2026Sun – MonFew places leftBook my place
- 26–29 December 2026Sat – TueSonora Salvaje⭐ Starry Nights version
- 22–23 January 2027Fri – SatAvailableBook my place
Who we are
It did not start as a company. It started as a journey.
A first step into the desert, full of doubt and full of wonder, that slowly became a life’s work. Zule and Manlio founded Pinacate Tours in 2017 in Hermosillo, and they have never stopped going back.
241 two-day expeditions. More than a thousand travellers in 2025 alone. Every kilometre of this route we travelled before you did, and we are still travelling it.
We are a small Mexican company. Meet the team and how we work
What travellers say
4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor
139 reviews · No. 1 of 17 tours and activities in Hermosillo · Travelers' Choice 2026
Excelente agencia para viajar. Increíble Experiencia
…Viajar con ellos se siente como salir con amigos; te hacen sentir en familia desde el inicio…
10/10 en todo
Fuí sólo y en todo momento tanto las guías como otras personas fueron amables, abiertas a platicar de todo y generar buenas nuevas amistades 10/10…
Increíble experiencia!
Un experiencia increíble, el staff perfecto. Si eres fotógrafo la forma en que llevan el grupo, siempre buscan la mejor luz! Lo recomiendo ampliamente!
Fue increíble, no imagine que tendríamos ese cielo y desierto en Sonora…
…Erika, Vanessa y el Sr Julio siempre fueron atentos, nos resolvieron dudas, y nos ayudaron en todo momento, genuinamente saben y conocen el Desierto del Pinacate...
Paisajes emblemáticos del desierto sonorense
Increíble experiencia en un entorno de conexión con la naturaleza con un equipo de guías muy amables que crean un ambiente ameno con el grupo
Enamorada de las estrellas
En el mejor lugar de Mexico para observar las estrellas, guiada y acompañada por el equipo de trabajo de Pinacate Tours. ¡Sin duda volvería viajar con ellos!
¡Genial Experiencia!
…me encantó la noche de estrellas y todos los bellos lugares que nos llevaron, te hace ver al desierto de otra manera…
Cielo estrellado en el Pinacate
…El lugar y el cielo una chulada… no exige un nivel extraordinario de condición pero si vas a caminar, desvelarte, cansarte y todo va a valer la pena…
Una aventura de conocimiento… renové mi energía en esos lugares mágicos.
…ver su mar y ser recibidos por Filomena de la Etnia Seri y cruzar hacia Isla Tiburón fue algo muy emocionante para mí y mi esposa…
How to book
Booking is simple
- 01
Choose your date
The calendar shows the dates with places left, the Moon each night and the rates.
- 02
Fill in the form
About 5 minutes, right here on the site: your details, those of anyone travelling with you and any gear you want to rent. The form only offers dates with places left.
- 03
Pay your deposit
Right after booking you can pay your deposit online by card through Mercado Pago. It is the only payment method for travellers from abroad.
- 04
Hold your place
Noche de Estrellas and Dunas con la Luna: An initial payment of $1,000 MXN per person confirms your place. Sonora Salvaje: An initial payment of $2,000 MXN per person confirms your place.
- 05
Receive your confirmation
Your electronic receipt with a reference number arrives within 48 working hours. Between 2 and 5 days before the trip we message you on WhatsApp with the exact time, the meeting point and the final details.
You have 48 hours to make your payment; if the trip is 7 days away or less, 12 hours. After that the booking is released and the place offered to someone else. We reply from Sonora, Mexico (UTC−7, no daylight saving), eight to nine hours behind most of Europe: write at any time and we answer during our day.
Who answers you
There is always someone behind it
PinaBot, our assistant, answers on WhatsApp at any hour, in English too; behind it, a team of real people reviews every conversation. If you would rather talk to a person, just say so in the chat and we will get in touch.
Message usFAQ
Before you come
What is El Pinacate and where is it?
The El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve is a protected natural area in north-west Sonora, Mexico, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It spans the municipalities of Puerto Peñasco, Plutarco Elías Calles and San Luis Río Colorado, and brings together volcanic craters, lava fields and the largest field of moving dunes in North America. From Hermosillo to Sonoyta is about five hours of direct driving.
Which tour suits me: Noche de Estrellas, Dunas con la Luna or Sonora Salvaje?
Noche de Estrellas (2 days) departs at new moon and is for seeing the Milky Way, with a stargazing talk and a telescope. Dunas con la Luna (2 days) departs at full moon: the central moment is the sunset from the top of the dunes and the walk back by moonlight. Sonora Salvaje (4 days) crosses three protected areas — Tiburón Island, the Upper Gulf salt flats and El Pinacate — with accommodation, gear and entrance fees included.
What language are the tours guided in?
Our tours are guided in Spanish only: at the moment we do not run tours in English. Before you book, make sure you are comfortable following a trip in Spanish.
How do I book?
Online, without having to message us: choose your date and fill in the booking form («Book my place» on each date), which takes about 5 minutes. Once you send it, you hold your place with a deposit per person, paid online by card on the same page. The rest is paid 5 days before the trip on the two-day tours and 10 days before on Sonora Salvaje, and you can pay it online at mi.pinacate.tours. Questions? Message us on WhatsApp at +52 662 464 6648.
How do I pay from outside Mexico?
By card through Mercado Pago, with the online payment button you see right after booking (and at mi.pinacate.tours for the balance). It is the only payment method for travellers from abroad. Prices are in Mexican pesos (MXN) and your bank converts at its own rate.
Are there day trips to El Pinacate?
No. All three El Pinacate experiences include at least one night of camping, because what people come to see is the night sky. From Hermosillo we do offer day trips to Tiburón Island and San Carlos, as well as private trips: ask us on WhatsApp.
The desert is waiting
Message us and we will help you choose the date and the experience that suit you.
Message us on WhatsAppPlan your trip