A group of travellers with their arms raised on the crest of a dune at sunset

Dunas con la Luna · 2 days · 1 night

18–19 December 2026

A 2 days, 1 night departure from Hermosillo at full moon (71% illuminated): you climb the dunes of the Gran Desierto de Altar to watch the Moon rise.

AvailableFri – Sat

Hold a place See the full experience

Departure details

Dates: 18–19 December 2026
Fri – Sat
Duration: 2 days · 1 night
Departure: Hermosillo, Plaza Emiliana de Zubeldia, 6:00 AM
Also boarding in Santa Ana, Caborca, Puerto Peñasco
Typical weather: Day: 21 °C
Before dawn: 5 °C
Sun: Sets at 17:35
Rises at 07:30
Deposit: $500 MXN per person
Bookings made up to 30 September 2026: $500 MXN per person. New bookings from 1 October 2026: $1,000 MXN per person. It depends on when you book, not on the year of the trip.

Advance booking rate ($4,999 MXN): book by 18 November 2026
Final payment: by 13 December 2026

The sky that night

The full moon over the dunes

Sunset: 17:35
Sunrise: 07:30
Typical temperature: By day, up to about 21 °C; before dawn, about 5 °C.
Cold before dawn: bring a warm jacket, a hat and a cold-weather sleeping bag.
Full darkness: 19:00 to 06:00
Moon: Waxing gibbous, 71% illuminated; sets at 02:40.
Milky Way: The galactic core is not visible at this time of year; you see the fainter winter band, through Cassiopeia, Perseus and Orion.

The sky is dark and moonless from 02:40 to 06:05, after the Moon sets. That is the best time for stargazing that night.

Sonora time (UTC−7), calculated for the El Pinacate area. Full darkness is when the Sun is more than 18° below the horizon and no longer brightens the sky. Temperatures: historical average for those dates at the Organ Pipe Cactus, Arizona, 1991–2026 weather station (NOAA); not a forecast, and in the open desert the small hours can be a few degrees colder. Check the forecast a few days before you leave.

SimulatorThe El Pinacate sky, night by night

Drag to look around

Date Time

Exact date

Noche de Estrellas (new moon)

2026

2027

Dunas con la Luna (full moon)

2026

2027

Positions of the Sun, the Moon, the guide stars and the Milky Way calculated for the reserve, in Sonora time (UTC−7). The landscape is illustrative. Milky Way photograph: ESO/S. Brunier (CC BY 4.0).

Itinerary

What the trip is like

Day 01 · 18 December — From the desert to the sea
Day 02 · 19 December — The crater route

Full itinerary, what’s included and what to bring

Rates

Valid August 2026 — June 2027

Advance booking

$4,999 MXN

≈ US$280

Booking 30 days ahead or more
Card payment through Mercado Pago

Standard

$5,999 MXN

≈ US$335

Bookings less than 30 days ahead
Card payment through Mercado Pago

Junior Explorers · −$500

Off the rate that applies to you, for children aged 10 and under. There is no minimum age to travel; the dune hike is open from age 6.

Deposit per person

$500 MXN

Bookings made up to 30 September 2026: $500 MXN per person. New bookings from 1 October 2026: $1,000 MXN per person. It depends on when you book, not on the year of the trip.

The rest is paid 5 days before the trip.

Prices per person on a group tour, in Mexican pesos (MXN), VAT included. Dollar amounts are approximate, at the exchange rate of 29 September 2026; your bank converts at its own rate. Limited places. Add $650 MXN in cash if you are a foreign visitor ($430 for Mexican nationals) for entrance and community land fees, plus anything you choose to rent. If you would rather travel privately, we can quote it.

Other dates for Dunas con la Luna

Full calendar · Meteor showers 2026 and 2027