What happens on the tour

Did you know the public can visit ESO's Observatories in Chile? This picture is of a tour of Paranal Observatory, ESO's flagship facility and home of the the Very Large Telescope, or VLT, the worlds foremost ground-based telescope. Its location on Cerro Paranal provides excellent viewing conditions due to its remote location in the Atacama Desert. These conditions draw astronomers and their telescopes from around the world to northern Chile. 

ESO's tours give everyone from journalists to schools to the general public the chance to experience these special places too. Most weekends the public can can book Paranal Observatory tours to see the VLT, the famous Paranal Residencía, and, when conditions allow, the telescope control room.