uyuni salt flats tour 3 days

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Uyuni Salt Flats 3 Days Classic Tour / English Guide

Both nights private Rooms and private bathrooms only!

DAY 1 – UYUNI – COLCHANI – INCAHUASI / ISLA PESCADO – ATULCHA

We will leave Uyuni in the morning around 10.30 / 11:00 am and first visit the train cemetery where you can see the old rusting trains from decades ago. After this we process to Colchani and witness how the salt is processed before we arrive to the Salt Flats themselves and see the “Ojos de Sal” where water bubbles up through the salt plains. We will see where the salt has been laced in mounds ready to be transported, the original salt hotel (no longer used for guests) and visit Inca Huasi (Fish Island) to see the giant cacti and have great views of the salt flats all around. There will be plenty of time for taking amazing photo and the salt before we head toward the village of Atulcha where we will spend the night (the salt hotel is called Kachi Wasi).

DAY 2 – Atulcha – Lagunas – Laguna Colorada – Geysers – Hot springs – Polques

We awake early and have breakfast before leaving to travel further south. You will first have the chance to visit the Sora Canyon and see llamas in their natural environment before continuing through the Chuguana desert area where the scenery will include a number of extinct volcanoes plus the semiactive Ollague. As the journey continues we will pass by high altitude lagoons that are home to 3 species of flamingo before arriving into the desert of Siloli and the “tree of rock”. We then move onto the “Laguna Colorada”, an amazing red colored lake full of flamingos. Here is where we enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Park. In late afternoon we then go to visit the “Sol de Mañana” geysers and see the bubbling mud pools and steam jets. We will then continue to Polques where we find the hostel where we will spend the night. After dinner, you can decide to relax in the warm water pools of the local hot springs while enjoying the breathtaking starry sky.

DAY 3 – LAGUNA COLORADA – GEYSERS – LAGUNA VERDE – UYUNI

Today we have an early start at 5.00 am to visit “Sol de Mañana” geysers and see the bubbling mud pools and steam jets. We will then continue to some hot springs where you will have a chance to relax in the warm water pools and we will also breakfast here (hot springs are sometimes visited the evening of the second day). After our relaxing break we continues via the “Dali desert” to see “Laguna Verde” where, if conditions are correct, we see the green mineral waters of this lake at the foot of Volcan Licancabur (from here we do the transfers to San Pedro de Atacama – there is an additional fee for this transfer and it is available on 3 day tour only, you arrive in San Pedro approximately midday). We then start our return journey back to Uyuni where we arrive approximately 16.30 / 17.00, perfectly on time if having a late flight or an overnight bus back to La Paz.

If you want to go Chile the third day after the green lake the company can also organize  your transfer by bus that will take you to san pedro de Atacama.

Included in tour:

• Transportation in 4×4 vehicle
• English-speaking guide
• Driver (sometimes guide can also be driver depending on availability)
• Meals during the tour (take extra snacks as food can be quite plain)
• Both night private rooms and private bathrooms

Not included :

• Transport to Uyuni
• Sleeping bags (can be rented the morning of the tour during the check-in for 50 Bs per person)
• Entrance fees 180BS total for the 3 days
• Breakfast on first day, dinner on last day

GROUP SIZES

Group size is up to 6 customers per car.

• - Guides with passion and enthousiasm
• - Our team speaks English, Spanish and Dutch
• - CERTIFIED GUIDES
• - Our teams and client to guide ratios are kept small
• - Discover the highlights as well as authentic Bolivia
• - Our work is our greatest passion, this is also reflected in the positive feedback on Tripadvisor

Rescheduling and cancellation flexibility in all our tours and programs

You are checking a tour that begins in Uyuni. If you want to see tours that begin in San Pedro de Atacama, click here .

• Uyuni Salt Flat (3 days): US$ 159 per person.

How to book

• Select the departure date from the calendar.
• Select the number of people.
• Click on "Add to cart".
• Pay online an advance deposit of the total price of the program.
• Once payment is made, the reservation is automatically confirmed. The remaining balance is paid in Uyuni only in cash, even the same day of departure of the tour.
• You can reschedule or cancel the tour (with 100% refund), until 48 hours before it starts.
• Pickup at your hotel in Uyuni.
• Shared transportation (4x4 for 6 people).
• Spanish-speaking driver.
• All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• Sleeping bag.
• Basic accommodation:
• 1 st night at a refuge in Colcha K, in double, triple or quadruple private room (according to availability), with private bathroom (showers with hot water).
• 2 nd night at refuge Huayllajara, in shared room of maximum 6 people, with shared bathroom (without showers; Bs. 20 for hot shower, payment in cash).

Not included

• Drop off at the hotel in Uyuni.
• Entrances to parks (186 bolivianos per person).
• Entrance to Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve (150 bolivianos per person).
• Entrance to Polques Hot Springs (6 bolivianos per person).
• Entrance to Incahuasi Island (30 bolivianos per person).
• Access to toilets on the way (approximately 6 bolivianos each acces).
• Health insurance.

Optional services

• English-speaking driver:
• 1 person: US$ 55.
• Group of 2 or more people: US$ 45 per person.
• Private room and bathroom (hot water shower) for the 2nd night of accommodation:
• 1 person: US$ 45.
• Group of 2 people or more: US$ 30 per person.

What to bring

• Comfortable and warm clothing.
• Comfortable shoes (ideally trekking shoes).
• Swimsuit and towel (for Polques Hot Springs).
• Sunglasses.
• Toiletries.
• Toilet paper.
• Flashlight.
• Água (1 litro por pessoa, para o primeiro dia. O resto dos dias você pode comprar no caminho).
• Passport or ID card. If your a foreigner resident in Chile you should take both to show them in customs.
• Between Bs. 350 and Bs. 500 for expenses not included on the tour (entrance fees, taxes, bathroom, water and souvenirs, among others).

Restrictions

• Due to most of this tour is made above 13,000 feet of altitude and in a narrow vehicle, the following people cannot take it:
• Children until the age of 6.
• Adults over the age of 65.
• People that weigh more than 100 kg
• Pregnant women.
• People with high blood pressure, heart failure, asthma or similar.

Beginning: Day 1 at 10:15 am at your hotel in Uyuni.

End: Day 3 at 6:00 pm in Uyuni's downtown.

Day 1:  We will pick you up at your hotel in Uyuni to take our 4x4 vehicle for 6 people, in which we will make all the tour during the three days. We will leave towards the Uyuni Salt Flat, passing by the train cemetery and the town of Colchani before, where we will be able to buy craftwork. After that, once we are on the salt flat, we will visit the Salt Museum, and we will travel to the Incahuasi Island, a limestone formation in the center of the salt flat. Here we will be able to walk by a track, see the giant cactus and have a privileged view of the salt flat from the top of the hill. We will end the day seeing the sunset inside the salt flat, so then we can go to a refuge in Colcha K, where we will have dinner and rest for the next day.

Day 2:   During the morning, we will leave Colcha K and keep going by the road that goes through the Chiguana Salt Flat. We will visit the Cañapa, Hedionda, Honda and Chiarkota lagoons, before enter to the Siloli Desert. We will end the day in the Colorada Lagoon, nesting center of more than 30,000 flamingos. We will spend the night in the refuge Huayllajara.

Day 3:   We will leave early in the morning to see the sunrise in the Sol de Mañana Geysers, intermittent sources of water that rise at a 90°C temperature, and where we will have the chance of taking pictures using the contrasts of the first lights and the steam. In addition, we will visit the Polques Hot Springs (time to bathe, according to the times of the tour), the Salvador Dalí Desert, and the Verde Lagoon and Blanca Lagoon, located in the foothills of the Licancabur Volcano. In addition, we will pass by the Valle de Rocas and San Cristóbal, so after that, we will begin our direct return to Uyuni, where we will end the tour.

Altiplanic winter

During the months from January to April, it takes place the weather phenomenon known as the Altiplanic winter, rain season in the central Andes. Due to this, is is possible that the described itinerary is modified as follows:

• The first night is in a hostel in Uyuni.
• The Incahuasi Island is not visited because it is where there is the largest concentration of water during the rain season.

Force majeure changes

This is a reference itinerary. The route to get to the salt flat, the places visited, the indicated order and the end time will always be subject to changes according to weather conditions, demonstrations and accommodation availability. The confirmation of the itinerary is obtained in the briefing that the local supplier gives a day before the beginning of the activity, which does not mean that it will not be modified due to the happening of the situations already mentioned once the tour has already begun.

Frequently Asked Questions

What days of the year can i make this excursion.

The tour has confirmed departures all days of the week, the whole year.

How far in advance should I book the activity?

Due to high demand of the activity, we recommend to book at least a week in advance.

What kind of vehicles are used in this activity?

The tour is made on a 4x4 (Toyota Land Cruiser) in Bolivia in a group of 6 people each.

How is the infrastructure in every refugio?

Depending on the selected option, you will have shelters with shared rooms for 6 people tops, without heating, or for 2 to 4 people, all with shared bathroom. Bathrooms with showers and also the availability of hot water will depend on the shelter. These details, as well as the possibility to add a related optional service, you can find in the “Included” section of every activity. None of the shelters has internet.

What type of sockets have the accommodations?

The accommodations have sockets type C, compatible with the types E and F. Anyway, our recommendation is that you carry an adapter to avoid any inconvenience.

How many bags or suitcases can I bring?

Each passenger may carry at most one bag or suitcase of 18 kilos which will go above the 4x4.

How is the weather along the tour?

In summer (December to March), the temperature ranges from about 4 °C as a minimum, to 23 °C maximum. In winter (June to September) the temperature ranges from about -20 °C as a minimum, to 16 °C maximum.

How much money should I bring to the tour?

We recommend to bring at least Bs. 500 per person for expenses not included in the tour, as entrances to parks, border tax, access to toilets and water.

How likely is suffer "puna" or altitude sickness during the tour?

Most of the tour is made above 13,123 ft. of altitude so it is quite likely to suffer from altitude sickness specially the first day of the tour. To avoid or reduce the general feeling of discomfort, we recommend acclimate to the altitude one or two days above 8,202 ft., drink lots of water before and during the tour, eat light meals (avoid meat) the previous days, and do not drink alcohol the night before the beginning of the tour.

What is it about the meals?

The meals are varied, and includes tea, coffee, bread, cookies and fruit for breakfast, and meat, pasta, rice, soup and vegetables for lunch and dinner. In case you need a vegetarian menu, you must mark your preference during the booking process.

What about the tour in case it rains?

In case of rain, the order of the places visited, the possibility to see the sunrise and the accommodation places are subject to change, because some of the roads might be closed. Added to the previous information, water in the Uyuni Salt Flat is an important obstacle and the Incahuasi Island (located in the center of the salt flat) remains closed. This means the Incahuasi Island cannot be visited and we enter to the salt flat only for a certain distance, so the passengers are safe.

When is it possible to see the mirror effect on the Uyuni Salt Flat?

The mirror effect occurs when there is water on the salt flat. This happens only in rainy periods (January and February) and after them (March).

Why all the restrictions to make the tour?

The tour is made in the Altiplano area, at an altitude above 9,842.5 ft. Just with this, our body is submitted to an abnormal stress, which can cause discomfort and risk in people with the conditions mentioned in the restriction’s section. Moreover, the tour does not have health insurance and there are not health centers to treat this kind of situations in a proper manner on the route.

Is it possible to do the tour in private service?

Yes, for the 3-day tour from Uyuni we have available options with accommodations in hostels and hotels . You can check both options and book directly through the website.

Is it possible to do the tour staying in hotels instead of refugios and hostels?

If you want to do the round trip tour from Uyuni with superior accommodation please check our tour Superior Uyuni Salt Flat Tour (3 days) .

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Uyuni: Guided 3-Day Tour Salt Flats & Avaroa National Park

Set out on an enthralling expedition across Uyuni’s mesmerizing terrain with the guided 3-day tour of the Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park. As the sun casts its golden glow over the vast salt expanse and rugged landscapes, travelers are offered a chance to witness nature’s untouched beauty.

From the otherworldly landscapes of the salt flats to the vibrant hues of the high-altitude lagoons, each moment promises a new discovery. The journey doesn’t end here; there’s an abundance of surprises waiting to be uncovered, making every step a story worth experiencing firsthand.

• Explore Uyuni Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park with an English-speaking guide
• Enjoy included meals and accommodations during the 3-day tour
• Visit iconic sites like Train Cemetery and Incahuasi island
• Experience unique landscapes , flamingo-filled lagoons , and small group settings

Here's some more nearby activities we've reviewed

• 3-Days Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat and Colored Lagoons SunsetMirror Effect
• Uyuni Salt Flat 1 Day Tour Sunset in the Salt Water Region With Mirror Effect
• Uyuni Salt Flats, Tunupa Volcano, & Salt Hotel 2-Day Tour (Mar )
• Uyuni Salt Flats 1-Day Small-Group Tour

Booking and Logistics

When booking the Uyuni Salt Flats & Avaroa National Park Tour, travelers can enjoy the flexibility of free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, allowing for a full refund.

The tour also offers flexible payment options, allowing travelers to reserve now and pay later to keep their travel plans adaptable.

With group size restrictions limited to 11 participants, the small group setting ensures an intimate and personalized experience.

This limitation not only enhances the quality of interactions with the guide but also allows for a more immersive exploration of the Uyuni Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park.

Experience Highlights

Enjoy a journey through the Uyuni Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park with included meals, accommodations , and visits to iconic sites like the Train Cemetery and Incahuasi island.

The experience highlights of this 3-day tour also include the chance to witness breathtaking flamingo sightings at various lagoons and explore the region’s unique landscapes .

Your English-speaking guide will lead you through these incredible natural wonders, providing insights into the area’s flora, fauna , and geological formations.

From the vast white expanse of the salt flats to the colorful lagoons set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, each moment promises to be a visual feast for the senses.

Get set for an unforgettable adventure filled with natural beauty and wildlife encounters.

More Great Things To Do Nearby

Discover what’s included in the Uyuni Salt Flats & Avaroa National Park Tour package for an all-encompassing experience of this breathtaking natural wonderland.

Accommodation details consist of overnight stays in Agencha and Huayllajara, ensuring comfort and rest after each day’s adventures.

The tour provides a variety of meal options to keep participants energized, including 3 lunches , 2 dinners , and 2 breakfasts.

Travel in 4WD vehicles with rooftop luggage racks driven by a local driver and accompanied by an English-speaking guide throughout the journey.

Plus, entrance fees to various locations and amenities are covered, allowing you to fully learn about the beauty of the Uyuni Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park.

Participant Selection and Requirements

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, participants in the Uyuni Salt Flats & Avaroa National Park Tour must meet specific health and age requirements. Altitude limitations are a crucial consideration due to the high elevation of the region, making it unsuitable for individuals with heart problems, altitude sickness , back problems , epilepsy , or claustrophobia.

Plus, participants over 95 years old or children under 10 years old aren’t permitted on the tour. These health restrictions are in place to prioritize the well-being of all individuals involved and to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy the breathtaking landscapes and unique experiences offered during the 3-day excursion.

Remember to bring cash in Bolivianos as USD isn’t accepted during the tour.

Safety and Regulations

Enhancing safety measures and ensuring adherence to regulations are paramount during the Uyuni Salt Flats & Avaroa National Park Tour to guarantee a smooth and secure exploration of the stunning landscapes. Safety measures include providing participants with safety briefings, ensuring they’ve appropriate gear like sunglasses and sunscreen due to the high altitude and strong sun exposure, as well as carrying emergency equipment such as oxygen tanks in case of altitude sickness .

Plus, tour guides are trained in emergency procedures to handle any unforeseen situations efficiently. It’s crucial for participants to follow the guidelines set by the tour operators to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience while exploring the Uyuni Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park.

Here's a few more nearby tours and experiences we have reviewed.

• Uyuni: Isla Incahuasi & Uyuni Salt Flats Full-Day Jeep Tour
• 2-Day Private Tour Uyuni Salt Flats Including Tunupa Volcano
• Uyuni: Deluxe Camping 3 Days Tour
• From Uyuni: 2-Day Uyuni Salt Flats & Red Lagoon.
• From La Paz to Atacama: Uyuni Salt Flats 4-Day Tour
• Uyuni: Private 1 Day Tour – Salt Flats & Isla Incahuasi

Common questions

Can Participants Bring Their Own Snacks or Food on the Tour?

Participants cannot bring their own snacks or food on the tour due to dietary restrictions . However, the tour includes meals, and alternatives can be accommodated with prior notice. Picnic options are not available, but the package includes all necessary food.

Are There Restrooms Available During the Tour Stops?

Restroom availability is ensured at tour stops. Participants cannot bring their own snacks, as meals are provided. With limited snack options , travelers can focus on enjoying the included meals and exploring the breathtaking landscapes.

Is There a Weight Limit for Luggage on the 4WD Vehicles?

Luggage restrictions are in place for the 4WD vehicles during the tour. Travelers should pack efficiently and consider weight limits. Following these tips will ensure a smooth journey through the Uyuni Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park.

Are There Any Opportunities for Shopping or Souvenirs During the Tour?

There are limited shopping opportunities for local handicrafts and unique souvenirs during the tour. Participants can purchase cultural mementos at specific stops, enhancing their experience by bringing home pieces of the region’s artistry and heritage.

What Happens in Case of Unexpected Weather Conditions During the Tour?

In case of unexpected weather conditions during the tour, the group may experience tour rescheduling for safety reasons. The company follows strict safety protocols to ensure the well-being of participants and guarantee a secure and enjoyable experience.

Here's more of our most recent tour reviews happening neaby

• SALT FLATS PRIVATE FDSUNSET (Water Region/Mirror Effect Photography)
• Private Uyuni Salt Flats Full-Day Circuit From Uyuni
• Uyuni Salt Flats 3 Days Classic Tour – Private Room Available
• 3 Days Uyuni Salt Flat and Colored Lagoons From Uyuni
• Salar De Uyuni (Day Trip) – Tour in Spanish
• Private 3 Days Tour Uyuni Salt Flats and Colorful Lagoons From Uyuni
• 3-Days Uyuni Salt Flats With English Guide, Private Accommodation
• Salar De Uyuni With Lodging – 3 Full Days – With Lagoons
• Day Tour Uyuni Salt Flats
• Salar De Uyuni – 1 Full Day Tour

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes of Uyuni on this guided 3-day tour of the Salt Flats and Avaroa National Park.

With small group sizes and personalized experiences, travelers can enjoy the beauty of this unique destination.

From the iconic Uyuni Salt Flats to the diverse wildlife of Eduardo Avaroa National Park, this adventure promises unforgettable memories and breathtaking views.

Book your unforgettable journey today!

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Salar de Uyuni – How to Visit The Bolivia Salt Flats

Written By: The Planet D

Updated On: June 21, 2023

The Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat in the world and the most famous tourist draw in Bolivia, South America . In fact, for many travelers, the Bolivian Salt Flats is the sole reason they visit Bolivia. We do recommend that you visit more of Bolivia than just the salt flats, but if you want some epic pictures and an unforgettable experience you will want to put the Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats on your bucket list.

Ever since the Bolivia Salt Flats played host to the world-famous Dakar Rally in 2014, it has gained even more attention amongst travelers. “You will love it!” These were the words we had heard from other travelers every time we mentioned our plan to travel to the Bolivia Salt Flats. As you might imagine our expectations were sky-high and we couldn’t wait to see the white endless scenery.

Table of Contents

What is the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia?

The Salar de Uyuni is one of the most spectacular adventure-travel destinations on Earth. Think 10 billion tons of salt sprawling across an endless desert. The Salar de Uyuni is a 10,582 square kilometer expanse of cracked white salt, left behind when an ancient salt lake named Coipasa dried up thousands of years ago.

Located in the Bolivian Altiplano, it is the world’s largest salt flat and is located at a high altitude of 3,656 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level.

Salar de Uyuni is made primarily of salt. It is a vast expanse of dried-up prehistoric lakes, and the salt flat itself is the result of the evaporation of water from these ancient lakes. Underneath the salt crust lies a thick layer of brine, which is a concentrated solution of salt and water.

The salt crust on the surface is composed mainly of sodium chloride (table salt) along with other minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and lithium. These minerals give the salt flat its unique colors and patterns. In fact, Salar de Uyuni is not just a salt flat but also contains significant lithium reserves, making it a valuable resource.

During the dry season, the salt crust hardens and forms a vast white landscape, creating a surreal and otherworldly appearance. However, in the rainy season, the flat transforms into a massive reflective surface, resembling a giant mirror due to a thin layer of water that covers the salt crust. This phenomenon creates stunning optical illusions and unique photo opportunities for visitors.

Uyuni Salt Flats Day Tours

The beauty is that the tours are flexible. There are options for 1 day, 3 days, or 4 days, depending on what your schedule is and how much time you want to spend in the area itself. We recommend the 3 or 4-day option as it covers the most.

Most Salar de Uyuni, including ours, meant spending four days locked in a jeep with three other travelers and a cook while our amiable Bolivian driver took us through an increasingly unbelievable array of natural wonders. This is the best way to see the Uyuni salt flats in my opinion.

We have included a map below to give you an idea of where in Bolivia the slat flats are in relation to the rest of the country.

Where do Bolivia Salt Flats Tours Start From?

The beauty of the Salt Flats being so popular is that tours to the area start from a number of different places. For the most part, the length of your salt flats tour will determine where you start.

Start and End in Uyuni

Most tours of Salar de Uyuni leave from the town of Uyuni itself, a dry desert settlement located near the salt flats. It’s by far the cheapest place to pick up a tour, with trips on offer for as low as B$600 (about $80 USD). This is most likely the place you will start out if you are doing a 1 Day tour of the salt flats . We do recommend being cautious and doing your research as we found that quite a few of the tour agencies in Uyuni tout unreliable cars and dangerous drivers.

If you are planning a 3 or 4-day tour then there are a lot more options to choose from when it comes to a starting point and an ending point.

Start in Tupiza End in Uyulni

A more pleasant (if slightly pricier) experience can be had by taking the back road to the Salar, leaving from the south-Bolivian city of Tupiza. Home to a handful of tour agencies and a pleasant main plaza, Tupiza is a relaxing place to spend a couple of days while researching agency options. Tours from here usually last 4 days and at the end, you can return to Tupiza from Salar de Uyuni if you like.

Start in Uyuni End in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile

This is the most popular option, especially if you are looking at a multi-day tour. Alternatively, if you have money to burn, you could begin your tour from San Pedro de Atacama , a beautiful (if absurdly touristy) village in nearby Chile.

Located on Chile’s border with Bolivia, San Pedro de Atacama is surrounded by spectacular scenery of its own to explore–but it’s not for the faint of wallet. This is one of the reasons we recommend booking the tour that starts in Uyuni and ends in Chile at San Pedro de Atacama.

Altitude Sickness

If you do decide to start in San Pedro remember that you will be at a high altitude, so there is a risk of altitude sickness if you don’t take care to acclimate. Drink plenty of water and don’t over-exert.

At this high of elevation, there is a real threat of getting sick. Keep an eye out for altitude sickness symptoms which include headache, nausea, and vomiting when severe. We recommend visiting a travel clinic before visiting Salar de Uyuni. Your doctor may prescribe Diamox. Locals also recommend coca tea made from coca leaves.

La Paz or Sucre

If you are looking just for a quick day tour of the salt flats then you can easily jump on one in either La Paz or Sucre, if you are in those cities and you have a limited amount of time.

How Many Days in the Bolivia Salt Flats Do You Need?

We recommend the 3 or 4-day tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats. Although you can do a 1-day tour of the salt flats themselves you really do miss out on the other attractions that are covered in the 3 and 4-day tour. The longer tours are more popular for this reason.

Of course, it will all depend on your budget and travel itinerary which length of trip you choose. Just be aware that on the 1-day tour you miss out on the hot springs, the volcano, and the flamingoes and you don’t get the chance to see this amazing sight at sunset. Being a photographer this is a must!

The 3-day tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats is the perfect amount of time to balance being at altitude and seeing it all.

How to Choose Your Bolivia Salt Flats Tour

There are many tour agencies and many drivers offering tourists an Uyuni experience-but not all of them are reliable. Drunken drivers and sham agencies abound, so be sure to research your options carefully and meet your driver before putting down money. If things seem shady, don’t be afraid to back out.

Some tour operators are all too good at pressuring tourists to ignore their better instincts. The agency I chose was named Natural Adventure , an operator based out of the small Bolivian city of Tupiza.

I had a very good experience with them; though my driver didn’t speak much English, he made up for it with friendliness, verve, and expressive hand gestures.

The truth is that all the tours will cover the same things. It is pretty standard. They will try and upsell you and convince you that they have faster cars or better accommodation just to get more money out of you. If you ask the right questions you will definitely up your chances of getting a great tour.

Recommended Tours to Book Ahead of Time

Questions to Ask Before Booking a Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats

• How Many People will be in my car? Obviously the smaller amount of people the better. But most tours try and get 6 people plus a driver in a vehicle.
• What type of accommodations are offered? Will you be staying in a salt hotel, sharing a room, or all in one big room?
• Does my driver speak English? Most drivers are also your guide and cook and don’t speak much english. It helps if you know some spanish or you are good at acting things out.
• Is the entrance to the National park included? The usual answer to this is no, but some do offer it. If it is not then be prepared to fork over an extra of 150 Bob ($22 USD). If you plan on visiting “Fish Island” within Uyuni salt lake that will cost you extra as well.
• Where does the tour end? Will you be coming back to Uyuni or doest t finish in another destination like San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. The coice is usually yours.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit the Bolivia Salt Flats?

As we said above, all of the tours are the same and follow the same route. Do not be fooled by people trying to upsell you to a better tour. The car and the accommodation may change but the tours themselves are identical. That being said the price varies widely, so you are going to have to negotiate the best price.

You should not pay more than 850-1350 Bob for a 3-day tour ($125 – $195 USD) . This price is all-inclusive of food, transportation, accommodation, and a Spanish-speaking guide. If you want an English-speaking guide prepare to pay double. What it does not include is the $20 fee to get into the National Park, so make sure you have cash for that. If you are planning on going to San Pedro de Atacama then you will also need 50 Bob for the border crossing. It is always good to have some cash on you.

It is important to note that the prices above are if you book your tour on arrival or in Bolivia itself. If you book your tour online before you travel the cost can be almost double.

What are the Accommodation Options on the Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats Tours?

While tours themselves are markets as basic, I would say that we were pleasantly surprised. We have stayed in some basic places over the years but were fairly impressed when you consider the cost of the tour.

You will spend the first night of the tour in a salt hotel, which we loved. Now when I say a salt hotel, I mean everything is made of salt. The hotel exterior is made of salt blocks, the chairs, ground, and bed are also made of salt. We were happy to have private rooms on the first night to really enjoy it. There was also a shower which cost 10BS and had enough water for 2 people. Take advantage of it as there are no other showers on the tour.

The other nights we slept in dorm-type rooms, but you can pay an extra 150Bs for a private room, which we did. The buildings are clean and well taken care of so you never felt like you were on an ultra-budget tour.

There is no WIFI out here so you will be disconnected which we found a welcome reprieve from constantly checking phones each day.

The way the meals are set up is that breakfast and dinner are served at the accommodation and the lunch is always on the road. The food itself was not fine dining but it was tasty and there was always enough.

Where to Stay Near Salar de Uyuni

While there aren’t many accommodation options directly on the salt flats themselves, the nearby town of Uyuni offers various choices for visitors. Here are some suggestions on where to stay:

Uyuni town: This is the most convenient place to stay as it offers a range of hotels, hostels, and guesthouses catering to different budgets. You’ll find options ranging from basic accommodations to more luxurious hotels. Staying in Uyuni allows you to easily access Salar de Uyuni and other nearby attractions.

Colchani: Situated on the edge of Salar de Uyuni, Colchani is a small village known for its salt processing industry. It offers a few accommodations that provide a unique experience closer to the salt flats. Keep in mind that the options may be limited compared to Uyuni town.

Salt hotels: Some unique accommodations are built entirely from salt blocks, providing a distinctive experience for visitors. These hotels are typically located on the outskirts of Uyuni and offer a blend of comfort and the chance to immerse yourself in the salt flat surroundings.

Palacio de Sal is a luxury hotel and spa that was the first salt hotel. Located near the entrance of Salar de Uyuni near Colchani, this is a popular place to stay.

Salt flats camping : For an adventurous experience, you may consider camping on the salt flats. There are tour operators that offer overnight camping trips, providing tents, sleeping bags, and meals. This option allows you to witness the stunning sunsets and starry nights of the salt flats.

How to Dress for a Salar de Uyuni Tour

Travel through Bolivia’s southwest corner means splitting your time between extreme warmth, under the startlingly hot midday sun, and extreme cold, when the chilly high altitude nights creep in.

It’s a good idea to dress in layers–that way, you can layer up as the sun drops, then shed clothing again when it rises. During parts of the Uyuni tour, temperatures can drop as low as -15 degrees celsius, so it’s vital to make sure that you have some warm clothes packed. Read our  layering tips for packing. 

How to Get to Salar de Uyuni

From La Paz to Uyuni

The buses from the de facto capital of La Paz to Uyuni are increasingly geared to tourist comfort, as the Salar de Uyuni becomes a more and more ubiquitous stop among backpackers in South America. The bus from La Paz takes 8 hours and gets you into Uyuni at about 6 am.

This is plenty of time as most tours do not start until 10 am. It is an overnight bus, so you will save on a night’s accommodation if you sleep. It will cost you about $25 USD for the overnight bus and you can check out tickets with https://www.ticketsbolivia.com/

It is recommended to stay a night in Uyuni to acclimate to the altitude.

If you have some extra cash or are limited on time then you can also fly to Uyuni from La Paz. It costs about $100 USD and is often included with private tours from La Paz.

From Sucre to Uyuni

If you are coming from the capital of Bolivia, Sucre, you can catch a direct bus to the Uyuni Salt Flats. The bus ride usually takes about 8 hours. It leaves from the bus terminal on Avenida Ostria Gutierrez in Sucre at 9:30 am and 8:00 pm. It will cost you approximately 11 USD. Make sure to check the times and cost on  TicketsBolivia .

If you want, you can book an organized 1-day tour from La Paz to Uyuni salt flat . At the end of the tour, you will return to La Paz.

When is the Best Time to Visit the Bolivian Salt Flats?

There is no bad time to visit the Bolivia Salt Flats. It really depends on the experience you are looking for.

Rainy season: If you want to see reflections of the salt lake, the rainy season is a good time to visit. The salt flats flood and transform into a massive mirror that reflects the sky and creates an other-worldly experience. During this time of the year there is little to no wind and usually clear skies. Perfect for a photographer. The rainy season in Bolivia is from December to April. Just be aware that during the rainy season a lot of the surrounding attractions are closed.

Dry Season: We visited during the dry season and it was spectacular as well. It is warmer during this time from May to November. Since we visited during the dry season, our SUV produced a giant cloud of dust when we crossed the stunning moon-like landscape of Bolivia’s Andean Plateau making for surreal images.

What you will See on a Bolvian Salt Flats Tour

Isla del pescado.

Have you ever seen an island that is NOT surrounded by water? Welcome to Isla del Pescado, the Fish Island! The Salar de Uyuni has a few islands and we enjoyed an awesome view from the top of this one. From up there, we got an impression of the true dimension of the salty landscape.

Steam Locomotives – Train Graveyard

We arrived in Uyuni and jumped out of the SUV and climbed up the giant wrecked old steam locomotives. At that point, we did not know that the adult’s playground was just behind the corner, Uyuni’s train cemetery. The trains are leftover from a time when they carried minerals from the Salar de Uyuni to the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia’s Andean Plateau

In the Andean Plateau, at an altitude of about 4,000 meters, not only the air is breathtaking. This is what real adventures look like. This is where the SUV feels at home.

The chain of volcanoes and mountains along the horizon gave us the feeling of being far away from any civilization. And for a second we thought we reached the “end of the world”.

The tracks might look like remains from centuries past but they are still in use and connect Bolivia with Chile. The moon-like landscape surrounded us as we drove on the red and brown sand when unexpectedly, behind a hill, a beautiful lagoon appeared.

Lunar Landscape

The Andean Plateau and its mysterious rock formations have been formed over millions of years through wind and sand. And sometimes nature is very creative and forms rocks like the Arbol de Piedra, the Stone Tree.

Our guide told us before that we would get to see a lagoon more beautiful than the one we had seen before. But we did not want to believe him as we could not imagine that it would be possible.

Hundreds, probably thousands of flamingos were wading through the shallow water in search of food. It was such a contradiction to see an oasis of life in the middle of the barren scenery.

Laguna Colorada

The silence was around us when we approached the Laguna Colorada, the Red Lagoon. Everything around us felt unreal. Do you know how it feels when you see something and cannot believe it is real? It was hard to believe that this lagoon, with its shades of yellow, black, white, red, brown, and the blue sky above it, was not a canvas.

Now and then we saw these little pink spots again, flamingos that enjoyed the delicious alga which makes the water appear red. It was almost sad to see that the last lagoon we visited, the beautiful Green Lagoon with the picturesque volcano in the background was void of flamingos.

As we learned this green type of algae was poisonous. Too bad, the water looked so inviting with those beautiful reflections on the surface.

Sulfur Geysers

Visiting a steaming geyser is a highlight of the Uyuni Salt Flats tour; I was so distracted taking pictures, I almost fell in! It was a very special place our driver took us to watch the sunrise in the early morning.

We were surrounded by geysers and holes in the ground filled with boiling mud. The cold air of the morning intensified the steam and the area looked like a mystic place. After leaving the salt flat we thought it could not get any better. But we were so wrong!

Photos of Salar de Uyuni

The Uyuni Salt Flats is THE photo spot to play with proportions and perspectives when taking photos. It’s a place where people sit on potato chips cans, toy dinosaurs come to life chasing travelers, and jumping over an SUV is a breeze.

On short photo stops, it can be hard to decide whether to take pictures of the scenery or simply take the scenery in. For those inclined to snap, it’s important to pace your photographic zeal. The landscape is so marvelous, it’s simply impossible to catch it all. In other words, it’s a road trip like no other, and absolutely worth doing.

Common Questions About Doing a Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

Do you need an English Speaking Guide?

The answer here is it depends. If you speak fairly fluent Spanish then you can definitely forego an English guide. If you do not speak Spanish at all then we recommend paying the extra money (it can be up to 500 Bs per person) and getting an English guide.

We like to understand our guide as they can provide a lot of background information on the area and there is the added advantage that if you pay extra for the English guide you will have only English speaking people in your car. When you are together for 3 or 4 days this was important to us.

That being said, if you want to save some money and you are on a tight budget, the Spanish-speaking guide is fine. You will be able to make out most of what he is saying anyways. It is important to note that if you opt for the English-speaking guide that there is usually one guide for every 2 or 3 cars from that tour company.

What altitude are you at in the Salar de Uyuni?

You are at altitude when you are in Uyuni, Bolivia. The town itself sits at more than 3500m or 12,000 feet and that is just where you start. During the tour, you will reach altitudes of up to 4800m or 15,000 feet at the Laguna Colorada, in the Eduardo Avaroa National Park. So be prepared.

We recommend spending at least one day in Uyuni before your tour to acclimatize to the altitude. Dring plenty of liquids and don’t exert too much effort physically. You will be out of breath a little on the first day but should get used to the lack of oxygen quickly.

Will it get cold?

The short answer is yes. Even though the weather during the day can be pleasant, you have to remember that you are at altitude so the nights can get quite cold. If you are someone who gets cold easily you might want to bring your own sleeping bag or ask to rent one from the tour operator.

Will I have phone or internet during the tour?

The fact is you will be in the middle of nowhere so there will be little to no internet or phone signal during the entire trip. It is a good time to relax and disconnect from the world and enjoy the nature that is all around you. If you are in desperate need of internet or a phone there is a place on the second day that offers paid internet access.

Cash or Credit Card? Which is Best?

Cash is king when you are on your trip to the salt flats in Bolivia. There are some ATMs in Uyuni but we suggest having local currency on hand before you arrive just in case. Make sure that you have local currency as that is required especially if you want to visit the following:

• National Park Entrance Fee: 150 Bs ($22 USD) per person
• Fish Island: 30 Bs ($5 USD)
• Hot Springs: 6 Bs ($1 USD)

What should I pack?

Packing for the salt flats is really dependent on where you are going to finish your tour. If you are carrying on to The Atacama Desert in Chile you will bring your full backpack. We do suggest putting the everyday items in a day pack so they are easily accessible as your pack will be on the top of the 4X4 each day.

If you are starting and ending in Uyuni then it is possible to leave some items in the hotel so you don’t have to bring everything. That being said, the shifts in temperature can be quite drastic so you want o to be prepared. Here is a list of things you should pack for your tour of the Salt Flats in Bolivia:

• Sunscreen  with high SPF,  sunglasses ,  hat and  lip balm  are a must.
• Layers of warm clothes. Temperature fluctates drastically between day and night.
• Hiking boots (Older ones if you are visiting during the wet season)
• Travel towel for the first night shower and the hot springs.
• Gold Bond: To keep yourself fresh.
• Camera and extra batteries fully charged.
• Water bottle and water. Even if it is provided it is good to have extra.
• Cash in local currency.
• Swimsuit if you pan on going in the hot springs.
• Flip flops or running shoes for at the hotel.

How Do you Describe the Salt Flats in Bolivia?

Salty, white, endless… these three words best describe the Salar de Uyuni. The sun burned from the sky and the reflections from the salt were so strong that it was impossible to open the eyes without sunglasses while looking over the massive salt desert. After a while, the awe can be a bit overwhelming. It’s as if nature is trying to beat you into submission with so many amazing things.

Most Salar de Uyuni tours can feel very start and stop, with the driver rendezvousing with other tourist jeeps at designated points for all-too-rapid photo opportunities. It’s a surreal sight, as the southwest roads of Bolivia appear entirely deserted but for the jeeps gathering in small groups to disgorge their tourist cargo.

Final Thoughts

We drove across Bolivia’s scenic southwest corner, a staggeringly beautiful region bursting with mountains, lagoons, and inactive volcanoes. Equipped with many big containers of drinking water and thick sleeping bags our driver put the SUV into first gear and an amazing adventure through barren surroundings began.

It’s an experience that involves gorgeous vistas, extreme cold, and days without showering.

At the end of our 3-day trip, we were exhausted. Exhausted because of all the incredible things we had seen.

It started with an endless white salt flat, continued with moon-like sandy and dry landscapes of volcanoes and mountains, and ended with the most colorful lagoons we had ever seen. Every one of us needed some time to digest the past days.

There are many amazing places on our blue planet but the Salar de Uyuni and everything around it truly belongs to one of its most beautiful places! The Salar de Uyuni remains one of the world’s most fantastic locations–and since it’s in Bolivia, one of the most affordable, too.

Bolivia’s frontier feel means the trip sometimes seems akin to stepping out of the charted territory, onto a succession of different planets.

Sticking Around Bolivia

But while the Salar is undoubtedly a highlight, the rough remainder of Bolivia should not be ignored.  From the grungy mining city of Potosi to the gothic streets of La Paz to the verdant j ungle reaches of the Amazon, Bolivia is filled with breathtaking and bizarre sights. Once you’ve seen the Salar (or even before), consider sticking around to take a few extra destinations in. 

If you’re looking to venture along the edge of the world or race across some of nature’s most striking vistas, there is no better destination. So strap in, buckle up, and don’t forget to bring shades. There’s a white desert waiting, made of salt and blinding sunlight.

Have you been to the Bolivia Salt Flats? What do you think? Is Bolivia’s Andean Plateau one of the most beautiful places in the world?

This article was originally written by Liane and Lars of bobaroundtheworld.com who have since stopped blogging, but we have kept it on ThePlanetD as it is a destination that is worth visiting.

Plan Your Next Trip to south America with These Resources

• All You Need to know about the Top 10 Best Hikes in South America

10 Reasons You Should Travel To Bolivia

• Everything You Need to Know About Visiting the Bolivian Amazon
• 5 Things to do in Bolivia
• Chile Travel Guide

Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor

Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO . 

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Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

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About The Planet D

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11 thoughts on “Salar de Uyuni – How to Visit The Bolivia Salt Flats”

Chile is a very nice place to visit.

This is relay amazing picture. i am from country of world hugest peak Mt Everest 8848 m and light of Asia. Nepal is on of the best destination for hiking and sightseeing, so traveler get lots of opportunity to take unlimited amazing capture during the adventure and the tour. where the incredible scenery attract to the traveler as well as photographer to explore them on unique feature. which may motive to the traveler.

What a great photo and article, this is really awesome!! thanks for sharing with us and keep posting such a great pics

Me from Everest Country Nepal, As a traveler all pics are so amazing and thanks for sharing such a great pics and articles. We have the big mountains like Everest 8848m. but we don’t have such awesome places.You are a really wonderful photographer.

wow, this are the most beautiful pictures, I rally love it, thanks for sharing

Incredible adventure. Hope that you have enjoyed a lot on this trip.

Appreciate for your great effort to share your travel experience.

Great Adventure. There is a quietness and bareness of these lands that makes you feel like you are at the end of the world. The flamingos in the salt/soda lakes are similar to what we have in Kenya and Tanzania lakes nakuru, bogoria and lake manyara. Awesome.

Wow, what an incredible place! I’ve seen tonnes of photos of the flats but never of the surrounding regions/sites/wonders. Great insight into somewhere I’d absolutely love to visit! Thank you.

Wow, incredible journey. It seems like you have enjoyed your trip. Awesome photographs. Your blog is very informative to all those travelers who pursue adventure. Appreciate it for sharing your travel experience.

Incredible pictures! you shared awesome place to visit and great detail.. Really want to go there, Thank you so much for sharing a nice experiences.. keep posting!

Awesome photos guys. What company did you go with and did you like going with them?

• Uyuni Salt Flat 1 Day
• Uyuni Salt Flat Sunrise
• Uyuni Salt Flat Sunset
• Uyuni Salt Flat 2 Days 1 Night
• Uyuni Salt Flat – Volcan Tunupa 2 Days

Uyuni Salt Flats & Colored Lagoons 3 Days 2 Nights

• Uyuni Salt Flat 1 Day (Private Tour)
• Uyuni Salt Flat Sunrise (Private Tour)
• Uyuni Salt Flat Sunset (Private Tour)
• Uyuni Salt Flat 2 Days 1 Night (Private Tour)
• Uyuni Salt Flat – Volcan Tunupa 2 Days (Private Tour)
• Uyuni Salt Flats & Colored Lagoons 3 Days 2 Nights (Private Tour)
• Recommendations
• Climate Conditions

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The Salar de Uyuni, commonly referred to as the Uyuni Salt Flats, is the world’s largest salt flat, covering over 10,000 square kilometers in southwest Bolivia. Born from the evaporation of prehistoric lakes, this vast expanse of white salt creates an almost surreal landscape, especially during the rainy season when it transforms into a giant mirror reflecting the sky.

The Bolivian Altiplano, not far from the Uyuni Salt Flats, boasts a series of stunning colored lagoons. These high-altitude lakes, such as Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde, get their vivid hues from various mineral compositions and specific types of algae and plankton. For instance, Laguna Colorada is renowned for its reddish-pink waters, a color produced by the pigmentation of certain algae and the presence of red sediments.

Recomendations

• Warm clothing

Included/Excluded

• Lunch with a vegetarian option (please notify in advance)
• Transportation in Toyota Land Cruiser or Lexus 4x4 vehicles
• Spanish-speaking guide. English guide available at an additional cost.
• Meals included: 3 lunches, 2 dinners, and 2 breakfasts. Note: Only 2 lunches are provided if the trip concludes in San Pedro de Atacama.
• Night 1: Agencha with room options of 2/3/4/5/6 beds, each equipped with a private restroom.
• Night 2: Huayllajara with a communal 6-bed room (Shared with those in the same jeep group) and a communal restroom.
• Entrance to Isla Incahuasi per person (30 BS for foreigners and 15 BS for nationals). Payment in Bolivianos only.
• Entrance to Reserva Eduardo Avaroa per person (150 BS)
• Entrance to Hot Springs per person (6 BS)
• Toilets on the way (30 BS)
• Personal Expenses

Day 1 Uyuni – Train Graveyard – Colchani – Incahuasi Island – Agencha

Kick off your journey at 10:30 a.m. as you head to the Uyuni Salt Flats. Your initial destination is the eerie “Train Graveyard” located near Uyuni. Here, witness Bolivia’s early locomotives and delve into their historical significance linking major cities. These trains, now rusted from the salt-laden winds of the desert, offer a perfect backdrop for photographs.

Continue to the quaint village of Colchani, adjacent to the salt flats, where you can observe salt miners at work and discover unique salt handicrafts as well as textile creations from llama and alpaca wool. These items are perfect mementos of your trip. As you venture across the expansive salt flats, stop at “Ojos de Agua Salada”, the entirely salt-constructed hotel now functioning as a museum-restaurant, the Flags of the World display (add your flag for free), and the Dakar race monument.

Post exploration, savor lunch near “Isla Incahuasi” (Fish Island). Post lunch, you have the opportunity to ascend the island and admire the towering cacti and ancient coral rock formations.

Subsequently, gather your group for creative, perspective-skewing photos on the stark white salt flats. With a bit of imagination, capture some quirky and cherished moments. Conclude the day in a vast open area, witnessing the sun set over the salt flats, its colors brilliantly illuminating the landscape. Sip on a glass of wine and soak in the beauty.

Retire for the night in Agencha town, dining and resting at the local hostel.

Stay: Agencha Hostel offers rooms for 2-6 guests, all equipped with private bathrooms.

• For the rainy season (January to April): Lodging will be in Uyuni City, as the Salt Hostel isn’t accessible. This season, particularly from the first week of January to the first week of April, provides the breathtaking mirror effect on the flats.

Day 2 Chiguana Desert – Ollagüe – Andean Lagoons – Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve – Siloli Desert – Stone Tree – Red Lagoon

Begin your day with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Your initial destination is the Chiguana Desert, located on the southern edge of the Uyuni salt flats. This area is framed by multiple volcanoes, including the active Ollagüe, which can be observed from a dedicated vantage point.

Next, journey along a rugged path to explore the Cañapa, Hedionda, and Chiarcota Lagoons, which are frequented by flamingoes.

Post lunch, venture into the “Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve”. Here, witness the stark beauty of the Siloli Desert, recognized as the world’s highest and driest desert. Don’t miss the opportunity to capture the unique ‘Rock tree’, a natural lava rock formation. Before reaching the day’s end, pause at a viewpoint near the Red Lagoon, an incredible body of water with an intense red hue, home to numerous pink flamingoes. Spend the evening at a hostel in Huayllajara.

Lodging: The Huayllajara Hostel offers communal rooms accommodating 6 guests, with shared bathroom facilities.

• For added comfort, there’s an option to upgrade your second-night stay for an additional 25 USD. This upgrade provides a private room with an ensuite bathroom, including toilet paper and a towel.

Day 3 Sol de Mañana Geyser – Hot Springs – Dali Desert – Green Lagoon – Uyuni

Kick off your day early at around 5:00 a.m., heading to the Sol de Mañana Geyser, situated at an altitude of 5,000m. Wander alongside fumaroles and witness the spectacle of steaming craters brimming with bubbling mud at temperatures ranging from 150-200°C. Afterwards, embrace the chance to rejuvenate in the open-air hot springs with waters at a comfortable 35°C.

Journey next to the Dali Desert, aptly named for its striking resemblance to Salvador Dalí’s surrealistic artwork, showcasing a mesmerizing blend of colors and formations. From there, explore the intriguing Green and White Lagoons, known for their toxic copper waters, nestled at the base of the grand Licancabur volcano, just a stone’s throw from the Bolivia-Chile border.

Embark on a return trip to Uyuni, soaking in the breathtaking landscapes and enjoying a picnic lunch en route. Along the journey, traverse the Rock Valley (Alota) and make a brief halt at San Cristobal Village, reaching Uyuni town by 6:30 p.m.

For those inclined to end their adventure in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, rather than circling back to Uyuni, our guides will aid with your border transition at 10:30 a.m., leaving you at San Pedro de Atacama’s central plaza.

Should you wish to proceed to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, please arrange this transfer ahead of time. Travelers selecting this option will not be part of the return leg to Uyuni.

1 What is the itinerary for the 3-day, 2-night Uyuni Salt Flats & Colored Lagoons tour?

The tour usually starts with exploring the Uyuni Salt Flats, including the train graveyard and Incahuasi Island. On the second day, the tour typically covers the high desert landscapes, visiting various lagoons like Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde. The final day often includes additional lagoons and geothermal areas before returning.

2 What type of accommodation is provided during the tour?

Accommodations are generally basic and rustic, often in shared rooms in desert lodges or salt hotels. Comfort levels can vary, so it’s advisable to check with your tour operator for specific details.

3 Are meals included in the tour package?

Yes, meals are usually included for the duration of the tour. It’s important to inform the tour provider of any dietary restrictions in advance.

4 What kind of clothing and gear should I bring for the tour?

Bring warm and layered clothing as temperatures can vary drastically. Also, include a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable walking shoes, and a good camera. Given the remote nature of the tour, it’s also wise to bring any necessary personal items and medications.

5 How difficult are the hikes and activities on the tour?

 Most activities are of low to moderate difficulty, but the high altitude can make physical activity more challenging. It’s recommended to spend a few days acclimating to the altitude before the tour if possible.

Travel, Hiking, Food

What to Expect On The 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour in Bolivia

Thinking about doing the 3 day Bolivia Salt Flats Tour? Wondering how to survive the Uyuni Salt Flats and what you will see on the Salt Flats Tour? This guide tells you everything about the 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour .

Uyuni Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia is one of the bucket items you cannot miss. The mirror reflection on the Uyuni Salt Flats looks almost unreal and that was what initially drew me to visit.

During our 2 week trip to Peru and Bolivia , we got the chance to take a 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats tour to explore this amazing landscape and thr surrounding areas in Bolivia. Unfortunately we went during the dry season so there was no reflection. But even without the reflection, Uyuni salt flats still looked incredible.

This 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats guide will show you what to expect when visiting, including what tour to book, how much it costs, what to see on each day (spoiler: you only spend one day on the Salt Flats), and other practical things to know.

This blog contains occasional affiliate links, where I receive a small commission on sales of the products/hotels that are linked at no additional cost to you. In addition, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases . The commission I receive helps me to pay for the cost of running and maintaining this blog. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Where is the Uyuni Salt Flat in Boliva

The Uyuni Salt Flat is located in Southwestern Bolivia, near the city of Uyuni. It is close to the Chilean border, but can also be accessed from southern Peru and northern Argentina.

The Uyuni Salt Flat, otherwise known as Salar de Uyuni, is the world’s largest salt flat. It stretches for more than 4,050 square miles and it is what was left behind of a prehistoric lake from over 40,000 years ago.

How to Get To Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia

Due to its location near Chile, Peru, and Argentina, you can easily take an overnight bus from all three countries to reach Uyuni Salt Flat.

The fastest way to get to Uyuni is by flying . The flight from La Paz to Uyuni only takes about an hour. We took Amaszonas but that flight doesn’t seem to be offered anymore. Now the best flight is to take BoA from La Paz to Uyuni.

Depending on the tour you take, some tour companies will pick you up from the airport the night before.

If you want to take overnight buses (like from La Paz to Uyuni), the bus ride takes 9-10 hours. I didn’t do this route but my friends did on a separate trip and it was not the most comfortable. If you are not on a budget I would recommend that you fly and so you can actually get a good night of sleep.

If you want to take the bus, you can book bus tickets here . This site if very reliable for bus tickets in South America.

Best Time to Visit the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia

There is a dry season and rainy season on the Bolivia Salt Flats:

• Rainy Season in Uyuni: November to April
• Dry season: April to October

If you want the cool mirror effect on the Uyuni Salt Flats, then the best time to go to the Salar de Uyuni is during rainy season or by June before water evaporates.

You should wear waterproof shoes if you are going during rain season since the Salt Flats is covered with water and your feet will get web. Also keep in mind that July is extremely windy on the Salt Flats. Since Bolivia is in the southern hemisphere, July is winter there, so you will want to dress warmly (also due to its high altitude).

Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flat Tour Options

There are 2 types of tours that you can take to see the Uyuni Salt Flats.

One day Salt Flats tour : This one day tour takes you to some places on the Salar the 3 day tour doesn’t, and you may find areas with water to take the cool reflection shot even during dry season. If you are short on time then I would recommend this tour.

3 day 2 night Salt flats tour : This 3 day tour allows you to s pend one day on the salt flat and the other 2 days visiting Eduardo Avaroa National Park as well as other cool landscapes such as lagoons, geysers, hot springs, and the desert. You practically spend the third day driving back to Uyuni from the Chile/Bolivia border.

Therefore if your goal is to just see the Salt Flat, the one day tour might be a better option for you. But if you want to see different things near the Salt Flat, then you should consider the 3 day tour.

Best 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour Operators

While searching for reviews on Tripadvisor, three reputable Uyuni Salt Flats tour companies came up: Red Planet , Quechua Connection and Salty Desert Aventours .

I personally ended up choosing Quechua Connection because my friends went with them before and they have really good reviews on Tripadvisor (this is NOT a sponsored post so all opinions are mine).

I enjoyed my tour with them and have absolutely no complaints. After comparing to my other friend who used Red Planet , a few noticeable differences (and similarities):

Quechua Connection is the only company that offers you bikes to ride across the Bolivia salt flats on the first day. This may have changed now it’s been a while so check with the different tour operators.

Different 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats tours stop at different spots for the night; Quechua Connection & Red Planet both stop at hostels right next to the hot spring on the 2nd night.

This means you can visit the hot spring at sunset or under the Milky Way at night while other tours have to get up at 5am to drive to the hot spring the next morning. Definitely a plus to have the hot spring to yourself under the stars!

Our salt flats tour company tried its best to accommodate tourists with dietary restrictions and the guides have altitude sickness pills as well as oxygen tanks for emergency situation

I’m not sure sure about other companies but I heard horror stories of drivers drink and drive on the salt flats; didn’t see any of that on our tour with Quechua Connection.

What To Pack For the 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

Similar to the Inca Trail , you need to pack a lot of things as if you are going on a camping trip as there is no luxury accommodation during the 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour.

Below is the list of necessary things that you should pack for the Uyuni Salt Flats, as you cannot really purchase anything while you are there.

Travel Document & Money

• Passport: always have your passport with you
• Cash: bring cash to pay for the Salt Flats tour, water, and snacks, small changes for bathroom, entrance fees to sights and tips for the driver and guide. I would recommend to bring at least 400 Bolivianos (~60 USD) .
• Cash for Uyuni airport departure fee . There is a US$25 departure tax for international flights and a 15 Bolivianos departure fee for domestic flights.

Medication For the Salt Flats

• Altitude sickness pill: If you are not acclimated, you should have the altitude sickness pill with you. The Salar in Bolivia is at around 3700m (~1200ft) and during the 2nd day you will be at around 5000m (~16400ft)
• Food related sickness pills: Bring it just in case you get upset stomach. There is no pharmacy on the Salt Flats tour

Attires & Accessories

• Winter clothes & layers: It gets extremely cold at night even during the summer months on the salt flats in Bolivia due to high altitude
• Hat, scarf, and gloves are extremely important
• Sunglasses: the sun can be very strong at such high altitude. Reflection from the salt flats can seriously burn your retina.
• Swimsuit: EXTREMELY IMPORTANT !! If you want to be able to enjoy the outdoor hot spring during the Salt Flats tour on Day 2 (or 3)
• Towel & Hanger: Accommodations do not offer towels. If you plan to go into the hot spring, make sure to bring a towel and a hanger. We didn’t have a hanger but someone on our tour did, it was such a smart idea

Toiletry & Other Things

• Body wipes: there is no hot shower during the 1st night and no shower at all during the 2nd night of the 3 day Bolivia Salt Flats tour. I got these wipes for both Bolivia and the Inca Trail and they were super useful.
• Toilet paper: there is none during the 2nd night (at least when I went); if you pay for the bathrooms during the tour, there is generally toilet paper except a couple of places
• Sunscreen: it’s easy to get sunburned at this high altitude. I highly recommend this lightweight mineral sunscreen
• Lotion: I didn’t realize how dry it is on the Salar and my eczema was acting up. Bring body location to properly hydrate your skin
• Dry Shampoo : No shower is available during the 3 day tour of Uyuni Salt Flats
• Extra batteries: there is no electricity to charge your phone/camera on the 2nd night
• Tripod: if you are into photography then don’t miss the opportunities to take amazing shots of the Milky Way from the salt flats. It’s higher and less polluted so the stars are brighter and easier to see
• Headlamp : there was no lights in our bathroom during the 2nd night
• Sleeping bag liner : you are provided with a sleeping bag but it gets mixed up the following day, so if you want to be clean, bring your own sleeping bag liner
• Ear Plugs: necessary since you will be in a 6 person dorm room on Night 2 of the Salt Flats tour

What To Expect During the 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour in Bolivia

Booking the 3 day bolivia salt flats tour.

After reading reviews online and getting recommendations from my friends, we emailed Quechua Connection to make the booking a few months in advance (you probably don’t need to do it that far in advance like we did).

They can communicate with you via Email or Whatsapp and to make the bookings we had to provide the company with our names and passport number. There was no deposits and we paid everything in full in cash (Bolivianos or USD) in person the night before the tour.

Price of 3 day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

Our 3 day tour of Uyuni Salt Flats was 180 USD excluding some park entrance fee and tips. We had to pay about 200 Bolivianos extra for entrance fee costs.

If you want to get dropped off in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, you can pay more.

Food during the 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

Drinks are provided at meal time but you need to bring extra water for yourself for 3 days. There are shops on the tour (especially day 1) so buy some snacks with you.

The tour company accommodates people with dietary restrictions as much as they can. We had 2 people in our group with severe food allergies to gluten and certain fruits and they were given food they could eat so thumbs up to the company.

Breakfast : usually pancakes or bread, jam, fruits, coffee/tea

Lunch & dinner : rice or pasta, vegetable, protein (llama steak or chicken or canned tuna) & dessert (mango pudding or fruits or cake), coffee/tea/soda/water

Complete 3 Day Tour of Uyuni Salt Flats Itinerary

Day 0 – arrival to uyuni & where to stay in uyuni.

We took the last flight out of La Paz to Uyuni the night before our 3 Day Salt Flats tour. It was a short flight (~1 hour) and our tour operator picked us up from the Uyuni airport.

After landing in Uyuni, our tour company picked us up from the airport and we were driven to the Quechua Connection’s office to make our payments in cash. We were told that drinks is only provided during meals so we bought our own (a few liters of water to be exact).

For payment, they accept both USD and Bolivianos. If you plan to do a tour in Uyuni, make sure to check with your tour operator on what currency they accept.

Where to Stay in Uyuni

The salt flats tour company dropped us off at our hotel ( Hotel de Sal Casa Andina ) which was amazing and super spacious. It was actually the best hotel we stayed at during our 2 week trip of Peru and Bolivia .

The hotel even had free coffee and fruit juice in the cafeteria at night. There was also free breakfast with our stay. They also offer a 3 person room which was what we needed.

The only thing I didn’t like was that the windows all face towards the hallway so if anyone is talking in the hall way you can hear everything.

Day 1 of 3 Day Bolivia Salt Flats Tour – Train Graveyard, Salt Flats, Islands, Sunset

We were picked up from our hotel by 10:30am and taken to the main tour office. There we waited for other travelers before we were assigned to one of the 4 jeeps they had. The drivers tied up gas tank, our luggage and water and sleeping bags on the top of the jeep and we started off towards our first stop: Train graveyard .

We got to the train graveyard outside of Uyuni about 20 minutes after leaving the tour office and were given about 20 minutes there to climb up the abandoned trains and take photos. There was a portable bathroom there but unfortunately it was locked.

We continued onward to a town where we visited Colchani Salt processing “factory” . I walked around a bit and found this really cute pair of alpaca leg warmers for 25 Bolivianos (~4 USD).

After another short drive, we finally arrived at the Uyuni Salt Flats . It was quite amazing to be surrounded by nothing but salt (and whiteness).

It looked like it came straight out of a science fiction. Unfortunately since we were there during the dry season, there was not enough water on the surface to reflect the sky. Hopefully someday I will be back during wet season.

Our guide gave us each a bike to bike across the Salt Flats to the lunch spot, which was 3km away. I heard our tour is the only tour that offers bikes, so that was pretty cool 😀 Although I have to say it was not easy to ride bikes across the salt flats because the ground is not 100% flat.

One thing I did not know was that our guide was REALLY good at taking photos and helping us pose on the salt flats. He did a lot of funny videos and photos for us (and for the group) due to the lack of depth perception on the salar. Also, apparently the trick is to lie flat on the salt flats (or as low as possible) to get the coolest perspective.

We spent over an hour on the Salt Flats just taking photos and walking around in crazy windy conditions but it was totally worth it! I wish we had stayed longer but we had to move onto the next cool spot: Incawasi Island .

Little did I know that there is an island full of huge cactus in the middle of the Uyuni salt flats where nothing else grows.

We had to pay an entrance (and bathroom) fee of 30B (~4.5 USD) to get in. Once you are in, you are free to roam around and climb to the top for a better view of the Salt Flats if you don’t mind walking up with the high altitude.

We spent about 40 minutes here before we set off for another island on the salt flats, this time a cave called Pia Pia Island . I never thought I cared about caves until this particular cave. It helped that our guide was an amazing photographer. I heard that in the past, people stayed in the cave to watch sunset. But we didn’t do it this time.

We continued on driving until we found a random spot to watch the magnificent sunset on the salt flats. It was one of the most colorful sunset I’ve ever seen but oh boy it was freezing cold!!

Our guide was really excited for this sunset, apparently because usually there is clouds in the horizon but this time it was completely clear.

Our first night hotel on the Salt Flats was called Manica Hostel , which wasn’t too bad. We had a 3 person private room with our own bathroom and electricity so we could charge our phone and camera (yes electricity is luxury item here). Unfortunately there was no hot water in the bathroom so no shower night no.1!

Day 2 – Coral Valley, Lagoons, Stone Tree, Geysers, Hot Spring

Little did I know that the 3 day Uyuni Salar tour is actually only 1 day on the salt flats. We officially left the Uyuni salt flats the night before. Day 2 of the 3 day Salt Flats tour started bright and early at 6am in the morning. We left the hostel by 7am to visit the first stop: coral valley .

Day 2 of the 3 day tour of Uyuni salt flats was a lot of driving in a desert landscape. It’s actually quite amazing how the landscape changes every 30 minute to an hour on this day. We drove by deserts, coral valleys; we saw volcanoes followed by lush green and random villages.

We also entered the Eduardo Avaroa National Park and had to pay 150Bs for entrance fee so make sure you bring enough cash and your passport with you.

One of the cool things we saw along the way were 2 lagoons with flamingos . Did you know that flamingos are not born pink? They get the pink color from eating algae. Most people also wouldn’t expect to find volcano flamingos hidden away and thriving in the Andes. They have adapted the harsh weather as well as the high altitude.

A few other cool things we saw during Day 2 included the Stone Tree, the Red Lagoon, and a geyser. This was totally unexpected but also really cool to see.

One word about the accommodation on the Salt Flats, since it’s in such a remote location, all the accommodations were hostels with no showers and electricity. Each car stays in the same dorm with a private bathroom, but there is no heating in the hostel so make sure to wear layers to bed.

The highlight of the day was the hot spring . Since we stayed about 6 minute walking distance to the hot spring, we could go anytime we wanted.

Our group ended up going around sunset after we checked into our hostel. Since only our group and Red Planet are staying near the hot spring, we ended up having the place all to ourselves for sunset.

The entrance fee for the hot spring is 5Bs. If you just want to dip your feet in, then it’s free. There is a changing room at the hot spring, but there is no lights in the changing room so bring flashlight or head lamp and towel. This is also where having a hanger was extremely helpful to dry the wet swimsuit and towel.

I think this sunset in Bolivia was even more stunning than the one the day before. Similarly, the Milky Way was more clear today since we were at an even higher altitude on the salt flats. It was well worth the sub freezing temperature to capture this.

Day 3 – Dali Desert, Chilean Border, Green Lagoon

We actually spent most of Day 3 of the salt flats tour driving back to Uyuni.

If you are not short on time, it’s actually a better option to get dropped off at the Chilean border and cross into Chile. It’s a lot more efficient and you are not wasting the whole day driving back. Meanwhile for the rest of us, we saw the Salvador Dali desert and lagoons.

The highlight (and a surprise) came in the afternoon about 2 hours from Uyuni. Our guide took us into this secret valley that had an incredible landscape.

After this last stop, we drove about an hour to a tourist stop for bathroom and snacks then headed back to Uyuni to catch our flight to La Paz.

Things To Know Before You Go To Uyuni Salt Flats

Can i see the reflection on the uyuni salt flats .

This is a tricky one. If you visit the Bolivia Salt Flats during rainy season, then it’s more than likely you will be able to take the reflective photos on the salt flat.

However during the dry season, some day tours can take you to a spot that “always” has water so you can take the reflection shots on the salt flat. Our 3 day tour was not able to take us.

What’s the altitude of Salar de Uyuni?

The Uyuni Salt Flats is about 4000m above sea level and during Day 2 of the 3 Day tour of Uyuni Salt Flats, the altitude can reach above 5000m (16400ft).

Therefore if you are prone to getting altitude sickness, you should take some altitude sickness pills with you. I would recommend acclimate in La Paz or somewhere lower for a couple of days before doing the Uyuni salt flats tour.

However the guides usually have oxygen tank with them for emergency use. But unless you are on the verge of death, they tend not to use it even if you get altitude sickness.

Is there Vegan or Vegetarian Food On the Salt Flats Tour?

Yes! The tour companies are very good at accommodating food preferences on the Salt Flats.

How Much Cash Should I Bring To the 3 Day Bolivia Salt Flats Tour?

Bring at least 400 Bolivianos besides the money to pay for your salar de Uyuni tour.  You need the cash to pay for water, bathroom, snacks, entrance fee, airport departure fee in Uyuni, etc.

If you are flying out of Uyuni to La Paz after the tour, have 15 Bolivianos (~1.5 USD) to pay airport departure tax. You don’t have to worry about this when you take a flight from La Paz airport. This departure fee only applies to Uyuni Airport departure

Is there shower on the 3 day Bolivia Salt Flats Tour?

For our tour there was a cold shower the first evening but no shower the second evening.

Is the Uyuni Salt Flats Tour safe for Female solo travelers?

YES! There were many solo travelers on our Salt Flats Tour and the guides are very professional. You will feel safe and comfortable traveling by yourself to the Salt Flats.

What is the accommodation like on the 3 Day Bolivia Salt Flats Tour?

Accommodation depends on the tour you take. For our tour, the first night we stayed in a private room with bathroom and cold shower. The 2nd night we stayed in a 5-6 person dorm sleeping on stone beds with no shower and no toilet paper. The tour will give you sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner but it can be really cold at night.

Is there bathroom on the Uyuni Salt Flats?

There are many rest stops on your Salts Flat tour but you have to pay at least 5 Bolivianos every time you use the bathroom unless it’s at your hostel.

Is the Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats Worth It?

If you want to see unique landscapes, the largest salt flats in the world, and have a once in a life time experience, then the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia is totally worth it. The price is not too expensive for a 3 day all inclusive tour.

However if your only goal of visiting Uyuni Salt Flats is to take the mirror-like reflection, then you may be disappointed. Even during rainy season it is not guaranteed for you to see it, and you most likely won’t see it during the dry season.

In addition, if you only want to see the salt flats and nothing else, you should not take a 3 day tour, instead, take the one day tour and save yourself some time.

One last thing to note is that there is a similar (but smaller) salt flats in Utah. So if you are from the US, you may not need to fly all the way to Uyuni to see this.

Final Thoughts on the Bolivia 3 Day Salar de Uyuni Tour

I really thought the 3 day salt flats tour was amazing since you are literally so remote from civilization you really feel disconnected. The landscape changes drastically from place to place and I think it’s definitely an unique experience.

Regardless of whether you do a one day tour or a 3 day tour, you will love the experience as long as you are well prepared.

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When is the best time to go?

• From December to March, the rainy season lasts on the Uyuni Salt Flat and the fields turn into a giant lake. Lots of tourists. It’s warm both day and night.
• May through December is the dry season. A little less touristy. Minus temperatures at night (coldest June-August)

Connoisseurs advise late April when you can still catch the mirror effect, stay warm and avoid the crowds. We made it to Uyuni in the middle of May.

Which tour to choose

There are so many companies on the internet offering tours to Uyuni. There are even more of them on site. I don’t recommend taking a company with no reviews and low prices. Cars break down a lot, most drivers don’t understand English. There are a lot of stories abound of someone getting stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere. An acquaintance once told me that going to Uyuni was the worst adventure of his life (he visited 70 countries). Their driver was drunk, the car broke down on a salt flat, and they had to walk back to town for two hours in the blazing sun. Everyone had altitude sickness. One can imagine what kind of “hike” that would have been…

In general, don’t be cheap and study the reviews. I chose Andes Salt Expeditions , with a rating of 4.5 on tripadvisor, 4.4 on google. There were questions for them, too.

Altitude sickness – lack of oxygen in the blood at high altitudes. The symptoms are physical fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and trouble sleeping. Occurs when there is a rapid change in altitude, from 2500m to more than 500 meters per day. You can relieve symptoms with ibuprofen, acetazolamide, and acclimatization.

READ: Travel to Peru and Bolivia: 30 useful tips

For how many days to go to Uyuni

There’s not much to do in the town of Uyuni itself. Tours usually last 1, 2, 3, and 4 days. In my opinion, a three-day tour is the most optimal.

How to get from La Paz to Uyuni on your own

There are several ways to get to Uyuni: by airplane, train, and overnight bus.

There are direct flights from La Paz to Uyuni by Amaszonas and Boliviana de Aviacion . Sometimes they have flights with a connection, but it’s still fast – about 3 hours.

On our dates, all flights from La Paz to Uyuni were 12-13 hour layovers, so we travelled by bus.

The train from Oruro:

The most budget-friendly way to get to Uyuni is by Ferroviaria Andina train from the town of Oruro (take a bus there). Trains run infrequently and not every day. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketsbolivia .

• Wara Wara Express goes on Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
• Expreso Sur – Tuesday and Friday afternoons

Overnight bus from La Paz to Uyuni:

Several companies operate on this route: Trans Titicaca, Panasur, Trans Omar, Todo Turismo (didn’t like the last reviews), Cruz del Norte, and Trans Panamerican. They depart from La Paz Central Station at 9-10pm and arrive in Uyuni around 5-6am. I dug through the internet reviews of all of them and couldn’t find a definitive positive option. The guide in Uyuni recommended taking Titicaca.

We travelled to Bolivia a month after the borders opened after the pandemic. Titicaca was one of the few that worked and made regular trips with no cancellations and delays. Overall, it wasn’t bad: comfortable seats (be sure to get the “cama”), warm blankets, working restroom. I bought my tickets online at Ticketsbolivia (print them out!). On the downside, there is no option to book and select seats in advance, they are allocated in the office at the bus station before the trip.

What To Pack And Wear In Uyuni

The list depends on how many days you’re travelling for and what time of year. What came in handy on our 3 day tour in mid-May:

• Sunglasses (in the salt fields it is impossible to open your eyes without them)
• A wide-brimmed hat
• Swimsuit (for hot springs)
• Thermal underwear
• Good hiking pants
• A jacket for 5 to 10 degrees Celsius
• Warm sweatshirt or fleece
• Hiking boots
• Travel hairdryer (hotels did not have one)
• Toilet paper
• Altitude sickness pills (acetazolamide we bought in advance with a doctor’s prescription)
• Water 2.5 liters/person

Day 1: Lagoons and flamingos

“Hello! Where are you?”

A whole night we travelled by bus from La Paz to Uyuni. The guide promised to meet us at the stop with a sign. At 6am we stepped off the bus into a crowd of people, none of the guide’s signs had our name on them. The rest of the backpackers were taken like pancakes. We stomped lonely aside and tried to call the company. On the twentieth time, I finally managed to…

Andes Salt Expeditions ‘ office is located in the city centre. The girl – the owner’s assistant – spoke English quite well. First, we went across the street for breakfast (≈5 USD (35BOB)/person) . In the cafe, there was everything for the tourists, even showers for a fee!

We paid for our tour and got all the instructions in the office. The tour for three days cost 250USD/person (cash). Huge money for Bolivia! It was possible to book for half the price with a Spanish-speaking guide and shared rooms for the night. We paid separately for sleeping bags 10 USD each. In May it is winter in Uyuni and temperatures drop below freezing at night. Spoiler: we never used those sleeping bags.

We had to go through and move the clothes into one backpack, as both of them wouldn’t fit in the car. The standard tour to Uyuni is done in two SUVs, each carrying 6 tourists and a guide driver. Things are stuffed into a tight bag on the roof. Lunch is in the tiny trunk in the back. Water and snacks you buy for yourself , they are not included in the tour.

In the car besides us there was a young American couple and a woman from Germany. They and the guys in the second SUV had already rolled one day of the Uyuni salt flat tour and spent the night at the salt hotel. We were to spend the next two days together in the lagoons, deserts and mountains of Bolivia.

Our companions entertained us with conversation, brightening up the long hours of off-roading. We stopped only six times during the whole day’s journey : toilet, lunch, volcano viewpoint, a couple of lagoons, rock valley and hotel.

Lagoons and flamingos

The village of San Cristóbal was left behind as the last island of civilization. There we stocked up on cookies, chocolate and candy bars from local grannies.

After a couple of hours, we stretched our legs at a lookout with a view of Chile’s Ollagüe Volcano . Its summit rises 5868 meters above sea level. On some slopes of the volcano, there are active sulphur mines, to which one of the highest roads in the world leads (at an altitude of 5,650 meters).

While we were trying to see all the trails of the volcano, several llamas came out onto the highway. Domestic llamas in Bolivia have coloured tassels hanging from their ears. The wild ones – vicuñas – graze by themselves and do not come close to people.

Then we had lunch in the village . Turns out our driver guides are also cooks. They heated and cooked simple food in the houses of locals and then brought it to us in a small room with tables and benches. The first day’s treat was chicken and cooked vegetables.

All the way to the next stop, I slept the whole way.

Lagunas… We saw several. At each one, we went out for a short walk and took photos.

The red mountains were reflected in the water. In the warm light of day, the lagoons seemed somehow magical, martian. Part of it was covered with ice and salt. There were bright pink spots with flamingos visible. One lagoon had a particularly large number of flamingos. I took a walk along the lake and tried to get a photo of them. There was no way to sneak up close to the flamingos. At the sight of a moving man, the whole flock would instantly flap their wings and fly off in the other direction.

The names and types of lagoons mixed up in my head: Cañapa, Chiarcota, and some others. Unsuccessfully I tried to find them on Google Maps for you and match them with my photos. But which one is which, I still don’t know 100%. I’m uploading it here in a big, beautiful pile.

After the lagoons, we drove through the orange Siloli Desert and stopped briefly at a rock park .

We were behind schedule. We arrived at Laguna Colorada (one of the highlights of the tour) at sunset. The guide promised to return tomorrow afternoon.

The No1 Hotel in Laguna Colorada.

We stopped for the night nearby. Decent little hotel. A hostess in traditional dress greeted us at the entrance and delighted everyone with the news that there was hot water. When we bought the tour, we were warned that one of the hotels would be without heating. Either the guides brought us to another hotel or their old one had secretly done an upgrade. Either way, the news was good.

My husband and I and a few other travelers booked private rooms, the rest of the group slept in one large dormitory room Before dinner, we had time to unpack and had a shower.

For dinner, we had delicious soup and meatless noodles. The vegetarians in the group cheered. There was also a large bowl of coca leaves on the table. That night we slept at over 4,000 meters. Even with the special anti altitude sickness pills, I had a slight stomachache and headache.

It was warm in the room, so we didn’t use sleeping bags. We crawled under two hotel wool blankets and slept peacefully until the morning.

Day 2: Hot Springs, Dali Desert

For breakfast, we had a big plate of pancakes, yogurt, a can of dulce de leche (a local dessert like boiled condensed milk) and instant coffee.

At 5:30 in the morning, it was cold and dark outside. We pulled on sweaters and thermal underwear. We loaded into the cars and headed out to greet the sunrise at Sol de Mañana (“morning sun”). There, at an altitude of 4,850 meters, there is a small geyser field with bubbling mud pots .

It smelled like sulfur. Folks were having fun, running around and trying to keep warm in the thick steam. Until the guide told the story of how once on a tour a Japanese woman accidentally stepped her foot into one of the boiling pits. The girl was rescued with minor burns.

It was a quick drive to Polques Hot Springs . Our group was one of the first to arrive. We paid about 1USD (6BOB)/ person for the entrance.

There was a good toilet, changing rooms and two pools with +/- 37°C water. A few meters away from the hot springs, flamingos were walking around. It was a pleasure to get in the water. Some travellers decided not to swim (wrong choice!) and waited on shore for an hour.

Salvador Dali’s desert

After the hot springs, the air no longer seemed so cold. We put the thermal underwear in the backpacks. The sun rose higher. We went to see Salvador Dali’s Desert.

The desert (also hot springs, Laguna Colorada and the rock park) is included in the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. At one of the checkpoints, we showed our passports and paid an additional entry fee of 22USD (150BOB)/person. At the checkpoint, by default, they put a souvenir stamp of the park in your passport. Tell the guide in advance if you don’t want to (e.g. save space on visa pages).

The Dali Desert is located at an average altitude of 4,750 meters above sea level and has an approximate area of 110 km². The bizarre mountains, oddly shaped rocks and unusual colour scheme create a surreal landscape. Just like in Dali’s paintings, if they suddenly came to life. The Spanish artist had never been to Bolivia. But the local guides start rumours that this extraordinary man was able to move bodilessly on the Planet.

Laguna Colorada

Next stop was Laguna Colorada . One of the most beautiful places in Bolivia! This red salt lake was once a nominee on the New Seven Wonders of Nature list.

From the parking lot, we followed the guide to the observation deck along the volcanic trail. With each step, the view became more and more unreal. I’ve been to pink lakes in Spain and Mexico before, but none of them were even close in beauty.

From above, Laguna looked like an artist’s palette where the brightest and juiciest colours were mixed. At noon, Colorada shimmered red-orange and pink, blue and green, yellow, white and purple.

The colour of the water in the Lagoon is the result of red sediments on the bottom, plankton pigmentation and red algae. The white spots on the lake and shores are deposits of boron, sodium, and magnesium.

There was a herd of llamas and a small bunch of flamingos strolling along the shore. Of the six flamingo species known on the Planet, three can be found in the Lagoon: the Chilean, Andean and James. The James’s Flamingo was thought to be extinct in the mid-20th century and was rediscovered here on the Andean mountain plateaus.

• The Chilean flamingo has a white with black tip beak, red knees, and salmon-colored plumage. It reaches a little over one meter in height.
• The Andean flamingo is the largest of the three species. It has pink plumage, a yellow and black beak, and black wing tips.
• The plumage of the James flamingo is light pink, with bright veins around the neck and on the back, all the fly feathers are coloured black. There is a dark red triangle around the eyes, the legs are pink or orange, and the beak (the shortest of all flamingos) is bright yellow with a black tip.

The only birds we saw that day were Andean flamingos. They say that during the rainy season, whole flocks gather in the lagoon.

We had just half an hour of free time for photos and the restroom (by the way, the most expensive on the whole trip, 5BOB). I would love to stay longer.

Lunch, rocks, verdant lagoon.

Everyone was hungry. We were to have lunch in the village next to the lagoon and walk another 20 minutes on the other side of the lagoon while the food heated up. But something went wrong.

The guides came back from the village and asked everyone to get into their cars. For the next two hours we drove without stopping. The supply of chips and chocolates came in handy! The desolate landscapes were occasionally diluted by streams, llamas, and lagoons. Finally, we came to some village.

It was a big village. Locals in traditional dress walked the streets, and old cars stood on the curbs. A large herd of llamas grazed by the river in the distance. And lunch, finally. We had cheese, sausage, bananas, vegetables, rice, eggs and the must-be-on-the-table – Coca-Cola.

There was a small accident in the village. In a public toilet, one of the tourists flushed toilet paper down the toilet (which is highly discouraged!) and a clog formed. Those who planned to visit the establishment in the afternoon found the door closed. The guide calmed down and said there would soon be a valley of rocks where you could use the “Inca toilet”. That’s what they call bushes, cobblestones, and other natural barriers.

I wasn’t impressed with the Valley of the Stones , probably because my husband and I returned from the canyons of the US a month ago. Although the individual clumps looked spectacular. Sometimes there was such a strong wind that it would literally knock you off your feet.

Then we stopped by Green Lagoon . Here, too, the wind was raging, creating ripples on the water and making it the usual gray colour instead of emerald. The tour guides were upset. We’re not! It was still beautiful!

Lastly, we were stopped at some more rocks in the shape of a camel, a parrot and our guide’s profile.

At sunset we returned to Uyuni and said goodbye to our travel companions. Their tour was over, we had another day ahead of us.

Salt Hotel No2 in Uyuni

The guide took us to one of Uyuni’s salt hotels, Hotel Kachi de Uyuni. The walls, furniture and décor of the building were made of real salt. There was hot water and a heater. Dinner and breakfast were included in the price.

In contrast to the previous lodging, this hotel looked chic. Just a couple of things: the staff spoke almost no English and our room next to the kitchen was very noisy.

Train graveyard

At 10 am we were supposed to drive to Bolivia’s main attraction, the Uyuni Salt Flat. That’s what this whole thing was about.

At 11am we were still circling the city, picking up food and rubber boots here and there. Different guide, different travelling companions – four girls from Dubai.

No sooner had we left town than we had a flat tire! The guide changed it quickly, about fifteen minutes.

Then he brought us to the first point, the Train Cemetery (Cemeterio de Trenes).

Uyuni has always been an important transportation hub in South America. In the early 20th century, they wanted to make a large-scale railroad transfer point here. There’s been a change of plans. The trains stayed. They were imported, for the most part, from Great Britain.

In all, there are more than 100 cars in the Train Graveyard. The winds and salt have caused them to rust, weathered, and take on a cinematic look. You can climb and walk on them, no one forbids anything! We spent about 40 minutes here.

After the trains, we stopped at a souvenir store where salt was being shovelled and bagged in the backyard.

The salt flats were to be next. But just before the entrance, the car turned right. Turns out our travelling companions had asked to stop by their hotel, the Palacio de Sal. Girls invited my husband and I to see the room and interior. Hotel Palacio de Sal – the most expensive (from $140USD/night) and beautiful accommodation in Uyuni. The roofs of the rooms are made in a cone shape from salt bricks, you can see the salt marsh from the windows, and there is a spa. Everything is very classy and colorful.

Uyuni salt marsh

Finally! A full five minutes as we raced down the Uyuni Salt Flat . It looked like an ordinary snowfield. White, perfectly flat all the way to the horizon. The salt flat covers more than 10.5 thousand square kilometres and is considered the largest in the world !

It’s not just salt that Bolivians mine here. It is estimated that more than 50% of the deposits of all the world’s lithium reserves are located down there. The metal is extremely sought after these days for the production of batteries and accumulators. Elon Musk has long had his eye on Uyuni, but local authorities have not yet given the go-ahead for Americans to mass produce. According to the guide, for fear of under-recovering profits rather than a desire to preserve a natural wonder.

We stopped at a lodge in the middle of a salt flat (former hotel). The guide left to set up lunch. We took pictures with flags, salt slides, and with other tourists.

The dining room was beautiful! The whole building was made entirely of salt: the furniture is salt, the floor is salt, the walls are salt. The food, thankfully, was ordinary. We were treated to the fried llama and Russian salad (a simplified version of olivier). Our group ate and were one of the last to move.

Cactus Island

About 40,000 years ago, the Uyuni area was part of a giant ancient lake. It dried up and left behind a salt flat and a few islands. The most famous of the islands is Incahuasi .

When the car stopped near the island, we couldn’t believe our eyes. There were huge cacti growing on Inkahuasi from bottom to top and edge to edge! Many of them are over a thousand years old and 10 meters high!

There is a fee to enter the island, ≈$5USD(30BOB). Don’t spare any money, go for sure! A trail leads through the cacti to the summit. From the highest point of Incahuasi (“house of the Incas” in Quechua), there is a 360º view of the white plain and the silhouettes of the Andes.

The cactus island struck me even more than the Uyuni Salt Flat itself. We spent about 40 minutes there. Wanted more, but were way behind schedule. We left late in the morning, wasted time replacing a flat tire and getting to the hotel…. And now our fellow travellers got lost on the island and returned to the car 20 minutes later than agreed. We were slowly starting to worry that we wouldn’t make the evening bus to La Paz. The tour guide was out of sorts and brushed off all questions.

Tours travel in two cars, in case of breakdowns or emergencies. Our car was delayed at every point and the tourists from the other car couldn’t stand it and left. We caught up with them after the cacti. The guys had already been taking fun perspective photos for half an hour. Our group was limited to a quick photo op with the monster.

Sunset in Uyuni

During the winter months of rain, the entire plain floods and becomes a giant lake. We travelled in May. Most of Uyuni has dried out, but there were still a few wet spots. That’s where we were brought at sunset.

What happened next is hard to describe in words. The sun was setting over the horizon at once above and below, flooding the entire desert with fiery reds, reds, and purples. It was very cold, and my feet were soaking wet in my rubber boots, but no one thought of getting into the car. The guides set up tables with wine and fruit. The moon came out…

And then we rushed like crazy into town to catch the Titicaca bus. Their office was packed to the gills with people. The bus was postponed for an hour so that all the tourists had time to return from their tours (we were in a hurry for nothing!). And we even managed to have dinner at the wonderful Cafe Almirato near the station.

In lieu of a conclusion

It took us so long and agonizing to get to Bolivia that it felt strange to leave so soon. Three days of touring through lagoons, deserts and salt flats flew by. Was it worth it? Have expectations been met?

Absolutely once in a lifetime, it is worth it to see all this beauty with your own eyes. Reality has exceeded my expectations. The lagoons and desert valleys amazed me just to the core. Even looking at the photos for this article, I couldn’t believe my eyes. And the pictures don’t even half convey what’s going on there!

The big revelation was the physical condition or rather his lack of it. Even after a week of travelling through Peru at similar altitudes, with medication and the help of local medicine in the form of coca leaves, my body functioned very questionably. Shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, nausea. On the last day of the tour I got poisoned and was very sick all night on the bus. Not the first or last time on this trip.

And a couple of funny stories about Bolivian service.

Story #1: Ghost Bus Ticket.

After an overnight bus from Uyuni to La Paz, we bought online the morning bus to Puno. To avoid wasting time, the transfer was at the same train station 2 hours later. When we got to the company booth it turned out that it had been out of service for almost a year. And their tickets are still being sold on the official Ticketsbolivia website. We were lucky that there was another bus going from this train station to Peru in an hour and there were seats available. We bought those tickets. We made it. Then we wrote to ticketsbolivia and sent a photo of the sealed booth. They refunded us all the money.

Story #2: How we crossed the Bolivia-Peru border

The border between Peru and Bolivia is the subject of a separate book. Every traveller who has ever passed it has a story to tell. The first time we did it all went very quickly: we got to the border in Peru, got off the bus, walked across the border, got two stamps, caught a cab at the border in Bolivia and drove on.

On the way back it wasn’t so easy. On the Bolivian side of the border, they came up with the idea of testing the oxygen content in the blood. With a special device that you put on your finger. It only takes a minute. But the doctor, with this very device, went to lunch and disappeared. Hour. Two. For almost three hours the entire bus, over 50 people, sat under the doors of a lodge on the Peruvian border and waited. The doctor was never found. After a little argument with the bus driver, the Border Chief called an ambulance and they did all the job.

About The Author

Our Uyuni Salt Flats Tours

One of the most popular tourist sites in Bolivia, the Uyuni Salt Flats, offers travelers some of the most beautiful views (and photos) on Earth. As the largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Uyuni is over 4,000 miles long . What is even more interesting is that during the rainy season is the largest reflecting surface on Earth.

The issue is getting there can be difficult, something that we here at Nick’s Adventures have perfected.

Nick’s Adventures is proud to offer over five custom and semi-custom tours. With local English speaking experts, our top-rated tours will show you the best parts of the Salt Flats. Ranging from 1 day to multiple days, we offer something for everyone. Be sure to view our other Bolivia tours .

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Bolivian Salt Flats 2024

The most complete guide ever written with tips and advice to ensure you have the best possible experience at the bolivian salt flats..

Our guide to Bolivian Salt Flats in 2024 is extensive and based on almost 10 years of experience as well as hundreds of surveys from ex-travelers. Click any section below to read more information or scroll down to read the full complete guide of the Bolivian Salt Flats.

Bolivian Salt Flats of Uyuni – Quick Facts

Uyuni is around 8 hours South of La Paz

Access via overnight bus or small plane – options below

Salt Flat tours – 1 day and 3 day options – tips below

Known as the “world’s largest mirror”

Complete Guide to Uyuni Salt Flats Bolivia

(click any link to go direct to that section or scroll down to read the whole guide)

How To Get To Uyuni Salt Flats

Salt Flats Tour and Tips

The Perfect Salt Flats Plan – Itinerary Information

How To Take Amazing Photos At The Salt Flats Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni - FAQs - Your Questions Answered!

Bolivia Salt Flats Guide - Summary

Salar de Uyuni is accessible from Bolivia (for those going south) from La Paz, and from Chile (for those going north) via San Pedro de Atacama Desert.

From La Paz, it is usually 8 hours on a bed (cama) bus overnight, allowing you to arrive early morning, which is the best time to arrive to Uyuni.

From San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, buses take around 11 hours, factoring in the border crossing from Chile to Bolivia and involve a combination of buses. Tours are usually more recommended for when going from San Pedro to Uyuni or vice/versa.

Buses from La Paz to Uyuni

Bolivia Hop has been officially voted Bolivia’s best bus company in from 2016 to 2020 but as of December 2023, they still do not operate from La Paz to Uyuni. Bolivia Hop is the best way to get to and from La Paz, and then Todo Turismo is probably the best way to get from La Paz to Uyuni or from Uyuni back to La Paz. When booking with Todo Turismo, always try to get the Cama (bed) option. Do NOT go with other companies such as Transporte Omar or anybody else…safety records are suspect so we strongly recommend to travel with Todo Turismo to/from Uyuni, and Bolivia Hop to/from La Paz. Once in Uyuni, you can start your Salt Flats tour (1 day or a 3 day tour that ends in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile).

Quick Tip: The best way to book your Bolivian Salt Flats tour is by visiting Find Local Trips , a tour comparison website that allows you to choose tours from the top-rated operators throughout South America..

Buses from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni

There are NO direct buses from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni and it is strongly recommended to take a 3 day tour from San Pedro to Uyuni (or from Uyuni to San Pedro if you are traveling South) instead of trying to do this route via bus. This is because you will need to change buses, cross borders, and quite often this is a logistical nightmare.

If you insist on trying to travel from San Pedro to Uyuni by bus, or from Uyuni to San Pedro by bus. Cruz del Norte are usually the best bus company to go with.

The Bolivian Salt Flats in Uyuni are a MUST see for any trip to South America. It is STRONGLY recommended to book your tour in advance where possible and to NOT book your tour in Uyuni (book in La Paz or online) as many companies scam tourists, so be very careful with your choice of tour operator.

There are 2 types of tours of Salar de Uyuni Salt Flats:

Full Day Tour of the Salt Flats, start and finish in Uyuni on same day

A one-day tour of Salar de Uyuni in 4×4 jeeps are common and the shortest tours possible. The one day tour is also the cheapest way to visit the Salt Flats. Tours start in Uyuni around 10am (allowing you to have breakfast after your overnight bus from La Paz to Uyuni) and finish around 5pm (allowing you to take an overnight bus back to La Paz on the SAME day or to another destination.

A visit to the train cemetery is followed by a stop in Colchani before arriving to the Salt Flats and getting the first glimpse of this vast environment. Salt hotels, salt mounds, isolated ‘islands’ covered in cacti, lunch, and plenty of time for taking photos before returning to Uyuni at 5 pm. This is approximately how most of these tours run but for a more detailed itinerary check FindLocalTrips here .

Prices are from $70 USD to $90 USD

Start and finish in Uyuni, or finish in San Pedro de Atacama. If coming from San Pedro de Atacama, this 3 day tour will finish in Uyuni

3 Day Tours of Salar de Uyuni in 4×4 jeeps are the most popular tour type. The first day is the same as the one day tour – usually spending the first night in one of the basic Salt Hotels on the Salar itself. These hotels are almost completely constructed out of bricks made from dried salt!

The second and third days are spent seeing the colored lakes, hot springs, flamingo flocks, hot geysers, crazy rock formations – such as Arbol de Piedra (Rock Tree) , and painted volcanoes. You will be sleeping in tents and truly immersing yourself in this rugged part of the world. The stars alone in this unpolluted place can take your breath away.

3 day tours ending in San Pedro de Atacama – It’s also possible to hop over the border at the end of the tour, connecting to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

No attractions are missed by leaving the tour at the Chilean border before it heads back to Uyuni.

3 days tours STARTING From San Pedro de Atacama – There is also the opportunity to do this Salt Flat tour starting in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile and ending in Uyuni on the last day or returning to San Pedro the following day. Tours from San Pedro can be somewhat more expensive than those from Uyuni. This is the best way to get to Bolivia from Chile and the itineraries are the same as above just in reverse order with the final day being the Salt Flats themselves.

The best and most popular way to visit the Salar de Uyuni is by taking a 4×4 tour across the salt flats.

Most Salt Flats tours are safe and reliable; however, the conditions are basic in this area and you should be aware of this. The Salar de Uyuni is one of the harshest environments for vehicles on the planet and occasional vehicle issues can happen, this to a certain extent is unavoidable. The drivers are used to breakdowns and are pretty adept at fixing their vehicles. They are always willing to help each other out and you are usually not stuck for long – so a bit of patience is often all you need. Food will be basic.

As with all tours, pick your tour operator carefully. There have been occasional issues with tour drivers drinking alcohol while driving 4×4 jeeps laden with travelers and causing some nasty crashes. It is why we strongly recommend to go with one of the best tour operators available. FindLocalTrips is probably the best place to compare operators and from our experience, they only work with the safest and most reliable operators. More information can be found here

Some basic information:

• If you are traveling South, you will usually take the La Paz to Uyuni trip
• If traveling North, you will either come from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile or from Salta in Argentina
• 3 day tours of the Salt Flats are the most popular and most complete options. 1 day tours are ideal for those short on time
• On 3 day tours, you do NOT have to return to Uyuni if you do not wish…you can finish the 3day your in San Pedro (if going to Chile after Bolivia)
• It IS possible to do the following if short on time:
• Night bus from La Paz to Uyuni (9hrs)
• Arrive Uyuni AM and take full day (1day) tour
• On same day, take a night bus back to La Paz (9hrs)
• For buses to/from La Paz, we strongly recommend using the Bolivia Hop bus
• For buses to/from Uyuni, we strongly recommend using Todo Turismo

If you want detailed information on a full day (1 day) tour or the 3day tour, click on any of the tabs below to get a full and detailed itinerary and tips on what to bring etc.

The unique setting of endless salt flat at Salar de Uyuni make all kinds of crazy perspective photography possible. Here we have our top tips for great Salt Flats photos to add to your collection.

• Bring as much small and interesting items as possible: toy animals and action figures, toy vehicles and regular props such as sunglasses, hiking boots, and water bottles can all be turned into something funny and useful
• To set up for the shot the photographer needs to lie on their stomach and rest the camera on the ground to make positioning much easier; holding the camera in your hand makes it next to impossible
• Advice from an old photographer: “Shoot, shoot, shoot!!” Take lots and lots of shots since it’s not so easy to see your camera screen in the glare and you might never be back here again
• Making everyone jump in the air is a last resort shot that can always come out well!!!

Will I get problems with altitude sickness at the Salar de Uyuni?

IMPORTANT: IF TRAVELING FROM LA PAZ (also at high altitude) you should be fine in Uyuni, once you have spent 1 or 2 days in La Paz, or even Cusco (Machu Picchu) in Peru.

Altitude sickness can catch many travellers a little bit off guard. Not everyone gets sick at high altitudes and it is difficult to predict who is likely to be badly affected by it. For most people it is nothing more than a headache and some dizzy sensations that diminish over a short period of time, 1 to 2 days for most people.

If you want to limit your chances of getting sick though, there are a few things you can do.

Drink lots of water and slow down!! This sounds simple but both of these things are very important. Your body is struggling because you don’t have enough oxygen so avoiding any extraneous activity is a good idea. Chew Some Coca Leaves. The native people of South America have been chewing coca for centuries thanks to its ability to alleviate mild altitude sickness symptoms. Coca leaves can be bought in any supermarket and even souvenir shops or street stalls.

Take (Soroche) Altitude Sickness pills, these are sold over the counter all over Peru and Bolivia and are just a few dollars. If you are flying straight into altitude over 2500meter, without spending any time at a intermediate elevation and you’re worried about getting sick, you can ask your doctor for more specific and stronger altitude sickness medication in advance.

From where do the tours of the Salt Flats start? Can I start from La Paz?

All of the tours of Salar de Uyuni start in Uyuni. The tours will not include your transfer from La Paz, you will need to organise and pay for this separately. The buses to Uyuni are overnight and depart La Paz every night and arrive into Uyuni the next day at approx. 7am. All the tours start at 10am-11am. It is strongly recommended to book your Uyuni tour online or in La Paz, NOT in Uyuni itself.

Do I need to stay one night in Uyuni before and after my tour?

You will arrive into Uyuni early in the morning and it is possible to start a tour the day you arrive. Most of the tours will start 10am-11am in the morning. You will return to Uyuni by 5:30 – 6:00 pm and will have time to eat and head back on the overnight bus to La Paz or take a bus onto Potosi / Sucre. It is advised that you book these buses in advance of taking your trip of the Salt Flats so no it is not necessary to stay in Uyuni.

Are there ATMs?

Bring money with you. Sometimes the ATMs do not work in Uyuni so it is best to take out any money you need in advance.

Will I have internet connection on a tour?

No, there is no internet connection on the tours. It is a very remote location.

We all agree that the Salt Flats in Uyuni, Bolivia are a MUST for any trip to South America. Uyuni is accessible mainly via La Paz, although other entrances are via San Pedro de Atacama and Patosi or Salta in Argentina. It is strongly recommend to book Salt Flat Tours in advance and only book with reputable companies (those with good reviews online or who allow you to book and pay online). Use Bolivia Hop to get to/from La Paz, use Todo Turismo to get to/from Uyuni, and use Find Local Trips to compare tour operators and book directly with them.

BOOK A BOLIVIA SALT FLATS TOUR

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The Best Tours in Uyuni

The Bolivian Salt Flats have become Bolivia’s most popular attraction and a must-see for anyone traveling through South America. Their otherworldly nature and surreal beauty attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Read below to find everything you need to choose the perfect Salar de Uyuni tour!

Quick tips:

• If you have a bit more time, choose a 3 or 4 Day Tour to get to enjoy everything Salar de Uyuni has to offer!
• Unfortunately, there have been cases of tour operators scamming tourists who try to book a tour when they arrive to the salt flats. If possible, book in advance through a trusted operator.
• Findlocaltrips.com is a highly recommended website that finds and compares local tour operators. Check them out to find the best Salar de Uyuni tours.

Salar de Uyuni tour options

With the natural beauty of Salar de Uyuni and all its breathtaking surroundings, it’s no wonder the Bolivia Salt Flat is one of the world’s most popular tours. Luckily, theres an option for all travelers, whether short on time or traveling at a slower pace. Let’s take a look in more detail.

One-day tours are a great way for those who don’t have much time to see the salt flats. Due to the time restriction, you won’t get a chance to visit the incredible surrounding attractions. However, you will be far from disappointed when you leave as these tours still give you plenty of time to soak in the magic of Salar de Uyuni and capture jaw-dropping photos that you didn’t even know were possible.

One-day tours can only be taken from Uyuni. Buses arrive here very early in the morning to allow enough time for those on board to do take the tour the day they arrive. These tours start at around 10am and finish at around 5pm, allowing enough time for those on the tour to catch an overnight bus to their next destination.

The historical and intriguing train graveyard is the first stop on the one-day tours. This is followed by Colchani, the salt production site, where you will be taught the process of producing salt and visit one of the iconic salt hotels. A trip to Isla Incahuasi follows, where you’ll be able to discover giant cacti up to 10m high, incredible rock formations made of petrified coral and a enjoy a stunning 360-degree view of the tremendous salt flats.

Lunch is also served here as groups get their props at the ready for crazy, perspective photos set on the blinding white surface of the salt flats. The tour ends in magnificent fashion as you observe the sun magically set over the flats.

1 Day Tour include:

• The train graveyard
• A Salt hotel
• Isla Incahuasi

Recommended 1 Day Tour

Uyuni Salt Flat Full Day Tour

Red Planet Expedition

Perla de Bolivia

3/4 Day Tour

The most popular and recommended way to discover Salar de Uyuni is by taking a 3 or 4 day tour in a 4×4 jeep. Three day tours depart from either Uyuni or San Pedro de Atacama and finish in Uyuni. The three day tour starting in San Pedro de Atacama and ending in Uyuni is ideal for those looking to continue traveling north after their visit to Salar de Uyuni. Alternatively, you can do the 4 day tour which starts and finishes in San Pedro de Atacama. This tour visits the same places as the 3 day tours but requires an extra night in order to make the relatively long journey back to Chile.

Day one is the same as the one day tour – departing from Uyuni at the same time and visiting the same places. Following a long day of exploring, you will spend the first night in one of the iconic salt hotels or salt hostels. These remarkable designs are made up almost entirely of salt blocks, from the bed and toilet to the walls and ceilings. Get yourself an early night sleep here as days two and three begin at the crack of dawn, with breakfast at 7am and 5am respectively. Across the next two days you will see everything that Salar de Uyuni has to offer. Of course, you will also be given plenty of time to capture an abundance of photos of one of the picturesque places on Earth The second night is spent in very basic accommodation beside the Polques hot springs, where you will find yourself blown away by the magical stars of the Salar.

The itinerary for those who start their tour in San Pedro de Atacama is reversed as they visit the desert, lagoons, hot springs etc. at the beginning of the tour and the salt flat at the end. The third night of the 4 day tour is spent in a basic hostel in Villa Mar village. You will wake up at 4.30 am to continue your journey, finally arriving back to San Pedro de Atacama at around 2pm.

3/4 Day Tour include:

• The lagoons Polques hot springs
• Arbol de Piedra
• Valle de Rocas
• Sol de Mañana geyser
• Dali Desert
• San Cristobal de Lipez
• A salt hotel
• Chiguana desert

Recommended 3/4 Day Tour

Uyuni Salt Flat Tour 3 Days / 2 Nights

Visit the largest salt mine

in the world in 2021

• November 29, 2020
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Uyuni Salt Flat Tour: 1-Day vs 3-Day Tour Comparison

Salar de uyuni: 1-day vs 3-day tour comparison.

*the sights you visit and the order you see them in depends on which tour company you book with. The sights in the table are based on our tour with Salty Desert Aventours

UYUNI SALT FLATS 1-DAY TOUR

What to expect.

The 1-day tour is perfect for backpackers who are short on time but still want to see this incredible natural wonder.

The morning is simple as you drive just outside of town to see the Train Cemetery . After half an hour exploring and taking photos, you move on to the Salt Museum and have lunch. The museum isn’t anything spectacular and just seems like a place to stop to get you to buy souvenirs.

After lunch, you will head out onto the actual salt flat for the famous perspective shots and reflection shots (if there’s been recent rainfall). You’ll spend a couple of hours driving around, finding good spots for photos and generally enjoying this beautiful place.

In the afternoon you will travel to Incawasi Island. Incawasi is a rocky outcrop in the middle of the salt flat where you can watch furry little rodents called visacas running around, and climb to the top to get an incredible view of across the salt desert.

Then to end, you will drive close to Tunupa Volcano to watch the sunset before returning to Uyuni.

Check out our packing list guide so you are fully prepared:

• Uyuni Salt Flats Complete Packing List

Why Choose The 1-Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour?

As mentioned, it’s the better option for travellers short on time , especially if you need to get back to La Paz. Returning to Uyuni from the salt flat doesn’t take long, and you will be back by 19.00PM. This means you can take an overnight bus back to La Paz or a flight in the morning.

It’s also much cheaper than the 3-day tour and will work better with some backpacker budgets. You could probably find some tours as cheap as $20 if you are savvy and shop around.

Check out our Bolivia budget to help you plan and see if you can fit in a 3-day tour:

• Bolivia Backpacking Budget: Daily & Weekly Breakdown

UYUNI SALT FLATS 3-DAY TOUR

The 3-day tour is perfect for backpackers who want to get out into the wilderness and see Bolivia’s unique and incredible scenery.

The first day will be similar to the one-day tour, ending with dinner and a stay in the salt hotel. In the middle of this seemingly infinite salty expanse is a hotel built entirely out of salt.

Created from salt bricks held together with salt mortar, the hotel and everything inside it is made from salt. Whilst it sounds cool, the hotel isn’t anything special, but the private room we had was excellent and the beds were super comfy – we crashed pretty early as it’s a long and tiring first day.

On the second day, it’s an early start driving across the high-altitude desert past the salt flat. You will spend a lot of time in the jeep, but you stop often, so it never feels like a chore.

The first few stops of the day are the incredible high-altitude lakes filled with flamingos that are all over the region. The best one is Laguna Colorada which is a deep red colour due to a specific type of red algae that lives there.

After this photo stop, you’ll have lunch before continuing. In the afternoon it’s on to the geothermal area of the desert where you will see the Sol de Mañana Geyser (Morning Sun Geyser).

The steam pools and boiling mud can reach between 200ºC to 250°C. The hot steam of the geyser can reach heights of between 10 to 50 meters, depending on the pressure.

Then to end an already incredible day, once you reach your hotel, you and your tour group can all jump in the thermal springs and watch the stars. This was our favourite part of the trip. The night sky was so clear, and we could see the entire Milky Way.

This is one of the six reasons we give for why the 3 Day Salt Flats Tour is well worth your time. Head to the link below to read the other five:

• Is The Salt Flats Tour Worth It? 6 Reasons Why You Can’t Miss Bolivia’s Best Tour

It’s another early start on the final day. First up is a visit to the Dali Desert – a surreal, and barren part of the high-altitude desert that is frequently compared to a Salvador Dalí painting.

The weird mix of colours and strange rock formations here make it feel like you are in another world.

Then it’s on to the final sights, and the tour saves the best till last – Laguna Verde, Laguna Blanca & Licancabur Volcano .

The two lagoons, one green and one white, are right next to each other, eclipsed by the perfectly cone-shaped stratovolcano –  Licancabur.

From here it’s a short drive to the Chilean border where you are dropped off. Alternatively, you can take the jeep back to Uyuni if you need to, but it’s around an 8-hour journey. Most backpackers head into San Pedro De Atacama (45 minute bus from the border) and then either fly or bus to their next destination from there.

Check out our Atacama Desert guide to see what’s up next:

• An Adventure-Filled 4-Day Atacama Desert Itinerary

Why Choose The Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Tour

The list of sights mentioned above is the biggest reason. Everyone comes for the salt flat, but it’s the wild mountain landscapes you see on day 2 and 3 that really blow your mind.

Another reason backpackers choose to do the 3-day tour is that it’s an efficient way to travel to Chile . The journey from the border to the Atacama is 45 minutes by bus so before you know it you’re in another country and off to see more impressive sights in the Atacama Desert.

Although it costs more than a single day, it’s still great value for money .

A 3-day tour with food, accommodation and transport to the border all included costs between $100-$150 . If you manage to find a tour for around a $100, as we did, then it’s an absolute bargain.

For more tips on picking the right tour and how to save money, follow the link below:

• The Essential Guide To The Uyuni Salt Flats

The information in this guide is based on the 3-day salt flats tou r with did with Salty Desert Aventours .

Unfortunately, their website isn’t great, so we can’t link you to the pages outlining the different tours. However, we would definitely recommend going with them. The tour was great, and our tour guide was brilliant.

• Salty Desert Aventours – Trip Advisor

If you want more detail on the types of Salt Flat Tours on offer, Andes Salt Expeditions is another company we have heard good things about.

• Andes Salt Expeditions – Website / Trip Advisor

Be sure to check out our Bolivia itineraries to see how you a visit to the Salt Flats fits in with an extended trip through the country:

• The Essential 1 Month Bolivia Backpacking Itinerary & Route
• How To Spend 3 Weeks In Bolivia

Travelling other countries in South America apart from Peru? See how you can cross the border into Bolivia from Cusco to turn your journey into an extended multi-country South America backpacking trip:

• The Ideal 1-Month Backpacking Itinerary For Peru, Bolivia & Chile
• Author Profile
• Posts by the Author
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• Is Salta Worth Visiting? 12 Great Reasons To Go In 2024
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Joe Bayfield

Hi I'm Joe Bayfield, Bayf for short. I love South America and want people to visit this incredible continent. I’ve travelled through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina and also lived in Lima, Medellin and Buenos Aires. I write detailed South America itineraries to help you plan your next adventure!

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Tour details

• What to bring

Uyuni Salt Flats private tour

Classic 3-day tour in hostels or hotels

The 3-day private service tour to the Uyuni salt flats follows the classic itinerary, visiting the most important areas: the Uyuni salt flats, Incahuasi island, Eduardo Abaroa national reserve, highland lagoons (including Red Lagoon), Siloli desert, 'Sol de la mañana" geyser field and Polques hot springs.

You will have a vehicle and driver just for your group, which will allow you to have more flexible schedules since you will not depend on the schedules established for the group. As there are fewer people in the vehicle, you will travel more comfortably. The tour offers two types of accommodation, hostels, and hotels, always in a private room

In total you will travel 900 km in a 4x4, accompanied by your private driver who will ensure quality and safety during the tour. You also have the possibility of including an English-Spanish bilingual guide (available as an extra).

• Expert driver
• Private vehicle only for the group
• Lodging in hostels/hotels according to option selected
• Fullboard (vegetarian option available)

Not included

• Personal hygiene products
• Guide (available as an extra)
• Access to Incahuasi, hot springs and National Reserve (included only in the "hotel accommodation" option)

Important information

It is very important to acclimatize to the altitude before starting the tour, as the tour passes through high-altitude areas.

The hotel accommodation option is subject to availability. Accommodations included are:

Night 1: Palacio de Sal or Luna Salada

Night 2: Tayka del Desierto or Mallcu Cueva.

As this is a private tour, the itinerary can be adapted to your preferences. The driver may vary the itinerary slightly, but the places indicated in the itinerary will always be visited*.

🌧️* During the rainy season (December to March) the itinerary may be modified, as the salt flat is flooded and some areas such as Incahuasi Island or some accommodations may not be accessible. The flooded areas change constantly, so depending on the situation at that time the driver will offer the best alternative to enjoy the tour.

Cancellation policy

Hotel accommodation: if canceled more than 30 days in advance, 70% of the amount paid is reimbursed. Cancellations between 30 and 15 days in advance will be reimbursed 50%. After this date or in case of not taking the tour, no refunds will be made.

Accommodation in hostels: if you cancel 48 hours before the start of the tour, you will receive 100% of the amount paid. After this time, or in case of a no-show, no refunds will be made.

Tour itinerary

Day 1 train cemetery - uyuni salt flats - playa blanca museum - incahuasi island.

Pick up and start of the tour

Your driver will pick you up at your accommodation in Uyuni between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. In case you need to be picked up at the airport or bus station in Uyuni, please select this option in the "extras" section.

Train Cemetery

Shortly after starting the tour, you will stop at the Train Cemetery, where the old locomotives are abandoned, creating a unique landscape surrounded by emptiness and desert that reflects the economic splendor that Uyuni once had.

Colchani and Salt Museum

Colchani is the gateway to the Uyuni salt flat, a small town where you will visit the salt museum and the refinery where salt is processed. In addition, you will visit the local handicraft stores made mainly of alpaca wool and salt.

Uyuni Salt Flats

You will start your visit to the salt flats by visiting the salt piles, the eyes of the salt flats, and the Playa Blanca Museum, built with salt blocks. Once you arrive here, it is time to take out your cameras to take the most spectacular photos in perspective. In addition, the driver always helps the group to take good pictures of this unique place.

Incahuasi 🌵

In the middle of the salt flat rises this small mound, which looks like an island in the middle of a sea of salt. It is a unique ecosystem, full of giant cacti known as "cardones". In addition, thanks to the island's elevation, it is the best spot to enjoy the views of the salt flat and take pictures. You will have time to get to know it, walk its trails, and weather permitting, have lunch at the foot of the island.

Sunset in the Uyuni Salt Flat - Salt Lodging

Little by little, you will approach the accommodation, from where you will enjoy a sunset with the views of the salt flat. Finally, you will settle into your room, dinner will be served at the selected accommodation.

DAY 2 Lagunas altiplánicas - Eduardo Abaroa reserve - Siloli desert

Valley of the Rocks, Sora Canyon, and altiplanic lagoons.

This day you will wake up early, and after breakfast, you will start the 4x4 tour to the San Cristobal Church. You will visit the valley of the Rocas, and the canyon of Sora, always with the Ollague volcano in the background. Finally, you will arrive at the Capaña, Hedionda, Hona, and Ramadita lagoons, known as altiplanic or colored lagoons. In all of them, there will be a stop and you will be able to take the necessary time to admire each of them.

Eduardo Abaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve and Siloli Desert

The day continues through the Eduardo Abaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve, at an altitude of over 5,000 meters above sea level. You will enter the Siloli desert, with incredible volcanic landscapes of different colors and its famous stone tree. You will end the day arriving at the lodge, where you will have dinner and spend the night.

DAY 3 Red lagoon -Geyser field - Polques Hot Springs - Salvador Dalí Desert - Uyuni / San Pedro de Atacama

Laguna Colorada and Sol de la Mañana geyser field.

On the last day, you will have breakfast and early in the morning, you will visit the Colorada Lagoon, full of pink flamingos. Continue the morning and visit the Sol de la Mañana geyser field with its different formations, its fumaroles especially striking during the early hours of the morning, thanks to the temperature difference.

Polques Hot Springs and Salvador Dali Desert

The last visit is one that you will enjoy the most, the hot springs of Polques, where you can bathe in its natural hot springs, with an incredible landscape.

💬Howlanders tip: 

*The temperature contrast with the cold outside is especially high in the winter months (June-September), be prepared to dry off quickly when you get out and have something sweet before you bathe to prevent your blood pressure from dropping. 

After your swim, you will head to the Salvador Dali desert and visit the Green and White Lagoons. From these lagoons, you will have incredible views, with the Licancabur volcano in the background, a perfect setting to explore the surrounding area.

At this point, the itinerary is adapted to the chosen option:

- Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama: you will make a short drive to the border to take another vehicle that will take you to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) where you will arrive between 15:00 and 16:00 (available as an extra).

- Return to Uyuni: you will start your way back to Uyuni, making a short stop in Laguna Negra for lunch, until you finally arrive in Uyuni around 19:00. As this is a private tour, you will be able to adapt the arrival time in Uyuni according to your needs.

What to bring to Uyuni Salt Flats private tour

• Warm clothing
• Waterproof jacket (between December and March)
• Comfortable footwear (if possible mountain shoes)
• Swimwear and towel (for the hot springs)
• Sunscreen and lip balm
• Personal hygiene articles and medication
• Cash for possible additional expenses
• Camera (the Uyuni salt flat is a great opportunity for photography lovers)
• Medication against altitude sickness (if you deem them necessary)

Where does the tour Uyuni Salt Flats private tour start

If you are planning to arrive from La Paz you can fly directly to Uyuni. If you plan to travel to Uyuni by land you should take a bus. We recommend taking the night bus which departs from La Paz at 8 p.m. with the company Bus Titicaca or Bus Cisne. Upon arrival, you will have time for breakfast before starting the tour.

*If you arrive in Uyuni on the same day as the tour starts, we offer you a free transfer from the bus station or airport to Uyuni. If you arrive in Uyuni before the day the tour starts, your pickup point will be your accommodation in Uyuni.

Questions & Answers

When can we see the mirror effect, does the driver speak english and will he/she explain and help us take pictures.

The drivers do not usually speak English nor do they explain like a guide, although they do help you understand the landscape you are seeing. On the other hand, they always help you take pictures.

Can I modify the itinerary?

Yes, being a private tour you can request to modify the itinerary as long as it does not involve major changes, for example you can request to avoid some stops to have more time in others.

How are the vehicles used for the tour?

Tours to the Uyuni salt flat are conducted in 7-seater 4x4 vehicles, mostly of the Toyota Land Cruiser make and model. Six seats are occupied by travelers while one is for the driver.

What is the temperature during the tour?

From April to September temperatures are very low. During the day it is approximately 10ºC (50ºF) while at night it drops to -5ºC (23ºF). Of all these months, June, July and August are especially cold. From October to March, temperatures are warmer, reaching 20ºC (68ºF) during the day and dropping to 5ºC (41ºF) at night.

Is the route modified during the rainy season?

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• Uyuni Salt Flats Tour (Standard Plus) - 3 Days with Al Extremo

UYUNI SALT FLATS TOUR (STANDARD PLUS) - 3 DAYS WITH AL EXTREMO

Our standard plus 3 day salt flats tour is with maximum 6 people to a vehicle and a Spanish-speaking guide. First night in double or triple room accommodation. Classic and safe salt flats tour! Daily departures. This is the best option if you are travelling on a budget but don't want to miss out on this amazing experience.

NOTE - Not available for tours starting 3rd,4th or 5th March due to Carnival

Trips to the Salar de Uyuni are an unforgettable experience but unfortunately the general standard of facilities and services are not very high in this remote area. We would like to make it clear that things are not as reliable, comfortable and professional as we would like on these tours so for this reason we do not promise more than what you will receive for your money. The accommodations & food will be basic. Due to the harshness of the terrain vehicle breakdowns are common. Still interested?  Good, you should be because if you can put up with a bit of hardship you should have a great time. Take some extra snacks, plenty of warm clothes and a sleeping bag (can be rented) and the accommodations won’t feel so bad. The drivers are used to breakdowns and are pretty adept at fixing their vehicles, they are always willing to help each other out and you are usually not stuck for long - so a bit of patience is often all you need. We believe if you are informed truthfully about the possible negative aspects of the tours you can prepare yourself better and will have a more positive experience.

The following is a typical tour but sometimes some things are omitted from a tour (for example during rainy season), sometimes additional things are included (such as train cemetery visits at the start or end of the trip) so this shouldn’t be seen as a rigid itinerary, although the most popular main sites are always included if safe to do so.. If there is something you really want included your group should stress this to your driver at the start of the tour so he can plan accordingly

This is our  standard plus 3 day salt flats   tour option including   Spanish-speaking guide. First night in double or triple room accommodation. Classic and safe Salt Flats tour!

• Transportation in 4x4 vehicle 
• Spanish-speaking guide / driver
• Meals during the tour (take extra snacks)
• Accommodation - first night in double / triple rooms in a salt hotel (we need to confirm availability), second night in dorm style rooms

NOT INCLUDED

• Transport to Uyuni
• Entrance fees (30 Bs + 150 Bs + 6 Bs - subject to change)
• Water - you recommend you purchase 2 liters per person per day to take with you
• Breakfast on first day, dinner on last day
• Sunglasses and sun cream 
• Additional snacks and beverages
• Torch - recommended
• This tour starts in Uyuni and DOES NOT include the cost of transport for getting there.  We can arrange flights, buses and trains for getting to Uyuni  - see them all in our Transport section.
• We recommend you take a sleeping bag to use in addition to the provided blankets in the accommodations - these can be rented on the morning your tour departs.
• Low season / high season  - This price is the low season price and some years around July / August prices can rise for "high season". We only know when this will happen and by how much when it actually happens and usually it is with just a couple of days notice. This is because it is the decision of the drivers union in Uyuni and not our or the operators. The price rise is usually around 20$ more but we cannot know for sure until the time. For bookings around this time you should book with the low season price and we always try to get the operators to honour advanced bookings at low season price. If they do not we will need to ask for the price difference or, if you don't wish to pay, you can cancel also.
• Private tours -  In order to do this tour as a private tour you would have to pay for 6 people regardless of how many of you there are (this way you are paying for the 6 seats of the car and will have a car just for you). In addition to this, when booking please also write down in the Further Details section that you want a private tour.
• Pickups and dropoffs -  Pickups are not included. If arriving by bus or if staying overnight in Uyuni, then it will be easy for you to walk to the operator's office in the morning - Uyuni is small and you will have to walk only a few blocks. If arriving by plane, it will be also easy to find a taxi from the airport to the office (15-20 minutes drive). We will provide detailed information about the office location when we confirm your booking. You will be dropped off back at the office at the end of the tour.
• Accommodation  - The accommodation for the first night will be in double/triple rooms in a salt hotel (we need to confirm availability). Bathroom and shower (that has an extra cost of about 10 Bs) will be shared. The second night will be in a basic refuge and the 6 people of your group will share the same room. There will be a shared toilet but no shower.
• Luggage  - Bags are normally stored on top of the car, but the space will be limited and if there are people who will finish their tour in Chile in your group, for obvious reasons they will have the priority. This means that it might be not possible for you to take all your stuff on the tour, and in this case you will have to leave part of your luggage at the office in Uyuni and will collect it when you get back from the tour. We recommend you have your luggage ready for this evenience (in order to take things our easily etc.) should this be necessary.
• Rainy season -  Please note that during the rainy season (usually from January to May) the Incahuasi Island and the salt hotel might not be reachable if the salt flats are covered in water. We cannot know this in advance and the guide will decide on day. In case the salt hotel is not reachable, you will spend the first night in a regular accommodation of the same standard (but not made of salt).
• Group size is up to 6 customers.
• These tours visit very remote areas that have very limited facilities. If you are ill or there is an accident there are no medical facilities other than Uyuni town and even these are basic. If things go wrong you are faced with the reality of travel in a remote area of a developing country. The salts flats tours travel to altitude of around 5000 meters so the majority of people will feel some effects from altitude sickness. We recommend that you should be acclimatized to above 3000 meters before going on these tours and that you take headache tablets, altitude sickness ''soroche" tablets and any other medications that you may require.
• Transfer to Chile -  If you want to add a transfer to Chile after the tour instead of returning to Uyuni, please see  THIS  product page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read through these common questions & answers - if you cant find what you want to know send us your questions using the Ask a Question button

We do not sell any salt flats tours from Dec 23rd through to Jan 6th because of safety concerns.  Specifically this is due to the high number of incidences of drunk driving that occur on salt flats tours during this time. Some of the companies we work with, for example Red Planet, also completely stop tours during this time for the same reason. We still don't sell tours with any company that we work with that does not stop completely during this period as whilst they are likely to be safer options the fact is there could be drunk drivers from other companies making the area less safe. From experience we think it is best to avoid the dangers and problems that occur this time of year.

Please do not ask us to recommend any companies for tours during this time as we do not recommend anyone for the reasons stated. If you must do a tour (and we understand this is a highlight and it would be bad to miss) we would suggest you do a one day tour only as the 3 day tours are more problematic for the drunk drivers (drivers tend to celebrate in the evening with friends in the local villages near the accommodations). Also keep a close eye on the condition of your driver if you do end up on a tour.

• Red Planet : English-speaking guide, sunset on the salt flats, salt hotel on the first night with private bathrooms (most of the rooms, not all of them - salt hotel only during dry season, otherwise will be a regular accommodation), accommodation near the hot springs the second night. This is the operator with the best reputation in Uyuni as they offer consistently good tours and are well established. For that reason they are are virtually always booked in advance and charge more than most other operators. Tours leave every day with Red Planet. Sleeping bag is not included in the price.
• Quechua Connection : English-speaking guide, sunset on the salt flats, regular hotel on the first night with private bathrooms (most of the rooms, not all of them, and it is not a salt hotel), accommodation near the hot springs the second night. This is another good tour operator that offer tours about the same standard as Red Planet and are growing quickly. During dry season they often include some 30 mins biking on the salt flats as well (conditions permitting). Sleeping bag is included in the price.
• Perla de Bolivia : English-speaking guide, sunset on the salt flats, salt hotel on the first night with private bathrooms (most of the rooms, not all of them - salt hotel only during dry season, otherwise will be a regular accommodation), accommodation near the hot springs the second night. This is another popular operator that is rapidly growing. They include a visit to the Galaxy and the Devil's Caves in their itinerary as well. Sleeping bag is included in the price.
• Standard Plus : Spanish-speaking guide, no sunset on the salt flats (they head to the accommodation earlier), salt hotel on the first night with shared bathrooms (shower available for 10 bs - salt hotel only during dry season, otherwise will be a regular accommodation), hot springs the third day in the morning. Sleeping bag is not included in the price.

* We state may have because tour itineraries can change due to external factors so these are typically what is included and i in general the differences are as above but we cannot guarantee this is always the case.

We also have a some comparison tables on our Salt Flats Tours category pages that show the differences in a nice and easy format

In our standard tour offerings we do not offer people the option to be able to upgrade hotels because this would involve taking one part of the group to the standard hotels and others to the upgraded hotel in a different area and therefore two different routes and too much additional driving. We can only offer hotel upgrade options if you are doing a private tour for this reason - please contact us for pricing if you are interested.

Salt flats tours in Uyuni usually start "approximately" 10.00 am to 11 am but this can vary. The reasons it can vary, apart from punctuality not being very common in Bolivia, can be for a number of different things. For example there is only one fuel station in Uyuni and it can be hard to get fuel quickly so drivers might have to queue for long periods to get fuel and this can affect preparations.

We usually request you to be at the local office at 9 AM to do your check-in, but if for example if your flight lands at 9 AM then no problem simply take a taxi to the office and be there as soon as you can - we will let the office now about your flight time and this will be taken into consideration. Also buses or flights arriving to Uyuni late (more common in Rainy season) can affect departure times - if someone in your assigned group is on transport that is late then the operator will try to wait as long as is possible to accomodate that so they can get on the tour that day - obviously there are limits to this and they dont want to wait too much as it effects the rest of the groups tour time. Tours starting in San Pedro usually start earlier around 8-8.30 am.

This salt flats tour starts in Uyuni and it does not included the price of getting to Uyuni. We can arrange transport (buses, trains, flights) from La Paz to Uyuni also – please visit out transport section HERE  to see some popular options.

The Salt Flats (salar de Uyuni) tours leave year round including during the rainy season and in fact many people try to visit during the rainy season in order to see the "mirror effect" of the water sitting atop of the salt flats and reflecting the sky which is an incredible sight. This is caused when the water table below the salt flats has risen enough to cause the water to sit on top of the salt. It is fine to visit the area when there is a certain amount of water but when it becomes too deep (after long sustained periods of rainfall in consectutive days) some places can become inaccesible such as Isla Incahuasi and these must then be omitted from the tours but they can usually continue visiting other parts of the salt flats and the area to the south (the colored lakes, geysers, hot springs etc) are usually not affected so tours are not cancelled completely.

The road between La Paz and Uyuni usually becomes a bit problematic with potholes and other damage caused but the constant rain and is worst in Mar/Apr time. The buses are sometimes cancelled due to this and other forms of transport such as train or flights are recommended or alternatively you can travel via Sucre / Potosi to Uyuni which is a better conditioned road that is less affected.

The town of Uyuni and the Salt Flats themselves are around 3700 meters (12139 feet) so 1 and 2 day tours are usually around this altitude only.

For 3 day tours you will visit much higher altitudes with the second nights’ accommodation near the Laguna Colorado area being at around 4300 meters and the Sol de Mañana geothermal field that is visited at around 4900 meters (16076 feet). You may also drive over a pass at  5000 meters (16404 feet), depending on the exact route taken, which will be the highest point.

On 2,3 and 4 day salt flat tours there will be a maximum of 6 travellers in the vehicle (1 in the front passenger seats, 3 in the  center seat row and 2 in the rear seat row) plus the driver/guide.

On 1 day tours there can be up to 7 people in the vehicle (although usually 6) as the group gets out of the vehicle much more often and comfort is not an issue like it is for the long driving distances of the multi day tours.

The planned schedule for this tour on the first night is to stay in a salt hotel and this happens for the majority of the year. During periods when the local conditions are bad (salar too flooded, deep snow in area etc) then a change of route / itinerary might be required and a stay in a salt hotel might not be possible. This would only be known closer to or actually on the departure date

People enjoy taking the interesting perspective style photos on the salt flats and of course there will be some time to stop and do this.  The exact amount of time is impossible to say as it will depend on a variety of factors such as how long you have taken at previous stops, weather conditions, the group dynamic etc and you also need to bear in mind there is a schedule to keep to so the driver will only allow the amount of time he can in order to keep to the schedule safely.

As for items to use in your photos, some drivers do have some fun items but some wont have anything especially for photo props. The best advice is to take something interesting things yourself so you can get unique shots – let your creative side go crazy!

Yes this is possible by prior arrangement, but if you wish to be dropped off back at Colchani after the tour , there will be an extra charge (please ask) as it is not on the standard route as tours return to Uyuni some 30 minutes drive away. Also, as the train cemetery is near Uyuni town then you would miss this visit out as it takes place before arriving to Colchani

Yes , that’s not a problem. You would be in the same vehicle for the tour and then near Laguna Verde the people going to San Pedro are transferred to a different transport vehicle at the border and the 4x4 vehicle used for the tour returns to Uyuni with the remaining passengers. Iif you could inform us of this requirement when booking and give the passengers names so we know who to group together. Of course, the tours have to leave on the same date and each person choose the same tour operator.

Booking Form

How to book.

Fill in the required details and click "add to cart".You can then continue shopping for more items or click on the "cart" link at the top right hand corner of the page to complete your booking.

You must provide details for each passenger that you are booking for and also ensure that you change the qty box to show the correct amount of passengers that you are booking for.

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