Uyuni Salt Flats Tour 3 Days 2 Nights (Roundtrip from Uyuni)

Go on an Adventure to the Uyuni Salt Flats and See Otherworldly Landscapes Found Nowhere Else on Earth

On this 3-day experience, a local guide will lead you through the extreme and exotic landscape of the Uyuni Salt Flats. You’ll see volcanos, colorful lagoons, towering geysers, giant cacti, and the most beautiful sunsets in the world – all adding to the otherworldly atmosphere in this region. As the sprawling salt flats are remote and difficult to access, this tour ensures your safety and comfort as you experience this unforgettable trip.

After long days exploring cactus-covered islands and observing unique wildlife, you’ll catch some sleep in basic hostels, including one made entirely of salt. This tour will show you all the best sights in the Bolivian salt flats region in 3 days packed with adventure and wonder.

Prices

(Note that you can use the dropdown menus at the upper right side of the page to see the different prices)

Shared Accommodations

Spanish-speaking driver, shared dorm room, shared transportation: $200 USD per person

English-speaking guide, shared dorm room, shared transportation: $305 USD per person

Private Accommodations

Spanish-speaking driver, private accommodation, shared transportation: $270 USD per person

English-speaking guide, private accommodation, shared transportation: $375 USD per person

Highlights

• Visit the the world’s largest salt flat (4,086 square miles)
• See flamingos in the wild at high-altitude lagoons
• Take epic photos on one of the most photogenic landscapes on earth
• Relax in natural hot springs
• See some incredible naturally-occurring phenomena created by the salt flats and nearby volcanoes

Itinerary

Day 1: Visit the world’s largest salt flats and stay in a hostel made of salt

The trip begins with a pickup at your hostel in Uyuni around 10:30 am. The first stop on the tour is the Train Cemetery, where you’ll see some of the oldest trains on the continent, rusted from the harsh climate. From there, the group move on to the town of Colchani, where you will learn about processing of salt, meet local artisans, and visit the Salt Museum.

Then, it’s on to the main attraction — the famous salt flats! The Uyuni Salt Flat is the world’s largest — at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 square miles). It’s situated at 3,656 meters (11,995 feet) above sea level. The flat was formed from prehistoric lakes. Today, you’ll have the chance to see the Salt Mountains, salt extraction facilities, and the “Eyes of the Salt Flat,” where water bubbles to the surface.

You will also visit Isla Incahuasi, an island of coral and giant cacti in the middle of the flats (30 boliviano entrance fee not included in the tour price). The day ends in the town of San Juan, where you will stay in a hostel that is made completely of salt.

Accommodation: Villa Candelaria Salt Hostel

Day 2: See wildlife and otherworldly rock formations

The exact order of Day 2 depends on weather and where other tour groups are that day, but you will see all of the following sights:

• Cave Paintings
• Valley of the Rocks – featuring formations, such as The Lost City of Italy, the World Cup, Camel, and many others!
• Black Lagoon – This area is full of altiplanic flora and fauna, including tawas (black ducks with yellow faces), geese, and native vegetation.
• Catal Canyon
• The Fresh Water Waterfall Lookout Point – From here, you can see a valley that is home to many Andean towns that make their livings tending animals, such as llamas and alpacas.

Accommodation: A hostel in Huayllajara

Day 3: Relax in hot springs and visit high-altitude lagoons

Today is an early start, so that you can see the bright red lake, Laguna Colorada, which is a nesting ground at times for over 30,000 flamingos. Next, the group will visit the Geysers of the Morning Sun. Incredible natural spouts of steam spout from the ground at over 90°C (194°F), at an altitude of 4,900 meters (just over 16,000 feet!).

From there, you will go to the Polques hot springs, where you can enjoy the hot water before continuing the trip. After a relaxing dip, you’ll visit the Dalí Desert, named after Salvador Dalí, as it features rocks that are reminiscent of the style he uses in many of his paintings.

From here, the group continues to White Lagoon (Laguna Blanca) and Green Lagoon (Laguna Verde), both located at the foot of the impressive Licancabur Volcano. Once you are done checking out Laguna Verde, you will begin the return journey to Uyuni, which takes about 7 hours. You will stop for lunch around midday, but otherwise not stop many times on the way back. You will arrive back in Uyuni around 5:00 pm (17:00).

Map of the Area and Attractions

What’s Included

• Pickup at your hotel or hostel in Uyuni
• Guide (Spanish-only guide or a guide that speaks English and Spanish, depending on which tour you book)
• All meals (Please note that in Uyuni, they can accommodate vegetarian diets, but generally do not have food that accommodates gluten-free diets.)
• Basic lodging

What’s Not Included

• Entrance fees to the hot springs and national parks (total of about 200 Bolivian pesos)
• Visa (prices vary, can be upwards of $100 USD)
• 5 liters of water

Important Notes About the Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

• The exact pickup time on the first day depends on who else is on the tour and where they are staying. Please check with the tour operator the day before the tour to find out your exact pickup time. They will not be able to tell you the exact time more than a day or two before the tour, but it will be between 10:30 and 11:00 am.
• There will be a maximum of 6 passengers in each vehicle, which means if you hire a bilingual guide, there would be 5 remaining passenger seats in the vehicle.
• The exact itinerary is subject to change with the weather. The weather around the salt flats is mostly pretty consistent, but when it rains or snows, it can dramatically change what is available during the trip.
  • This is especially true during the months of February and March – the rainy season. The rain cuts off access to several parts of the itinerary, including (often) the salt hostel and Isla Incahuasi, among other parts of the trip. When this happens, the guide will do everything in their power to get you in a hostel of equivalent quality, but please note that all of the hostels around the salt flats are quite basic.
• The road conditions around the flats are quite bad, but the tour uses 4W trucks that can handle it. The trucks are not new, but they are kept in good shape and consistently maintained.
• We highly recommend you get travel insurance before this trip. With sometimes erratic weather conditions, there are lots of unpredictable factors that could affect the trip.
  • We can highly recommend World Nomads Travel Insurance
• Average weather conditions throughout the year:
  • Winter (May – August): chance of snow, with overnight temperatures reaching about -25° C (-13° F)
  • Rest of the year (September – April): temperatures reaching about 5° C (41° F) at night
• Cancellation policy: The booking is cancellable without penalty up to 7 days before the start of the tour. Within 7 days of the start of the tour, the payment is not refundable.

What to Bring

• Bolivian pesos (at least 350 Bolivian pesos for entrances to hot springs and national parks, plus some extra personal expenses). Here is a breakdown of some of the expenses to expect:
  – Park entrance fee (required): 250 bolivianos
  – Hot springs entrance fee: 30 bolivianos
  – Showers in all refugios/hostels: 10 bolivianos each
  – Toilets: cost between 2-8 bolivianos per stop, most do not include toilet paper or soap
• 5 liters of water per person — This may sound like a lot, but remember you’re in the driest place on Earth, may suffer from altitude sickness, and you cannot buy water on the way.
• Swimsuit and towel
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Closed-toed shoes or boots
• Toilet paper – none will be provided in the bathrooms
• Hand sanitiser
• Warm clothing

About the Lodging on the Uyuni Salt Flats Tour

When we say “basic lodging,” we mean it. These are hostels and small hotels that are in basically the middle of nowhere in the northern desert in Bolivia, in towns that are very poor and lack the infrastructure that most travelers will be accustomed to. If you would like a more comfortable/luxurious option, please email us at info@keteka.com and we will see if the operator can arrange something for you!

• Huayllajara Hostel
  • There is only electricity at this hostel from 19:00 – 21:00 (7pm – 9pm)
  • Rooms are shared dorm rooms with shared bathrooms and showers
• Villa Candelaria Salt Hostel
  • Rooms and bathrooms are shared
  • There is electricity at all hours (unless there is a power outage)
  • Hot water is available at any time but you must pay 10 Bolivianos to have it turned on (they turn it on with gas)

Both hostels have hot water in the showers. The water will consistently be hot from August to April, but from May to July it is likely it will cut out and you may not get any on the night you stay there. (This is due to extreme cold and there is not much the hostel will be able to do about it in the moment.)

Map

Uyuni Salt Flat

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Uyuni Salt Flat -20.133777, -67.489134