Traveling to the Salar de Uyuni was one of those experiences that left you breathless. For 4 days and 3 nights I explored one of the most surreal landscapes on the planet, crossing high-altitude deserts, lagoons of intense colors, steaming geysers and rock formations that seem from another world.
Departing from Tupiza on a 4×4 tourThe trip not only allowed me to walk on the world's largest salt pan, but also to discover hidden corners of the Bolivian Altiplano, share conversations with other travelers, and sleep in remote accommodations under starry skies. This journey isn't just a destination: it's an epic adventure that combines extreme nature, Andean culture, and a healthy dose of magic.
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What is the Salar de Uyuni?
The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt desert in the world, with an area of more than 10,000 km². Located in southwestern Bolivia, at more than 3,600 meters above sea level , it is one of the most impressive natural landscapes on the planet.
It was formed thousands of years ago, after the evaporation of ancient prehistoric lakes that covered the region. The result is a gigantic white crust of salt that seems to have no end, interrupted only by small rocky islets like Incahuasi Island, covered in giant cacti.
In addition to being a world-renowned tourist attraction, the Salar is also of great economic importance: beneath its surface lie huge reserves of lithium, a key mineral for battery manufacturing.
The importance of the Salar de Uyuni for Bolivia
The Uyuni Salt Flats are not only one of the country's biggest tourist attractions, but also a strategic resource for Bolivia. Every year, thousands of travelers come to Uyuni to experience this unique landscape, generating income for local communities through tours, accommodations, and tourism services.
But beyond tourism, the Salar has enormous economic importance: beneath its surface are some of the largest lithium reserves on the planet, a key mineral in the manufacture of batteries for electric cars and electronic devices. This places Bolivia in a strategic position in the global energy transition, although it also generates debates about how to exploit this resource without harming the ecosystem or the communities that live in the region.
Ultimately, the Salar de Uyuni is a natural and cultural symbol of Bolivia: a space that combines beauty, richness, and challenges, serving as both a national heritage site and the country's window to the world.
How to get to the Salar de Uyuni
The Salar de Uyuni is relatively isolated, but there are several routes to get there depending on where you're coming from:
- From Chile (San Pedro de Atacama): One of the most popular options is to take a 3- or 4-day tour that crosses from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni. Along the way, you'll pass through highland lagoons, geysers, and deserts, until you finally reach the salt flats. There are also direct buses that connect San Pedro with Uyuni, but they tend to be long and difficult.
- From La Paz: The Bolivian capital is one of the main starting points. Uyuni can be reached by night bus (a 10- to 12-hour trip) or by flight from El Alto Airport, which takes just an hour. Buses usually depart at night and arrive early in the morning, which is very convenient for starting a tour on the same day.
- From Argentina (Jujuy): The most common access is through the La Quiaca – Villazón border. From Villazón, there are trains and buses that connect with Tupiza and Uyuni.
Can you explore the Salar de Uyuni on your own or do you have to take a tour?
Going on this excursion on your own isn't easy at all. It's a long journey by van through remote landscapes. The route is very desolate for much of the trip, so I recommend playing it safe and booking a tour from one of the many agencies in Tupiza or the city of Uyuni.
What you could do is shorten the duration of the tour, and limit it to just visiting the Salar; that would be possible from Uyuni.
The city of Uyuni has a much larger selection of agencies compared to Tupiza, due to its size and proximity to the Salar, but since I was coming from Argentina, it was better for me to do it from Tupiza.
In any case, all tours, whether they begin in Chile or Tupiza, usually end in Uyuni. I was only there for a few hours after the tour ended, and I must say I didn't like what little I saw. I found it to be a chaotic, dirty, and charmless city, beyond its strategic value for visiting the Salar.
When is the best time to visit the Salar de Uyuni?
During the months of May to April, October and part of December is what is called Dry SeasonIt's ideal for visiting the Salar, as the climate isn't extreme and the salt flat offers stunning views of the salt flats with clear skies.
The weather will be very cold from June to September, but we'll find clear, bright skies for great photography.
During the rainy season, between January and March, the Salar transforms into the famous “largest natural mirror in the world”, when a thin layer of water covers the surface and reflects the sky like a true infinity.
Tupiza, the city where the tour of the Salar begins
As soon as I arrived in Tupiza from Villazón by bus, the first thing I did was look for a place to stay and book a tour to the salt flats. Among other travelers' recommendations, one agency kept coming up: Valle Hermoso Tours. In addition to organizing packages, they also have their own hostel, so I decided to do everything in one place: sleep there and go on an adventure with them. A very practical option with a good reputation among backpackers.
The 4-day tour, as of 2025, was offered from approximately USD 210 per person on their website, but I recommend booking it in person. In Bolivia, haggling is common, and when they're short on space for a jeep, they tend to lower their prices.
What do the packages for touring the Salar de Uyuni include?
Each tour consists of a guide/driver, who will provide information about all the attractions, and his companion, who will be in charge of cooking for us, among other things. Every day, she gets up earlier than the group to have our food ready as soon as we wake up. A total genius.
In general all packages include:
- Transportation by 4×4 vehicle to Uyuni or Tupiza
- Spanish-speaking driver/guide/cook
- Basic accommodation all 3 nights
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), mineral water every day
Which not included is:
- Sleeping bag, additional cost USD 10.
- Travel insurance.
- Oxygen (additional cost USD 25).
- Alcoholic beverages, Toilet paper, Extra water.
- Entrance to the Ghost Town 15 Bs per person.
- Entrance fees to the National Reserve are USD 22 per person.
- Entrance fees to Incahuasi Island USD 5 per person.
- English guide (check availability) 240 USD per group.
- Use of public restrooms during the tour and use of the shower in basic accommodations.
Places visited on the Salar de Uyuni tour
Day 1: from Tupiza to Quetena Lipez
The Sillar
The tour starts early, at 7:30 in the morning, heading towards the Palala Gorge. Just 17 km separate us from our first major destination: El Sillar, also known as the Valley of the Moon for its surreal rock formations that look like they're from another planet.
Along the way, chains of imposing rocks unfold, dominating the landscape. Their whimsical shapes spark the imagination, and it's not uncommon for locals and travelers to give them curious or anecdotal names. Some look like natural sculptures, like the so-called “The Angels”, among many others that appear at every step.
The Sillar
Communities of the highlands
Then we will pass through the communities of Nazarenito, Chilcobija, Cerrillos, Polulos, Rio San Pablo. These are typical highland villages with adobe and straw houses. We usually stop in one of these for lunch and then continue our journey.
Ghost Town
In the afternoon, we continued our journey to 4,200 meters above sea level to visit the colonial ruins of the Ghost Town in San Antonio de Lípez.
It is a town that functioned as an ancient Spanish colony, where they used the natives to extract minerals from the surrounding hills.
Quetena Chico
Before finishing our first day, which was very long by the way, we continued towards the Mirador de Laguna Morejón and ended up in Quetena Chico, where the lodging is located.
It is a community located near the border of the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, at an altitude of 4,191 meters.
Day 2: From Quetena Lipez to Laguna Colorada
We're starting early again to continue the tour. Today we'll be visiting several attractions within the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, where admission costs around USD 22 per person.
Stinky Lagoon
Our first stop is the Laguna Hedionda and Kollpa. It gets its name from the unpleasant smell it gives off in summer, due to the elements the water contains.
Polques Hot Springs
We continue our journey towards the aguas termales de Polques In the middle of the high plateau. Here we make a long stop to unwind from the long journey. It's very cold outside, but once you enter the hot springs, with temperatures of 35 to 40°C, you're completely relaxed.
Emerald Green Lagoon
Our next stop is the Emerald Green Lagoon, color caused by the accumulation of the minerals copper and arsenic.
Dalí Desert
We continue through the Dalí Desert, so named because it is similar to some landscapes painted by the Spanish painter Salvador Dalí, although he never knew of the existence of this site.
The colors and landscapes of this area are incredible. No photograph can convey the beauty of the contrast between the reddish colors and the blue sky.
Geyseres Sol de Mañana
We then make a stop at the “Sol de Mañana” Geysers, at 5,000 meters high, with bubbling lava and sulfur smoke constantly rising from the ground.
I'd never been anywhere like this before. Seeing these phenomena allows us to appreciate a landscape that takes us back to the time of the Earth's formation. I had felt something similar when I visited the Quilotoa Lagoon in Ecuador (not because of its resemblance, but because of the historical formations).
Laguna Colorada
To finish the second day, we arrived at Laguna Colorada. A beautiful place to spend the night nearby.
Its reddish color is due to the concentration of microscopic crustaceans, the main food of flamingos.
We spent the night at the Huallajara shelter.
Day 3 of the Salt Flats Tour: Laguna Colorada – Puerto Chuvica
Siloli Desert
We begin the 3rd day of the Tour heading towards the Siloli Desert, characterized by its rock formations resulting from the strong winds that the region presents. The Stone Tree is one of the most famous volcanic formations here. Its base measures 1 meter in diameter, and its top measures 3 meters.
This desert is considered part of the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world.
Chiguana Salt Flat
Then we pass by the Mirador del Volcán Ollague (5900m) and the Salar de Chiguana. This salt flat, although much smaller than the one in Uyuni, has the particularity that it is crossed by the railway that goes from the Abaroa Station to the town of Uyuni.
Salt Hotel
Luckily, this day didn't seem too long. By mid-afternoon, we were arriving at Puerto Chuvica, where the last accommodation of the tour was located, the Salt Hotel.
It's a communal shelter, unheated and with shared showers, but with the unique feature of being made entirely of salt. The roof, floor, tables, chairs, and beds are all solid blocks made of salt.
The hotel is located right next to the salt flats. It has a small hill at its back, which allows for great panoramic photos. From the top, we can already see the expanse of the salt flats and how they merge with the horizon.
Night at the Salar de Uyuni, the Milky Way as you've never seen it before
At night, I walked alone a few meters into the Salar, taking advantage of the fact that all the groups were busy chatting or playing in the dining room. I walked far enough away to avoid hearing anything and seeing the hotel lights.
I can assure you I've never seen stars like I did that night. The clarity of the star-filled sky thrilled me. I could make out the Milky Way as clearly as I'd ever seen it.
If we see a nebulous band of light in the night sky made up of stars that cannot be distinguished individually with the naked eye, that is the Milky Way.
I spent a long time in total solitude, lying on the floor of the salt flat, contemplating the sky and thinking I don't know how many existential thoughts. I felt like I was in a dream. Those are moments you never forget. It's a shame my camera back then didn't take good night photos, otherwise I'd share some images of what I was seeing.
Day 4: From the Sal hotel to Uyuni and Tupiza
On the fourth day, we finally visit the Salar de Uyuni. We must get up early to catch the sunrise from the center of the salt flat. It feels almost like a race against the sun: dozens of jeeps speeding forward, each trying to reach the center before the first rays appear on the horizon.
The dream of waking up early fades into the background as soon as the show begins. The absolute darkness is tinged with soft, golden hues, until the light finally reveals the immensity of the white sea that surrounds us. At that moment, all that's left to do is admire and think: “wow… what greatness”.
What was once a vast lake is now the largest continuous salt desert and the highest in the world. It covers an area of 12,000 km² and holds the world's largest lithium reserve.
With the sun now high in the air, it's time for the typical crazy photos you see on the internet. Thanks to the perspective in this setting, you can create very funny and original compositions (except for mine, which almost all came out badly).
Fish Island or Incahuasi
After the photo session, we head to Fish Island (Incahuasi). It's a hill covered in cacti up to 12 meters high and over a thousand years old. Admission costs USD 5 per person, and from the top, you can get panoramic views of the entire Salar de Uyuni. Kilometers and kilometers of pure salt.
Salt Museum
Another attraction of the Salar is the Salt Museum. It used to operate as a hotel, but due to the damage caused to the environment by the constant flow of tourists, it ceased to operate as such. Next to the museum, there is an area filled with flags from each country that tourists leave as souvenirs, creating a beautiful image of how attractive it is worldwide to visit this place.
You can also observe how workers in the area extract mounds of salt from the ground, which will then be taken to the Colchani mines for processing.
It's demanding and very physical work: under the intense sun, with basic tools, the villagers spend hours collecting and stacking salt. They often do so in harsh conditions, facing extreme cold in the mornings and stifling heat at midday.
Train Cemetery
Leaving the Salar behind, our last stop is the Train Graveyard, where you can see some of the first train cars that operated in South America. These are several rusty, forgotten trains side by side, giving us glimpses of a world reminiscent of Fallout or Mad Max.
This place reminds me of the Aral Sea, between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Instead of abandoned trains, you can see rusty ships stranded in what was once a sea, now almost completely desert.
Uyuni City and end of the tour
The Tour ends around noon in the City of Uyuni. From there, you can decide whether to stay in the city, continue north to Bolivia, or return to Tupiza in the same jeep from the agency where you booked the package, free of charge and along a paved road. The return trip takes about 7 hours.
Recommendations on what to bring on the Salar de Uyuni tour
The route to the Uyuni Salt Flats is very cold, windy, and highly solar-intensive. During the day, the weather is generally sunny and pleasant, but at night, it can get very cold. Therefore, it is recommended to bring the following items:
- Warm, thick clothing, since no matter what time of year you go, it can get very cold at night.
- Gloves.
- Wool socks.
- Wool hat covering the ears and protecting from the sun.
- Boots.
- Sleeping bag: Not essential. Hostels generally provide blankets to keep warm.
- Towel.
- Swimsuit for the hot springs.
- Lip moisturizer.
- Sunscreen factor 30+.
- Very dark sunglasses with ultraviolet filter.
- Flashlight: in case you want to go out at night.
- Between December and April it is recommended to wear a raincoat.
- A copy of your passport.
Final thoughts on the Uyuni Salt Flats Tour
It took many hours and miles in a jeep and people you don't even know, but the landscapes and attractions we see each day are truly worth it. The salt flats are the icing on the cake, but during the rest of the tour, we also discovered places from another planet.
Taking a 4-day, 3-night tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats is an experience I highly recommend. It's inexpensive, you'll see breathtaking landscapes, you'll learn a little about the local culture, and if you're lucky, you might meet other cool travelers who are in the same boat as you (not my case; I met a group of young Israelis who were blasting music the entire trip).