Uyuni salt flats from Tupiza to San Pedro
Uyuni salt flats from Tupiza to San Pedro
Uyuni salt flats from Tupiza to San Pedro 4D/3N tour. This tour starts in Tupiza and ends on the 4th day in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
REFERENCE PROGRAM
This trip is a treat for the senses with great photography opportunities.
Day 1: TUPIZA – SAN PABLO DE LIPEZ (HOTEL SUMAJ JALLP’A) (L, D)
We leave Tupiza at 09:00 A.M. Our first stop is Quebrada de Palala (4200 m above sea level), one of the most impressive red and pink rock formations around Tupiza. The tall thin roads (fins) look like giant needles.
After driving for about 15 km we will arrive at the „El Sillar“ (The Saddle) a masterpiece of eroded rock formations. This place is also called Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) because the erosion has certainly caused the countryside to look like a lunar landscape. You can easily pretend you’ve left Earth and have gone to the Moon.
We will then continue our trip to Nazarenito, a small gold mining village. Aftwerwards the trip continues to Cerrillos, Polulos, Rio San Pablo, until we arrive at the foothills of San Pablo de Lípez.
Overnight stay at Hotel Sumaj Jallp’a (formerly known as Tayka Hotel Los Volcanes).
Day 2: OJO DE PERDIZ – TAHUA (HOTEL TAYKA DE SAL) (B, L, D)
After breakfast we will drive from San Pablo de Lípez to San Cristobal village and to the train graveyard, with old rusted steel steam locomotives from 1890.
The next stop of the day will be Colchani, a small village on the border of the salt lake, where we will stop to visit the salt Factory, the salt mounts and the Salt Museum.
Afterwards we will enter the impressive Uyuni salt flats (or Salar de Uyuni), which with its 10.582 square km (4.085 square miles) is the world’s largest salt flat. It is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt and it is the biggest lithium reserve on our planet.
The Uyuni salt flats has 14 small islands, the main one is Incahuasi island located in the middle of the salt flats. The island is made of fossilized coral and consists of 1000 year old cacti. We will follow the path to get to the top of the Incahuasi island. From this point we will be able to enjoy an amazing 360 º view of the Salar.
We will also see the Ojos de Sal (Eyes of salt), water bubbling up from subterranean rivers flowing under the Uyuni Salt Flat.
Overnight stay in a Hotel made out of salt.
Day 3: TAHUA – OJO DE PERDIZ (HOTEL TAYKA DEL DESIERTO) (B, L, D)
Today we will visit the Necropolis in San Juan del Rosario, salar de Chiguana and the mirador of Ollague volcano.
In the afternoon, we will continue towards Paso del Inca and drive along small lagoons: Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas, where we will be able to spot the three different species of flamingos and other kinds of birds such as Andean seagulls and wild ducks. These birds live on the lagoons surrounded by volcanoes with their eternal snowtops mixed with landscapes full of green and other magic colors due the the presence of borax and sulphur.
We will enter a huge desert area with no roads. These fantastic deserts gather many different colors from brown, red, orange, brass and beige which are successively shown at every curve of the trip.
You will spend the night in the Tayka Desert Hotel (4.523 meters above sea level), with private bathroom, hot water and heating.
Day 4: OJO DE PERDIZ – SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA (B, L)
Early this morning we will get ready to enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. We will visit the Stone Tree which is tree shaped geological structure and the Red lagoon (Laguna Colorada).
Afterwards we will arrive at the Geysers of Sol de Mañana. It is at this time of day in which the Geysers are most active. At this point we will be at the highest altitude of the trip (5000 meters above sea level). The cold here is very intense. We will have a walk between the geysers which produce noisy vapor springs and many stewpot where red and grey mud boils like water.
The desert and Salar of Chalviri offers us a landscape combining the white of the snow and the red brown of the desert together with the blue of the water. You will have the opportunity to take a swim in the Hot Springs of Polques.
Afterwards we will approach another amazing place: the Valley of the Ladies desert, which is a geologic wonderland created by the winds. The columns of stones sculpted by the wind show fantastic colors. After visiting this valley we will continue towards another reserve’s gem: the Green Lagoon (Laguna Verde), located at the foot of the Licancabur Volcano. We will arrive there by lunch time, which is the best time to see how its waters change colours from esmerald green to deeper green.
From this point we will continue towards the Chilean border on our way to San Pedro de Atacama. After we cross it we will change vehicles and continue until your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (approx. 2 hours ride).
IMPORTANT! Due to the weather and road conditions the routes and hotel reservations can sometimes be changed without notice, reason why the itinerary is only for reference, and is not to be taken as an exact itinerary of what this tour implies. Rain, snow, ice and strong winds for example can cause that some parts of the route are temporarily impassable and may oblige us to make changes in the itinerary. But notice that if we have to make changes it is for your own safety. The surroundings of Uyuni are one of most isolated areas in the world.
Rainy season: the rainy season is roughly from January to April (subject to change). During this period parts of the Salar may be covered with water. This means that even though it will still be possible to do the trip and to visit the Salar with its beautiful lagoons, as well as the highlights of the trip, the water on the Salar may prevent us from being able to cross it for several hours like you would do during the dry season. You will therefore not be able to get to Isla Incahuasi / Fish Island. Also the Tayka Salt Hotel in Tahua can often not be reached during the rainy season and we will therefore either use the salt hotel like Luna Salada, Palacio de Sal instead. When the Salar is covered with a little bit of water it also becomes one big mirror which is a beautiful setting for pictures. Many photographers even specifically visit the Salar during this rainy season in order to capture beautiful pictures. With too much water however the mirror-effect is gone. Needless to say we cannot predict whether or not it will rain before or during your trip, it’s up to Mother Nature.
Tour includes:
- Overnight stay in the best hotels in the region (comfortable Tayka hotels and similar category)
- Meals
- Transport in a 4×4 with oxygen tube and satellite telephone
- Spanish speaking driver-guide
Tours do not include:
- Entrance fees
- Alcoholic drinks, personal snacks and tips.
Optional:
- Hotel reservations in San Pedro de Atacama after the tour has finished
- (Bilingual) guide
- Private transport to Calama in Chile.
What we recommend you to take with you:
The route to the salt lake is cold, windy and with high solar radiation. During the day it is generally sunny and the weather is pleasant. Our recommendations on what to bring with you are:
- Warm clothes.
- Gloves.
- Woolen socks.
- Hat that covers your ears and protects you from the sun.
- Boots.
- Towel.
- Swimming suit.
- Lip moisturizer.
- Sun block 30+.
- Sun glasses.
- Flashlight.
- Raincoat (From December to March).
- Extra water.
Note: Don’t forget to bring a copy of your passport.
Check our pages about:
Please contact us in advance so we can check availability in the hotels.
We also offer the following salt flats tours:
- San Pedro de Atacama – Uyuni – Tupiza
- Tupiza – Uyuni
- Uyuni – San Pedro de Atacama
- San Pedro de Atacama – Uyuni
- San Pedro de Atacama – San Pedro de Atacama
- Salt flats tour from Argentina
- Comfortable 3 day Uyuni – Uyuni Tayka tour with Tayka hotels or in combination with Palacio de Sal hotel or Luna Salada hotel.
- Basic 3 day tour on the Salar de Uyuni, with basic hostels and private transport only.
- A luxurious option on the salar: camping in style at Kachi lodge.
- 2 day Uyuni-Uyuni tour
- 1 full day tour Uyuni – Uyuni
- Uyuni stargazing tours
More info about the Uyuni salt flats tour? Check the following travel blogs:
