Tupiza to Uyuni salt flats
Tupiza to Uyuni Salt flats
Tupiza to Uyuni salt flats tour 4D/3N. This tour starts in Tupiza and ends on the 4th day in Uyuni.
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 meters above sea level), one of the most impressive red and pink rock formations around Tupiza. The tall thin rocks 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 foot of the hill San Pablo de Lípez.
Overnight stay at Hotel Sumaj Jallp’a (formerly known as Tayka Hotel Los Volcanes).
Day 2: SAN PABLO DE LÍPEZ – OJO DE PERDIZ (HOTEL TAYKA DE DESIERTO) (B, L, D)
Very early today we head off towards San Antonio de Lípez also known as Pueblo Fantasma (Ghost town), an abandoned 16th Century silver mining town during the Spanish conquest.
On our way to Laguna Morejón we will pass by the villages of Quetena Chico (4140 meters above sea level) and Quetena Grande (4190 meters above sea level). We will also visit laguna Salada and laguna Kollpa, where you will get the opportunity to swim in the hot springs of Río Amargo.
We will continue our trip along the border of salar Chalviri enjoying the views of the surrounding volcanos until we get to the hot springs known as Aguas Termales de Polques.
Once we get to the Dalí desert we will be able to enjoy incredible views of rock formations that look like a petrified forest. This surreal scenery is rumored to have inspired the work of the famous Spanish painter Salvador Dali.
We will pass by Laguna Blanca until we reach the magnificent green-turquoise colored lagoon: Laguna Verde which sits at the foot of the Licancabur volcano (5868 meters above sea level).
We will then make our way up North to the geysers Sol de Mañana, where we will find ourselves at the highest point of the tour (5000 meters above the sea level) and where the cold temperatures are intense. We will be able to walk among the smoky and noisy geysers, boiling mud stewpot where red and grey mud boils like water.
After a drive of 50 km we reach the blood red colored: Laguna Colorada (4200 meters above sea level). This lagoon is the main nesting area of three kinds of flamingos. The color of the water is produced by the presence of algae and plankton activated by the sunlight and the wind.
We will visit the Stone Tree (Arbol de Piedra) and the Siloli desert, and with some luck we will be able to spot vizcachas (wild desert rabbits)
Overnight stay at Hotel Tayka del Desierto (Ojo de Perdiz)
Day 3: OJO DE PERDIZ – HOTEL LUNA SALADA (B, L, D)
Today we will continue towards Paso del Inca and we will drive along small lagoons: Laguna Chiarkota, Laguna Hedionda, Corina, Laguna Chullunkani until we reach volcán Ollague and the Turquiri lagoon.
In the afternoon we will visit San Cristobal village and the train graveyard, with old rusted steel steam locomotives from 1890.
Overnight stay in Hotel Luna Salada (Hotel made out of salt).
Day 4: HOTEL LUNA SALADA – UYUNI (B, L)
After breakfast we will hit the road again to drive towards 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 360º view of the Salar.
On the way back to Uyuni we will be able to see the Ojos de Sal (Eyes of salt), water bubbling up from subterranean rivers flowing under the Uyuni Salt Flat.
IMPORTANT! Due to weather and road conditions the routes and hotel reservations can sometimes be changed without notice. This is the 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 some parts of the route to temporarily become impassable and may oblige us to make changes in the itinerary. But take 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 regions (comfortable Tayka hotels and similar category)
- Meals
- Transport in a 4×4
- Spanish speaking driver-guide
Tours do not include:
- Entrance fees
- Alcoholic drinks, personal snacks and tips.
Optional:
- Hotel reservations in Uyuni after the tour has finished
- (Bilingual) guide
- Private transport to Sucre, Potosi or La Paz in Bolivia.
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:
- how to travel to Uyuni.
- the weather in Uyuni.
Please contact us in advance so we can check availability in the hotels.
We also offer the following salt flats tours:
- 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: camping in style at Kachi lodge.
- 2 day Uyuni-Uyuni tour
- 1 Full Day tour Uyuni – Uyuni
- Uyuni stargazing tours
- San Pedro – Uyuni – Tupiza
- Tupiza – Uyuni – San Pedro
More info about the Uyuni salt flats tour? Check the following travel blogs:
