Uyuni Salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama
Uyuni Salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama
Uyuni salt flats tour 3D/2N Uyuni – San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). This tour starts in Uyuni (Bolivia) and ends on the 3rd day in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile).
REFERENCE PROGRAM
Day 1 UNDERSTANDING SALAR DE UYUNI (L, D)
Today we will have an unforgettable trip across 12 000 km2 of fantastic salt landscape. Get your camera ready! The amazing white coat of the Uyuni salt flats (or Thunupa) looks like a huge glacier.
We will enter the Salar by Colchani, where we will stop to visit the salt museum and the salt factory. The economy of this village is based on salt.
After Colchani, we will enter the Uyuni salt flats. We will visit the Incahuasi Island which is one of the central tourist attractions. We will follow the little path to arrive at the top of the island from where we will be able to enjoy an amazing 360 degree view of the Uyuni Salt flats.
We will spend the night in one of the salt hotels (Luna Salada, Palacio de Sal) located at the border of the salt flats.
Day 2 ISLANDS, LAGOONS AND MULTICOLORS DESERT (B, L, D)
Our first stop today will be the train graveyard, with old rusted steel steam locomotives from 1890.
Afterwards we will continue towards San Cristobal village, located near the mine with the same name, which is one of Bolivia’s largest mining facilities. Years ago the whole village was moved by the mine corporation to a new location 14 km away from its original location where a big amount of minerals were found.
In the afternoon, we will go towards the lagoons chain of Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas, where we will see a good amount of three kinds of flamingos and other kinds of birds known as the Andean seagulls and wild ducks. These birds live on the lagoons surrounded by volcanoes with their eternal snow on the top and their green sides mixed with other colors created by the presence of borax and sulphur.
After the last lagoon, you will enter a huge desert area with no real roads. These fantastic deserts gather different colors from browns, reds, oranges, brass and beige which are successively shown at every curve of the trip. In this area the Tayka Desert Hotel is located where you will spend the night (altitude 4500 meters).
Day 3 COLORED LAGOONS, VALLEY OF THE LADIES DESERT (Ojo de Perdiz – San Pedro de Atacama) Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve (REA) (B, L)
Today we will get up early to visit the “Arbol de Piedra” (Stone Tree) which is a stone shaped like a tree. Afterwards we will arrive at one of Eduardo Avaroa Reserve’s gems: the Red Colored Lagoon. This lagoon is the main nesting centre of the 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 reach the geysers of Sol de Mañana at the time of the day with more activity. At this point we will be at the highest altitude of the whole trip (5000 mts above sea level). The cold here is intense and we will walk among the smoky and noisy vapour hot springs and the mud boiling stewpot.
We’ll enjoy a relaxing soak in the Polques Hot Spring, a hidden gem in Bolivia’s Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. Surrounded by breathtaking high-altitude landscapes, these natural thermal pools offer a unique opportunity to soak in warm, mineral-rich waters while enjoying stunning views of the Andean plateau. Ideal for unwinding after exploring the region.
Afterwards we will approach another amazing place: the desert “Valley of the Ladies”, 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 other gem of the reserve: the Green Lagoon, located at the feet of the Licancabur Volcano. We will arrive there by lunch time, which is the best time to see how its waters change colours from emerald green to deeper green.
From this point we will continue towards the Chilean border. 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 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.
Please note that during this trip you will be traveling in a very remote area at high altitude and with medical assistance far away.
Everybody responds differently to altitude. However, we recommend that you give your body enough time to acclimatise to the high altitude. (This is why we do not recommend to travel from sea level directly to Uyuni to do this trip, without spending a couple of days acclimating to a high elevation before beginning your tour.)
We recommend to take tablets against altitude sickness such as Diamox tablets or similar. Please consult your doctor for any medical related questions (regarding traveling at high altitude).
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 better hotels in the area.
- Meals
- Private transport in a comfortable 4X4
- Spanish speaking driver-guide
Tours do not include:
- Entrance fees
- Drinks in the hotels, personal snacks and tips.
Optional:
- (Bilingual) guide
- Private transport to or from either Calama in Chile, or Sucre, Potosi and 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.
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
- San Pedro de Atacama – San Pedro de Atacama
- Tupiza – Uyuni
- San Pedro – Uyuni-Tupiza
- Tupiza-Uyuni – San Pedro
- Salt flats tour from Argentina
- Comfortable 3 day Uyuni salt flats 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 tour
Check our pages about:
- How to travel to Uyuni.
- The weather in Uyuni.
For more info about this tour, check out the following travel blogs (in Portugues):
Other blogs in English:
