Round Trip Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama

4D/3N Round trip: San Pedro de Atacama – Uyuni Salt Flats – San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), visiting the salar and lagoons. (All year round)

Day 1  COLORED LAGOONS (San Pedro de Atacama – Villamar) (L, D)

We will pick you up from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama and take you to Hito Cajón, the Bolivian border. Once in Bolivia we will enjoy the magnificent landscape dominated by the Licancabur Volcano and the mirror of the Green Lagoon, one of the jewels of the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve and first stop of our trip.

We will continue our trip towards another jewel of the reserve: the Colored Lagoon, which is the main nesting area for three flamingo species. The color of the water is produced by the presence of algae and plankton activated by the sunlight and the wind. This particular algea is what gives the flamingos its pink and reddish feet and feathers. We will go round to the east side of the lagoon where we should be able to see a lot of flamingos.

The end of the route for today will be Villamar village (approx. 3980 m) where we will spend the night.

Overnight stay in Hotel Mallku Cueva.

Day 2  SALT LAKE AND INCAHUASI ISLAND (B, L, D)

After breakfast we will continue our trip until we reach Valle de Rocas where you can use your imagination and your skills to take photographs. Throughout the years, the wind has modeled the rocks like an artist. Valle de las Rocas has numerous rocks, which according to the locals, resemble people and animals.

Afterwards we will make our way towards San Juan and we will enter the Salar by Puerto Chuvica until we reach the Incahuasi Island, located in the centre of the Salar. This Island is formed with volcanic stones and has a lot of giant cactuses. From the top we will be able to enjoy a 360 degree view of the Salt lake.

At the end of today’s route we will reach Colchani (approx. 3600 m), a small village on the border of the salt lake, where we will visit the salt factory, the salt museum and the salt mounds.

Overnight stay in Hotel Luna Salada or Hotel Palacio de Sal (Hotels made out of salt).

Day 3  TRAIN GRAVEYARD AND LAGOONS (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 ride along the chain of lagoons Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas. In these lagoons we will be able to spot a large number number of flamingos consisting of three different species (Andino, James and Chilean). These flamingos also share the volcanoes eternal snow and green sides (paja brava, yareta and thola) together with other species bird species such as Andean seagulls and wild ducks. The colors of the sand and rocks are a product of the millennial winds together with the presence of the borax and sulfur.
After we pass the last lagoon we will enter a huge and great desert area where gravel or dirt roads are no longer present. These fantastic deserts gather all kinds of colors such as browns, reds, oranges, brass and beige which are successively shown at every curve of the trip. And it is in this area where you will be spending the night at the Takya Desert hotel (4500 m).

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 (Arbol de Piedra) which is a 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 stewpots 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 emerald green to a deeper green.

From this point we will then continue towards the Chilean border and travel back to San Pedro de Atacama. After we cross we will change vehicles and continue up until your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (approx. 2 hours ride).

Note: Depending on availability we sometimes use the Tayka de Piedra Hotel instead of the Hotel Mallku Cueva. In that case the reference program is slightly different but you still visit all of the highlights in the area.

3D/2N Round trip: San Pedro de Atacama – Uyuni Salt Flats – San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), visiting the salar and lagoons. (Dry season only)

Day 1  COLORED LAGOONS (San Pedro de Atacama – Colchani) (L, D)

We will pick you up from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama and take you to Hito Cajón, the Bolivian border. Once in Bolivia we will enjoy the magnificent landscape dominated by the Licancabur Volcano and the mirror of the Green Lagoon, one of the jewels of the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve and first stop of our trip.

We will continue towards another jewel of the reserve: the Colored Lagoon, which is the main nesting area for three flamingo species. The color of the water is produced by the presence of algae and plankton activated by the sunlight and the wind. This particular algea is what gives the flamingos its pink and reddish feet and feathers. We will go round to the east side of the lagoon where we should be able to see a lot of flamingos.

We will continue the trip to Villamar village and a bofedal (wet land), where we will wait until our lunch is ready.

In the afternoon we will continue to Valle de Rocas where you can use your imagination and your skills to take photographs.  Throughout the years, the wind has modeled the rocks like an artist. Valle de las Rocas has numerous rocks, which according to the locals, resemble people and animals.

Our next stop will be San Cristobal village, 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.

On our way to Colchani we will stop by the train graveyard, with old rusted steel steam locomotives from 1890.

At the end of today’s route we will enter the salt lake through Colchani, a small village on the border of the salt lake, where we will visit the salt factory.

Overnight stay in Hotel Luna Salada or Hotel Palacio de Sal (Hotels made out of salt).

Day 2  SALT LAKE AND LAGOONS (B, L, D)

After breakfast we will continue our trip until we reach the Incahuasi Island, located in the centre of the Salar. This Island is formed with volcanic stones and has a lot of giant cactuses. From the top we will be able to enjoy a 360 degree view of the Salt lake. Then we will head back to the south and get out of the Salar by Puerto Chuvica and make our way towards San Juan where we will have lunch.

In the afternoon we will ride along the chain of lagoons Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas. In these lagoons we will be able to spot a large number number of flamingos consisting of three different species (Andino, James and Chilean). These flamingos also share the volcanoes eternal snow and green sides (paja brava, yareta and thola) together with other species bird species such as Andean seagulls and wild ducks. The colors of the sand and rocks are a product of the millennial winds together with the presence of the borax and sulfur.
After we pass the last lagoon we will enter a huge and great desert area where gravel or dirt roads are no longer present. These fantastic deserts gather all kinds of colors such as browns, reds, oranges, brass and beige which are successively shown at every curve of the trip. And it is in this area where you will be spending the night at the Takya Desert hotel (4500 m).

Day 3  COLOURED LAGOONS AND VALLEY OF THE LADIES DESERT (B, L)

Early this morning we will get ready to enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. We will visit the Stone Tree (Arbol de Piedra) which is a 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 stewpots 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 emerald green to a deeper green.

From this point we will then continue towards the Chilean border and travel back to San Pedro de Atacama. After we cross we will change vehicles and continue up until your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (approx. 2 hours ride).