The Salar de Uyuni (engl.: Salt Flats of Uyuni) in Bolivia is the world’s largest salt flat and has a surface of 10,582 square kilometres. It’s located in southwest Bolivia at an elevation of 3,656 meters above sea level.

But what is a salt flat?
A salt flat is basically an area of flat land covered with salt and other minerals. They form by evaporation of a lake or a pond.

When I was doing an exchange semester in Chile it had always been my dream to visit the Salar de Uyuni. Friends who had been there told me that it was the absolute must-see in South America. At the end of my stay in Chile I had finally managed to travel to Bolivia and I was more than excited for it!

This 3 Day Itinerary to the Breahttaking Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia allows you to see untouched nature, remote lakes and the otherworldly salt flats of Uyuni. #salardeuyuni #bolivia #saltflatsofuyuni

Best time to visit the Salar de Uyuni

This depends on what you want to experience. If you want to see the mirror effect (which I highly recommend) you should go between December and April as this is the rainy season. For the optimal climate, however, the best time would be during dry season between July and October.

Salar de Uyuni

How to get to the Salar de Uyuni

Most tours to the salt flats originate from the small town Uyuni. Getting to Uyuni can be a bit of a hassle. These are the most popular options:

  • From San Pedro de Atacama: 3-4 day tour in a 4×4
  • From Ororo: 7-8 hours by train or bus
  • From La Paz: 12-15 hours by bus or flying to the airport of Uyuni
  • From Potosi: 6-7 hours by bus

How you get to Uyuni obviously depends on where you’re travelling before. However, if it fits your plan I highly recommend doing the 3-4 day tour from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

3 Days 2 Nights Tour

I decided to do the 3 day adventure and I was more than happy with my decision. If you’re a nature lover, this tour is a must and should be very high up on your bucket list. On the way to Uyuni you explore numerous impressive places making the way to get there an amazing journey. With this tour you have several options:

  • Start and end in San Pedro de Atacama
  • Start in San Pedro de Atacama, end in Uyuni
  • Start in Uyuni, end in San Pedro de Atacama
  • Start and end in Uyuni

No matter if you start the tour in San Pedro or in Uyuni, you’ll find many agencies offering the same itinerary. These tours are standardised but there are minor differences in meals and accommodations. Usually they consist of a group of 6 people plus the driver, who is also the guide.

Cost: 150 €
Includes: Transportation, meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), accommodation
Does not include: Entrance fee to natural reserves (approx. 20 €), snacks

I was highly satisfied with the service on this tour. The transportation was safe, the guide was friendly and experienced and the meals were tasty.

Things to know before you go

  • The guides only speak Spanish. It would be an advantage to understand basic Spanish or at least have one person in the group who speaks Spanish.
  • If you want to have an English speaking guide you need to book a private tour. These are more expensive but they are customised to the wishes of the client.
  • Ask your agency to watch either the SUNRISE or the SUNSET in the Salar de Uyuni. If they don’t offer it, book with a different agency. This is the absolute highlight of the tour.
  • The price for the same tour will vary depending if you book it in Uyuni, Bolivia or in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. As Bolivia is generally cheaper than Chile you pay around 100€ in Bolivia and around 150€ if you book the same tour in Chile.
  • Bargain! The tour operators certainly give you a discount if you ask for it – even more if you’re a group.
  • You won’t have phone signal or wifi for 3 days.
  • There are no restaurants or shops. So think carefully about what to take with you. If you forget your toothbrush you won’t be able to brush your teeth for 3 days.

What to pack on a trip to the Salar de Uyuni

  • Warm clothes – it gets really cold in the mornings and at night (in winter the temperatures can drop below 0).
  • Light clothes – it can get really hot during the day. Layering is the key.
  • Waterproof shoes or flip flops – You’ll walk through water in case the salt flats are covered in a layer of water.
  • Sun screen, sun glasses & hat to protect you from the sun.
  • Towel – the accommodations are very basic and don’t provide towels.
  • External battery for your phone and camera: Power outlets in the accommodations are not always enough for everyone to charge all their devices. And you’ll take lots of photos, believe me.
  • Camera
  • Props for creative photos – here’s an inspiration for creative photos on the slat flats.
  • Lip balm & face cream – the strong winds dry out the skin and especially the lips.
  • Snacks, water, toilet paper for 3 days – ask your tour operator if water is included or if you have to bring it.
  • Cash in local currency (Boliviano) for the shower, toilets and maybe souvenirs.

Day 1 – Lagunas Altiplánicas

It was still dark outside when my alarm rang me out of my sleep at 6:30 am. A little later, a bus came to pick me up from my accommodation and the other tour participants were already on the bus as well. After a 30 minutes drive we stopped a bit outside of San Pedro de Atacama where our group had breakfast together and we got to know each other.

Atacama Desert Bolivia

Half an hour later we started driving towards the Bolivian border. On the way we could enjoy the impressive desert views. Reddish and orangey mountains led the way and the landscape seemed like from a different planet.

We spotted some llamas on the side of the road and we asked our driver if we could stop to take some photos. Having stopped the bus on the side of the road, one of the llamas started crossing the road. It was fun to watch them as they seemed completely careless about what’s happening around them, as long as they could eat their food (they reminded me a bit of me).

Llama crossing a road, Chile

When we arrived to the Bolivian border we had to queue for around half an hour to get the stamp into our passport that allowed us to enter the country.

After crossing the boarder our Bolivian tour guide picked us up in a jeep. He welcomed us with a big smile and explained that we’d spend the next three days together.

The busses that bring tourists to the border are not allowed to cross it, which is why we got a new guide who drove us from then on.

Laguna Blanca, Bolivia

From this point on, the adventure was going to start. We drove on bumpy dirt roads through the desert until we stopped next to a lake with crystal clear water: Laguna Blanca (engl.: White Lake). The lake reflected the surrounding mountains and the sky. We were left in awe admiring the landscape of this magical place. It was completely calm and there were no other people.

I love places where you feel like you connect to nature, even more when there’s nothing man-made around for miles – and this was one of those places.

Laguna Verde, Bolivia

After a 10 minutes stop to take in the beauty of nature and shoot some photos we continued the journey to another stunning lake: Laguna Verde (engl.: Green Lake). The lake is surrounded by white pebble stones and lies on the foot of the volcano Licancabur, which you can see on the photo. While the wind was blowing fast and the air was fresh due to the altitude, the sun was strong enough to make it feel warm.

Flat tire in the Atacama desert, Bolivia

We continued driving and suddenly our driver stopped on the side of the road to hop out of the jeep and check the tires. It turned out that we had a flat tire. This got us all a little worried at the beginning – after all we were in the middle of nowhere without cell reception. But our driver told us not to worry and he fixed it within a few minutes.

Geyser Sol de la Mañana

Our next stop was the geyser Sol de Mañana. This area is characterised by intense volcanic activity and the grey mud of the geysers was boiling. Yet another landscape that was not from this world.

We walked around for a bit to explore the area but our guide immediately warned us to watch our steps carefully – if we’d fall into one of the craters we’d die. Given his warning we took a step back and watched the show of smoke and bubbles from a distance.

Laguna Colorada, Bolivia

Then we visited the colourful salt lake Laguna Colorada. Besides a completely surreal looking lake we also encountered flamingos and wild llamas roaming freely around. It was extremely windy and it felt like the wind would blow me away anytime. The view was stunning though. A lake that is pink, white, yellow and blue with flamingos, llamas and surrounded by mountains – am I dreaming or is this real?

Laguna Colorada

The geysers Sol de Mañana and Laguna Colorada are both located at an altitude of of 4.800 m above sea level. Walking and even talking would make me feel exhausted immediately. At such a high altitude it’s important to do everything at a low pace. As our brain has less oxygen supply we feel dizzy and exhausted easily.

Arbol de Piedra, Bolivia

Before heading to our accommodation of the night we made a last stop at the Arbol de Piedra (engl.: stone tree). This is a 7 m high rock formation which has its structure due to strong winds blowing sand onto it.

For the first night we stayed with a Bolivian family in Villa Mar (4.000 m above sea level) in rather basic housing. We stayed in a dorm room for 6 persons – so our whole group stayed in a room together.

Even tough I was extremely tired I had problems sleeping. Being at 4.000 m above sea level is not something I was used to. Altitude sickness is a common problem at such high altitudes. This can cause dizziness, headache, stomach sickness or even palpitation or panic attacks.

I was lucky not to feel worse considering the stories I had heard from fellow travellers. Some even said that this was the worst night of their lives as they felt like they couldn’t breath anymore due to the lack of oxygen. Being in a desert with no cell phone reception, hours away from civilisation doesn’t make this better.

But I don’t want to scare anyone – most of the people are doing fine. And if it affects you it’s usually just a bit of dizziness or a headache.

Day 2 – Rock Formations and Salt Hotel

After a few hours of sleeping we got up early in the morning to have breakfast – pancakes and coffee or tea – and hopped on the jeep to continue our journey.

Atacama Desert, Bolivia

Our first stop of the day was a place with huge rocks in the middle of the desert. We asked our guide if we could climb one of them and he simply advised us to be careful. From the top we had a stunning view of the surrounding rocks and the mountains in the far distance.

Laguna Negra, Bolivia

Then we drove to Laguna Negra (engl.: Black Lake). This lake is surrounded by weird-looking rock formations. In contrast to the scenery we had seen so far, the landscape around Laguna Negra featured green grass and flowers.

Anaconda Canyon, Bolivia

Another stunning natural wonder we visited was the Anaconda Canyon. It’s a huge canyon which has its name due to the shape of the river. Then we had lunch and made our way to the accommodation. By that point we were not far from the salt flats anymore.

Salt Hotel, Salar de Uyuni

In the afternoon we arrived to our accommodation for this night, a salt hotel. Never had I seen anything like this before. As the salt flats of Uyuni provide tons of salt, the people use it as material to build houses, tables, beds, chairs and so on. This hotel was built entirely out of salt and it’s not the only one. Around the salt flats there are numerous houses made of salt. It’s a great way of saving money for construction as the salt is not expensive.

Salt Hotel, Salar de Uyuni

It was raining outside and our guide told us that we were extremely lucky. When it rains at night the surface of the salt flats is covered in a thin film of water the next morning. This would make them act like a mirror and show the reflection of the sky.

Day 3 – Salar de Uyuni

Finally, the day had come where we got to see the attraction why we all had booked this tour – the Salar de Uyuni. The alarm rang at 4:00 am and quite sleepy we started driving towards the salt flats for about one hour.

I was almost falling asleep in the car when I suddenly noticed an orange light at the horizon. As we kept driving the reddish-orange light got bigger and more beautiful. We stopped to get out of the car and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The sunrise in the Salar de Uyuni was the most impressive natural wonder I had ever seen.

Car on salt flats
Sunrise in Salar de Uyuni with reflection
sunrise in the Salar de Uyuni

As it had rained the night before, the whole salt desert acted as a mirror and reflected the sunrise.

No, this is not photoshopped.

Standing in this seemingly endless mirror, surrounded by the colours of the sunrise in the middle of nowhere was so magical I can’t even put it into words.

Sunrise in Salar de Uyuni with reflection

This explains why the Salar de Uyuni is sometimes described as “the place where heaven meets earth“.

After watching the breathtaking sunrise we drove to a little “island” on the Salar de Uyuni called Isla Incahuasi. The island is little hill full of cactus. It felt like we were in a fantasy world because no-one of us had ever seen something like this before.

Imagine being surrounded by 2 m high cacti on an island in a salt desert that looks like an infinite mirror.

Can you imagine that? If not, don’t worry – it felt so surreal even for me. Even though I was right there. It was so otherworldly I couldn’t believe it.

Isla Incahuasi, Salar de Uyuni
Isla Incahuasi, Salar de Uyuni
Sunrise in Salar de Uyuni

The photo above shows a bus driving though the salt desert. This picture once again portrays how huge the Salar de Uyuni is.

After exploring the island and enjoying the the seemingly infinite views we sat down on a chair made of salt and ate breakfast on a table made of salt.

Salt flats of Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni Photo Ideas

Then we drove to an area of the salt flats that wasn’t covered in water. That’s where travellers do the creative photography and play with the perspective of the photos. Our experienced guide had several photo ideas and helped us to get the right shot.

Cementario de Trenes

We left the salt flats and drove to the Cemetery of Trains. This was the end of our itinerary. Our guide then brought us to the village Uyuni where we had our last lunch. In Uyuni we had to wait a few hours for our transport back to the Chilean border. We were picked up by a mini van and brought back to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

So if you’re considering doing this 3 day tour to the Salar the Uyuni, the answer is YES, definitely!

I still can’t believe how epic this trip was and I highly recommend it to everyone. It was one of the best adventures of my life and certainly the most impressive natural wonder I had ever seen.

How to avoid altitude sickness

The issue with altitude sickness is that you don’t really know before if you’ll get it or not. Here are some tips to avoid it:

Adjust to the altitude

Before heading to your highest peak stay at a moderate elevation for a few days (e.g. San Pedro de Atacama, Uyuni, Cusco). This gives your body time to get used to the lower levels of oxygen before you go up higher.

Buy coca leaves

Coca leaves are legal in Chile, Peru and Bolivia and they are a traditional medicine against altitude sickness. You can either chew them or prepare tea. You should find them in any shop in touristic areas like San Pedro de Atacama, Uyuni or Cusco.

Drink water & avoid alcohol

In high altitudes it’s even more important to stay hydrated. Always bring a bottle of water with you and make sure to drink enough. Alcohol, however, has a negative effect on altitude sickness and can even worsen the symptoms. So stay away from your glass of wine or beer in high altitudes.

Sleep at a lower altitude

If you head to high altitudes during the day, try to spend the night at a lower elevation. The higher you are, the more likely you will get altitude sickness. Especially at night the symptoms of altitude sickness can get worse.

For the tour to the Salar the Uyuni it’s important to book the tour with a company where the accommodation is not higher than 4.000 m above sea level (e.g. Villa Mar). Some agencies work with accommodations that are elevated up to 4.800 m above sea level. So make sure to ask your agency where you spend the night.

Coffee is the fuel that keeps me running. I put a lot of time and effort into creating blog posts to make travel planning easier for you. If you benefited from my blog, I would appreciate a cup of coffee! 🙂

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The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the most otherworldly place I’ve ever seen in my life. It absolutely lived up to my high expectations and even exceeded them – so definitely include it in your trip if you have the chance!

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