We have already told you what a 3-day tour of the Salar de Uyuni consists of , but beyond personal experience, we believe that there are certain points that are good to clarify. So here we are, with this post full of recommendations and tips for visiting the Salar de Uyuni or, in other words, everything we would have liked to know before going.
While on the one hand almost everyone knows it as “the largest salt flat in the world”, on the other hand few really know everything that can be visited, how the tours are carried out, how many days are needed, etc… Below we will try to clarify all these doubts and some more 🙂
Tips for visiting the Salar de Uyuni
Indeed, this is that remote place where the perspective allows you to take photos of yourself fighting a dinosaur, getting inside a can of Lays or standing on the hand of a friend. But the Salar de Uyuni is much more than a geeky photo shoot, it is one of the strangest and most magical places we visited in all our travels, and without a doubt the star attraction of Bolivia .
But before becoming a tourist attraction, the Salar was already being exploited with the extraction of thousands and thousands of tons of salt that were exported mainly to Chile. Its rich mineral composition also makes it an important source of income for the country, with lithium reserves being the largest in the world.
To make your experience visiting Salar de Uyuni as positive as possible and to leave with your soul full of emotions, we are going to tell you all the recommendations and tips you need to plan your trip. Ready? Let's go!
What exactly is the Salar de Uyuni?
It is nothing more and nothing less than the largest salt desert in the world . It has more than 10,000 km² and is located in the southwest of Bolivia , very close to the border with Chile , in the highlands of the Andes mountain range (there are areas where the altitude reaches almost 5,000 meters above sea level).
The easiest (and cheapest) way to visit it is from the town of Uyuni , which has all the amenities for tourism. Doing it on your own is almost impossible (unless you travel with your own means of transport), so there will be no choice but to hire the services of a local specialized agency .
Although all the tours refer to the “Salar de Uyuni”, you have to keep in mind that the multi-day tour will take you to the Salar and many other places . And they are not just filler: this area of the Bolivian highlands looks like an extraterrestrial world, full of volcanoes, colorful lagoons and landscapes more typical of Mars than our Earth.
How to get to the Salar de Uyuni
You can actually do the tour to the Salar de Uyuni from 3 different locations:
- Uyuni (ending in Uyuni or San Pedro de Atacama, Chile)
- Tupiza
- San Pedro de Atacama (ending in San Pedro de Atacama or Uyuni).
Although it is possible to book a tour in other larger cities, which includes transportation to the Salar area and the Jeep excursion + accommodation and meals. For example, the tour to the Salar de Uyuni by night bus from Sucre , the 3-day excursion to Uyuni from La Paz , or a 3-day circuit to La Paz and the Salar de Uyuni from Puno (in Peru).
We arrived in Uyuni on a direct night bus from La Paz . We went with the company Titicaca Experience (15$ approx.), on a new bus, with blankets and very comfortable. We made the reservation directly at their window (in the Terminal Terrestre on Peru Street ) a couple of days before leaving (we also booked the return trip). These buses are usually double-decker, we always prefer to reserve the two front seats on the ground floor (they have the most space).
If, like us, you travel in the winter months (we went in July), remember to bring thermal clothing : we can only tell you that when we arrived in Uyuni the windows of the bus were frozen (the ones inside too!). However, we were not cold during the trip: between how warm we were and a blanket they gave us, apparently magical, we slept like babies phew phew.
Remember to get the Revolut card ( with a €10 promo ), the best option to avoid commissions when paying and withdrawing money. Also in Bolivia the ATM commissions for withdrawing with MasterCard are high (up to $7!), but with the Revolut Visa you can save them (try Banco Unión or Banco Ganadero).
What types of tours are there?
There are private tours (one jeep only for your group) or shared tours (you will go in a jeep with up to 6 people). And by duration, there are tours of 1, 2, 3 and even 4 days .
The 1-day tour focuses only on the Salar de Uyuni part, while the rest use the first day to see the Salar de Uyuni and the others to visit various places in this area of Bolivia, usually heading to the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, where much of the tour passes through. This 3-day tour is also often known as “Salar de Uyuni + Lagunas de Colores”.
Here are some examples of tours so you can see the program:
- 1-day tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats
- 3-day tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats
Although there are many agencies offering these tours, the route is practically the same for everyone . What changes, depending on the budget paid, are the conditions (type of accommodation, food, number of tour participants, condition of the 4×4…).
Where to book the tour to the Salar de Uyuni
There are those who prefer to book the tour on arrival (you can do this at the agencies in Uyuni or even at the accommodation) as it is easier to haggle and get better prices, and those who prefer to book in advance online to have everything tied up with trusted agencies such as Civitatis or similar.
In our case, we were clear that we wanted the 3-day tour, and we contacted several local companies by email to check prices and conditions. Finally, we decided on the Inti Raymi company , which had good reviews and reasonable prices, and everything went well, but… When we arrived, there was no one to share the tour with, so we were put in a jeep with 3 friends from Ecuador and a girl from Germany, with whom we had a great time!
So we can't really recommend any specific company because there was a hodgepodge of agencies there.
Take out IATI travel insurance with a 5% discount here . Whatever your destination, save yourself trouble and don't take any chances.
How much does the tour to the Salar de Uyuni cost?
The price depends on several factors, but two are fundamental: the duration of the tour and whether it is private or shared . Then you also have to take into account the season, the type of accommodation, whether all entrance fees are included, etc.
A 3-day shared tour of the Salar de Uyuni costs around $200-250 per person . If you are more interested in a 1-day tour, the price is $60-80 per person . Be wary if an agency gives you a VERY low price for a multi-day tour of the Salar: there is definitely something fishy going on.
Some of the extra costs you will encounter along the way are:
- Incahuasi Island entrance: 30 Bs
- Entrance to the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve: 150 Bs
- Polques Hot Springs: 7 Bs
- Bathrooms: 2-5 Bs
Remember to bring plenty of local money (Bolivian pesos) because dollars are not accepted for these small payments (and if they are, it is not advisable).
What to see in the Salar de Uyuni
In this post we tell you about our experience on the 3-day tour of the Salar de Uyuni in detail, but here we give you a few spoilers from the first day of the excursion, which focuses solely on the Salar de Uyuni:
- Train graveyard
- Water pools
- Dakar Monument
- Salt Hotel
- Incahuasi Island
- Sunset in the Salar
What to see in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve
The second and third days include spectacular landscapes in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve (and its surroundings). We highlight these places:
- Stone tree
- Flamingo lagoon
- Red Lagoon
- Morning Sun Geyser
- Green Lagoon
- Dali desert
- Polques Hot Springs
How many days are needed to visit the Salar de Uyuni?
We think that the intermediate tour ( 3 days, 2 nights ) is the most successful and complete, although we have to admit that the first day was unbeatable. What you do have to be very clear about is that, if you decide on the multi-day tour, you will spend many hours in the 4×4. Sometimes it gets a little tiring, although just looking out the window you will feel very lucky to be there.
Is it worth taking the 1-day tour if I don't have enough time?
Considering that the first day of the tour , during which you visit the Salar de Uyuni, is the best of the whole trip , we are sure that it is worth coming here. Of course we believe that the complete tour is the best option, especially because the trip to Uyuni is long and requires a certain amount of energy and since you are there… you have to take advantage of it. But if the only option you have to visit the Salar is that one… go ahead!
Best time to visit the Salar de Uyuni
As for the climate, there are two seasons: the rainy season (between December and March) when most of the annual rainfall occurs and the temperatures are milder; and the dry season (between April and November) when it hardly rains and temperatures are colder, especially at night.
Although it is recommended to avoid the coldest winter months (especially June and July), you can actually visit the Salar de Uyuni all year round . We went in mid-July and yes, it was freezing cold, hovering around -20°C, but we would go again. If you plan to go during this time, you know: bring warm clothes and enjoy!
Keep in mind something important: during the rainy months there are many areas that remain flooded , so there will be visits that cannot be made, such as Incahuasi Island.
Here are a couple of graphs with the annual averages of temperatures and precipitation by month ( source: weather-and-climate.com ):
Other tips for visiting the Salar de Uyuni
Even if you already have more or less clear the basics when planning a visit to Salar de Uyuni, you leave without taking a look at these last tips as little pills that will surely come in handy:
› Bring comfortable clothes , it may seem silly but in the “Instagram era” you never know :-p And, once again, if you travel in the winter months (June, July, August, September) bring warm clothes , thermal clothing and dress in layers. We are not lying when we say that on the second day we slept fully clothed, with a wool hat included.
› Don't go to the Salar de Uyuni as soon as you arrive in Bolivia: there are areas where you will be around 5,000 meters above sea level, so it is essential to be well acclimatized .
› Whether you book the tour online or through a local agency/hotel, make sure you know every detail of the tour : the itinerary, accommodation, whether they include tickets, whether they offer sleeping bags, how many people you will be sharing the tour with (normally 6 people can go in a jeep) and also ask if they will give you boots to walk through the salt flat flooded with water.
› It's a good idea to bring a power bank : on days 2 and 3 you'll be driving for hours and it would be a shame to run out of battery on your phone. Of course, bring an extra battery for your camera too : you'll take a million photos!
› Sunglasses are essential when you go to the Salar: the reflection is killer and without sunglasses you will see less than if you were looking at a fish XD. You can't forget sunscreen either , because the sun here is unforgiving.
› Don't forget to pack a roll of toilet paper in your backpack, you'll need it in some public toilets. Also bring water and snacks .
› And finally, don't forget your swimsuit and a towel , we don't want that to be the perfect excuse not to try the warm waters of the Polques Hot Springs.
We hope we have helped you and that many of your doubts about the Salar and the tour have been cleared up. In any case, remember that if you have any questions, we are here for you. Do you know any more recommendations and tips for visiting the Salar de Uyuni ?
