What is Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni is the most popular and famous place in Bolivia and a must-visit place in South America.
South America has stunning salt flats, but Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest at about 4,674 sq mi (12,106 sq km). It’s a vast expanse of salt stretching to the horizon.
The crust serves as a source of salt, it is estimated that Salar de Uyuni holds 10 billion tons of salt. But this is not all, according to recent reports the brine beneath the salt crust could contain around 30% of the world’s lithium reserves, a comparatively rare element used to make rechargeable batteries. ⠀
Where is Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni is located in southwestern Bolivia, in the province of Potosi close to the Argentinian and Chilean borders. Due to the proximity to these international borders, many travelers either start or end their time in Bolivia at Salar de Uyuni.
Can you visit Salar de Uyuni without a tour?
I am not a fan of commercial tours and wanted to experience Salar de Uyuni independently. You can explore the salt flats on your own, but after doing research and weighing the pros and cons, we decided to join a standard 3 days tour.
When making a decision whether you want to explore Salar de Uyuni on your own or as part of a tour, you need to consider these points:
You can visit Salar de Uyuni without a tour, you are not required to obtain permission, and there are no restrictions.
You can go by car or bicycle, either on your own or rented. Car rental is expensive. If you travel solo or as a couple, renting a car will be more expensive than joining a tour.
Salt is damaging for vehicles: rental companies might not allow taking their vehicles to salt flats, and you might not want to drive on salt flats.
Salar de Uyuni is best accessed by a 4WD, especially during the wet season. Besides, to reach locations beyond Salar de Uyuni, you have to drive on unsealed roads, some of which are in bad condition. If you decide to drive, it is better to have an off-road driving experience.
If you decide to drive, you will need to know where to drive, there are no roads and no road signs on the salt flats, so you need to do your homework.
Advantages of a Guided Tour
Exploring Salar de Uyuni on a guided tour turned out to be a better option than doing it on your own mostly in terms of costs and the ability to get to all the stunning locations in the area within the allocated time. Besides, you don’t have to worry about driving, accommodation, and meals. Our guide was very flexible about giving us as much time as we wanted in each location.
Options for Exploring Salar de Uyuni without a Tour
However, if you prefer to visit Salar de Uyuni without a tour, you can do so:
By car: 4WD is the best option
By bicycle. You can rent a bicycle in Uyuni. You should be an experienced cycler, and be prepared for long distances. Don’t forget about the high altitude, strong sun and wind.
By bus (the cheapest option). You can catch a local bus to Colchani. Tell a driver that you need to get off at salt flats. From there you walk on the salt flats to the Dakar Monument and Flag Monument.
Salar de Uyuni Tours
Salar de Uyuni Tours Starting Points
Uyuni, Bolivia
Most tours to Salar de Uyuni start from the small town of Uyuni. It is located a short drive from the edge of salt flats. We got there by night bus from La Paz. Alternatively, you can fly to Uyuni.
Tour options from Uyuni: 1-day tour or 3-day tour ending in Uyuni or in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile).
1-day tour from Uyuni is the cheapest option to explore Salar de Uyuni.
There are a few travel agencies offering Salar de Uyuni tours. I recommend booking a tour in person, as it will be cheaper. Advance booking online or by phone will cost more.
Tupiza, Bolivia
Tupiza is another starting point for alternative Salar de Uyuni tours, it is located closer to the Argentina border and slightly further away from the salt flats. The tours end in Uyuni.
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Another option is to start from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile and end in Uyuni. The itinerary includes the same locations as the standard tour but reversed. But this tour is considerably more expensive.
Standard 3-Day Salar de Uyuni tour itinerary – what to expect?
Before booking a tour I recommend reading agency reviews, as I came across some reports of negligent and drink driving, and vehicles in poor condition. Expect to have 6 people in one car.
Most tours are conducted in 4WD vehicles, and the driver is a guide and a cook at the same time. The tour itineraries are quite standardized: you will visit the same locations. We booked a tour at Andrea Tours, and were happy with our choice. The driver was very friendly and accommodating, the food was good, and everything was as promised.
In most tour companies guides/drivers do not speak English. Our basic Spanish knowledge was absolutely enough. But if you need an English-speaking guide, please ask before booking a tour, and be prepared to pay a higher price.
Day 1 – Salar de Uyuni
Train Cemetery
A place with a lot of wrecked old steam locomotives.
Colchani
Colchani is a village 7 kms north of Uyuni. Its population lives by the exploitation of salt. Nothing much here: you can buy souvenirs, and there is also a small museum.
Salt-Mining Area
This is an area where salt is dug and put into big pyramid-like piles and dried in the sun.
Dakar Monument and Flags
Dakar monument is made of salt, and the flags are left by travelers during their visits.
Lunch at salt hotel.
The hotel and all furniture are made of salt.
Perspectives photos
Salar de Uyuni is heaven for photographers. With the exception of two cacti-filled islands, Salar de Uyuni is completely flat. This creates an endless horizon ideal for making fun perspective photos.
Standard tours allow time for taking perspective photos. Our driver took us to a place with no other people around and gave us several dinosaur toys.
Check out the tips for taking cool perspective photos at Salar de Uyuni here and here.
Isla Incahuasi
Isla Incahuasi is an island located in the middle of Salar de Uyuni and covered with giant cacti. The place is quite busy. There is a short walk to the top of the island, but not many people hike to the top. You need to pay a fee of BOB 30 (the fee is not included in the tour price).
Another cacti-filled island on Salar de Uyuni is Isla Pescado which is a smaller island. Some tours go here instead of Isla Incahuasi. There are usually fewer tourists and no entry fee.
Sunset at Salar de Uyuni
If you want to see the sunset while at Salar de Uyuni, ask your travel agency if it is included. Our itinerary did not include it, but our driver asked if we wanted to see the sunset before driving to the salt hotel. There are also special Salar de Uyuni Sunset Tours.
Accommodation
On the first night, we stayed in private rooms in a salt hotel. Bathrooms are shared with extra payment if you want to take a shower. No towels and toiletries are provided, so make sure to take your own.
Day 2 – Heading south to Laguna Colorada
Salar de Chiguana
Another salt flat close to the Chilean border, Salar de Chiguana is a little sister of Salar de Uyuni.
Ollague volcano
Ollague volcano is a massive andesite stratovolcano on the border between Bolivia and Chile. Its elevation is 19,251 ft/ 5,868 m above sea level. It’s considered active, and there are a couple of fumaroles blowing steam up. But no eruptions have been registered.⠀
Lunch at Laguna Hedionda
Laguna Hedionda is famous for its pink and white flamingos.
Siloli Desert and Arbol de Piedra
Siloli Desert is located north of Laguna Colorada and is considered to be part of the Chilean Atacama Desert. The famous Arbol de Piedra is here, in the center of Siloli.
Arbol de Piedra or Stone tree is a rock formation about 5 meters tall that resembles a tree. But I think it looks more like a mushroom. Its peculiar shape was formed by strong winds eroding the sandstone.
Laguna Colorada
Laguna Colorada, or the Red Lagoon, is a shallow salt lake that is home to thousands of flamingos. It is located at an altitude of 14,000 ft/ 4,270 m in Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and close to the border with Chile.
According to the local folklore, the water in Laguna Colorada is the blood of Gods, but in fact, the bloody red color is caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae and microorganisms residing in the lake.⠀
Note that to enter Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa you have to pay a fee of BOB 150 (not included in the tour price)
Accommodation
On the second night, we stayed in a refuge in a dorm room with other passengers from our tour. It was quite cold, but the refuge provides a lot of blankets. For an extra payment, you can arrange to stay in a private room. Talk to your agency when booking a tour.
Day 3 – On the way back to Uyuni
Sunrise at Solar de Manaña geysers
Solar de Manaña geysers are located at an altitude of more than 15,912 ft/ 4,850m. It is a geothermal field with boiling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. We were told that the place is most active around sunrise.
The Polques Hot springs
You can enjoy hot springs, so don’t forget to take a swimming suit, a towel, and flip-flops. The changing facilities are very basic and cost about BOB 5.
The water is about 29 degrees Celsius and contains minerals that relieve the symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism.
Salvador Dali Desert
This surreal, barren, wind-swept swath of land resembles the landscapes from Salvador Dali’s paintings.
Colored Lagoons and Licancabur Volcano
Laguna Blanca (White Lake) has milky white color due to the high concentration of minerals, mostly borax.
Laguna Verde (Green Lake) turns green when strong winds lift the sediments of arsenic, copper, lead, and other minerals from the bottom of the lake. So there is no guarantee the lake will be green when you come there.
Most of the time in the morning when most tours come to Laguna, you won’t see the emerald green color. We came in the morning, and although it wasn’t windy at all, the lake had a greenish tint.
Licancabur Volcano (19,410 ft/ 5,916 m) reflected in Laguna Verde makes the view even more spectacular.
Valle de Rocas
Here you will see interesting rock formations shaped by wind erosion.
When to visit Salar de Uyuni
During the dry season, a thick crust of salt, covered with polygonal patterns, stretches to the horizon.
But in the wet season, a thin layer of water transforms the surface into the world’s largest mirror reflecting the blue altiplano sky and the clouds.
The best time to visit Salar de Uyuni depends on what you want to see.
If you want to have a chance to see the beautiful mirror effect, you should visit in the wet season which is from December to April. But keep in mind that even in this season there is no guarantee you will see the reflective effect. Also if there are heavy rains, keep in mind that some places become inaccessible.
If you don’t like rain and prefer dry weather, visit between May and November. But note that it will be colder, especially at nights.
Altitude
Remember that Salar de Uyuni sits at a high altitude: 11,984 ft / 3,653 m. Some locations of the tour have even higher altitudes: Laguna Colorado is at an altitude of 14,100 ft/ 4,278 m and Solar de Manaña geysers at 15,912 ft/ 4,850 m.
Take altitude seriously, and make sure you acclimatize properly before a tour to fully enjoy the beauty of Salar de Uyuni.
What to pack
Salar de Uyuni is a remote place, so make sure you pack these essentials:
Towel and toiletries – these are not provided in standard tour salt hotels and refuges.
Cash – you will need cash to pay for bathrooms and entry to Isla Incahuasi and Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa.
Swimming suit and flip flops for hot springs.
Torch – you might need it when you go to the bathroom in a refuge. The lights did not work where we stayed.
Warm clothes – the altitude is high, and it gets quite cold at nights, and below zero in winter months (June to August). Don’t forget to take warm socks, gloves, thermal underwear, a hat, a warm jacket, etc.
Rain jacket if you go during the wet season.
Sleeping bag – winter nights are cold. You are provided blankets in hotels and refuges, but a down sleeping back will make your sleep more comfortable
Sunblock, lip balm with SPF, and sunglasses – the sun is very harsh at high altitudes.
Snacks and water/drinks – food is provided, but in case you want extra in between the meals, please take your favorite snacks and drinks.
Toys, bottles, etc to take fun perspective photos.
Want more inspiration on what to do in Bolivia? Check my post on Top Things to Do in Bolivia and Sajama National Park.
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