SalarUyuni.cl


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Explore some of the most breathtaking landscapes of the Bolivian altiplano with the Salar de Uyuni 3-day / 2-night one-way program from San Pedro de Atacama.

This journey begins in San Pedro de Atacama and ends in Uyuni, Bolivia, letting you continue your trip through the Bolivian altiplano without needing to return to Chile. It's a popular alternative among backpackers and travelers looking for an authentic, adventurous and affordable experience across some of the most extreme landscapes in South America.

Aboard shared Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 vehicles, the expedition crosses the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, visiting high-altitude lagoons, volcanoes, geysers, altiplano deserts and the impressive Salar de Uyuni.

Along the way you'll visit iconic places such as Laguna Verde, Laguna Blanca, the Dalí Desert, Laguna Colorada, the Siloli Desert, the Stone Tree, the Sol de Mañana Geysers and altiplano hot springs. The experience culminates at the Salar de Uyuni, considered the largest salt flat on the planet and one of Bolivia's most astonishing landscapes.

The program includes very basic accommodation in altiplano shelters with shared double or triple rooms. Due to the extreme conditions of the altiplano, the availability of electricity, hot water and showers may be limited during part of the route. Showers are normally only available on the second night and may carry an additional local charge.

During the expedition you'll reach altitudes of up to 4,300 meters above sea level and, depending on the season, temperatures can drop well below 0 °C, even reaching -15 °C during the winter months of June and July.

Ideal for adventurous travelers, backpackers, photography lovers and those seeking to live an authentic experience across the Bolivian altiplano and the Salar de Uyuni.

Duration

3 days / 2 nights

Transport

Shared 4x4 vehicle

Recommendations

  • Bring thermal clothing and a warm coat
  • Wear a hat, gloves and a windbreaker jacket
  • Bring sunscreen and sunglasses
  • Wear comfortable footwear
  • Bring a reusable water bottle
  • Bring extra snacks
  • Dress in layers due to the sharp temperature changes
  • Avoid alcohol before and during the expedition
  • Bring cash in Bolivian pesos for entrance fees and personal expenses
  • Bring a power bank or spare batteries due to the low temperatures
Physical Demand
Medium
Moderate physical effort due to the altitude of the route, which exceeds 4,500 meters above sea level in several sectors. It includes short walks over uneven terrain and long travel days in a 4x4 vehicle. The altitude, cold and wind can cause fatigue or headaches. We recommend doing this program after several days of acclimatization in San Pedro de Atacama.
Experience
For Everyone
No previous experience needed.

Itinerary

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
between 6:30 and 7:00 am - Pick-up from your hotel in San Pedro

About 100 kilometres from Calama, the world's driest desert hides a small oasis called San Pedro de Atacama. It's an adobe town and dirt roads that have stolen the hearts of thousands of tourists for the charms of Atacameña and Spanish culture contained in each of its buildings. What do you say you come with me and we go around

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Minibus transfer to Hito Cajón (Chile – Bolivia border)
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Laguna Blanca

Less than eight kilometers downhill from the Hito Cajon customs office is a beautiful "white" lagoon. Not far away there is a small lodge used mainly by groups preparing to climb the Licancabur volcano. The lagoon is not usually very crowded. Usually only expeditions departing from the Chilean San Pedro de Atacama are built here. The stop here is quite

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Laguna Verde

Laguna Verde is a high Andean saltwater lagoon in Bolivia, located in the Eduardo Abaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve in the altiplano in the department of Potosí, near the border with Chile.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Dalí Desert

The Salvador Dalí desert or simply Dalí desert is a desert in southwestern Bolivia, located south of the department of Potosí within the Eduardo Abaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve and south of the Chalviri salt flat. It is at an average altitude of 4750 m a.s.l. and covers an area of approximately 110 km². It is so named because it

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Polques hot springs

The Polques Hot Springs are one of the most relaxing and amazing destinations that can be found in the excursions to the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about this place and how you can make the most of it on your next vacation.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Sol de Mañana Geysers

El Sol de Mañana is a desert area of approximately 2 km², located in southern Bolivia, in the department of Potosi, south of Laguna Colorada on the road to the Salar de Chalviri, at an altitude of 4850 m a.s.l., within the Eduardo Abaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve. This area is characterized by intense volcanic activity (including fumaroles and geysers),

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Laguna Colorada

Laguna Colorada is a breeding place for Andean flamingos, migratory birds that number in the thousands in its mineral-rich waters. It is located within the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Abaroa, Bolivia, in the altiplano potosino.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Overnight at Backpackers Hostel in Villa Mar

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Siloli Desert

The Siloli is a desert in southwestern Bolivia, located in the department of Potosi. Administratively, it is located within the municipality of San Pablo de Lípez in the province of Sud Lípez. It is characterized by its rocky formations as a result of the strong winds in the region. The desert is considered one of the driest in the world1

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Stone Tree

The Stone Tree, which was declared a natural monument, is a geomorphological formation of the rocky mushroom type due to wind erosion that stands out from a set of volcanic rocks of different shapes located in a sandy area, Siloli desert, at the entrance of the Eduardo Avaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve in southwestern Bolivia, located in the department of

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Cañapa, Hedionda and Chiarcota altiplanic lagoons

The Hedionda Lagoon is a Bolivian saltwater lagoon located in the department of Potosi, near the border with Chile, with an approximate area of 4.5 km². It is located near the Cañapa lagoons and many others.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Chiguana Desert and Puerto Chuvica

Chuvica is a city located at the gates of the Salar de Uyuni, known for its hotel built entirely of salt.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Overnight at Salt Hostel

Hostal made almost entirely of salt in the town of Puerto Chuvica.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Salt Flat

The Uyuni Salt Flat is known for its incredible, vast landscapes, where the whiteness of the salt flat blends with the blue sky, creating a visual illusion that seems infinite. In addition, in the middle of the salt flat, there are a few islands, such as Incahuasi Island and Fish Island, which are covered with giant cacti and offer stunning panoramic views.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Great Incahuasi Island

Incahuasi Island sits in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flat and is notable for being completely covered with giant cacti, some of which can reach up to 10 meters tall. The island is an oasis in the middle of the white salt desert and offers a striking, one-of-a-kind landscape.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Eyes of the Salt Flat

The "eyes of the salt flat" in the Uyuni Salt Flat are circular depressions in the surface of the salt flat that hold fresh water. These water eyes are small natural pools formed by an accumulation of underground water at certain points of the salt flat. They offer a unique opportunity to see the contrast between fresh water and salt in the middle of one of the most astonishing and surreal landscapes in the world.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Salt Museum

This small museum displays a collection of llama statues, many of them made with salt gathered from the nearby flats.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Village of Colchani

Near the shores of the Salar de Uyuni is Colchani, a small town that is characterized for being the main producer of salt in the country and from where the condiment that reaches almost every Bolivian home comes from.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Train Cemetery

The Uyuni Train Cemetery is known for its desert, rusted atmosphere, which gives it a particularly photogenic and appealing feel for tourists and photographers. The locomotives and rail cars lie in disarray, creating a striking, surreal image in the middle of the arid, sandy landscape.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
Uyuni Backpackers One Way
End of the tour in the city of Uyuni

After lunch in the city of Uyuni, the One Way program ends around 3 pm.

Uyuni Backpackers One Way

Frequently Asked Questions

The program starts in San Pedro de Atacama with a transfer to the border between Chile and Bolivia.

The route ends in the city of Uyuni, Bolivia, allowing you to continue your journey through other Bolivian destinations without returning to Chile.

<p"3399""3479">Depending on the itinerary and weather conditions, the route may include:

<ul"3480""3695"> <li"1hmv7eg""3480""3496">Laguna Verde

<li"cbde4b""3497""3514">Laguna Blanca

<li"6e94wq""3515""3535">Dalí Desert

<li"8ym6td""3536""3555">Laguna Colorada

<li"10w7ijm""3556""3578">Siloli Desert

<li"dowiwg""3579""3598">Stone Tree

<li"557uov""3599""3625">Sol de Mañana Geysers

<li"2zu153""3626""3657">Altiplanic hot springs

<li"ue1dtm""3658""3676">Uyuni Salt Flat

<li"17tva4c""3677""3695">Incahuasi Island

<p"3761""3815">The Uyuni Salt Flat can be visited all year round:

<ul"3816""3982"> <li"1ef4grs""3816""3893">Dry season (April to November): completely white and dry landscapes.

<li"zebop4""3894""3982">Wet season (December to March): the chance to see the famous mirror effect.

It is a natural phenomenon that occurs during the rainy season, when a thin layer of water covers the salt flat, creating reflections similar to a giant mirror.

Included

  • Transfers
    In Chile with a van and in Bolivia with a 4x4 vehicle
  • Driver (only spanish speaking)
    Serves as coordinator during the trip
  • Accommodations according to program
  • Expert advice and coordination
    Personalized guidance and coordination of your experience via phone, email, webchat, WhatsApp, and scheduled video calls.
  • Booking Fee – Reservation Management
    Included in the final price. This fee covers the administrative expenses associated with managing and confirming the reservation, processing payments, and coordinating the service with local operators.

Not Included

  • Visas and visa processing if required
  • Tickets to parks and museums
    Park tickets are subject to change without prior notice, so it is recommended to reconfirm before leaving for the tours.
  • Guide/Translator
    It can be requested for an additional cost for the group.
  • Medical, accident or travel insurance
  • Medical, accident or travel insurance

General Conditions

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • This itinerary is subject to change without prior notice depending on weather conditions, strikes, roadblocks or force majeure events beyond our control. We will always do everything possible to follow the itinerary as closely as possible. During the rainy season from January to April, the Salar de Uyuni fills with water, so it is not possible to cross it the same way as during the dry season. As a result, the itinerary is modified during that period. The main changes are usually the following: Instead of sleeping at the Salt Hostel in Puerto Chuvica, we stay at a standard hostel in the city of Uyuni, and from there we enter the Salar as far as conditions allow, visiting Incahuasi Island if possible. Otherwise, we stop at a spot where the water reflects the sky and where it seems that the sky and the ground merge into one. This trip takes place at very high altitude. The sites are more than 3,650 meters above sea level, and most guests will feel the effects of the altitude. We recommend acclimatizing at over 2,000 meters before the trip and bringing along medication for headaches and altitude sickness tablets in case you feel unwell. Remember to drink plenty of water and eat light meals!
  • The accommodations during this service are in remote areas where you will be far from comfortable, modern facilities, and services will sometimes be slow and quite basic. Due to the rough terrain, vehicle breakdowns are not uncommon, but the drivers are very used to fixing them and waiting times are rarely excessive. The vehicles are usually Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4s, which are not new but are in good condition. The accommodation will be very basic, with shared double or triple rooms, and electricity and running water are scarce. Showers will only be available on the second night and may carry a small local charge. You will be sleeping at up to 4,300 meters above sea level and, depending on the season, temperatures can drop well below zero (reaching below -15 degrees Celsius in the winter months of June and July) and the wind chill can be harsh, so bring plenty of warm clothing such as a scarf and a wool hat for the cold nights. When you return to your starting point, please bring only the gear and clothing needed during the trip.

By purchasing a program, it is automatically established that the travel agent and client are notified of and accept all the clauses of these general conditions:

  • The company reserves the right not to carry out any of these excursions for reasons of force majeure.
  • Passengers must return to the vehicle at the times set by the guide during the excursion, as well as follow the recommendations and instructions. It is their responsibility to be on time at the indicated meeting point; otherwise the passenger must pay for and coordinate their own return transport.
  • In the case of no-show at the moment of departure, without prior documented cancellation, or late arrival, this would result in the TOTAL loss of the SERVICE amount.
  • The company is not liable for any accident and/or personal injury caused by any carelessness on the part of the passenger.
  • The company is not responsible for the loss of personal items left inside the vehicles and accommodations.
  • Entrance fees to parks and museums are NOT INCLUDED, unless expressly included in the program.
  • Park entrance fees may change without prior notice, so we recommend reconfirming before setting out on the tours.
  • Prices subject to change without prior notice.

Commercial Conditions

Cancellation Policies

  • Cancellations with 7 days or more before arrival: 90% refund.
  • Cancellations with 6 days or less before arrival are not eligible for a refund.

Our apply on this service.

Request with GreatChile

Uyuni Backpackers One Way
per person, from
CL$ 276 000


      Per Person Price
    During the booking process we will request the following data per traveler: Full Name, Age, Nationality, Passport Number, Mail, Phone Number, Allergies.

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