2-Day Private Tour to Salar de Uyuni and Laguna Colorada

The world's largest salt flat stretches vast beneath your feet.

A 2-day private tour of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats and Laguna Colorada in Bolivia, departing from Uyuni with a professional guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, all meals, one night at Hotel Tayka del Desierto, entrance fees and an oxygen bottle included. The itinerary covers the train cemetery, Incahuasi Island, the Siloli desert, Sol de Mañana geysers at 5,000 meters, hot springs, and the flamingo nesting grounds at Laguna Colorada, returning to Uyuni around 6 pm on day two.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Salar de Uyuni and surroundings

• Pick up from hotel in Uyuni
• Visit train cemetery
• Explore Colchani town and artisan shops
• See salt processing plants
• Visit Incahuasi Island and enjoy 360° view
• Have private lunch in salt desert
• Pass through Siloli desert
• Visit Dakar salt monument and Plaza de Banderas
• Overnight at Tayka del Desierto Hotel

Day 2: Visit Eduardo Avaroa Reserve and return

• Breakfast at hotel
• Enter Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve
• Visit Stone Tree and spot vizcachas
• See Sol de Mañana geysers at sunrise
• Swim in Polques hot springs and have open air breakfast
• Visit Valle de las Damas rock formations
• Drive to Laguna Verde at Licancabur volcano
• Visit Laguna Colorada flamingo nesting site
• Return to Uyuni and drop off

The experience

Day one starts with pickup from your hotel in Uyuni and heads straight into the salt flats. You'll visit the train cemetery, the town of Colchani and its artisan shops, then drive across the white expanse to Incahuasi Island: a cactus-covered outcrop in the middle of the desert where a 360-degree view opens up across the salt. Lunch happens in the salt desert itself. The route continues southwest through the Siloli desert, passing the Dakar monument and Flag Square before you reach Hotel Tayka del Desierto, a community-run lodge where you sleep in a private room with heating and shower, then eat a local dinner.

Day two begins before dawn. After breakfast at the hotel, you enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve and head toward Sol de Mañana geysers: the tour's highest point at 5,000 meters above sea level. You'll walk among active geysers and boiling mud pools, then descend to the hot springs of Polques for a swim and an open-air breakfast. The route passes through the Valle de las Damas and reaches Laguna Verde at the foot of Licancabur volcano, then ends at Laguna Colorada, where the red water and three species of flamingos make the main nesting site. The drive back to Uyuni takes the afternoon, with arrival scheduled around 6 pm.

A professional guide travels with you throughout, speaking English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or other languages. The operator provides water, snacks, all meals, an oxygen bottle to help with the altitude, and entrance fees to the reserves. The high elevation (the salt flats sit at 3,650 meters) means the pace is built around acclimatization, and the itinerary includes time at lower elevations between the highest points.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Uyuni.
• professional guide in your chosen language.
• entrance fees to the reserves.
• one night accommodation at Hotel Tayka del Desierto with private room, shower and heating.
• all meals (dinner on day one, breakfast on day two, lunch on day one in the salt desert, and open-air breakfast on day two).
• water and snacks throughout the tour.
• oxygen bottle on board.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 92 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 19 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleInfant seats available

Operated by Mundicontact Expeditions

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want the full Uyuni experience in two days without sharing the vehicle or guide with other travelers. The fixed itinerary covers the salt flats, geysers, hot springs and flamingo lagoon in sequence, which is what fits all four major stops into a single overnight trip.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What is Incahuasi Island and why is it worth the stop?

Incahuasi Island is a cactus-covered outcrop rising from the middle of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats. From the top you get a 360-degree view of the white expanse in all directions, making it one of the few vantage points where you can see the scale of the salt flat itself rather than just driving across it.

How high do we go on this tour and what should I know about the altitude?

The highest point is Sol de Mañana geysers at 5,000 meters above sea level. The salt flats themselves sit at 3,650 meters. The tour includes an oxygen bottle on board and is paced to allow acclimatization, with time spent at lower elevations between the highest stops. Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness.

What are the flamingos at Laguna Colorada and when do they nest there?

Laguna Colorada is the main nesting site for three species of South American flamingos. The red color of the water comes from algae and plankton activated by sunlight and wind. Every November the salt flats become breeding grounds for these flamingos, though they are present at the lagoon throughout the year.

Where do we sleep on the first night and what are the rooms like?

You stay at Hotel Tayka del Desierto, a community hotel in the desert. Rooms are private with a shower and heating included. Dinner is a local meal prepared at the hotel.

What time does the tour end on day two and how do we get back to Uyuni?

The return drive to Uyuni takes the afternoon of day two, with arrival scheduled around 6 pm. You are dropped off at the place of your choice in Uyuni.