3-day Salar de Uyuni tour: Salt flats, lagoons and geysers

Cross the world's largest salt flat and walk among geysers and volcanic lakes

A 3-day guided tour of the Salar de Uyuni and surrounding Altiplano, departing from Uyuni with shared accommodation, a Spanish-speaking guide, water and soft drinks included. The route covers the salt flats themselves, the Train Cemetery, Incahuasi Island with its giant cacti, colored lagoons (red, green, white), the Salvador Dalí Desert, geysers, and hot springs. Some sites are inaccessible during heavy rains. Entrance fees to the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, hot springs and Incahuasi Island are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Salar de Uyuni and surroundings

• Visit Uyuni salt flats
• See Incahuasi Island and giant cacti
• Explore Train Cemetery
• Watch salt manufacture crafts
• Visit Playa Blanca salt hotel
• Observe salt eyes underground rivers

Day 2: Discover lagoons and desert landscapes

• Visit Ollagüe Volcano
• See Cañapa Lagoon
• Visit Hedionda Lagoon
• Explore Charcota Lagoon
• Visit Laguna Onda
• Explore Siloli Desert
• See Stone Tree
• Visit Red Lagoon

Day 3: Visit geysers, lagoons, and hot springs

• See Geyser
• Explore Salvador Dalí Desert
• Visit Green Lagoon
• Visit White Lagoon
• View Licancabur Volcano
• See Salar de Capina
• Explore Rock Valley
• Visit San Cristóbal silver vein area
• Relax at Hot Springs

The experience

The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat on Earth, and this tour spends three days crossing it and the high desert landscape around it. Day one covers the salt flats themselves, the Train Cemetery with its abandoned locomotives, Incahuasi Island in the middle of the flats (where you walk among cacti over 10 meters tall), a salt production village, and Playa Blanca, the first salt hotel built inside the flats. Underground salt springs flow beneath the surface here, and the tour includes stops to see them.

Days two and three push into the colored lagoons and volcanic terrain of the Altiplano. You pass Ollagüe Volcano, then move through a sequence of lagoons (Cañapa, Hedionda, Charcota and Onda) each with different mineral content that shifts the water color. The Siloli Desert and its famous stone tree come next, followed by the red lagoon. On the final day, you reach the geyser field, walk the Salvador Dalí Desert, and see the green and white lagoons with Licancabur volcano rising behind them. The route ends at hot springs and the town of San Cristóbal, which sits above one of the world's largest silver veins.

You stay in shared accommodation throughout and travel by vehicle with a Spanish-speaking guide. Water and soft drinks are provided. Note that Incahuasi Island becomes unreachable during the rainy season if water levels rise. Entrance fees to the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, hot springs and the island itself are not included in the tour price.

What’s included

• Shared accommodation for three nights.
• a Spanish-speaking guide.
• bottled water and soft drinks throughout the tour.
• visits to the Salar de Uyuni, Train Cemetery, Incahuasi Island, salt production village, Playa Blanca salt hotel, Siloli Desert, stone tree, colored lagoons (red, green, white), geyser field, Salvador Dalí Desert, and hot springs.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:40

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (1 to 12 years) · Infant (under 1): free

GroupUp to 18

Live guideSpanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Empresa turística Parina de Sal

Is this one for you?This tour works for travelers arriving in Uyuni with three days to spend and no private vehicle. The shared accommodation and fixed itinerary mean you travel with other visitors and follow a set schedule across the salt flats and lagoons. If you prefer to move at your own pace or travel alone, a private tour would suit you better.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (1 to 12 years); Infant (under 1): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Incahuasi Island and why is it worth visiting?

Incahuasi Island sits in the middle of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats and is covered with giant cacti, some over 10 meters tall, offering views across the flat landscape in all directions. Access depends on water levels during the rainy season, when the site may be inaccessible.

Can I visit the hot springs at the end of the tour?

Hot springs are on the route, but entry is a separate fee not included in the tour price. You can choose to visit them or skip them.

Is the Train Cemetery included in the tour?

Yes, the Train Cemetery with its collection of abandoned locomotives is a stop on day one of the tour.

Do I need to pay extra to enter the colored lagoons area?

Entry to the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, which protects the lagoon region, is a separate fee not included in the tour price.