3-day Salar de Uyuni tour: Train Cemetery to geysers

Salt flats, flamingo lagoons, and a sunrise over geysers in three days

A 3-day guided tour of Salar de Uyuni on the Bolivian Altiplano, starting at the Train Cemetery and ending at the Green Lagoon after crossing salt flats, visiting Cacti Island, four colored lagoons, and the volcanic highlands. The tour includes accommodation in shared rooms, all meals, and transport with a Spanish-speaking driver-guide. Entrance fees to the salt flats and Cacti Island are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Start of the World famous Salar De Uyuni tour!

• Start tour at 10:30
• Visit Train Cemetery
• Visit Colchani salt art market
• Visit Salt Mountains
• Visit Salt eyes
• Visit Salar de Uyuni
• Visit White beach museum
• Lunch
• Visit Cacti Island (Isla Incahuasi)
• Take optical illusion photos
• Arrive at hostel
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Lagoons & Volcanoes

• Breakfast at hostel
• Visit Ollague Volcano viewpoint
• Visit Canapa lagoon
• Lunch
• Visit Hedionda lagoon
• Visit Onda lagoon
• Visit Siloli desert
• Visit Rock tree
• Visit Colorado lagoon
• Arrive at Huayllajara refugio
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 3: Final day (Geysers and Volcanoes)

• Breakfast early around 6am
• Watch sunrise at volcanic zone
• Visit geysers and lavas
• Visit Polques thermal baths
• Visit Salvador Dali desert
• Visit Green lagoon
• Visit White lagoon
• Visit Licancabur volcano
• Visit Valley of Rocks
• Lunch at Villa Mar
• Visit San Cristobal church
• Arrive at Uyuni Town around 5-6pm
• End of tour

The experience

The tour starts at 10:30am at the Train Cemetery, a graveyard of rusted locomotives abandoned on the edge of the salt flats. From there you move through Colchani, where salt is still harvested by hand, then onto the flats themselves: the 4,086 square miles of white that dominate the landscape. You stop at the Salt Mountains, the Salt Eyes (natural springs), and the White Beach Museum before lunch. The afternoon ends at Cacti Island (Isla Incahuasi), where you take optical illusion photos on the flat horizon and stay overnight in shared accommodation at a hostel on the edge of the flats.

Day two begins with breakfast and a drive toward the volcanic zone. You visit the Ollague Volcano viewpoint, then move through a series of lagoons: Canapa (where you watch local wildlife), Hedionda (for flamingo observation), Onda, and Colorado. The Siloli Desert and the Rock Tree break up the drive. You end the day at Huayllajara refugio with dinner and overnight stay in shared rooms.

The final day starts early, around 6am, to catch the sunrise over the geysers and volcanic landscape. After breakfast you visit the geysers and lava fields, the Polques thermal baths, and the Salvador Dali Desert (named for its otherworldly rock formations). The Green Lagoon and White Lagoon follow, then the Licancabur volcano and the Valley of Rocks. Lunch is at Villa Mar, and the tour ends around 5 or 6pm back in Uyuni Town. From there you can arrange onward transport to another Bolivian destination or to La Paz at additional cost.

What’s included

• Accommodation in shared rooms and bathrooms at a hostel and a refugio.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
• transport and a Spanish-speaking driver-guide for all three days.
• visits to the Train Cemetery, Cacti Island, four lagoons, two volcanoes, geysers, thermal baths and the Salvador Dali Desert.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

AgesAdult (19 to 55 years) · Senior (56 to 75 years) · Youth (13 to 18 years) · Under 13: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 5

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Mapamundi Go

Is this one for you?The guide speaks Spanish and English, so you follow the commentary comfortably in either language. Children from age 13 can join. The tour suits all fitness levels, though the high altitude and early starts on days two and three demand basic cardiovascular health.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

2 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 18 years). Under 13: they can't be included in the booking.

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's included in the 3-day Salar de Uyuni tour?

The tour includes accommodation in shared rooms and bathrooms at two different hostels, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner each day), and transport with a Spanish-speaking driver-guide across all three days. Entrance fees to Salar de Uyuni ($22 per person) and Cacti Island ($5 per person) are paid separately.

Can I get a private room instead of sharing?

Private rooms and private rooms with private bathrooms are available at both overnight stops for an additional cost, which you arrange when you book.

What happens on the first day of the tour?

Day one covers the Train Cemetery, Colchani salt village, the Salt Mountains, Salt Eyes, and the main Salar de Uyuni flats. You visit the White Beach Museum, have lunch, then spend the afternoon at Cacti Island taking photos before staying overnight at a hostel on the edge of the salt flats.

Why does the final day start so early?

The 6am start on day three positions you to watch the sunrise over the geysers and volcanic landscape in the high Altiplano, which is the visual highlight of the volcanic zone you visit that morning.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to and from Uyuni?

The tour picks you up and drops you in Uyuni Town. If you need onward transport to another Bolivian city or to La Paz by bus or plane, the operator can book it for you at additional cost.