3-Day Uyuni Salt Flats & Colored Lagoons Tour

Salt polygons, volcanic peaks, and flamingo lagoons across the Altiplano in three days

A 3-day guided tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats and Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna Reserve in Bolivia, traveling by vehicle across nearly 12,000 km² of salt, desert, and high-altitude lagoons. You stay two nights in remote stone hotels, climb to Tunupa Volcano, walk among giant cacti on Incahuasi Island, visit flamingo-filled lagoons, soak in geothermal hot springs, and watch geysers at dawn near 5,000 meters. A guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French leads the journey. Pickup from Uyuni is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Uyuni Salt Flats and Surroundings

• Visit outdoor train museum in Uyuni
• Photo stops at train museum
• Enter Salar by Colchani, see salt processing
• Visit salt hotel and eyes water
• Visit Incahuasi Island and climb viewpoint
• Photo stops on salt flats
• Visit Coquesa community and Aymara mummies
• Ascend Tunupa Volcano viewpoint by vehicle
• Stay overnight at Hotel Tayka de Sal

Day 2: Discover Lagoons and Desert Landscapes

• Morning visit to Incahuasi Island
• Visit Mala Mala Bay and Galaxy Cave
• Photo stops along Altiplano landscapes
• Arrive at Tayka Red Stone Hotel for dining
• Photo stops at lagoons with flamingos
• Travel through remote sand and pebble desert
• Overnight at Hotel Tayka del Desierto

Day 3: Geysers, Lagoons, and Return to Uyuni

• Visit Sol de Mañana Geysers at dawn
• Travel through desert and Salar de Chalviri
• Lunch near Laguna Colorada with flamingos
• Photo stops at various locations
• Visit Laguna Verde at Licancabur volcano
• Return to Uyuni by 5:00 pm

The experience

The route unfolds across three distinct landscapes. Day one takes you from Uyuni into the Salar itself: first through Colchani to see salt processing and piles, then to the salt hotel, and up Incahuasi Island, a volcanic outcrop crowned with giant cacti that becomes a viewpoint over the white plain. From there the journey turns north toward Tunupa Volcano, stopping at the Coquesa community to see Aymara mummies preserved in volcanic caves, then climbing by vehicle to the crater viewpoint where the scale of the salt flats opens below you. You sleep at Hotel Tayka de Sal, built with local materials at the foot of Tunupa.

Day two moves deeper into the reserve. Morning returns to Incahuasi Island, then continues to Mala Mala Bay on the opposite edge of the Salar for a quieter perspective, and to Galaxy Cave, where ancestral burials and petrified cactus formations sit in volcanic stone. The afternoon crosses into flamingo country: Cañapa, Stinking, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramadita lagoons, where large numbers of flamingos gather alongside geese and Andean gulls, with snow-capped volcanoes framing the water. By evening you reach Hotel Tayka del Desierto in the Siloli Desert, a stone structure offering private rooms and one of the clearest night skies in the world.

Day three climbs to the highest point of the route. At dawn you arrive at Sol de Mañana Geysers near 5,000 meters, where steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pools in red, gray and ochre tones mark active geothermal fields. The route then passes through Salar de Chalviri, where white mineral deposits and deep blue water create stark contrasts, with a stop at Polques Hot Springs to soak in the high-altitude landscape. Lunch happens at Laguna Colorada, the striking red lagoon where three species of flamingos nest, their pink plumage reflected in water colored by algae and plankton. A final stop at Laguna Verde at the foot of Licancabur volcano catches the water shifting from emerald to duller tones before the return to Uyuni by 5:00 pm.

What’s included

The tour includes vehicle transport across the Altiplano, a guide fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French, pickup from Uyuni, two nights in remote stone hotels with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms, and bottled water throughout the three days.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (7 to 80 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 22 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 30

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Joker Expedition, Bolivia.

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese or French, so choose the language that matches your group. The fixed itinerary and shared vehicle mean you travel with other visitors, which keeps costs down and creates a group dynamic across the three days.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

What's the highest altitude I'll reach on this tour?

Sol de Mañana Geysers sits at nearly 5,000 meters above sea level, the highest point of the route. The thin air and otherworldly landscape make dawn arrival the most dramatic time to visit.

Which lagoons will I see, and what makes them different colors?

Laguna Colorada gets its striking red hue from algae and plankton activated by sunlight and wind, and it's the main nesting site for three flamingo species. Laguna Verde, at the foot of Licancabur volcano, shifts from emerald green to duller tones as the day progresses. The other lagoons (Cañapa, Stinking, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramadita) host large flamingo populations framed by snow-capped volcanoes.

What kind of accommodation will I have?

Hotel Tayka de Sal on night one is an eco-friendly property built with local materials, offering private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and heating at the foot of Tunupa Volcano. Hotel Tayka del Desierto on night two is a stone hotel in the Siloli Desert with private rooms, en-suite bathrooms and hot water, positioned for views of the night sky.

Is there time to bathe in hot springs?

Yes. On day three, there is an opportunity to soak in Polques Hot Springs, surrounded by the high-altitude desert landscape near the geysers.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes vehicle transportation, a guide in your chosen language, hotel pickup from Uyuni, two nights of accommodation, and bottled water throughout the journey. Meals and entrance fees to the reserve are not included.

What physical fitness is required?

The operator recommends at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The tour involves high altitude (up to nearly 5,000 meters), and multiple vehicle transfers with short walks at stops. Minimum age is 18 years old. The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers.