3-Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour: Colored Lagoons & Volcanoes

Three days crossing the world's largest salt flat, volcanic islands and high-altitude deserts

A 3-day private tour of the Salar de Uyuni and Eduardo Avaroa Reserve in Bolivia, traveling by 4x4 with an English-speaking guide, staying in two ecological hotels and visiting the Train Cemetery, salt formations, Incahuasi Island, Tunupa Volcano, colored lagoons and geysers. Hotel pickup in Uyuni is included, as are all national park fees, meals and bottled water. Children from age 1 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Uyuni to Volcán Tunupa

• Visit Train Cemetery with photo stops
• Enter Salar de Uyuni via Colchani
• See salt processing and salt hotel
• Visit Salt Stairway and Dakar Rally Monument
• Observe Salt Pyramid and brine eyes
• Visit Incahuasi Island and climb viewpoint
• Travel to Thunupa Volcano and Pucara of Ayque
• Ascend crater for panoramic views
• Enjoy sunset toast with sandwiches and hot drinks
• Overnight at Hotel Tayka de Sal

Day 2: Volcán Tunupa to Desierto Siloli

• Visit Fish Island and its cactaceans
• Explore Mala Mala Bay and Galaxy Cave
• Arrive at Tayka Red Stone Hotel for dinner
• Stop at lagoons with flamingos and birds
• Visit Ollague Volcano Viewpoint
• Enter desert sand to reach hotel
• Overnight at Hotel Tayka del Desierto

Day 3: Desierto Siloli to Uyuni

• Visit Sol de Mañana geysers at dawn
• See boiling mud pools and Salar de Chalviri
• Bath and breakfast at Termas de Polques
• Visit Laguna Verde at Volcano Licancabur
• Stop for lunch at Laguna Colorada flamingo nesting
• Explore Eduardo Avaroa Reserve and Stone Tree
• Return to Uyuni and transfer to hotel or airport

The experience

How do you cross 12,000 square kilometers of salt without getting lost? This tour answers it: a private vehicle, a specialist guide and a fixed route that hits the landmarks most travelers come for. Day one starts at the Train Cemetery in Uyuni (an outdoor museum of abandoned locomotives from the silver-mining era), then moves into the salt flat itself at Colchani, where you'll see salt being harvested and visit the salt hotel. From there you climb Incahuasi Island, a volcanic outcrop in the middle of the white expanse, and drive north to Tunupa Volcano, where you watch the sunset from the crater with a glass of champagne and sandwiches while the landscape turns surreal colors.

Day two takes you to Fish Island and Galaxy Cave, where ancestral burials sit inside petrified rock, then south into the colored lagoons: Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota and the others, where flamingos gather in the thousands against snow-capped volcanoes. You'll stop at the Ollague Volcano viewpoint at 5,865 meters to see fumaroles rising 100 meters into the air, then cross into the Siloli Desert for the night. Day three starts before dawn at Sol de Mañana, the geysers that show their full power only in the first light, where you can walk across red and gray mud pools and soak in the hot springs of Termas de Polques. On the way back you pass Laguna Verde at the foot of Volcano Licancabur and stop at Laguna Colorada, where algae and plankton turn the water red and three species of flamingos nest. The return to Uyuni takes the whole afternoon. You're back by 6:30 PM for a hotel drop-off or airport transfer.

Accommodation is in two ecological hotels with private bathrooms and heating: Hotel Tayka de Sal at the foot of Tunupa Volcano on night one, and Hotel Tayka del Desierto in the Siloli on night two. A professional driver operates the 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser the whole way. The guide speaks English and is trained on the geology, history and ecology of the reserve. Spanish, Portuguese and Italian are also available. All entrance fees, transport, bottled water and local taxes are included in the price.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide (Spanish, Portuguese and Italian also available).
• hotel pickup and return transfer in Uyuni.
• 2 nights in ecological hotels with private bathrooms and heating.
• all national park and entrance fees.
• transport by private 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser.
• bottled water throughout.
• glass of champagne and snacks at sunset on day one.
• hearty breakfast on day three.
• local taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 to 98 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years)

GroupPrivate

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

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Mundicontact Expeditions

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup in Uyuni means you don't need a car or a way to reach the salt flat on your own. The guide handles the route and the timing, so you move through all three days without navigating or deciding where to stop next. A private vehicle and guide suit travelers who want the flexibility to linger at a site or move on without waiting for a group, and the fixed itinerary works best for those who want the main landmarks without the uncertainty of choosing them.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 4 years).

What is the Train Cemetery in Uyuni?

The Train Cemetery is an outdoor museum of abandoned locomotives and railway machinery from the early 20th century, when silver mining drove the construction of railways across Bolivia. Uyuni was the first place in the country to hear a train whistle, and the cemetery preserves that industrial heritage as twisted iron and disused engines scattered across the landscape.

Can I bathe in the hot springs during this tour?

Yes. On day three you stop at Termas de Polques, where you can soak in the natural hot springs after visiting Sol de Mañana geysers. A hearty breakfast is served outdoors afterward.

What are the colored lagoons and why do they change color?

The colored lagoons (Laguna Colorada, Laguna Verde and others in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve) get their hues from algae, plankton and mineral content in the water. Laguna Colorada appears red because solar radiation and wind activate the algae and plankton. Laguna Verde shifts from emerald green to duller tones depending on the light and time of day. All three species of Andean flamingos nest in these lagoons.

How high do we climb, and is altitude sickness a concern?

The highest point is Sol de Mañana at approximately 5,000 meters (16,400 feet), and the Ollague Volcano viewpoint reaches 5,865 meters. The cold is intense at that elevation. Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to bring?

The tour includes a professional English-speaking guide, hotel pickup in Uyuni, 2 nights in ecological lodges, all national park and entrance fees, transport by private 4x4, bottled water, a glass of champagne at sunset on day one, and local taxes. Bring warm clothing for the cold desert nights and sun protection for the high-altitude sun. The guide will advise on what else to pack for the climate.