4-Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour from La Paz to San Pedro de Atacama
Cross the world's largest salt flat and watch flamingos at lagoons ringed by volcanoes
This 4-day tour starts with an 8 pm hotel pickup in La Paz and the overnight sleeper bus to Uyuni, then spends two full days exploring Salar de Uyuni and the high-altitude desert landscape that surrounds it, traveling by 4x4 with an English-speaking guide. You visit the Train Cemetery near Uyuni, climb Fish Island to see the salt flat in its entirety, cross the Siloli Desert to reach colored lagoons where three species of flamingos gather, and wake before dawn to watch geysers at sunrise before crossing into Chile. The tour ends in San Pedro de Atacama in the early afternoon of day four.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Travel from La Paz to Uyuni
- Pick up from La Paz hotel
- Transfer to bus terminal
- Board night sleeper bus to Uyuni
Day 2: Explore Uyuni Salt Flats and surroundings
- Arrive in Uyuni at 7:00 AM
- Welcome breakfast and hot shower
- Visit Train Cemetery with photo stops
- Visit Colchani salt extraction and handicrafts
- Visit Fish Island and giant cactus
- Lunch
- Visit Salar de Uyuni with photo stops
- Arrive at accommodation in Uyuni
- Enjoy local dinner
Day 3: Visit lagoons and volcanoes, night at Lodge Polques
- Breakfast and depart from Uyuni
- Visit Chiguana Salt
- View Ollague Volcano from distance
- Visit three small lagoons with flamingos
- Drive through Siloli Desert and see Stone Tree
- Visit Red Lagoon and flamingos
- Stay overnight at Lodge Polques
Day 4: Geysers, lagoons and arrival in San Pedro
- Early departure to see geysers at sunrise
- Visit hot springs of Polques Lagoon
- Visit Salvador Daly Desert
- Visit Green Lagoon and White Lagoon
- Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama
- Arrive in San Pedro de Atacama at 1 or 2 PM
- La Paz passing by
- Uyuni passing by
- Train Cemetery 30m
- Colchani 30m
- Salar de Uyuni 2h
- Isla Incahuasi 1h
- Colchani passing by
- Laguna Hedionda 30m
- Laguna Colorada 1h
- Aguas Termales De Polques 1h
- Geiser Sol de la Manana 1h
- Laguna Verde 1h
- San Pedro de Atacama passing by
What’s included
- Overnight sleeper bus ticket from La Paz to Uyuni with hotel pickup.
- welcome breakfast and hot shower on arrival.
- all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on days two and three.
- 4x4 transport throughout the tour.
- English-speaking guide and professional driver.
- bottled water.
- transfer to San Pedro de Atacama.
- Every day 20:00
Information
Four days from La Paz: night bus to Uyuni, then the salt flat, colored lagoons and volcanoes with an English-speaking guide, ending in San Pedro de Atacama.
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The experience
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, and the route starts on day one: at 8 pm you're picked up at your La Paz hotel and taken to the bus terminal, where you board a sleeper bus with air conditioning, blankets and a bathroom on board, arriving in Uyuni at 7 am on day two. The operator's team meets you there, offers a hot shower and welcome breakfast at their facilities, then departs at 10:30 am for the Train Cemetery, a five-minute drive away, where rusted locomotives sit abandoned on the salt. From there you move to Colchani to watch the manual salt extraction process, see the piles and handicrafts, then climb Fish Island. The millenary giant cacti on top frame the entire salt flat below you, and after lunch you settle into shared accommodation in Uyuni for the night.
Day three takes you deeper into the high desert. You leave after breakfast and cross sections of salt, pass the semi-active Ollague Volcano (visible from 15 kilometers away), and move through three small lagoons where different flamingo species gather. The Siloli Desert opens up next (a vast pampa where a stone tree stands alone), and you arrive at the Red Lagoon between 3:30 and 4 pm to catch the color shift as light changes. You sleep at Lodge Polques in a shared room. The final morning starts early: you drive to the geysers to watch them at sunrise, soak in the hot springs of Polques Lagoon, cross the Salvador Dalí Desert, and pass the Green and White Lagoons before crossing the border into Chile. You reach San Pedro de Atacama by 1 or 2 pm.
Transport is a comfortable 4x4 vehicle with a professional driver and English-speaking guide throughout. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on days two and three, breakfast and lunch on day four, and bottled water travels with you. The overnight bus ticket from La Paz to Uyuni and hotel pickup in La Paz are part of the package. You'll want to bring warm clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves and a hat. The altitude and sun exposure demand it. A swimsuit and towel let you use the hot springs.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
What is the Train Cemetery and why do we stop there?
The Train Cemetery sits five minutes from Uyuni and holds rusted locomotives abandoned on the salt flat. It's a photo stop early on day two, one of the first sights after you leave Uyuni town.
Can I see flamingos on this tour?
Yes. Three species of flamingos gather at the small lagoons you visit on day three, and you'll see them again at the Red Lagoon that same afternoon. The colored water and the birds are among the main draws of the route.
What time do we actually start exploring on day two?
You depart Uyuni at 10:30 am on day two, after breakfast and a rest at the operator's facilities. The full day of driving and stops follows from there.
How does the overnight bus work from La Paz to Uyuni?
On day one you're picked up at your La Paz hotel at 8 pm (pickup is included) and taken to the bus terminal to board the sleeper bus. It has air conditioning, blankets and a bathroom on board, and arrives in Uyuni at 7 am on day two. The operator meets you there and offers breakfast and a shower before the tour begins.
Where does the tour end and what time do we arrive?
The tour ends in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. You arrive between 1 and 2 pm on day four after crossing the border and passing the Green and White Lagoons. Transport to the town is part of the tour.
What should I pack for the high altitude and desert sun?
Bring warm clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and gloves. The altitude and sun exposure are intense. A swimsuit and towel let you use the hot springs on day four. Extra camera batteries, basic headache medication and snacks are also recommended. The operator can accommodate food allergies and special requests if you mention them when booking.
Operated by Joker Expedition, Bolivia.. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 7 days ago
4-Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour from La Paz to San Pedro de Atacama
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from US$ 998 per person
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