5-day La Paz to Uyuni tour: Sajama volcanoes and salt flats

Five days crossing the Altiplano from volcanic peaks to the world's largest salt flat

A 5-day guided tour from La Paz through Sajama National Park and the Uyuni salt flats, traveling by 4x4 with a professional guide in English or Spanish. You start at the Altiplano Sur's funeral towers, hike to geysers and soak in thermal springs under the 6,000-meter Sajama volcano, cross ancient salt flats and the Siloli desert, and end on the white hexagonal tiles of Uyuni at nearly 12,000 feet, with optional stargazing and a choice to finish in Uyuni or cross into Chile.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: La Paz to Sajama National Park

• Pick up from hotel at 07:30
• Visit funeral towers archaeological site
• Travel to Sajama National Park
• Optional hikes with guide
• Visit geysers near Sajama village
• Relax in hot springs at sunset

Day 2: Sajama to Jirira via Salt Flats

• Early start and drive crossing Coipasa Salt Flats
• Visit ancient village Pampa Ullagas
• Stop at town Alcaya
• Watch sunset on Uyuni salt flats
• Dinner and optional stargazing walk

Day 3: Jirira to Uyuni Salt Flats

• Breakfast at Jirira
• Explore Uyuni salt flat and take photos
• Lunch in the middle of salt desert
• Visit Incahuasi Island and walk
• Visit Colchani craft market
• Overnight in Uyuni town

Day 4: Uyuni to Eduardo Avaroa National Park

• Drive to Eduardo Avaroa National Park
• See colorful volcanoes and Siloli desert
• Explore valley of rocks
• Overnight at Siloli desert hotel

Day 5: Eduardo Avaroa to Uyuni or Chile

• Early start and drive to Red Lake
• See flamingos at Red Lake
• Visit stone tree and geysers
• Enjoy hot springs
• Lunch and visit Salvador Dali desert
• Option to hike Black Lake or cross border to Chile

The experience

You're picked up from your La Paz hotel at 7:30am on day one and driven toward the Altiplano Sur, stopping first at funeral towers. Small archaeological sites believed to belong to the Urus civilization. The road leads into Sajama National Park at 4,200 meters, where your guide suggests optional hikes before you reach the geysers and hot springs. The day ends watching the sunset over the 6,000-meter Sajama volcano from the thermal pools, the sky turning gold and blue above the peak.

Day two crosses the Coipasa Salt Flats toward Uyuni, passing through ancient villages like Pampa Ullagas: a site some researchers connect to the lost city of Atlantida. Before evening you stop at Alcaya, a mysterious town where the Wankarani culture once fished, and watch the sunset spread across the salt flats themselves. After dinner at your accommodation, stargazing on the salt flats is optional. The night sky photographs like a science fiction film. Day three takes you into the Uyuni salt flat proper, where you spend the morning taking photographs across the white hexagonal tiles that stretch to the horizon. Lunch arrives in the middle of the desert. You then visit Incahuasi Island, where giant cacti and rock formations rise from the salt, with time to walk and explore before moving to Colchani craft market and overnight in Uyuni town.

Day four drives into Eduardo Avaroa National Park: a landscape NASA compared to Mars when they scouted locations for planetary research. You pass through the Siloli desert and colorful volcanoes, staying overnight at a remote hotel in the desert at 4,500 meters. The final day starts early and covers the most ground: the Red Lake with its thousands of flamingos, the stone tree formation, geysers at 4,900 meters (the trip's highest point), and hot springs at 40 degrees. After lunch in the Salvador Dalí desert, you either hike the black lake near Uyuni or, if you've chosen the Chile option, cross the border to San Pedro de Atacama. The tour includes all park entry fees, your guide, the 4x4 and driver, water throughout, and transfer to San Pedro if that's your endpoint.

What’s included

• All national park entry fees.
• professional guide in English or Spanish.
• 4x4 vehicle and driver for all five days.
• water throughout the tour.
• meals at each overnight accommodation.
• transfer to San Pedro de Atacama if you choose the Chile endpoint.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 6 pickup points.

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 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Latina Travel

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup from La Paz on day one settles the logistics if you're arriving without a car or staying in the city. The 5-day length fits the full route from Sajama's volcanoes through both salt flats and into the Siloli desert, whereas shorter tours skip either the northern geysers or the southern lakes. This one covers both.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

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 the highest altitude I'll reach on this tour?

The highest point is 4,900 meters, reached on day five at the geysers in Eduardo Avaroa National Park. Most of the tour stays between 4,200 and 4,500 meters on the Altiplano.

Can I see flamingos on the Uyuni salt flats tour?

The Red Lake on day five is home to thousands of flamingos. The salt flats themselves don't have flamingos, but the lake is one of the final stops before you finish in Uyuni or cross to Chile.

What are the hot springs like at Sajama?

Sajama's thermal springs sit near the geysers at roughly an hour's walk from the village. You soak in them on day one while watching the sunset over the volcano, and they're included in the tour.

Is stargazing really possible on the salt flats?

Yes, on day two after dinner at Jirira you can optionally walk out on the salt flats for stargazing. The darkness and altitude make the night sky vivid enough to photograph.

What happens on the last day if I choose the Chile option?

If you pick the San Pedro de Atacama endpoint instead of Uyuni, you cross the border after visiting the Red Lake, stone tree, geysers and hot springs. The tour ends in Chile rather than returning to Uyuni town.

Do I need a car to join this tour, or does it pick me up?

Hotel pickup from La Paz is included on day one at 7:30am. You travel the entire five days in the tour's 4x4 with your guide and driver, so no car is needed.