7-Day Bolivia Tour: La Paz to Uyuni Salt Flats

You spend a night in a hotel built almost entirely of salt.

A 7-day guided tour from La Paz to the Salar de Uyuni, stopping in the colonial cities of Sucre and Potosí, with five nights of accommodation included. The route takes you inside active silver mines, through the National Mint of Bolivia, across the white salt flats at 3,650 meters, past Andean lagoons with flamingos, and to geysers and hot springs in the high desert. A live guide leads in English or Spanish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel from La Paz to Sucre

• Bus from La Paz to Sucre at 7:00 pm

Day 2: Arrival and free time in Sucre

• Arrive in Sucre at 9:00 am
• Check in at hotel at 12:00 pm
• Free time to walk or rest

Day 3: Sucre city tour and travel to Potosí

• Pick up from hotel at 8:30 am
• Walking tour of Sucre with local guide
• Night bus from Sucre to Potosí

Day 4: Potosí mine visit and travel to Uyuni

• Mine tour starting at 8:30 am
• Visit Potosí Mint at 1:30 pm
• Bus from Potosí to Uyuni at 4:00 pm

Day 5: Uyuni salt flats and island tour

• Tour starts at 10:30 am from office
• Visit train graveyard and Colchani
• Explore Uyuni salt flats
• Hike on Isla Incahuasi
• Sunset at Pia Pia island
• Overnight at salt hotel

Day 6: Chiguana Desert and Andean lagoons

• Breakfast at 7:00 am
• Visit Chiguana Desert and volcano lookout
• Drive Pasito Tuntun rocky road
• See Cañapa, Hedionda, and Chiarcota lagoons
• Enter Eduardo Avaroa Reserve
• Visit Siloli Desert and Rock tree
• View Red Lagoon flamingos
• Overnight at basic lodge

Day 7: Geysers, lagoons, and return to La Paz

• Early breakfast at 5:00 am
• Visit Sol de Mañana Geyser
• Bath in hot springs
• Visit Dali Desert and Green Lagoon
• Picnic lunch roadside
• Return to Uyuni by 6:30 pm
• Night bus back to La Paz

The experience

The tour starts with an evening bus from La Paz to Sucre, arriving the next morning. After checking into a 3-star hotel and resting, you walk the colonial city with a local guide, learning its history and traditions while tasting traditional Bolivian food. That evening, another night bus takes you to Potosí, where the real intensity begins: at 8:30 a.m., you descend into the active silver mines at the base of Rich Hill to see how miners work the galleries and interior levels, meet the statues they've built to their gods, and observe the mineral veins and chimneys that have shaped the region for centuries. Later the same day, you visit the National Mint of Bolivia, a museum where coins for South America and Europe were minted from the 15th to 1700s. A 4 p.m. bus then carries you to Uyuni.

The salt flats dominate the final three days. On your first morning there, the tour begins at 10:30 a.m. at the office and heads to Uyuni's train graveyard to see Bolivia's first locomotives, then to Colchani where salt miners work next to the flats themselves. You cross the vast white expanse at 3,650 meters, stop at Isla Incahuasi (Fish Island) to hike to the top among giant cacti and petrified coral rock formations, and pose for the famous perspective-distorted photos the salt flats are known for. After lunch, you continue to Pia Pia island to watch the sunset, then finish the day at La Escondida, the salt hotel where you sleep.

Day six starts at 7 a.m. with breakfast, then moves south to the Chiguana Desert, ringed by volcanoes including the active Ollague at 5,840 meters. You drive the rocky Pasito Tuntun road to three Andean lagoons (Cañapa, Hedionda and Chiarcota), where three species of pink flamingos live. Lunch is served at Hedionda. The route then enters Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve and crosses the Siloli Desert at 4,550 meters (the highest and driest in the world), where you photograph the Rock Tree, a lava formation. The day ends at the Red Lagoon viewpoint with more flamingos and the intense red water. That night you stay in a basic lodge with shared bathrooms and limited electricity. The final morning begins at 5 a.m. with an early breakfast, then visits Sol de Mañana Geyser at 5,000 meters, where you walk past fumaroles and boiling mud craters at 150–200°C, then bathe in 35°C open-air hot springs. You see the Dali Desert (named for the artist's inspiration), the toxic Green Lagoon at the foot of Licancabur volcano at 6,000 meters near the Chile border, and the Valley of the Rocks before a picnic lunch by the roadside. You return to Uyuni by 6:30 p.m., then take a night bus back to La Paz.

What’s included

• Five nights of accommodation (3-star hotels in Sucre and Uyuni, a salt hotel, and a basic lodge).
• all transportation by bus and vehicle between cities and to each day's sites.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• entry to the National Mint of Bolivia.
• access to active silver mines in Potosí.
• meals at various stops including traditional Bolivian food in Sucre and lunch during the salt flat and desert days.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 19:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

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. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 31

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Andes 2 Amazon

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cover three distinct regions (colonial towns, working silver mines, and salt flats) on a fixed group itinerary where the pace and schedule are set for you.

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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 exactly happens inside the Potosí silver mines?

The mines sit at the base of Rich Hill and are still active. You tour the galleries and interior levels to see how miners work using methods that have changed little over centuries, observe the mineral veins and rock formations, and meet the statues miners have built to represent their gods, including the Uncle of the Mine (the devil). You also spend time with the miners themselves and watch their daily work methods.

Can I take the wacky perspective photos everyone talks about on the salt flats?

Yes. On day five at Isla Incahuasi, after hiking to the top of the island, your group poses for proportion-distorted photos against the white surface of the Salar de Uyuni. The salt flats' vast flatness makes these photos possible.

What is the salt hotel like, and where exactly do I stay each night?

Night one and two are in a 3-star hotel in Sucre. Night three is a 3-star hotel in Uyuni. Night four is La Escondida, the salt hotel built almost entirely of salt blocks. Night five is a basic lodge with a dorm of six shared beds, shared bathroom, and electricity for only three hours. All five nights of accommodation are included.

How high is the altitude, and what should I know about the physical demands?

The salt flats sit at 3,650 meters; the Siloli Desert reaches 4,550 meters; Sol de Mañana Geyser is at 5,000 meters; and Licancabur volcano is 6,000 meters. The tour involves long days of driving, walking, and hiking at high altitude. Minimum age is 18, and you should have at least moderate physical fitness. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.

Do I need to arrange my own transport between La Paz and the other cities?

No. The tour includes all transportation: night buses from La Paz to Sucre, Sucre to Potosí, and Potosí to Uyuni, plus the final night bus from Uyuni back to La Paz. All vehicles and driving are part of the package.