Salar de Uyuni Day Trip: Train Cemetery & Sunset Photo

The World's Largest Salt Flat Fits Into One Day. If You Start Before Dawn

You get picked up from your hotel or airport and spend the day crossing the Salar de Uyuni with a professional driver-guide, starting at the Train Cemetery and moving through salt extraction villages, the salt flat itself, and Isla Incahuasi's giant cacti. Lunch and an oxygen bottle are included for the altitude. The route ends with a sunset photo session in the middle of the salt, and you're back in town by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Train Cemetery20m
2. Salar de Uyuni2h

Uyuni salt flat tour and photo session

• Visit Train Cemetery with old locomotives
• Stop at Colchani Village for crafts
• Enter Salar de Uyuni and see salt piles
• Visit Ojos del Salar and salt hotel museum
• Take perspective photos in middle of salt flat
• Tour Giant Cacti and Coral Window area
• Enjoy sunset near water on salt flat
• Return to Uyuni by 8 PM

The experience

You're standing on 4,086 meters of altitude on the Altiplano, and the horizon doesn't end where you thought it would. The Salar de Uyuni stretches across 10,582 square kilometers, so flat and white that your brain stops trusting distance. The day starts early with pickup from your hotel or the airport, and the first stop is the Train Cemetery, where more than 20 rusted locomotives and wagons sit abandoned on the salt crust. They've been there since the 1899 railway line stopped running minerals like tin and silver down to Antofagasta. Your guide walks you through the iron skeletons, and you start to understand why this place feels like the end of something.

By mid-morning you're in Colchani Village, 23 kilometers from Uyuni, where salt workers still extract it the way they have for decades. The white piles stack like snow in summer, and the craft shops sell llama-fiber blankets and alpaca goods. The kind of thing you'll actually use, not just pack away. Then comes the main event: you enter the Salar de Uyuni itself. The salt flat opens up so completely that your eyes don't know what to do with it. You stop at Ojos del Salar, where underground water moves beneath the surface and gases rise in small plumes. At Playa Blanca, a salt hotel and museum, you see flags from dozens of countries planted by visitors, a Dakar monument, and you eat lunch while sitting in the middle of the world's largest salt flat. After that, your driver takes you to the exact center (the place where the perspective tricks work best), and you spend an hour taking those photos you came for. The ones where you're holding up the 4x4 between your fingers. The ones that actually work.

If the rainy season hasn't flooded the route, you'll visit Isla Incahuasi, an island of giant cacti rising from the salt, with a panoramic view that circles back to where you started. Then the driver finds a spot with standing water, a mirror of the sky, and you wait for sunset. The light turns the salt pink, then orange, then a color you don't have a name for. You're back in Uyuni by 8 p.m., dropped at your hotel, airport, or bus stop. The whole day is 12 hours, and you've crossed one of the places on Earth that looks like nowhere else.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or airport pickup, professional driver-guide, transportation in a 4x4 vehicle, lunch and drinks at Playa Blanca, an oxygen bottle for the altitude, and the full itinerary from the Train Cemetery through Colchani Village, the salt flat, Ojos del Salar, Isla Incahuasi (weather permitting), and sunset photo session. Return transport to your hotel, airport, or bus stop is included.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (20 to 70 years) · Senior (71 to 83 years) · Youth (12 to 19 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupUp to 6

Live guideSpanish

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 5 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 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Salty Desert Aventours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Salar de Uyuni and the Train Cemetery in a single day without arranging your own transport, guide, or meals: the fixed schedule and included 4x4 are what make the altitude and distance manageable in 12 hours.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 19 years); Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

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 time does the tour start?

Pickup is from your hotel or airport the same day. The tour runs for approximately 12 hours and returns to Uyuni by 8 p.m.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch and drinks are included, served at Playa Blanca, the salt hotel in the middle of the flat.

What vehicle is used?

A Toyota or Nissan 4x4, necessary for the terrain and altitude.

Will I need oxygen?

An oxygen bottle is provided. The altitude is 4,086 meters (13,406 feet), which affects some travelers.

Can I visit Isla Incahuasi?

Yes, if the rainy season hasn't flooded the route. Your guide will confirm on the day.

Is the sunset guaranteed?

The tour includes a sunset viewing session, though weather can affect visibility.

What should I bring?

Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and warm layers: the salt flat reflects intense sun and temperatures drop at night.

Are infants allowed?

Yes. Infants must sit on an adult's lap, and specialized infant seats are available.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health due to the altitude and terrain.

Can I be dropped at the airport instead of my hotel?

Yes. You can be dropped at your hotel, the airport, or the bus stop at the end of the day.