Salar de Uyuni 2-Day Tour: Salt Flat & Train Cemetery

Sleep under the stars after exploring salt flats, lagoons, and desert wonders.

A 2-day tour of Salar de Uyuni from the town of Uyuni takes you across the world's largest salt flat, stopping at the Train Cemetery, artisanal salt workshops, Incahuasi Island with its 10-meter cacti, Playa Blanca (the first salt hotel), and the Tomave Route's hot springs and lagoons. The tour includes a guide in Spanish or English, shared accommodation, breakfast, dinner, and bottled water. Entrance fees to some sites are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Salar de Uyuni and surroundings

• Visit Train Cemetery
• See artisanal salt making
• Observe salt eyes underground rivers
• Visit Playa Blanca salt hotel
• Discover Salar de Uyuni salt flat
• See giant cacti on salt flat
• Explore Incahuasi Island with cacti

Day 2: Tomave Route and lagoons

• Visit Colonial Church of Tomave
• Relax at Hot Springs
• Visit K'asilla Lagoon
• Visit Green Lagoon

The experience

Day one centers on the salt flat itself. You start at the Train Cemetery, where forgotten locomotives sit rusting in the desert: a relic of Bolivia's mining era. From there, the route moves into salt country: you'll see how salt is still harvested by hand in workshops near the flat, then drive across the white expanse to Playa Blanca, the first hotel ever built from salt blocks. The real draw is Incahuasi Island, rising from the middle of the flat, where cacti 10 meters tall grow among some of the oldest specimens in the world. The salt flat stretches unbroken in every direction, and on clear days the horizon dissolves into sky.

Day two follows the Tomave Route, a different landscape altogether. You visit a colonial church, soak in natural hot springs, and see K'asilla Lagoon and the Green Lagoon: each one a shift in color and geology as you move through the high desert. The tour wraps with these water features rather than returning to the flat, so the two days feel like two separate journeys through the Altiplano.

Your guide speaks either Spanish or English depending on which option you choose at checkout. Accommodation is shared, and the operator includes breakfast, dinner, soft drinks and bottled water throughout. Some site entrances (the Colonial Church, Incahuasi Island, the hot springs, and the salt maze) cost extra and are not bundled in. Check which ones matter to you before booking.

What’s included

• Shared accommodation for one night.
• breakfast and dinner.
• bottled water and soft drinks.
• a guide in Spanish or English.
• visits to the Train Cemetery, artisanal salt workshops, Playa Blanca salt hotel, Incahuasi Island, the Colonial Church of Tomave, K'asilla Lagoon and the Green Lagoon.

Options for this experience

2 options

Spanish-speaking guideNo fixed timeSpanish-speaking guide

English-speaking guideGuide in Spanish · No fixed timeEnglish-speaking guide

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (1 to 12 years) · Infant (under 1): free

GroupUp to 18

Live guideSpanish

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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 12.50

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Empresa turística Parina de Sal

Is this one for you?Choose the Spanish-language guide if you speak Spanish and want a lower-cost option, or the English guide if you need interpretation. Either way, the 2-day length lets you see both the salt flat's core attractions and the Tomave Route's lagoons and hot springs in a single trip. A 1-day tour would skip one or the other.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (1 to 12 years); Infant (under 1): free.

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 is the Train Cemetery and why is it worth a stop on day one?

The Train Cemetery is a graveyard of old locomotives abandoned in the desert near Uyuni, a unique sight that marks the start of the tour and reflects Bolivia's mining history. The rusting trains sit exposed to the elements, creating an otherworldly landscape that many travelers find striking.

Can I actually walk on Incahuasi Island, or do we just look at it from a distance?

Incahuasi Island sits in the middle of Salar de Uyuni and you visit it during day one, walking among the giant cacti and exploring the island itself. Access depends on water levels: in the rainy season, high water can make the island unreachable, so confirm conditions when you book.

What's included in the 2-day tour, and what do I need to pay extra for?

The tour includes shared accommodation for one night, breakfast, dinner, soft drinks and bottled water. Entrance fees to Incahuasi Island, the Colonial Church in Tomave, the hot springs, and the salt maze are not included and cost extra. The salt workshops and Playa Blanca visit are part of the tour itself.

Do I choose my guide's language when I book, or can I switch between Spanish and English?

You choose your guide's language (Spanish or English) at checkout as part of your booking option. The guide stays with your group for both days in the language you select.