Salar de Uyuni Tour: Salt Flat, Train Cemetery & Incahuasi

Stand on the world's largest salt flat and watch the horizon disappear into white.

A private full-day guided tour of Salar de Uyuni, the vast salt flat in Bolivia's Altiplano, with stops at the Train Cemetery, the salt-mining town of Colchani, the Llama and Salt Museum, and Incahuasi Island. The guide explains the geology and history as you move through the landscape. Lunch and all transport are included, and you return to Uyuni by early evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Train Cemetery30m
2. Llama and Salt Museum1h

Explore Salar de Uyuni and surroundings

• Visit Train Cemetery near city
• Visit Colchani salt and handicrafts
• Explore Uyuni salt flat sights
• Visit Incahuasi Island and giant cacti
• Take perspective photos on salt flat
• Enjoy picnic lunch on island
• Watch sunset on salt flat water
• Return to Uyuni city

The experience

The day starts at the Train Cemetery, a graveyard of rusted locomotives five minutes from the city: a relic of Bolivia's mining era that sets the scale of what you're about to see. From there you head to Colchani, a working salt-mining town where you can watch the process of harvesting and refining salt, and browse local handicrafts. The real landscape opens up once you reach the salt flat itself: piles of harvested salt stacked across the white expanse, the natural salt eyes (small pools), and the Playa Blanca, the first salt hotel built here in 1992, now a museum. You'll see the Dakar Rally monument and flags from different countries planted across the flat.

Incahuasi Island rises out of the salt as a rocky outcrop covered in giant cacti: the only vegetation for miles. You climb to the top and look out across the entire Salar de Uyuni, a perspective that makes the scale real in a way no photograph captures. A picnic lunch happens here. The day ends with the sunset reflected in the water that pools across the salt in certain seasons, turning the flat into a mirror before the drive back to Uyuni around 7 p.m. A specialized guide travels with you the whole time, answering the questions the landscape raises: how vast is it, why so much salt, what lies beneath.

The tour runs 10 hours door to door. You travel in private transportation with a guide who speaks English or Spanish. Soda, water and lunch are included. Incahuasi Island has a separate entrance fee (around 5 USD per person) and is not accessible during the rainy season, when water covers much of the flat. The operator will advise on timing when you book.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the day.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• bottled water and soda.
• a picnic lunch on Incahuasi Island.
• hotel pickup in Uyuni.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayLast departure this season: 23 Dec

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 20 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 5

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Tours Transandino

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want a guide who can answer the questions the landscape raises (the geology, the history, the scale) rather than moving through the salt flat on your own. The 10-hour day and the fixed itinerary mean all the logistics are arranged. You show up and the sequence holds.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can I climb Incahuasi Island on this tour?

Incahuasi Island is included in the itinerary, and you climb to the top to see the giant cacti and the full view of the salt flat. The island is not accessible during the rainy season when water covers the flat. The operator will confirm whether it's open when you book. Entry to the island costs around 5 USD per person, paid separately.

What is the Train Cemetery and why is it on this tour?

The Train Cemetery is a graveyard of abandoned locomotives five minutes from Uyuni, left over from Bolivia's mining era. It's the first stop and gives context to the region's history before you move into the salt flat itself.

How long is the full tour and when do I get back?

The tour runs 10 hours total, departing in the morning and returning to Uyuni around 7 p.m. You spend most of the day on the salt flat and its attractions, with a picnic lunch included.

What happens in Colchani?

Colchani is a working salt-mining town where you stop to watch the process of harvesting and refining salt directly from the flat. There are also shops selling local handicrafts and salt-related goods.

Is lunch included, and what about water and snacks?

Lunch is included as a picnic on Incahuasi Island. Bottled water and soda are also provided throughout the day.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Climbing Incahuasi Island involves walking uphill to the top, but the pace is manageable. The operator notes the tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health due to the high altitude of the Altiplano.