Salar de Uyuni private tour: Incahuasi Island and sunset

Train Cemetery, salt miners, giant cacti, and a sunset in the middle of nowhere

A private or small-group day tour of Salar de Uyuni departing at 10:30 am, with a bilingual guide, 4WD vehicle and lunch served in the salt flats. The tour visits the Train Cemetery, the town of Colchani, the Eyes of Salt, and Incahuasi Island (a coral formation studded with cacti that reach 10 meters high) before returning for a sunset toast at the edge of the flats. Pickup from your hotel, airport or bus station is included. The full day runs roughly 9 hours. The tour operates in the dry season only. During the rainy months from January to April, Incahuasi Island is closed to protect vehicle engines from water damage.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Salar de Uyuni salt flats

• Pickup at 10:30 am
• Visit Train Cemetery museum
• Stop at Colchani town for crafts
• Enter Salar de Uyuni salt flats
• See Eyes of Salt and Salt Crystals
• View Dakar statue
• Picnic lunch in the salt flats
• Walk on Incahuasi Island with giant cacti
• Take perspective photos on salt flats
• Enjoy sunset toast in the salt flats
• Return to Uyuni for drop off

The experience

Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, and this tour enters it as a private group of up to four people with a bilingual certified guide who speaks English, Spanish, French or Japanese. The day starts at 10:30 am with a stop at the Train Cemetery, an open-air museum of 19th-century locomotives that shaped Bolivian history. You'll have time to photograph and hear the story. From there the route passes through Colchani, a small town on the salt flat's edge where salt miners still process salt by hand and sell it locally, and where the world's only salt hotels stand. The guide explains how 31 kilos of salt once cost less than a dollar.

Around 12:30 pm you enter the salt flats themselves. The tour visits the Eyes of Salt and Salt Crystals formations, and stops at the Dakar statue: a monument to the famous automobile rally that runs through Bolivia. Lunch is a picnic served in the middle of the salt, a moment the operator describes as the time to feel small and at peace. After eating, you walk Incahuasi Island for roughly 50 minutes. The island is an ancient coral reef now studded with giant cacti, some over 10 meters tall, and it holds the best views of the entire flat. The walk is rated easy but requires acclimatization to the altitude of 3,650 meters (11,975 feet). The operator recommends taking it slowly and carefully.

On the return to the vehicle, you'll stop for perspective photos: the kind where the salt flat's scale plays tricks on the camera. As sunset approaches, the group moves to a quieter spot away from crowds. You'll watch the sun drop over the horizon and share a courtesy toast with the guide and your companions. The return to Uyuni town happens between 7 pm and 7:30 pm, with drop-off at your hotel, the airport or the bus station. Bottled water, snacks, an oxygen tank and a first aid kit travel with you. Children from age 2 are welcome.

What’s included

• Private 4WD transport with pickup from your hotel, airport or bus station.
• a bilingual certified guide in English, Spanish, French or Japanese.
• a picnic lunch served in the middle of the salt flats.
• bottled water and snacks.
• a courtesy toast at sunset.
• an oxygen tank and first aid kit.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 55 years) · Senior (56 to 85 years) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 13 years) · Infant (2 to 4 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Visit South America

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a private or small-group experience (maximum 4 people) with a bilingual guide, plus lunch included in the salt flat itself.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years); Child (5 to 13 years); Infant (2 to 4 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's the Train Cemetery and why does it matter?

The Train Cemetery is an open-air museum of abandoned locomotives from the 19th century, preserved as a crucial part of Bolivian history. The tour stops there at the start of the day so you can photograph the trains and hear the guide explain their role in the country's past.

Can I visit Incahuasi Island in every season?

Incahuasi Island is closed from January to April during the rainy season, when water floods the salt flats and could damage the vehicle engine. The tour operates in the dry season only. If you're traveling during those months, ask the operator about alternative routes.

How high is the altitude and do I need to be fit?

The tour reaches 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level. The difficulty is rated easy, but you must be acclimatized to the altitude. The operator includes an oxygen tank and first aid kit. The walk on Incahuasi Island lasts about 50 minutes and is recommended at a slow, careful pace.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes private 4WD transport, a bilingual certified guide, a picnic lunch served in the salt flats, bottled water, snacks, a sunset toast, pickup and drop-off at your hotel or airport, and an oxygen tank and first aid kit. Breakfast and dinner are not included.

How many people will be on the tour?

The tour is private or a small group of maximum 4 people, so you'll travel with your own group or a very small number of other travelers. The guide is dedicated to your group for the full day.