Uyuni Salt Flats: 2-Day Tour with Mirror Effect & Tunupa Volcano

Summary

Salt flats sunrise, cactus island strolls and stargazing nights

You’ll ride across surreal white plains, watch sunset reflections turn Salar de Uyuni into a giant mirror, share wine under wild stars, and hike ancient volcano slopes with a local guide. Expect early mornings and cold air—but also laughter, new friends, and moments that stick long after you’ve brushed off all that salt.

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the crunch under my boots as we stepped out at the train cemetery just outside Uyuni. Our guide, Javier, was already cracking jokes about how these rusted locomotives were “Bolivia’s Instagram models.” The air smelled faintly metallic and dry—like sun-baked rails and distant salt. We piled into the Land Cruiser (boots on, lunch packed), and I was still half-awake when Colchani appeared, all sleepy salt factories and piles of white crystals. Watching women in bright shawls bag up salt by hand, I realized how much of this place is shaped by work you don’t see in photos.

Then came the Salar de Uyuni itself—flat as a frozen sea, just stretching forever. Javier showed us the “eyes” where water pushes through the crust (I nearly slipped; he laughed). Lunch was out there too: llama meat sandwiches with a view that made me forget to eat. The mirror effect was unreal—clouds floating beneath our feet—and for a second it felt like we’d left Earth entirely. At sunset we huddled with red wine and cookies while the sky went from gold to purple over miles of salt. Later that night, back out on the flats for stargazing, I lay on my back until my neck hurt just counting how many stars could fit above one person.

The next morning was rough—5am alarms always are—but sunrise over that endless white was worth every groggy step. After breakfast at our salt hostel (yes, even the beds tasted like salt if you licked them… don’t ask), we headed for Incawasi Island. Giant cacti everywhere; vizcachas darting between rocks; sunlight bouncing off hexagonal tiles underfoot. It’s quieter than you’d expect—just wind and sometimes a shout from another group echoing across the emptiness.

Tunupa Volcano looked close but it took ages to get there (distances here mess with your head). We saw flamingos picking their way along shallow pools and llamas chewing lazily at nothing in particular. The climb up to the cave of mummies was slow going—I’m not gonna pretend I wasn’t out of breath—but standing up there looking back at the whole salar below… well, I still think about that view when things get noisy back home.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Train cemetery and salt flat visit

• Start tour at 10:30 am from office
• Visit locomotives cemetery for photos
• Use bathrooms and try on boots at base
• Pick up lunch for group
• Visit Colchani salt factories and museum
• Explore Salar de Uyuni: salt holes and hotel
• See flags, Dakar monument, and salt sculptures
• Walk 15 minutes on salt flat
• Observe mirror effect on salt water
• Cross salt flat over 100 km
• Watch sunset with snack, wine, and cookies
• Dinner and rest at salt hostel
• Stargazing tour at Salar de Uyuni

Day 2 — Sunrise, cactus island, and volcano

• See sunrise on salt flat at 5:00 am
• Return to hotel for breakfast
• Visit cave of the galaxies
• Visit Incawasi Island with giant cacti
• Travel 40 km to Tunupa Volcano area
• See flamingos and llamas near volcano
• Drive to parking at 4200 m altitude
• Walk to cave of the mummies
• Optional 2-hour walk to volcano viewpoint
• Return to Uyuni and end tour by 5–6 pm

Top questions

Is pickup included for this Uyuni Salt Flats tour?

No hotel pickup is included; tours start from Andes Salt Expeditions office in Uyuni.

What meals are provided during the 2-day tour?

Dinner and breakfast are included; lunch is packed for day one on the salt flats.

Do guides speak English on this tour?

Yes, bilingual English driver-guides are provided throughout the experience.

Where do you sleep during this Uyuni Salt Flats tour?

You stay overnight at a hostel built from salt blocks near the Salar de Uyuni.

Is stargazing part of this itinerary?

Yes, night stargazing on Salar de Uyuni is included if weather allows.

Can you see the mirror effect year-round?

The mirror effect is best observed from April to December when there’s no rain.

How physically demanding is this trip?

A moderate level of fitness is needed; some trekking at altitude is involved near Tunupa Volcano.

Are infants or people with health issues recommended to join?

No; it’s not recommended for infants or travelers with spinal injuries, heart issues or who haven’t acclimatized to altitude.

What’s included

Your two days include travel by 4x4 Land Cruiser with an experienced bilingual guide, all meals (lunch packed for day one on the flats plus dinner and breakfast), overnight stay at a unique salt hostel near Salar de Uyuni, plus snacks like wine and cookies at sunset—and plenty of time for photos, hiking around Incawasi Island’s giant cacti, exploring caves near Tunupa Volcano, and late-night stargazing if skies are clear.