Uyuni Salt Flats: 3-Day Tour, Sunset & Hot Springs Soak

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Duration3d

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

Three days across Uyuni’s wild salt flats, flamingo lagoons and volcanic pools

You’ll crunch across Uyuni’s endless white flats, climb rusted trains and cacti-covered islands, snap those classic funny photos with help from your local guide, and warm up in hot springs beneath a sky full of stars. Expect moments that stick with you long after—like flamingos wading through red lagoons or sunrise over bubbling geysers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Train cemetery and salt flats tour

Start tour from Salty Desert office
Visit train cemetery near Uyuni
See salt-processing factory and handicrafts
Explore Uyuni Salt Flats with photo stops
Visit Incahuasi Island and climb cactus
Overnight at Tambo Loma Salt Hotel

Day 2 — Volcanoes and colorful lagoons visit

Breakfast at accommodation
Visit Chiguana Salt Flats and volcanoes
Stop at Ollague Volcano viewpoint
See flamingos at Hedionda Lagoon
Visit Colorful Mountains desert area
See Stone Tree rock formation
Pay entrance fee for park
Visit Red Colorada Lagoon and flamingos
Overnight at Huayllajara Village hostel

Day 3 — Geysers, hot springs, and green lagoon

Visit geysers basin and fumaroles
Soak in Polques thermal pools
See Salvador Dali desert rock formations
Visit Green Lagoon and observe volcano
Travel to San Pedro de Atacama or return to Uyuni

The Experience

I still remember stepping out of the van near Uyuni’s train cemetery — rusty engines scattered like old bones against a sky so sharp it almost hurt my eyes. The wind carried this dry, metallic tang and our guide, Javier, joked that if we listened hard enough we’d hear the ghosts of engineers from England or France. Maybe he was kidding. We clambered over the iron skeletons anyway, snapping photos and laughing at how small we looked next to those hulking wheels.

The first time I saw the salt flats for real — not just in photos — I just stood there for a minute. It’s so flat you lose your sense of distance; everything feels possible and weirdly peaceful. Javier showed us how to take those funny perspective shots (he had a tiny dinosaur toy for scale), but honestly I kept getting distracted by the way the light bounced off those hexagon patterns in the salt. Lunch was llama steak at Playa Blanca Salt Museum (tastes kind of like beef but chewier), with salt dust sticking to my fingers. That night at Tambo Loma Salt Hotel, I lay in bed feeling the walls — yes, actual salt blocks — cool and rough under my palm.

The next morning was colder than expected, breath fogging as we drove past volcanoes rimmed with snow. We stopped at a lagoon where three kinds of flamingos picked through red water — James, Andino, Chileno — all legs and pink feathers. I tried to say “flamenco” in Spanish and got it wrong; Javier grinned but didn’t correct me outright. Later we watched viscous clouds drift over stone trees shaped by wind into something Dali would’ve painted. The hostel that night was basic but warm enough after a long day outside.

On our last morning we reached the geysers just as sunrise hit — sulfur steam everywhere, bubbling mud making this soft plopping sound that reminded me of soup simmering at home. My hair smelled faintly of minerals for hours after soaking in the Polques hot springs (37°, perfect). Floating there with stars still visible overhead felt surreal; nobody really talked much then, just quiet smiles between strangers who’d shared too many early mornings together. If you’re thinking about a day trip Machu Picchu Cusco style adventure but want something stranger, Uyuni is it.

What’s included

Your journey covers transport by comfortable vehicle (max six per car), two nights’ accommodation—first in a private room at a salt hotel with private bath, second in a basic hostel near hot springs—plus lunch at Playa Blanca Salt Museum and plenty of photo stops guided by locals who know every odd corner of these wild landscapes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Salty Desert Aventours