Uyuni Salt Flats & Colored Lagoons: 3-Day Tour with Mirror Sunset

Summary

Uyuni’s salt flats, colored lagoons and wild deserts by 4x4

You’ll ride across Uyuni’s surreal salt flats with a local guide, eat llama steak inside a hotel made of salt, spot flamingos skimming over red lagoons, soak aching legs in high-altitude hot springs, and watch sunset turn the world into a giant mirror. It’s not always comfortable—but it sticks with you long after you leave.

What’s the experience like?

We’d barely tossed our bags in the Land Cruiser before our driver, Mario, grinned and pointed out toward a line of rusted train skeletons. The Train Cemetery outside Uyuni is stranger than I expected—giant wheels half-buried in salt dust, kids climbing over old engines. There’s this dry metallic smell in the air and the wind whistles through broken windows. Mario told us about the miners who used to ride these trains; I tried to imagine the sound of them moving across this emptiness. After that we stopped in Colchani to watch salt being crushed and bagged by hand—there was a woman with salt-dusted hair who let me try turning the crank (my arms still ache a little thinking about it). The craft stalls had little pink flamingos carved from blocks of salt—Li laughed when I tried to say “flamenco” in Spanish. Probably butchered it.

Then you hit the Salar de Uyuni itself and honestly, nothing prepares you for that first step onto the blinding white surface. Our guide handed out sunglasses—seriously needed—and showed us how to spot “salt eyes,” bubbling pools that look shallow but could swallow your shoe whole if you’re not careful. Lunch was llama steak at a hotel made entirely from salt blocks (even the chairs), which tasted better than it sounds. We drove out to Incahuasi Island where giant cacti shoot up between rocks—it feels like standing on another planet. There’s this hush out there except for crunching salt underfoot and someone’s laughter echoing off nowhere. Sunset was unreal: clouds reflected perfectly on the wet flats so it looked like we were floating between two skies. Mario took those goofy perspective photos everyone does—I still have one where I’m pretending to stomp on Li’s head.

The second day started early with cold air biting at our faces as we crossed into the Siloli Desert. The colors here shift every hour—brown hills turn red then gold, volcanoes loom in every direction. We stopped at Cañapa Lagoon and watched flamingos wade through water rimmed with white minerals; they startled and took off all together when someone sneezed (not me this time). Lunch was outdoors by Hedionda Lagoon—simple but hot, which mattered more than anything at 4,000 meters up. By afternoon we reached Laguna Colorada: red water dotted with hundreds of pink birds against snow-capped peaks. It smelled faintly sulfurous but you get used to it fast.

I didn’t expect to love the geysers at Sol de Mañana so much—steam hissing from cracks in frozen ground, mud bubbling like soup left too long on a stove. You can feel heat rising through your boots even though your fingers are numb from wind chill. That night we soaked in Polques hot springs under stars so bright they almost hurt your eyes; someone played music quietly on their phone and nobody talked much after that.

The last morning we crossed Salvador Dalí Desert—a place that actually looks like his paintings—and finally stood at Laguna Verde with Licancabur Volcano behind us, green water shimmering weirdly in the cold light. Some folks headed for Chile; we looped back toward Uyuni past herds of llamas and black rock canyons where everything felt quieter somehow after all that color.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Uyuni Salt Flats and Incawasi Island

• Depart office at 10:00 am
• Visit Train Cemetery
• Visit salt refinery and craft shops in Colchani
• Visit salt eyes and Dakar monument
• Visit ex-salt hotel Playa Blanca and have lunch
• Travel to Incawasi Island and explore cacti island
• Photo and video session on salt flat
• Watch sunset on salt flat
• Arrive at 3-star salt hotel for dinner and rest

Day 2 — Laguna Colorada and Siloli Desert

• Breakfast and depart at 7:30 am
• Visit Chullpas cemetery and Chiguana desert
• Stop at Ollague volcano viewpoint and short walk
• Visit Cañapa, Hedionda (lunch), Chiarcota, and Honda lagoons
• Climb Siloli desert and see 7 colors of volcanoes
• Visit Stone Tree rock formation
• Visit Laguna Colorada and viewpoints
• Visit Sol de Mañana geysers and fumaroles
• Arrive at Laguna Polques hot springs for dinner and overnight

Day 3 — Salvador Dali Desert and Laguna Verde

• Breakfast and depart hot springs at 8:00 am
• Stop at Salvador Dali Desert viewpoint
• Visit Laguna Verde and take photos
• Option 1: Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
• Option 2: Return to Uyuni via Villamar community
• Visit San Cristobal colonial church and Villa Alota canyon
• Visit Black Lagoon of Catal (Villa Mar) with llamas and birds
• Arrive back in Uyuni at 5:00 pm

Top questions

How long is the Uyuni Salt Flats & Colored Lagoons tour?

The tour lasts 3 days and 2 nights, starting and ending in Uyuni or San Pedro de Atacama depending on your chosen route.

Is lunch included during the tour?

Yes, lunch is included each day along with breakfast and dinner according to your dietary needs if notified ahead.

What kind of vehicle is used for this tour?

A Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 is used for groups of up to six people plus your bilingual driver-guide.

Are there private bathrooms during overnight stays?

The first night includes a private room with bathroom; the second night is shared accommodation with shared facilities near Laguna Colorada.

Can vegetarians or vegans be accommodated?

Yes—vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free meals are available if requested before departure.

Is pickup included from my hotel?

No hotel pickup—the tour starts from Andes Salt Expeditions’ office in Uyuni town center at 10:00 am.

What altitude does this tour reach?

You’ll travel between 3,600 meters (Uyuni) up to around 5,000 meters near Siloli Desert and Sol de Mañana geysers.

Can I finish this tour in Chile instead of returning to Uyuni?

Yes—you can end at San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) or return to Uyuni depending on your booking choice.

What’s included

Your three days include transport by 4x4 Land Cruiser driven by an English-speaking local guide; two nights’ accommodation (one night at a salt hotel with private bath near Salar de Uyuni and one night near Laguna Colorada); all meals (breakfasts, lunches—including llama steak or vegetarian options—and dinners); entry fees; oxygen tank on board; plus time for perspective photos on the flats and relaxing soaks in Polques hot springs before heading back or onward into Chile.