Uyuni Salt Flats Tour: Train Cemetery, Incahuasi & Stargazing

The Train Cemetery, an island of giant cacti, and the Milky Way in one day across the world's largest salt desert

A full-day guided tour of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats from Uyuni, with hotel pickup, that visits the Train Cemetery, Incahuasi Island and the salt flats themselves, includes lunch and dinner served in the middle of the landscape, and ends with stargazing under one of the clearest night skies on Earth. The guide speaks English, Spanish or Portuguese and travels with the group throughout. Entrance fees are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Uyuni Salt Flats and Sunset

• Pick up from Uyuni hotels
• Visit Colchani salt processing
• Explore Train Cemetery and salt piles
• Meet artisans and shop local crafts
• Trek Incahuasi Island and see cacti
• Enjoy lunch in the salt flats
• Watch sunset over Uyuni Salt Flats
• Stargaze with guide and hot drinks

The experience

Colchani is the entry point, a small town where local families still process salt by hand using traditional methods passed down through generations. From there, the route opens into the Salar de Uyuni itself (the largest salt desert in the world), and the landscape flattens into an endless white horizon. The Train Cemetery sits along the way, an open-air museum of historic locomotives abandoned from the region's mining era. The guide explains what brought them here and why they were left behind. Salt piles dot the flats where extraction still happens, and you'll see how the work is done.

Incahuasi Island rises from the salt as a small summit covered in giant ancient cacti, and a short trek to the top gives 360-degree views back across the flats in all directions. Lunch arrives in the middle of the salt: a local meal with regional drinks, eaten surrounded by nothing but white and sky. As afternoon turns to evening, the sunset spreads across the horizon, and if the season has brought rain, a thin layer of water turns the Salar into a mirror that doubles the colors. When dark falls, the guide points out constellations and shares Andean astronomy and cosmovision while hot drinks keep you warm. The Milky Way is visible in detail here. Shooting stars cross the sky regularly. The day runs roughly 12 and a half hours from pickup to return.

Private transportation means the vehicle stays with your group, and snacks, lunch, dinner and hot drinks are all included. The guide travels with you the whole time, speaking English, Spanish or Portuguese depending on the group's preference. Pickup happens from your Uyuni hotel or hostel. Entrance to the Salar costs 50 Bolivianos per person and is paid separately on arrival.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and return.
• a professional guide speaking English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• snacks.
• lunch and dinner served in the salt flats.
• hot coffee and tea.
• an air-conditioned vehicle.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:30

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (7 to 90 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 22 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. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availableNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Joker Expedition, Bolivia.

Is this one for you?The guide speaks your choice of English, Spanish or Portuguese, so language is not a barrier to following the commentary about the region's history, geography and astronomy. The full day and evening pacing suits travelers who want to see the salt flats, the Train Cemetery and Incahuasi Island without splitting the experience across multiple days.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

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 is the Train Cemetery and why is it there?

The Train Cemetery is an open-air museum of historic locomotives left behind from Bolivia's mining era. The guide explains the region's history and why the trains were abandoned as part of the tour through the salt flats.

Can I walk around Incahuasi Island, or is it just a viewing stop?

Incahuasi Island includes a short trek to the summit, where you climb among the giant ancient cacti and reach the top for 360-degree views across the entire Salar de Uyuni.

Where and when do I eat during the tour?

Lunch is served in the middle of the salt flats with local drinks. Dinner comes later in the evening before stargazing begins. Both meals are included, along with snacks and hot drinks throughout the day.

How clear is the night sky for stargazing, and what will I see?

The Uyuni Salt Flats sit at high altitude with minimal light pollution, making it one of the clearest skies in the world. You can see countless stars, the Milky Way in detail, and shooting stars regularly cross the Andean sky. The guide shares information about constellations and local astronomy.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the meeting point?

Hotel pickup from Uyuni is included in the tour, so the guide collects you from your accommodation and returns you there at the end of the day.