Private Uyuni Salt Flat (3 days)
3-day tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat, beginning in San Pedro de Atacama and ending in Uyuni. Includes transportation, accommodation in hostels and all meals.
Prices
- 1 person: US$ 1.329 per person.
- Group of 2 persons: US$ 675 per person.
- Group of 3 persons: US$ 489 per person.
- Group of 4 persons: US$ 389 per person.
- Group of 5 persons: US$ 349 per person.
- Group of 6 persons: US$ 319 per person.*
*Despite the 4x4 vehicle has space for 6 passengers plus the driver/guide, the last seat of the vehicle is narrow, so, in case you want comfort for all the travelers, our suggestion is to make the tour in two groups of 3 people each (two separated bookings).
How to book
- Select the departure date from the calendar.
- Select the number of people.
- Click on "Add to cart".
- Pay the full price of the tour online.
Included
- Pickup at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
- Transportation:
- Shared transportation from Atacama to the Bolivian border.
- Private transportation in Bolivia.
- Spanish speaking driver.
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
- Accommodation in hostels:
- Two nights of accommodations in hostel in double private room, with private bathroom, hot shower and heating in common areas:
- 1st night in a hostel in Villamar.
- 2nd night in a salt hostel in San Juan del Rosario.
Not included
- Round trip shuttle between Calama airport and San Pedro de Atacama.
- Border tax (Bs. 17 per person).
- Towels, heating in the rooms and internet access.
- Entrance fees to parks (Bs. 186 per person):
- Entrance fee to the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve (Bs. 150 per person).
- Entrance fee to the Polques Hot Springs (Bs. 6 per person).
- Entrance fee to Incahuasi Island (Bs. 30 per person).
- Access to bathrooms along the way (approximately Bs. 6 each time).
- Travel insurance with health-care coverage.
- Water.
Optional services
- English speaking guide:
- 1 person: US$ 240.
- Group of 2 people: US$ 120 per person.
- Group of 3 people: US$ 80 per person.
- Group of 4 people: US$ 60 per person.
- Group of 5 people: US$ 48 per person.
- Group of 6 people: US$ 40 per person.
What to bring
- Comfortable and warm clothing.
- Comfortable shoes (ideally trekking shoes).
- Swimsuit and towel (for Polques Hot Springs).
- Sunglasses.
- Sunscreen.
- Toiletries.
- Toilet paper.
- Water (1 liter per person for the first day. The rest of the days you can buy it on the road).
- Passport or ID card. If you are a foreign resident in Chile you should take both to show them in customs.
- Between Bs. 350 and Bs. 500 for expenses not included on the tour (entrance fees, taxes, bathroom, water and souvenirs, among others).
Restrictions
- Due to most of this tour is made above 13,000 feet of altitude and in a narrow vehicle, the following people cannot take it:
- Children until the age of 6
- Adults over the age of 65
- People that weigh more than 100 kg
- Pregnant women
- People with high blood pressure, heart failure, asthma or similar.
Itinerary
Beginning: Day 1 at 7:00 am in your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
End: Day 3 at 4:00 pm in downtown Uyuni.
Day 1: We will pick you up at your hotel to begin the travel to the border between Chile and Bolivia in shared transportation. After the procedures, we will begin the tour in private transportation that will take us to the Verde and Blanca lagoons, first tourist attractions of the Bolivian High Plato, near the Licancabur. After that, we will pass by the Polques Hot Springs and the Sol de Mañana Geysers. In addition, we will visit the Colorada Lagoon, where we will take pictures before ending the itinerary of the day in Villamar, where we will spend our first night.
Day 2: We will leave our accommodation in the morning, to visit Italia Perdida, rock formations with different shapes and sizes in the middle of the desert. We will pass also by the Vinto Lagoon and the viewpoint of the Anaconda Canyon, from where you can have a great perspective of the valley, where passes the river that has the shape of this animal of the Amazon Region. In addition, we will visit the towns of Alota and San Agustín, before reaching San Juan del Rosario. Here, we will have time to stretch our legs from the day of travel, have dinner and then rest during the night.
Day 3: This day begins very early, before seeing the first sun lights. We will enter to the Uyuni Salt Flat so we can find the right spot to see the sunrise over the salt flat. After witnessing this true nature spectacle, we will go to the Incahuasi Island that we will be able to go over, following the marked circuit for that. While we go up to the higher part of the island, we will have panoramic views of the greatness of the salt flat, decorated with giant cactus that grow up in this rock mass. After that, we will go to the Salt Museum and the Dakar Monument, so then we leave the salt flat. We will pass by the town of Colchani and visit the train cemetery, before arriving to Uyuni, where we will end our tour.
*The pickup service included does not operate to nor from accommodations located outside the urban area of San Pedro de Atacama, accommodations located in ayllus near San Pedro de Atacama (Quitor, Yaye, Checar, Sequitor, Solor, and Coyo), nor accomodations in the town of Toconao.
Altiplano winter
During the months from January to April, it takes place the weather phenomenon known as Altiplano winter, rain season in the central Andes. Due to this, it is possible that the described itinerary is modified as follows:
- The second night is in a hostel in Uyuni.
- The Incahuasi Island is not visited because it is in the place where there is the largest amount of water during the rainy season.
Force majeure changes
These are reference itineraries. The route to get to the salt flat, the places visited, the indicated order and the end time will always be subject to changes according to weather conditions, road conditions, demonstrations and accommodations availability. The confirmation of the itinerary is obtained in the briefing that the local supplier gives a day before the beginning of the activity, which does not mean that it will not be modified due to the happening of some of the situations already mentioned once the tour has already begun.
Cancellation policy
- If you cancel with a 15-day notice before the beginning of the tour, we will make a full refund of what you paid for the booking.
- If you cancel with less than a 15-day notice before the beginning of the tour, we will not make any refund of what you paid for the booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days of the year can I make this excursion?
The tour has confirmed departures all days of the week, the whole year.
How far in advance should I book the activity?
Due to high demand of the activity, we recommend to book at least a week in advance.
It is necessary to have tourist visa to enter Bolivia?
Depending on the nationality of the passenger. Passengers from Chile and the rest of South America, and passengers from Western Europe do not need tourist visa, while passenger that come from United States, Central America, Asia, and Africa do need tourist visa that costs U$ 160. This visa is obtained directly in the border, where along with the payment of the visa in cash, you need to present your passport and other documents. In case you are a foreign person resident in Chile, besides your passport, you need your ID card with you so you can prove your residence with the police authorities in customs.
Do I need to be vaccinated against yellow fever for the tour?
The vaccine against the yellow fever is demanded for all passengers who don't come back to San Pedro de Atacama and that hace to pay tourism visa in the border (passengers that present a travel document from a country of the group II).
What kind of vehicles are used in this activity?
The activity is made on a minibus in Chile and on a 4x4 (Toyota Land Cruiser) in Bolivia, with capacity of maximum 6 people each.
How is the infrastructure in every hostel?
Hostels have private double room, with private bathroom, hot shower and heating in common areas.
What type of sockets have the accommodations?
The accommodations have sockets type C, compatible with the types E and F. Anyway, our recommendation is that you carry an adapter to avoid any inconvenience.
How many bags or suitcases can I bring?
Each passenger may carry at most one bag or suitcase of 18 kilos which will go above the 4x4.
How is the weather along the tour?
In summer (December to March), the temperature ranges from about 4 °C as a minimum, to 23 °C maximum. In winter (June to September) the temperature ranges from about -20 °C as a minimum, to 16 °C maximum.
How much money should I bring to the tour?
We recommend to bring at least Bs. 500 per person for expenses not included in the tour, as entrances to parks, border tax, access to toilets and water.
Where can I exchange money to bolivianos?
In Toconao Street, in San Pedro de Atacama (intersection with Caracoles Street), you will be able to find some exchange offices where you can obtain bolivianos to take for the tour.
How likely is suffer "puna" or altitude sickness during the tour?
Most of the tour is made above 13,123 ft. of altitude so it is quite likely to suffer from altitude sickness specially the first day of the tour. To avoid or reduce the general feeling of discomfort, we recommend acclimate to the altitude one or two days above 8,202 ft., drink lots of water before and during the tour, eat light meals (avoid meat) the previous days, and do not drink alcohol the night before the beginning of the tour.
What is it about the meals?
The meals are varied, and includes tea, coffee, bread, cookies and fruit for breakfast, and meat, pasta, rice, soup and vegetables for lunch and dinner. In case you need a vegetarian menu, you must mark your preference during the booking process.
What about the tour in case it rains?
In case of rain, the order of the places visited, the possibility to see the sunrise and the accommodation places are subject to change, because some of the roads might be closed. Added to the previous information, water in the Uyuni Salt Flat is an important obstacle and the Incahuasi Island (located in the center of the salt flat) remains closed. This means the Incahuasi Island cannot be visited and we enter to the salt flat only for a certain distance, so the passengers are safe.
When is it possible to see the mirror effect on the Uyuni Salt Flat?
The mirror effect occurs when there is water on the salt flat. This happens only in rainy periods (January and February) and after them (March).
Why all the restrictions to make the tour?
The tour is made in the Altiplano area, at an altitude above 9,842.5 ft. Just with this, our body is submitted to an abnormal stress, which can cause discomfort and risk in people with the conditions mentioned in the restriction’s section. Moreover, the tour does not have health insurance and there are not health centers to treat this kind of situations in a proper manner on the route.
Is it possible to do the tour with a driver in another language?
Yes, but only in English. The English-speaking driver service has an additional cost of US$ 150 per group. You can select it as an optional service during the booking process.
Loading availability...