What days of the year can I make this excursion?
The tour has confirmed departures all days of the week, the whole year.
If you cancel your reservation up to 24 hours before the start of the activity, we will refund you 100% of the reservation payment. No refunds will be issued on cancellation requests received after the indicated anticipation.
You can reschedule your booking without any additional cost until 24 hours before the beginning of the activiity.
3 days group tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat, beginning in San Pedro de Atacama and ending in Uyuni. It includes transportation, basic accommodation and meals.
Start: Day 1 at 6:00 am at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
End: Day 3 at 3:00 pm at downtown Uyuni.
Day 1: We will pick you up at your hotel and we will leave in a minibus from San Pedro de Aatcama to go to the border between Chile and Bolivia. After passing by the border stations and make the corresponding procedures, we will change the vehicle to a 4x4 for 6 people. During this day, we will visit places of the Bolivian High Plato, like the Blanca Lagoon and Verde Lagoon, located near the Licancabur Volcano. We will continue visiting the Salvador Dalí Desert and the Polques Hot Springs, where we will have some time to bathe. Also, we will visit the Sol de Mañana Geysers, intermittent sources of water that flow at a temperature of 90°C. Finally, we will visit the Colorada Lagoon, nesting center of more than 30.000 flamingos. This night you will stay in a refuge in Villamar.
Day 2: After breakfast, we will take the route to Tomas Lakha, where you will be able to see the cave paintings from before the Incas. After that, we will visit Italia Perdida, place where the volcanic rock is shaped with what happens to be an abandoned city. Then, we will go to Vinto Lagoon and Catal Lagoon, where you will be able to walk and see the typical fauna of the Bolivian Altiplano. Later, we will visit the Anaconda Canyon and also the Sora Canyon, before going to the Chiguana Salt Flat ang getting to Colcha K where you will stay the second night.
Day 3: Early in the morning, we will take our vehicle and go to the salt flat, same thing that we do on the third day of the Uyuni Salt Flat (4 days) tour. We will see the sunrise over the white cloak build-up of salt, so then we can go to the Incahuasi Island. Here we will be able to make a small walk by this limestone formation that has giant cactus and from where you can have a great perspective of the salt flat. After that, we will visit the Salt Museum and we will leave the salt flat through the town of Colchani, where we will make a stop to buy craftwork. Then, we will go to the train cemetery to take some pictures, before reaching 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.
Altiplanic winter
During the months from January to April, it takes place the weather phenomenon known as the Altiplanic winter, rain season in the central Andes. Due to this, is is possible that the described itinerary is modified as follows:
Force majeure changes
This is a reference itinerary. 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, demonstrations and accommodation 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 the situations already mentioned once the tour has already begun.
The tour has confirmed departures all days of the week, the whole year.
The activity is made on a minibus in Chile and on a 4x4 (Toyota Land Cruiser) in Bolivia in a group of 6 people each.
Each passenger may carry at most one bag or suitcase of 15 kilos which will go above the 4x4. Because it will be outside the vehicle, it is recommended to take a bag rather than a suitcase, as suitcases are fragile and could be exposed to potential damage. If you do choose to bring a suitcase, it must a maximum size of a cabin suitcase (55 x 40 x 20 cm).
Although the accommodations provide blankets, during the colder months (June, July, and August), it is necessary to bring a sleeping bag, which you can rent directly at the San Pedro de Atacama office a day before the tour starts, for a price of CLP$ 10.000. During the rest of the year, a sleeping bag is not needed.
We recommend bringing at least Bs. 500 per person for expenses not included in the tour, such as park entry fees, taxes, access to bathrooms, and water. On Toconao Street in San Pedro de Atacama (intersection with Caracoles), you can find some exchange houses where you can obtain bolivianos to take with you on the tour.
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.
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).
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).
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.
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.
We offer the tour in three options, which you can review here.
We do not offer the tour in shared service with accommodation in hostels or hotels.
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.