Uyuni Salt Flat (3 days)

• High season price per person: CLP$ 125,000.
• Low season price per person: CLP$ 119,000.

*The high season corresponds to tours that begin on July 1^st to 31^st, and from September 14^th, to April 30^th. Low season, meanwhile, is for tours that begin on May 1^st to June 30^th, and from August 1^st to September 15^th.

1. Select the departure date from the calendar.
2. Select the number of people.
3. Click on "Add to cart".
4. Pay online an advance deposit of the total price of the program.

• The pending balance must be paid in cash (Chilean pesos) the previous day of the tour before 2:00 pm, in San Pedro de Atacama.
• You can reschedule or cancel the tour (with 100% refund), until 48 hours before it starts.

• Hotel pickup in San Pedro de Atacama.
• Drop off at downtown Uyuni.
• Shared transportation (minibus in Chile and 4x4 for 6 people in Bolivia).
• Spanish speaking driver-guide.
• All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• Basic accommodation:
  • 1^st night at Refugio Huayllajara, in shared room of maximum 6 people, with shared bathroom (without showers).
  • 2^nd night at Hostal de Sal San Juan de Rosario, in double, triple or quadruple room (according to availability), with shared bathroom (showers with hot water).

• Drop off at the hotel.
• Round trip shuttle between Calama's airport and San Pedro de Atacama.
• Entry tickets to parks (Bs. 186 per person).
  • Entrance to Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve (Bs. 150 per person).
  • Entrance to Polques Hot Springs (Bs. 6 per person).
  • Entrance to Incahuasi Island (Bs. 30 per person).
• Access to toilets on the way (approximately Bs. 6 each acces).
• Wellies (needed in caso of rain; rent for Bs. 20 per person).
• Health insurance.
• Sleeping bag.
• Water.

• Comfortable and warm clothing.
• Comfortable shoes (ideally trekking shoes).
• Swimsuit and towel (for Polques Hot Springs).
• Sunglasses.
• Sunscreen.
• Toiletries.
• Toilet paper.
• Sleeping bag (see FAQ's).
• Towel.
• Flashlight.
• Water (1 litre per person, for the first day. The rest of the days you can buy it on the road).
• Passport or ID card. If your a foreigner resident in Chile you should take both to show them in customs
• At least Bs. 250 for mandatory expenses of the tour (tax, entry tickets, bathrooms and water).
• Extra money in cash (Bs.) to buy souvenirs and other expenses (optional).

• Minimum age required of 7 years old.
• Not recommended for people suffering hypertension, heart failure, asthma or similar, for whom visiting places above 4000 meters of altitude may present a risk for their health (the tour is made mostly above 4,000 meters of altitude, even reaching 4,850 meters of altitude one of the days of the tour).
• Passengers with more than 65 years of age must present a medical certificate that authorizes them to travel to an altitude above 4,000 m.
• Not allowed for pregnant women.

• Start: Day 1 at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
• Until April6, 2019: at 6:30 am.
• From April 7 to September 7, 2019: at 7:00 am.
• 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. We will stay in the Refugio Huayllagara.

Day 2: We will begin the day with the breakfast, after what we will leave towards the Siloli Desert, place in which we will watch the Stone Tree; yes, it has the shape of a tree. After that, we will visit the Chiarcota, Honda, Hedionda and Cañapa lagoons, continuing with the road by the Chiguana Salt Flat and the town of San Juan del Rosario. In this last point, we will have dinner and get rest in a salt hostel.

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.

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:

• The places visited in Day 2 are replaced for the following: Italia Perdida, Vinto Lagoon, Anaconda Canyon and Rocks Valley.
• The second night it is not in a hostel in San Juan del Rosario, but in a hostel in Uyuni.
• The Incahuasi Island is not visited because it is in the center of the salt flat, place where there is the largest concentration of water during the rain season.

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.

• Does the tour has daily departures?
  Yes. The tour has confirmed departures all days of the week, the whole year.
  
  
• How much time in advance should I book the tour?
  Due to high demand of the tour, we recommend to book at least a week in advance.
  
  

• Is there any restriction for the places reached by the pickup service?
  The pickup service is nor carried out from accommodations located outside the urban area of San Pedro de Atacama, accommodations located at ayllus close to San Pedro de Atacama (Quitor, Yaye, Checar, Sequitor, Solor and Coyo) nor accommodations in the town of Toconao.

• It is necessary to have tourist visa to enter Bolivia?
  It depends on the passenger’s nationality. Passengers from Chile and the rest of South America, and passengers from Western Europe do not need tourist visa, while the passengers from United States, Central America, Asia and Africa do need tourist visa, which price is US$ 100 or US$ 160 according to the country (you can check the price per country here). The visa is obtained directly in the border, where along with the payment of the visa in cash (bolivianos or US dollars in good condition), the passengers will have to present their passport and two wallet-size photographs. In case you are a foreign person resident in Chile, besides your passport, you should take your ID card, so you can prove your residence to the police authorities in the customs.

• Do I need to be vaccinated against yellow fever for the tour?
  The vaccine against yellow fiebe is not required for the tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat. It is only required if you subsequently plan to visit the Bolivian jungle.
• What kind of car is used to do the tour?
  The tour is made on a minibus in Chile and on a 4x4 (Toyota Land Cruiser) in Bolivia in a group of 6 people each.

• How is the infrastructure in every shelter?
  All shelters have a similar level of infrastructure. They have shared mixed gender rooms, with 6 beds and have no heating. Bathrooms are shared and the first night there is no shower, and the second has warm shower. None of the shelters has internet.

• 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 1 bag or suitcase of 18 kilos and one sleeping bag, 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.
  
  
• It is necessary to bring sleeping bag?
  It is not essential, because the accommodations have blankets. Anyways, consider the information about the weather according to your trip’s date, and if you believe that you will feel cold, we recommend you bringing your own sleeping bag with a temperature rating of 32ºF.
  
  
• How much money should I bring to the tour?
  We recommend to bring 300 bolivianos per person for expenses not included in the tour, as entrances to parks (186 bolivianos per person), access to toilets and buying of souvenirs.

• 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 ask for it writing at reservas@denomades.com at the moment you make the online booking.
  
  
• What about the tour in case of rain?
  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).
  
  
• Is it possible to do the tour in private service?
  Yes. To request rates, write to reservas@denomades.com, indicating departure date and number of people.
• Is it possible to do the tour staying in hotels instead of refugios and hostels?
  If you want to do the tour with superior accommodation plase check our tour Superior Uyuni Salt Flat Tour (3 days).

• 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 an english-speaking guide?
  Yes. The English-speaking guide service for the whole tour has an additional cost of US$ 189 per group that must be paid after the booking, after asking for availability at reservas@denomades.com.