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Private Uyuni Salt Flat (4 days)

Operative tour
Atacama - Uyuni - Atacama

4 days private tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat, beginning and ending in San Pedro de Atacama. It includes transport, accommodation in hotels and all meals.


Prices

  • 1 person: US$ 2.400 per person.
  • Group of 2 people: US$ 1.330 per person.
  • Group of 3 people: US$ 1.110 per person.
  • Group of 4 people: US$ 870 per person.
  • Group of 5 people: US$ 865 per person.
  • Group of 6 people: US$ 800 per person.*


*Even though the 4x4 vehicle has space for six passengers plus the guide, the last seat of the vehicle is more cramped that the other seats. Therefore, if you would like for all travelers to be able to sit comfortably, we suggest doing the tour in two groups of three each (two separate bookings).

How to book

  1. Select the departure date from the calendar.
  2. Select the number of people.
  3. Click on "Add to cart".
  4. Pay the full price of the tour online.

Included

Not included

  • Round trip shuttle between Calama airport and San Pedro de Atacama.
  • Border tax (Bs. 17 per person).
  • Drinks at hotel meals.
  • 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 coverage.
  • Water.

Optional services

  • English-speaking driver:
  • 1 person: US$ 320.
  • Group of 2 people: US$ 160 per person.
  • Group of 3 people: US$ 107 per person.
  • Group of 4 people: US$ 80 person.
  • Group of 5 people: US$ 64 per person.
  • Group of 6 people: US$ 54 per person.

What to bring

  • Comfortable and warm clothing.
  • Comfortable shoes (ideally for hiking).
  • Swimsuit and towel (for Polques Hot Springs).
  • Sunglasses.
  • Sunscreen.
  • Toiletries.
  • Toilet paper.
  • Water (1 liter per person, for the first day. You can buy it on the road during the rest of the tour).
  • Passport or ID card. If your a foreigner resident in Chile you should bring both to present them at 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.
  • Non-resident in Chile Australian passengers must be visiting the country with a multiple tourist visa (it allows readmissions).

Itinerary

Start: Day 1 at 7:00 am at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

End: Day 4 at 6:00 pm in the bus station or downtown San Pedro de Atacama (this end time could be modified due to weather conditions or force majeure reasons, which is why we recommend you leaving San Pedro de Atacama the day after the end date of the tour).


Day 1: Pick-up will be at your hotel and then we will set off for the border crossing between Chile and Bolivia, where we will go through customs and border procedures and then begin the tour that includes a visit to the Verde and Blanca Lagoons and the Polques Hot Springs. Then, we will continue on to the Sol de Mañana Geysers and the Colorada Lagoon before reaching our hotel.


Day 2: We will leave in the morning to begin the visit to a number of Altiplanic lagoons in the middle of the Andes Mountain Range. We will see the Cachi, Honda, and Chiarkota Lagoons and we will also make stops at the Hedionda and Cañapa Lagoons so we can take pictures and stretch our legs after the time spent traveling in the vehicle. Finally, we will stop at the Chiguana Salt Flat before going to our hotel to have dinner and then get some sleep.


Day 3: We will start the day very early in the morning to enter the Uyuni Salt Flat and get set up in a superb spot to see the sunrise. After giving a warm greeting to the sun, we will cross the endless white stretch of the salt flat until reaching Incahuasi Island. We will be able to explore the trails and climb up to the highest part of the island where we will have a 360° view of the salt flat. Then we will visit the Salt Museum and the Dakar Monument, and we will leave the salt flat to visit the town of Colchani. In addition we will pass by the Train Cemetery to go over the place and take pictures. We will then continue on until reaching our hotel to get some sleep.


Day 4: Like the Uyuni Salt Flat (4 days) standard tour, this day is dedicated to the return trip from Uyuni, which is why we will leave very early from the hotel to get on the road to the border. Here we will go through the corresponding procedures and then continue on to San Pedro de Atacama, where we will end the 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 accommodations in the town of Toconao.


Altiplano winter


From January to April, a weather phenomenon occurs that is known as Altiplano winter, which is the rainy season in the central Andes. Due to this, the described itinerary may be modified as follows:

  • The second night would not be in the Hotel Tayka de Piedra, but in the Hotel Luna Salada or a similar hotel in Uyuni.
  • We will not visit the Incahuasi Island because it is located where we find the largest concentration of water during the rainy season.


Changes due to force majeure


These are referential itineraries. The route to get to the salt flat, the places visited, the indicated order and the end time will always be subject to change according to weather conditions, road conditions, unforeseen events, and accommodations availability. The itinerary is confirmed in the briefing given by the supplier the day before the start of the activity. However, the itinerary still could be modified due to the occurrence of the aforementioned situations once the tour has already begun.


Cancellation policy

  • If you cancel with a 30-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 30-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.

  • 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 hotel?

    The 3-star hotels have private double or queen room, with private bathroom, hot shower and solar panels heating.

  • 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.

  • How far in advance should I book the activity?

    Because of the hotel high demand in the area, we recommend you booking at least one or two months in advance.

  • 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$ 200 per group. You can select it as an optional service during the booking process.

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