San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni Tour
A 3-day tour departing from San Pedro de Atacama and ending in Uyuni (Bolivia)
Briefing
The Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama departs from San Pedro de Atacama and ends in Uyuni, making it a perfect choice if you are continuing your trip in Bolivia. Our tour is one of the best rated by travelers because we work with the best guides and use the best accommodation available in the area. During the 3 days, you will travel by 4x4 car through the natural wonders of the altiplano: the Salvador Dalí desert, the Polque hot springs, the Eduardo Avaroa Natural Reserve, the spectacular Altiplanic Lagoons and you will finish the tour in the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt desert in the world, where you will contemplate one of the most magical sunrises to exist and the captivating immensity of the salt desert.
Keep in mind that this activity is an expedition, you will travel long distances in 4x4 car and visit very isolated areas at an altitude of over 4,500 meters (14,750 ft) with an extreme climate, so we recommend that you acclimatize to the altitude beforehand. If you are looking for extra comfort, we advise you to book the private option in hotels.
🔊 Please note that the tour ends in Uyuni, we offer other tours that return to San Pedro or start in Uyuni.
Tour details
Included
- Transfer between San Pedro de Atacama - Hito Cajon Border Crossing Point
- Private transportation in a 7-seater 4x4 vehicle during the tour
- 2 nights of lodging (based on the selected option)
- Sleeping bag
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners
- On private tour: Spanish speaking guide (English speaking guide available as an extra)
Not included
- On group tour: guide non included
- Entrance fee to Eduardo Abaroa National Park (150 BOB)
- Entrance fee to Hot Springs (6 BOB)
- Incahuasi Island Park entrance fee (30 BOB)
- Bolivian Exit Border Fee (15 BOB)
- Other border taxes required according to nationality
Important information
It is very important to acclimatize to the altitude before starting the tour, as the tour passes through high-altitude areas.
🚨 This tour includes two border crossings to access Bolivia. Access regulations may change, and we ask travelers to make sure they meet the requirements for access to the country both in terms of health and immigration (visas). You can see all the information about the nationalities that need to apply for a visa and the necessary documentation to carry out the procedure by clicking here. Border crossings may be delayed both on the outward and return journeys.
🕗 During the rainy season (January-March) the ending time may be considerably delayed, so we recommend not to take any transportation or flight to another place for that same day. The itinerary may vary in adverse weather conditions or due to force majeure to ensure the safety of travelers. In case it is not possible to access the Incahuasi Island, the visit will be substituted by a sunset view of the salt flat.
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation! If you have booked the tour with hostel accommodation, in a shared or private room, and you cancel at least 72 hours before the tour starts, you will receive 100% of the amount paid. After this time, or in case of a no-show, the booking will be considered a no-show and no refunds will be given.
If you have booked the private tour with hotel accommodation and you cancel at least 30 days before the tour starts, you will receive 100% of the amount paid. After this time, or in case of a no-show, no refunds will be given.
Tour itinerary
DAY 1 San Pedro de Atacama - Green and Red Lagoons - Villa Mar
Lodging (according to selected option)
- Shared room in Villa Mar Hostel
- Private room in Hostal Villa Mar
- Private room in Hotel Mallku Cueva ⭐⭐⭐
San Pedro de Atacama
The Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama starts at 7:00 A.M. with pick-up from your accommodation. Once the whole group has gathered in the minibus, you will head to the Bolivian border. Here you will meet your 4x4 car driver for the adventure, stamp passports, have breakfast, and he will load all your luggage. The adventure begins!
White Lagoon and Green Lagoon
Upon entering Bolivia, you will enter directly into the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, where you will make most of the day’s stops. The first visit is to White Lagoon, located at the foot of the Licancabur volcano, one of the most beautiful sights we will see during these 3 days. You will continue with a stop at Green Lagoon and cross the Salvador Dali Desert, a large plateau surrounded by imposing mountains that will remind you of the works of the famous painter.
Polque Hot Springs - Geysers
The trail continues to the Polque hot springs, where you will enjoy a bath in natural thermal water while the air around you is much colder. Enjoy this relaxing experience!
To continue enjoying this place, you will have lunch with the whole group a few meters from the hot springs with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. We continue on to the Sol de la Mañana Geyser field, full of fumaroles and small geysers.
Red Lagoon
Finally, you will arrive at the Red Lagoon, the best known and most photographed sight. You will walk along a path parallel to the shore of the lagoon to see it up close and observe the immense colony of flamingos that inhabit it. You will then head to Villa Mar, where you will have dinner with your group and spend the night in a shared or private room, according to your choice during the reservation.
DAY 2 Villa Mar - Valley of Rocks - Salt Hotel in Colcha K
Lodging (according to selected option)
- Private room in Hotel de Sal Tambo Loma
- Private room at Palacio de Sal Hotel (or similar) ⭐⭐⭐
Valley of Rocks and Lost Italia
After breakfast, you will visit two areas known for their rock formations, the Valley of Rocks and Lost Italy, increasingly popular with travelers for the whimsical shapes of its rocks, especially The Camel.
Black Lagoon
Lunch time is approaching, and as we walk around the last lagoon you will visit on the tour, the Black Lagoon or Hidden Lagoon. In this area, it is very common to find llamas in the small green valley that leads to the lagoon. In the meantime, the driver will prepare lunch for you and at 1 o'clock it will be time to have lunch together in your "rolling restaurant".
Anaconda Canyon and Sora Wetland
You will continue the route to the Anaconda Canyon, which shows you the immensity of the Bolivian Altiplano, with its river twisting through the valley floor. To see it in its entirety, you'll have to go to some lookout points, which are not usually much to the liking of travelers with vertigo, so it might be ideal to stay a little further back. On the way to your accommodation, you will pass the bofedal (high altitude wetland) of Sora, where you will see llamas, vicuñas, and even some foxes.
Return to the accommodation
After two days on the road, we will stop at an idyllic local shop, a favorite of the locals, where you can have a few beers (some made from quinoa!) and if technology permits you can connect to their Wi-Fi. At sunset, you will arrive at the best salt hotel in the area, Tambo Loma Salt Hotel, where you will dine with views of the altiplano and rest in rooms entirely made of salt.
HOWLANDERS' COMFORT BONUS💙
The Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama of Howlanders includes extra comfort for the second night. On this day you will stay in one of the best salt hotels in the area, The Tambo Loma Hotel, and you will have a private room with private bathroom, even if you book the shared room option.
Remember that if you want to enjoy the comfort of the private room for both nights, you will have to book the tour with the PRIVATE ROOM option.
💬
If you are looking for superior comfort, the tour has a third option of premium accommodation in hotels. This option is only offered in private service for your group and includes the first night at Hotel Mallku Cueva and the second night at Hotel Palacio de Sal, Luna Salada or Cristal Sañana (subject to availability).
DAY 3 Salt Hotel in Colcha K - Uyuni Salt Flats - Uyuni
Uyuni Salt Flats
It's an early start today! The sunrise doesn't wait, so at 5:00 A.M. you will set off for the Uyuni Salt Flats. Make yourself comfortable, wrap up warm, and wait a few minutes to experience one of the most magical sunrises in the world.
Incahuasi Island 🌵
You will continue exploring the salt flat and visit Incahuasi Island. This place is home to a unique ecosystem full of giant cacti and, thanks to its elevation, is one of the best places to enjoy the views and take more pictures of the Salar de Uyuni. Please note that during the rainy season it may not be accessible if the area is too flooded, but you will enjoy the "mirror effect" on the salt flat, nature is very kind to us.
You will have breakfast at the foot of the island overlooking the immensity of the salt flat. You will pick up and head to the next stop: photo session in the Salar de Uyuni.
Uyuni Salt Flats - Colchani
During the rainy season (January - March), you will head to the flooded part of the salt flat to see the surreal mirror effect. In the dry season, you will be placed in the middle of the salt flat to take some amazing pictures, and besides taking you to all the corners and cooking for you during the route, the driver will also help you with the pictures. This man is good for everything!
Dakar Monument - Island of the Flags
On the way to Colchani, you will make the last stops inside the salt flat at the Dakar sculpture and the famous island of the flags. Arriving in Colchani, you will have some free time to buy some local handicrafts. If you want to take home some souvenirs, this is the best time to buy them.
Lunch in Uyuni town and Train Cemetery
It has been two days having lunch in the "rolling restaurant" and today the driver will not cook, but you will have lunch with your group in a restaurant in Uyuni town. You will make the last stop of the tour at the train cemetery, an area where the remains of what was once a symbol of Bolivian development rest to their fate. You will say goodbye to the group and end the tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama.
What to bring to San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni Tour
- Passport
- Warm clothing (yes, the weather is very cold)
- Waterproof jacket
- Swimming costume
- Towel
- Sandals
- Sunglasses
- Comfortable shoes
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Cash (approximately 250 Bolivianos)
- Toilet paper
- 2 litres of water per person
Where does the tour San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni Tour start
The tour starts in San Pedro de Atacama. If you arrive in San Pedro de Atacama from Santiago de Chile, the best option is to fly directly to Calama. At Howlanders you can also book a private transfer between Calama airport and San Pedro.
If you are arriving from Peru, you will most likely be arriving from Cuzco or Arequipa. In this case we recommend you to take a bus that crosses the Arica-Tacna border and then takes you to San Pedro de Atacama, although it is a somewhat complex combination, since it is necessary to combine several buses.
Questions & Answers
What are the differences between shared and private rooms in hostels?
Shared rooms have from 3 to 6 beds and they are used for other travelers, the bathroom is shared with other rooms. On the first night, you can have a hot shower for the cost of 10 pesos bolivianos. The private room has a private bathroom with hot water during both nights and it is not shared with other travelers.
What are the hostels like?
On our tour, the accommodation in Sal is of a higher quality than the rest of the accommodations in the area, and you will always be assigned a private room. The accommodation at Villa Mar is slightly more basic, as there are no higher quality accommodations in the area. Both accommodations have hot water and heating only in common areas, although it may not reach the level of comfort desired by all travelers, in which case we recommend booking the tour in hotels. Keep in mind that this tour is an expedition to a very unpopulated and economically underdeveloped area.
How are the vehicles in which you travel during the tour?
Tours to Uyuni Salt Flats are done with 4x4 cars of 7 seats, six seats for the travelers and one for the driver. Usually is a Toyota Land Cruiser.Can I choose a special diet: vegetarian, gluten free…?
Yes, you just have to write it in notes when you are making the booking and the driver that will cook during the tour will have a menu ready for your type of diet. It is necessary to be specially careful with strong allergies to a particular kind of food that would need special attention.Do I need a visa to cross the border?
Every nationality needs the “single migratory card”, a document you will receive with the stamp on your passport when you arrive in Chile. Regarding the access to Bolivia, some nationalities need to obtain a visa or pay a tax at the border. From Howlanders, we recommend you consult it with the corresponding embassy.It is specially cold during the tour?
From April to September temperatures are really low, during the day around 10ºC (50 ºF), but during the night the go down to -5ºC (23 ºF). The months of June, July and August are really cold. From October to March, the temperatures are more warm, during the day they can rise to 20ºC (68 ºF), during the night they get down to 5ºC (41 ºF).How much luggage can I bring?
You can bring all the luggage you need since this tour does not go back to San Pedro, but it is recommend that it does not exceed the 18kg and will go at the top of the 4x4, protected with a waterproof insulator. We recommend to bring a small bag for the camera, water, snacks, etc. You will only be able to have access to the luggage on the top once you are in the accommodation.When can we see the mirror effect?
The mirror effects is produced during the rainy season, January, February and March months. It is a phenomenon also known as reflections, it makes the sky reflect in the salar.Do I have to bring water or the drinks are included?
Drinks are included but just during the meals. You have to bring a 2 liter water bottle for the first day of the tour, after that you can buy water during the journey but it is important to have pesos Bolivianos to pay it.Can I buy snacks, sodas or alcoholic drinks during the tour?
Yes, in some stops during the journey you can find small shops where to buy them. The price is the double that in Uyuni.Can I change money in the border?
No, there is no currency exchange places or ATM, you can change to pesos Bolivianos in the currency exchange places in San Pedro.How can I avoid altitude sickness?
Due to the altitude of the Salar it is possible to suffer from altitude sickness. That is why we recommend staying a day or two in San Pedro de Atacama to get your body used to the altitude. We also recommend drinking plenty of water, eating light meals, avoiding alcohol and taking a pill for altitude sickness. Although no physical exertion is required during the tour, in some areas you will be close to 5000 metres above sea level, so it is important to acclimatise to the altitude before starting the tour.Does the driver speak English? Will the driver give us explanations and help us to take photos?
The drivers speak basic English, so you can't expect a guide service. But they will certainly help you take nice pictures :)Is the itinerary modified during the rainy season?
Only if the conditions do not allow the original itinerary to be maintained. However, we will always visit the main attractions of the tour: the Uyuni Salt Flat and the Laguna Colorada. The two most common modifications are: 1- Not being able to access Incahuasi due to excessive flooding in the surrounding area. 2- Not being able to cross the Hito-Cajones border and modifying part of the first and fourth day.
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