San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni 4 day Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

The Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama in 4 days will start at 7:00 A.M. with pick-up from your accommodation. You will board the minibus that will take you to the Bolivian border. You will get your passport stamped and while the drivers prepare the 4x4 car and load your luggage, you can have breakfast. All set, the adventure begins!

White Lagoon and Green Lagoon

You will enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Andean Fauna Reserve, where you will spend most of the day. Your first stops will be White Lagoon and Green Lagoon, located at the foot of the Licancabur volcano. You will continue to the Salvador Dali Desert, a large high plateau surrounded by imposing mountains, and an incredible high Andean landscape.

Polque Hot Springs - Geysers

The road continues to the Polque hot springs, where you will change into small changing rooms and enjoy a bath in natural thermal water that contrasts with the cold weather. The challenge is to get out of these hot springs!

After lunch with a view of the landscape surrounding the hot springs, the Sol de la Mañana Geyser field awaits you, full of fumaroles and small geysers that make it a unique landscape where you can feel the power of nature.

Red Lagoon

Finally, you will arrive at the Red Lagoon, one of the most spectacular of the altiplano and undoubtedly the most photographed of the itinerary. You will take a short walk along the edge to explore this place, where 3 different species of flamingos nest. You will then head to Villa Mar, where you will have dinner and spend the night in the type of room chosen during your reservation.

Valley of the Rocks and Lost Italy

After breakfast, you will visit Lost Italy, natural geological formations reminiscent of the desert landscapes of cowboy movies. Next to this area is the Valley of Rocks, a plain full of rocks of volcanic origin that with erosion have created shapes known as the World Cup or the Camel, where you will spend some time taking fun pictures.

Vinto Lagoon and Black Lagoon

You will continue the route between different lagoons until you reach the Vinto Lagoon. If the weather permits you will hike along its shore, otherwise you will continue straight to the Black Lagoon (or Hidden Lagoon). In this area, you will have an hour free to walk along the road to the lagoon itself and walk through the valley full of llamas that leads to the lagoon itself. When you return to the car the driver will be waiting for you with the table set. You will have lunch with the group and continue your adventure.

Anaconda Canyon and Sora Wetlands

The Anaconda canyon offers panoramic views of the meandering river at the bottom of the canyon itself. From natural viewpoints, you will appreciate the immensity of this place. In the final stretch of the day, you will make one more stop at the Sora wetland, a place of choice for many birds and especially camelids, full of the endemic flora of the altiplano.

We especially like this place because it contrasts with the other slightly more arid areas and lets you see the diversity of the Bolivian altiplano.

Return to the accommodation

On the way back to your accommodation you will stop at a small village that has a shop where you can have a few local beers (yes, craft beers from the Bolivian Altiplano). Also, technology permitting, you will be able to connect to their Wi-Fi. Finally, at sunset, you will head to the best salt hotel in the area, where you will dine with views of the altiplano and rest in private rooms built entirely of salt.

HOWLANDERS' COMFORT BONUS💙

The Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama in 4 days by Howlanders includes a comfort bonus for the second night. 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 tour in a shared room.

If you want to enjoy the comfort of the private room both nights, you will have to book the tour with the option PRIVATE ROOM.

💬 If you are looking for superior comfort, the tour has a third option of premium accommodation in hotels. This option is also offered in private service and includes first and third night's accommodation at Hotel Mallku Cueva and second night at Hotel Palacio de Sal, Luna Salada or Cristal Sañana (depending on availability).

Uyuni Salt Flats

It is an early start today! Wrap up warm because, at 5:00 in the morning, you will set off for the Uyuni Salt Flats. When you arrive, you will be waiting with the whole group to experience one of the most magical sunrises in the world. Take out your camera and capture that special moment.

Incahuasi Island 🌵

You will continue to Incahuasi Island, a place that houses a unique ecosystem full of giant cacti and, thanks to its elevation, becomes one of the best places to enjoy the views and take more pictures of the Uyuni Salt Flats. You will have breakfast at the foot of the island to recharge, we assure you that it will be one of the best breakfasts with the best views you have ever experienced. It is time to head to the next stop: a photo session in the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Uyuni Salt Flats - Colchani

You have already seen a good part of the Uyuni Salt Flats and now it is time to take some pictures. In the rainy season (January - March) you will head to the flooded part of the salt flats to see the surreal mirror effect. In the dry season, you will be in the center of the salt flat to take some amazing pictures, you will be amazed by the driver's photo skills!

Dakar Monument - Island of the Flags

The last stops in the salt flat will be to visit the Dakar sculpture and the famous Island of the Flags. Finally, you will leave behind a long morning in the salt flat and head to Colchani, where you will visit the local handicraft shops, where all travelers take the opportunity to take home a souvenir of this adventure.

Lunch in Uyuni town - Train Cemetery - Villa Mar

After two days of having lunch in the "portable restaurant" thanks to the skill of the driver, today is the day to enjoy a restaurant. So you will take advantage of the proximity to Uyuni town to have a leisurely lunch.

Then you will head to the outskirts of Uyuni town, to the train cemetery, a landscape formed by the remains of what was once a symbol of Bolivian development. After the visit, you will head back to Villa Mar, to return to the accommodation where you have already spent the first night.

Return to San Pedro de Atacama

At 5:00 A.M. you will have breakfast in the dining room of the accommodation and then head for the border between Chile and Bolivia, a journey of approximately 4 hours. When you arrive, you will complete the corresponding formalities and board the private minibus that will be waiting to take you to San Pedro de Atacama, where you will arrive around 1:00 P.M. and the Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama tour in 4 days will end.