Salar de Uyuni with 4x4 vehicles
Person in front of the Uyuni salt flats
Girls bathing in a natural pool
People in the desert
Group of flamingos
Table with traditional inn breakfast
Hotel facing desert landscape and lagoon
Double hotel room
People in front of rocks in the desert
Wetland with flamingos and sheep
Hostel double room
Main façade of hotel in desert
Double hotel room with view
Person watching the sunrise in the Uyuni salt flats
Desert landscape in Uyuni
Uyuni salt flat monument
Country flags placed on the Uyuni salt flats
Person photographing toy dinosaur and another person in the background in Uyuni salt flat
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Private Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats from Atacama (3 days)

Private tour from San Pedro de Atacama to the Salar de Uyuni, ending in Uyuni with accommodation in a hotel or hostel

San Pedro de Atacama
3 days
Spanish and English
Starts: From your lodging in San Pedro de Atacama between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m.
Ends: Uyuni
Free cancellation!

Briefing

The Private Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats (3 days) will allow you to discover the magic of the border between Bolivia and Chile in 3 days. When booking the tour you can choose 2 nights accommodation in hostels or 3 star hotels (always in private room with bathroom). The tour ends in Uyuni, so the return to San Pedro de Atacama is not included.

In this tour you will enjoy the classic itinerary to discover the highlights of the area: The Polques hot springs, the geyser field, the spectacular altiplanic lagoons, the Eduardo Abaroa Natural Reserve and the great Salar de Uyuni. The tour will be done in a 4x4 vehicle just for your group.

🎒Remember that this is a private tour, if you prefer to take the tour with a group you have available the Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats from San Pedro de Atacama.

Tour details

Included

  • Pick up at your lodging in San Pedro de Atacama
  • Private transportation in a 4x4 vehicle
  • Lodging in hotels or hostels according to selected option
  • Full board
  • Driver (short explanations in Spanish)

Not included

  • Eduardo Abaroa National Park Entrance Fee (150 BOB)
  • Entrance to Hot Springs (10 BOB)
  • Incahuasi Island Park Entrance Fee (30 BOB)
  • Border taxes (according to nationality)
  • English/Spanish guide (available as an extra, free with hotel option***)

Important information

🏨 The tour offers 2 different types of accommodation: hostels and hotels ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

⌚ The tour lasts 3 days (ending in Uyuni).

🙋 During the tour the driver makes short explanations in Spanish or very basic English of the places visited. If you prefer to take the tour with a guide, you must include this extra service when you make the reservation.

🆓 The guide service is free of charge in the hotel accommodation option ***.

🗻 It is very important to make a good acclimatization to the altitude before starting the tour, as the tour runs through high altitude areas.

🚨❗ This tour includes the border crossing between Chile and 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.

🌧️ During the rainy season (December to March) the itinerary may be modified, as the salt flats are flooded and some areas such as Inca Huasi Island may not be accessible. The driver will offer the best alternative to enjoy the tour.

⌚ From April to September pick up will be between 6:00 and 6:30 am.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation!

  • Booking with hostel accommodation: if you cancel at least 72 hours before the start of the tour, you will receive 100% of the amount paid. After this time, or in case of no-show, no refunds will be made.
  • Reservation with hotel accommodation: if 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 no-show, no refunds will be made.

Tour itinerary

DAY 1 San Pedro de Atacama - Polques Hot Springs - Verde and Colorada Lagoons

Lodging (according to type of accommodation selected)

  • Private room in hostel in Villa Mar
  • Private room in Mallku Cueva Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐

San Pedro de Atacama

The private tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat from San Pedro de Atacama starts at 7:00 a.m. with pick up at your accommodation. The transfer to the border is done in a minibus. Upon arrival at the border, while the formalities are being carried out, the driver will load all the luggage in the 4x4 in which the tour takes place. Once everything is ready, breakfast is served and the adventure in Bolivia begins!

*The waiting time for border formalities can vary from a few minutes to an hour.

Minibuses in San Pedro de Atacama desert

Altiplanic Lagoons - Polques Hot Springs - Sol de la Mañana Geysers - Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon)

You access the Eduardo Abaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, the first visit is to the Blanca and Verde lagoons, at the foot of the Licancabur volcano. The trip continues through the Salvador Dali desert to reach the Polques hot springs, where you can enjoy a bath in natural hot springs surrounded by a high Andean landscape. We replenish our energy with lunch overlooking the hot springs and resume the journey to a small field of geysers.

The last visit of the day is to the Laguna Colorada, where pink flamingos live and we will take a walk until we reach a viewpoint from where we will enjoy the views.

After this visit, the driver will take us to the selected accommodation in the reserve, where we will have dinner and rest.

Polques hot springs

DAY 2 Valley of the Rocks - Black Lagoon - Salt Lodge

Lodging (according to type of lodging selected)

  • Private room in Sal Tambo Loma hostel.
  • Private room in Palacio de Sal Hotel (or similar) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

After breakfast at the lodge you will visit the Valley of the Rocks, rock formations that erosion has created very characteristic shapes. The tour continues to the Laguna Negra, which is accessed by a small stream where you will find llamas and you can explore freely. Upon returning to the vehicle, the driver will be waiting for you with lunch.

The route continues to the Anaconda Canyon, with a small meandering river at the bottom, which we will appreciate from one of the points at the top, not suitable for travelers with vertigo. The last area to be visited today is the Sora wetland, an area full of Andean fauna, especially birds and camelids, which contrasts completely with the more arid areas we have visited during the day.

Once the visits are over, the driver will head for the day's accommodation, which can be a salt hostel, which is undoubtedly one of the best in the area, or the Palacio de Sal hotel. In both cases they are accommodations built of salt, as they are located very close to the Uyuni salt flat.

Baby Alpaca in Uyuni wetlands

DAY 3 Uyuni Salt Flat - Uyuni Town

The day starts early in order to see the sunrise in the Salar de Uyuni. Once the sun begins to illuminate the salt flat, there is free time to enjoy this moment before heading to Inca Huasi, the cactus island located in the middle of the salt flat.

After touring Inca Huasi, breakfast is served next to Inca Huasi.

We return to the salt flat to enjoy some free time with the sun overhead and take the famous photographs of the salt flat. During the months of January to March the salt flat is usually flooded, creating the famous mirror effect, although this may mean that Inca Huasi is not accessible, so the itinerary may be modified.

Arriving at noon, we begin to leave the salt flat, visiting the Isla de las Banderas and the sculpture to the Dakar and the salt handicraft stores of Colchani. Finally you will visit the train cemetery and Uyuni town where you will stay for lunch and where this tour ends.

4x4 vehicle in the Uyuni salt flats

What to bring to Private to the Uyuni Salt Flats from Atacama (3 days) tour

Keep in mind that during the tour you will be above 4,000 meters, so it is very important to acclimatize to the altitude and wear warm clothes. During the months of June to September the weather is very cold, so it is very important that you take plenty of warm clothes. Here is what you should bring in your backpack:

  • Cash (approximately 300 Bolivianos).
  • Passport
  • Warm clothes (yes, the weather is very cold)
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Bathing suit
  • Towel
  • Sandals
  • Sunglasses
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sunscreen and lipstick
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Toilet paper
  • 2 liters of water per person

Where does the tour Private to the Uyuni Salt Flats from Atacama (3 days) 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 de Atacama.

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.

Finally, you can also get to San Pedro directly from Salta (Argentina) in a direct bus that takes approximately 11 hours.

Questions & Answers

  • Where does this 3-day tour end?

    The 3-day tour ends in Uyuni (Bolivia) so there is no return to San Pedro de Atacama.

  • What is the difference between hotels and hostels?

    In the area there are only these two types of accommodations, rustic hostels and luxury hotels. In both cases they are private rooms with bathrooms. Keep in mind that the hostel for the first night is basic, as it is a very remote area where there are few lodging options.

  • Why does the tour not include a guide and offer it as an extra?

    In our opinion, the role of the guide in this tour is not so relevant, since the most important part of the tour are the areas visited and not the explanations themselves, that's why we offer it as an option, so you can customize the tour according to your interests.

    The driver knows the area perfectly, and does some explanations, but obviously does not do the work of a guide and usually does not speak English. In the group most of the time there is a traveler who understands Spanish, and translates what the driver says, so you get some indications of the places visited.

    In our opinion, we are convinced that whether you hire the tour in shared service without guide or in private service with guide, you will have a good experience in both cases.

  • Do I need a visa to cross the border?

    All nationalities need the Tarjeta Única Migratoria (TUM), which you will receive together with the stamp in your passport when entering Chile. Regarding access to Bolivia, some nationalities need to obtain a visa or pay a fee at the border. From Howlanders we recommend you to consult with the corresponding embassy.

  • Is it possible to choose a special diet: vegetarian, gluten-free...?

    Yes, you just have to indicate it when you make your reservation and the driver, who will cook during the tour, will prepare a menu adapted to your diet. Please note that in the case of very strong allergies to any food, special attention must be paid. In the case of vegetarian/vegan diets, high-protein foods such as tofu or tempeh will not be available, so we recommend bringing an additional supplement or snack.

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