Private Uyuni Salt Flat Tour from Atacama round trip 4 days
4 days private tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat departing and returning to San Pedro de Atacama.
Briefing
The private tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat from San Pedro de Atacama will allow you to discover the magic of the border between Bolivia and Chile in 4 days. When booking the tour you will be able to choose 3 nights accommodation in hostels or 3 star hotels (always in private room with bathroom). The tour ends in San Pedro de Atacama so you will not have to worry about returning to the point of origin.
In this tour you will enjoy the classic itinerary to discover the highlights of the area: The hot springs of Polques, 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 Uyuni Salt Flats 4 days Tour from San Pedro de Atacama.
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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 (30 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
🏘️Accommodation: you can book the tour with accommodation in hotels or hostels. There are no single rooms, so if the group has an odd number of travelers, one person will be assigned a double room for individual use. It's possible to request additional single-use rooms or convert a double room into a triple. In these cases, availability and pricing must be confirmed before booking.
🚗Vehicle and seats: the tour is carried out in 7-seater 4x4 vehicles, occupied by 5 travelers, the driver, and the guide. If the group has more than 5 travelers, a second vehicle will be assigned.
🏔️Altitude: the tour passes through high-altitude areas. To prevent altitude sickness, it's essential to properly acclimatize before starting the tour.
🚨Border requirements: this tour includes a border crossing between Chile and Bolivia. Each traveler is responsible for meeting the entry requirements. You can find detailed information on the official Bolivia Tourism website. Keep in mind that crossing the border may involve delays both on the way in and back.
⌚Pick-up time: from April to September, pick-up is between 6:00 and 6:30 AM; from October to March, between 7:00 and 7:30 AM.
🌧️Rainy season: during the rainy season (December to March), the itinerary may be modified due to flooding in the salt flat. Some areas, like Inca Huasi Island, may not be accessible. The driver will suggest the best available alternative to enjoy the route.
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.
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.
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 visit to Laguna Negra is temporarily not operating due to operational reasons.
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.
DAY 3 Uyuni Salt Flat - Uyuni Town
Lodging (according to type of accommodation selected)
- Private room in hostel in Villa Mar
- Private room in Mallku Cueva Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The day starts early in order to see the sunrise in the Salar de Uyuni. Once the sun begins to illuminate the salt flat you will have 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 start 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 we visit the train cemetery and Uyuni town.
After lunch we start our way back. A journey of about 3 hours to reach the same accommodation of the first night: hostel in Villa Mar or Hotel Mallku.
DAY 4 Return to San Pedro de Atacama
The day starts early, and around 5 am breakfast is served and the driver will take you to the border between Chile and Bolivia. The formalities are completed and, as on the first day, you will change vehicles to drive in Chile, arriving in San Pedro de Atacama around 1:00 noon, putting an end to the 4-day private tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat from San Pedro de Atacama.
What to bring to Private Uyuni Salt Flat from Atacama round trip 4 days tour
Please note that during the tour you will be above 4,500 meters altitude, so it is essential to acclimatize beforehand and bring appropriate clothing.
During the months of June to September, the weather is especially cold, so it is very important to bring plenty of warm clothing.
Below you will find what you must not forget in your backpack:
- Cash (approximately 300 Bolivianos)
- Passport
- Printed documentation required for the border crossing (e.g., visa or vaccination certificate if your nationality requires it)*
- Warm clothing (yes, the weather is very cold)
- Waterproof jacket
- Swimsuit
- Towel
- Sandals
- Sunglasses
- Comfortable shoes
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Personal hygiene items
- Toilet paper
- 2 liters of water per person
*Remember that you can find all detailed information about the nationalities that require a visa and the documentation you must bring printed on the official Bolivia Tourism website.
Where does the tour Private Uyuni Salt Flat from Atacama round trip 4 days start
The tour includes pick-up from accommodations in the center of San Pedro de Atacama. If you are staying on the outskirts, you will be provided with a meeting point in the center of San Pedro to start the tour from there.
If you wish, you can book the private transfer between Calama Airport and San Pedro de Atacama.
Questions & Answers
Where does this 4-day tour end?
The 4-day tour returns to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). The itinerary of the first 3 days, up to Uyuni, is the same as the 3-day private tour. Only the 4 day tour needs an additional day to return to San Pedro.
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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