Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, with an area of approximately 10,582 square kilometres (4,086 mi2). Sustainability has gained a critical concern as an increasing number of tourists head to Salar de Uyuni. When you are travelling to other neighbouring countries such as Chile or Peru, over land routes via San Pedro de Atacama and Puno are equally beautiful scenic routes as you go. The vast majority of the visitors arrive at Salar de Uyuni through the Bolivian capital, La Paz. According to many travelers it is one of the most intense stargazing moments of their existence.
Tupiza, Bolivia
Today they create an eerie environment and stand as a testament to the corrosive power of salt! The first stop on most tours is the Train Graveyard (El Cementerio de Trenes) on the dusty outskirts of Uyuni. The deserted plain is the perfect canvas for taking perspective photographs and when covered in a layer of water it becomes the world’s largest mirror, which makes for stunning reflective images. Sense of distance and perspective become skewed as the salty surface goes on mile after endless mile. As the water evaporated the salt crystalised and formed a crust, which is up to 10 m thick in some places. There are tours that run directly from the Chilean town of San Pedro de Atacama, which is close to the Bolivian border.
Assuming that you are making a reservation with Gokite Oman, their crew will help you to get a visa, check your documents, and even a full travel package to make doing things in Oman hassle-free. To get the best and the most current information, it is always advisable that one consults the official Bolivian embassies or reliable travel agents. Bolivia has gone an extra mile to introduce international tourists into the country through making the visa process extremely easy in most countries. It does not require any special effort, just a submission of relevant documents including your passport, photos, flight itinerary, hotel booking and evidence of financial resources.
Now one of the key stops on Salar de Uyuni tours, it’s become something of a tourist trap. The area was once covered by a huge saltwater lake, which dried up some 30,000–40,000 years ago. The focal point of any Salar de Uyuni tour is, of course, the world’s largest salt flat. Known locally as Salar de Uyuni, the salt flats are part of the Altiplano, a vast plateau that extends for 965 km from southern Peru to the southwestern corner of Bolivia. As the largest salt flat on Earth, the Salar de Uyuni is widely regarded as one of the most effective natural calibration sites for Earth-observing satellites. Multiple fatal incidents have occurred at the salt flat as a result of poorly maintained vehicles, untrained drivers, speeding, a disregard for the inhospitable conditions, and lack of regulation for tour companies.
Travel Interests
- Toys, bottles, etc, to take fun perspective photos.
- Relax in the thermal waters of the Polques Hot Springs after exploring the salt flats.
- By choosing green tours and taking care of any natural environment, it is possible to ensure that the future generations can still keep Exploring Salar de Uyuni in all its impeccable beauty.
- On both tours our drivers found spots with no one else around and brought dinosaur toys and wine bottles to use in the shots.
- When you are Exploring Salar de Uyuni on a multi-day tour, chances are that you will be visiting this nearby reserve.
- The clear night skies offer great star-gazing opportunities and you’ll also be able to visit some places that aren’t accessible during the wet season.
- As you’d probably expect with one of the most popular attractions in South America, there are endless choices when it comes to booking a tour.
On the 2nd and 3rd days of a standard 3-day tour, you will be taken to beautiful lagoons, and you will see flamingos and vicuñas. Due to the proximity to these international borders, many travelers either start or end their time in Bolivia at Salar de Uyuni. The hotel’s interior showcases the artistry of local craftsmen, featuring intricate salt sculptures and designs that celebrate Bolivian culture.
The hotel has a dry sauna and a steam room, a saltwater pool and whirlpool baths. The local communities and tour operators are making efforts to save the delicate salt ecosystem, control the waste disposal system and make sure that the tourism is profitable to the locals. It serves as a reminder of the industrial background of the region and forms a great photo opportunity to the visitors. Salar de Uyuni is also known to have salt hotels wherein even the walls, furniture and bed are designed using salt blocks.
These months are also less cold than the dry season. Some would argue the vistas during the wet season are even more mesmerising than in the dry season. The rainy season (December to April) brings its own beauty.
Be warned that the accommodation on the budget tours is likely to be very basic. These are shared tours with five or six people per jeep and often with a Spanish-speaking guide. If you have time, take a longer tour – you won’t regret it.” If you’d like to explore further afield and get out into the surrounding landscape then opt for a two- or three-day tour. Another popular option for travellers heading north from Chile is to take a tour from the border town of San Pedro de Atacama.
Polques Hot Springs are the most common hot springs stop on 3-day Uyuni tours. Standard tours allow time for taking perspective photos. That’s what it’s like when you visit the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia’s enormous salt flat that stretches as far as your eyes can see. Alternatively, shorter one- to three-day tours are available from Uyuni or Tupiza, depending on your onward travel plans. Travellers with more time can opt for extended five- or nine-day tours from Salta, Argentina. From December to April, the wet season creates a stunning mirror effect across the salt flats.
- The large area, clear skies, and exceptional flatness of the surface make the Salar ideal for calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites.
- Today, she spends her time solo backpacking, navigating through life and unfamiliar streets.
- Its unusual shape was formed over time by strong winds eroding the sandstone.
- In the dry season there is no water layer, instead you can observe the hexagonal salt tiles that form on the surface.
- Some people decide to skip Isla Incahuasi and just walk around it to save 30 Bs, but I think it’s money well spent.
Due to lack of conventional construction materials, many of them are almost entirely (walls, roof, furniture) built with salt blocks cut from the Salar. Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tonnes (9.8 billion long tons; 11 billion short tons) of salt, of which less than 25,000 t is extracted annually. Lithium is concentrated in the brine under the salt crust at a relatively high concentration of about 0.3%. The brine is a saturated solution of sodium chloride, lithium chloride, and magnesium chloride in water. During the wet season, Titicaca overflows and discharges into Poopó, which in turn, floods Salar De Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni.
Following rain, a thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world’s largest mirror, 129 km (80 miles) across. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. It is now covered by an 8 meter thick layer of salt, which is extremely flat. Bangbros.com has a perfect mix of hot pornstar girls and amateur women for your enjoyment.
Underrated Spots in Bolivia: Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures
It is possible to visit the salt flats independently and while I was there I saw people camping with bikes! In the dry season there is no water layer, instead you can observe the hexagonal salt tiles that form on the surface. If you’re only interested in seeing the salt flat itself and snapping some awesome perspective photos, then the one-day option may be for you.
Types of Tours to Salar de Uyuni 🚙
Most travellers spend 2-3 days exploring Salar de Uyuni and its surroundings, which provides ample opportunity to visit the salt flats, lagoons, and geysers. However, travelers should take great care in choosing which tour operator to go with when visiting the salt flats. The great news is there is no bad time to visit the salt flats in Bolivia and each season has its advantages. You can explore the Uyuni salt flats on your own, but after doing research and weighing the pros and cons, we decided to join a standard 3-day tour. This breathtaking natural wonder attracts thousands of travellers each year, who come to marvel at the majestic salt flats spanning over 10,000 square kilometres.
However, if you are travelling from La Paz (which is at a similar altitude) or Cusco (just 250 m lower) then you will likely be fine as you should spinmaya no deposit bonus code have acclimatised. For private tours expect to pay significantly more. These are shared tours with usually five or six people per jeep.
On both tours, the food was great, and there was plenty of it — we couldn’t even finish everything. The first night’s accommodation (salt hotel) was very clean and comfortable, with fresh bedsheets, towels, and toilet paper provided. Don’t underestimate the altitude and make sure to acclimatise before taking a tour. Most tours are conducted in 4WD vehicles, with the driver also acting as the guide. I’ve done the 3-day Salar de Uyuni tour twice with different agencies, eight years apart, in 2017 and 2025.
Not sure where to start?
Plenty of travellers opt for the most basic Salar de Uyuni tour and have a fantastic time. There are options for one, two or three-day tours to Salar de Uyuni (some companies also have four-day options). Note that Chile is a much more expensive country to travel than Bolivia and as such tours booked and beginning in San Pedro tend to be more expensive than those in Bolivia. Most tours will visit the geysers at sunrise when the dawn light and rising steam combine to create an ethereal atmosphere.
One-day tours generally visit the Train Graveyard, Colchani, salt flats and Incahausi Island. If taking a multi-day tour of the salt flats, it’s likely you’ll spend the night at one of the area’s unique salt hotels. However, despite a small size, Uyuni has comfortable hotels, restaurants, and travel firms which arrange multi-day tours through the salt desert.
The first night’s stay in a salt hotel was very clean and comfortable, with fresh bedsheets, towels, and toilet paper provided. In 2017, on the first night, we stayed in private rooms in a salt hotel. If you want to see the sunset at the Salar de Uyuni, ask your travel agency whether it’s included. Most tour agencies start their tours at 10.30 am.