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3 Mind Blowing Days Touring Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) & beyond!

A blonde woman in denim jacket and sunglasses by using an optical illusion is pretending to put a plastic for into 4 people standing on a plate

Updated on September 18th, 2023

If you’re interested in seeing salt for as far as the eye can see, photographing yourself sliding off the back of a dinosaur, staying in a Salt Hotel, seeing lakes & mountains of all colours of the rainbow, a rock in the shape of a tree, a fault line, a geyser that reaches 50m high & the best view of the Milky Way you may ever have the privilege to experience, then you’re in the right place!”

Where?

A close up map of Bolivia with markers and lines from La Paz and Sucre with an avatar of blonde woman

Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats), Andean Desert & surrounding area

Why?

SueWhereWhyWhat sits in front of the pink lake with flamingoes at Laguna Colorada, Bolivia
2 brown Llamas on The Plains, Bolivia

While touring South America in Spring 2017 I chose Bolivia as one of the countries to visit. I think my original decision was based around “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” being one of my favourite films & loving the ladies in the bowler hats (who I now know as the beautiful Cholita’s). It also fitted in nicely between a trip to Argentina with my friend and a tour taking in Peru. I spent 12 days of my time on the Bolivia Highlights Tour with Intrepid Travel. I have to say it blew me away. There were fewer tourists than Peru, but the landscapes were absolutely breathtaking. The pinnacle of the whole tour was the 3 days we spent in the Uyuni Salt Flats & surrounding area.

If you’re interested in seeing salt for as far as the eye can see, photographing yourself sliding off the back of a dinosaur, staying in a Salt Hotel, seeing lakes & mountains of all colours of the rainbow, a rock in the shape of a tree, a fault line, a geyser that reaches 50m high & the best view of the Milky Way you may ever have the privilege to experience, then you’re in the right place! All I can say is Go you won’t regret it!

To learn more about my time in Bolivia & see for yourself what the experience was like, please check out my other Blog Posts & Video Diaries.

Alternatively, check out my post about a Virtual Fortune Teller Experience – How to travel to Bolivia without leaving home!

What did the 3 days consist of?
2 silver jeeps & 8 people, Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) Bolivia

Uyuni is a 9-hour drive from La Paz & located on the edge of a high plane (altiplano) which stretches for hundreds of miles towards both Argentina & Chile.

It really does feel like you have driven to the end of the earth. The town is in the middle of nowhere & has a strange eerie feeling as you walk around the streets.”

Although our main tour was with Intrepid, our time in the Salt Flats area was led by Sol de Manana & they were fantastic. As a group of 11 plus our amazing guide, Julia, we had 2 x 4-wheel drive vehicles for the duration of our tour.

What do you need to take?
  1. Sunscreen.
    Between the sun & reflection off the salt, the effect can be vicious if you don’t protect yourself.
  2. Water. Enough for the whole of the 4 days. This is really important as you cannot get water along the way.
  3. Limited luggage. The tour company gives you a soft duffel bag which is all the luggage you are able to bring. The rest is locked up & left at your hotel.
  4. Warm clothing & lots of layers. The area can get very cold, especially at night & when you get up early to see the sunrise. Layers are essential.
  5. Travel sickness medication. The roads are bumpy & relentless so take this as a precaution in case you think you may suffer.
SueWhereWhyWhat by Laguna Canapa in a purple top and sunglasses, BoliviaUyuni Town

Before the tour, we spent the night in the town. We stayed in the Samay Wasi Hotel. Our guide Julia was exceptional & would give us an orientation walk when we arrived in each new location. So, to help you if you don’t have this luxury. These would be my recommendations:

Pizzeria Donna Isabella. We ate here for delicious pizza made out of quinoa.

Also recommended was the BBQ serving tasty smelling meat on the Main Street, near the square. However, the advice was to avoid the salad, just in case.

Extreme Fun Pub. Different & based on a heavy drinking mentality but I didn’t go in the evening. A daytime visit here gave us a great chance to look at photos from the Salt Flats. We were then able to plan our approach for the next day & buy some props if needed!

I love a market & in Uyuni, it’s small but still fascinating to have a wander around. I bought avocados at every opportunity to enjoy for breakfast!

Also, please take the opportunity for a hot shower (although sometimes hot is a rare luxury in Bolivia). It may be your last chance for a few days.

Day 1 – Salar de Uyuni
Train Cemetary
SueWhereWhyWhat sits in a rusty Train at the train Cemetary, Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) Bolivia

After packing up & shipping out, our first stop was the train cemetery just 3km outside Uyuni Town. We got there early & it would be my advice to do the same & avoid the crowds. Apparently, it can get very busy! For me, there is something very photogenic about abandoned trains, left to rust in the sun. Here you can climb & photograph them to your heart’s content.

Colchani

We had an interesting tour of this local salt-producing town. They described the process of how you go from the Salt Flats to the product you use to season your food. I was given a bag by the tour guide which still holds pride of place in my kitchen!

Uyuni Salt Flats
SueWhereWhyWhat & Salt Museum sign, Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) Bolivia

Our first stop here was an old Salt House & Museum for a few photos. If you have a flag from your home country bring one along as the area designated with flagpoles makes a very picturesque addition to the landscape. It was fun to try & find our own national flags for a photo (the British one being tiny & screwed up at the bottom on a distant pole – understated & slightly apologetic!).

We then moved on to the main event which was the photos.

SueWhereWhyWhat at Uyuni holding the flag of St.George, Bolivia Salt Flats

The Salt Flats are 12,000 km² in total, 180 km wide & 19 m deep. The largest of its kind in the world. When the tectonic plates in the sea were raised, it created a lake separated by the mountains. The water then evaporated which left deposits to create the flats, 10 billion tonnes of salt!

Driving across the vast expanse of white rock is hypnotic & you can see hexagonal shapes in the ground where the natural geology of the salt forms into what looks like paving.”

Piles of salt and reflections in puddles and a salt patterend 'pavement', Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) Bolivia

If there is water, then it’s even more magical due to the amazing reflections. We only found a small patch but it still made for some interesting photos as the mounds of salt were reflected (drying before they can be processed).

Fun with Photos

SueWherewhywhat pretends to balance on a mans hand on the Uyuni Salt flats in Bolivia with her arms and legs outstretched

When we found our spot, we were well away. Basically, because all you can see is white, you can play with perspective, taking photos in a really fun & interesting way. All you need are a few props, a photographer who is slightly meticulous & willing to lie on the ground to give endless directions on how to move your body, some friends & you’re well away!

SueWherewhywhat & friends & a toy diplodocus dinosaur, Uyuni Salt flats in Bolivia

“I have snaps of me sliding off the back of a dinosaur, eating my fellow travellers on a plate, tiny people standing along the strings of my woolly hat & drinking out of a giant beer bottle.”

We also made a group video of us dancing in & out of a Pringles Tube to the accompaniment of the Spice Girls. You can view the (impressive?!) results of these efforts in my Video Diaries.

Isla Incahuasi
Views of the vast Salt flats from the Cactus island at, Inca huasi, Bolivia

Incahuasi (Fish Island) is an outcrop in the middle of the vast expanse of salt which again messes with your head. It is all that’s left of an ancient volcano, peering through the unreal landscape. Fossils & spikey cacti cover the island, the oldest cactus being 900 years! It’s worth taking an hour to hike around for the 30BOB entry fee (UK£3.30).

As you admire the vista from the island it seems so surreal to see vehicles driving across what your head is saying is water & then parking up to join you. While we were there, we watched some cyclists approaching which was a thing to admire for both aesthetics & athletic achievement.

Salt Hotel
The Salt Hotel, (Casa de Sal), Uyuni, Bolivia

After a fun & surreal first day, we headed for our accommodation via a stop to watch the sunset.

Where we stayed was fascinating. That night I slept on a bed made of salt, in a house made of salt bricks & on the edge of the worlds biggest salt flats. It was a unique experience!”

Day 2 – The Lakes
Train to Chile
SueWhereWhyWhat in Purple top sitting in the middle of the deserted Train track to Chile in the Bolivian plains

Our first stop was the remote & seemingly endless train tracks which mark a straight line directly to the border of Chile. It is a working track but without traffic, it is also a great spot for some amazing photos.

Inca Toilets

Next was a viewpoint of a distant volcano, smoking when we were there & chance of a toilet break. On this trip, not all stops have facilities & here was my first experience of the “Inca Toilet”. Basically, find a spot & take care of business. My advice is to always go with a friend to act as a lookout. I didn’t. It seemed to be everyone had the same idea. I ended up having to change location 3 times as each time I thought I was alone, someone would appear around a nearby rock. What made this worse was that it always seemed to be the same guy with his Go Pro! Anyway, back to the tour…

Laguna Cañapa
2 Pink Flamingoes, one with its head underwater, in the water at Laguna Canapa, Bolivia

I was blown away when we stopped at this lake. Between the stunning reflections of the nearby mountains & the majestic flamingos which populate the lake, I could have stayed here for hours. There isn’t much else to say except the peace & tranquillity was mesmerising.

Laguna Hedionda
Pink Flamingoes grazing in the water at Laguna Hedionda, Bolivia

Our second lake of the day, known as the White Lake, again featured beautiful flamingos & was the location of our lunch stop. From here we moved towards the Atacama Desert & the border with Chile. On the way, we passed Laguna Honda (a heart-shaped lake) & the 7-colour mountain, Siloli.

Wildlife
A sleepy Vizcacha and an inquisitive Andean Fox sniffing the ground, Bolivia Salt Flats

Along with the flamingos, there were also stops when we spotted some of the unique wildlife of Bolivia. Llamas, alpacas, vicuña (a bit like deer & related to the llama), viscacha (a cross between a rabbit & a squirrel), Andean foxes & an emu all made an appearance along the way.

Arbol de Piedra
A Stone Tree (Arbol De Piedra) standing alone and throwing a large shadow in front of distant mountains, In The Bolivian Desert

The next fascinating feature was to see this rock, shaped just like a tree. Its form has been caused by the strong winds which carry sand across the desert, eroding the soft sandstone & creating this interesting landmark.

Laguna Colorada
Views of the Pink Lake, Laguna Colorada with distant flamingoes feeding and the mountain range behind.

Our final stop was this mind-blowing lake. It’s 60kmbut less than 1 metre deep. The microscopic algae which breed in the waters & the rich mix of minerals give it a very distinct pink colour. Again, it is a mecca for flamingos, with 3 species nesting in the lake’s waters. The flamingos can be identified by the colour of their legs. The Andean variety have yellow legs, Chileno are red & the very rare James flamingo has pink legs. The vista is totally surreal & very otherworldly!

Very Very Basic Accommodation

The description on the Intrepid website of our accommodation that night sums up my experience perfectly:

“Describing (the hotel as) ‘basic’ considerably oversells it. It looks like a post-apocalyptic frontier trading post and, despite overnight temperatures dropping to -200C in July, there’s no heating, insulation, carpet, hot water or electric lighting after 9pm. For once you’ll welcome sharing a room with ten others because their body heat warms the place up a bit.”

A view of Siloil and in the distance a Volcano, on the Salt flats of Bolivia

The highlight was the view of the stars outside. We were in a remote village in the middle of the desert, with no light pollution & the Milky Way was spectacular!

We had to get up very early in the morning (5.00AM?) which was fine. However, when we went to set the alarms on our phones we noticed there was an hour’s difference between us all. It turned out that we were so close to the Chilean border that some of our phones had automatically updated!

Sleeping at Altitude

That night I really struggled to sleep. We were at the highest point (4000m). When I lay on one side, I found it really hard to breathe. The next morning our lovely guide Julia explained.

The heart is having to work harder when lying on the left side. It was the first time on the trip that I felt really restricted by the altitude.”

In addition, for some reason, one of our neighbours decided to “sleep” by playing a Guns & Roses song really loudly on a loop. Even when people knocked on the door to complain it just continued. Needless to say, I will never appreciate “You Should Be Mine” without the feeling of foreboding & exhaustion again!

Day 3 – Geyser Sol de Manana & Hot Springs
Sol de Manana
SueWhereWhyWhat stands in the steam in a wooly hat at the Sol De Manana Geyser in Bolivia

Our very early (& weary) start in the morning was well worth it as we arrived at the Sol de Manana geyser as the sun was rising. It was freezing cold, so the warming volcanic jets were very welcome but came with a stark warning not to get too close for fear of being burnt. The main geyser is at 4990m in altitude & can reach 50m in height.

The landscape was like another planet & felt like we had literally walked into a Star Wars location. In addition to the main geyser, there were smaller jets forcing hot steam through holes in the ground & bubbling mud.”

Laguna Verde

Yet another volcano & lake, but this time a green one! Unfortunately, the light on the day we visited wasn’t creating the vivid effect you can often see here. However, with Volcano Licancubar in the background, it was still an impressive sight. The ground here is very high in arsenic and copper which gives the lake its unusual colour.

Salvador Dali Rocks
A view of The Salvador Dahli Rocks on the Bolivian plains and SueWhereWhyWhat & friends sitting relaxing in a Hot Spring at Polque, Bolivia

We headed into the Pampa Jara Desert & saw a collection of rocks in the distance which are named after the artist as they very strongly resemble his painting. It highlights perfectly the surreal nature of the landscape.

Polgues Hot Springs

On the shores of Laguna Salada is a pool of natural hot springs which was the perfect (almost) end to an unforgettable trip. We decided to go later in the day to avoid the crowds at this spot & it paid off. The water is 400C & relaxing in these bathes, overlooking the lake is an amazing memory.

Valley of Rocks
Valley of Rocks, Bolivia. A wide area of all shapes and sizes!

The final stop on our tour took us to this interesting collection of different shaped rocks, standing together right next door to the San Andreas Fault Line. The rocks themselves were impressive & walking around we were identifying shapes & forms in them. For me though, the Fault Line was the part that I was most fascinated by.

It was unimpressive in terms of being photogenic. However, to see this exposed rock poking out of the ground, tracing its way off into the distance & recognise the power & impact it has, blew my mind.”

SueWhereWhyWhat a Jeep and two friends, Salt flats tour, Bolivia

As we headed back to Uyuni Town for the end of this part of the tour I was in awe of the beauty & landscapes of Bolivia. As a country, it has far fewer visitors than its neighbours like Peru. For me though, that just made it all the more magical. I would recommend a visit to Bolivia to anyone who is considering exploring South America & the highlight of this trip will undoubtedly be a tour of the Salar de Uyuni. You will not regret it!

To learn more about my time in Bolivia or see for yourself what the experience was like, check out my other Blog Posts & Video Diaries.

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3 Mind Blowing Days Touring Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) & beyond!

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16 Comments

  1. I only did a day tour as I was too scared that the nights would be too cold. I actually flew in and out El Alto the same day for the tour. The 3 day tour looks amazing though! Jealous you saw the flamingos, it was too far out to see them on a 1 day tour, but we did get some pictures during sunset.

    1. Arunima, thanks for getting in touch & I know a few people who did the 1-day tour. It’s a great option if you’re short on time but I don’t think you would get the chance to fully experience the beauty of the area. The nights were cold but the key was layers! Definitely, recommend the 3-days if your back in Bolivia at any time. Sue x

  2. I really enjoy your blog – both the info and the style. We are going to Bolivia and Patagonia in 2020. Great info for my planning.

    1. Laureen, thank you for the lovely feedback! Next year’s trip sounds amazing! I also have a First Timers Guide for Bolivia & some posts on Patagonia in Argentina – also stunning! If you get chance to check them out but definitely add the Salt Flats to your list…& the 3 days if you have time. Sue x

  3. Bolivia is not somewhere that I have ever added to my list. I have now. This looks amazing and magical. The photos are great too. I’d worry a bit about altitude as I have a heart condition, but it would be worth it!

    1. Alizon, really pleased to hear that Bolivia is now on your list & thanks for getting in touch! They have lots of tips to deal with the altitude if that’s a big concern. I know there are tablets you can take but drinking Coca tea & chewing coca leaves & sweets can help. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get there. Regards Sue x

  4. Fantastic learning about Bolivia. I only made it to Laz Paz and have always wanted to go back. The salt flats and the Salt Hotel sounds great.

    1. Sue, thank you for getting in touch & the Salt Flats themselves are definitely worth a visit when you are next in Bolivia. Regards Sue x

  5. I skipped this when I was in South America, but after reading your post I wish I didn’t! The salt hotel looks fantastic!! And I def had issues sleeping at altitude too for the first night or two. It’s kind of a scary experience.

    1. Katie, Thanks a lot for your comment & I hope next time you can make it! The altitude can have a really weird impact & the strange thing about the night I struggled was that I’d been at altitude for well over a week that night. They do say that you never know how & who will be affected & I couldn’t agree more. Happy travels Sue x

  6. Mind blowing is the right word for this experience … from those trains to the salt flats, my camera would need a lie down after this trip, it’s poor little shutter would be worn out. Love the idea of all those different photo ops. I’ve only ever been to Sao Paulo, but am dying to explore more — I fancy a trip to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina … at the very least.

    1. Thank you, Jay, & it was certainly an experience to visit this fascinating part of the world. I loved Peru, Bolivia & Argentina all for very different reasons. Chile remains on my list too! Safe travels…once we can again! Sue x

  7. We actually planned a trip to Machu Picchu that we cancelled due to health. And we were going to do Bolivia as a tour before that. I imagined seeing the flat salt plains. But love that they have also used the salt for statues. Although I am not sure about sleeping on a salt bed. I would definitely enjoy the hot springs. I love all the fun photos you created. I will save this post as hubby will definitely want to recreate one or more!

    1. Thank you, Linda & sorry about your trip to Machu Picchu & Bolivia. Glad I’ve given you some inspiration for salt flat photos when you do get there. I look forward to seeing them when you do! Sue x

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