The Complete Salar de Uyuni Guide: 1-Day, 3-Day, and DIY Tour Options for 2026
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat — 10,582 square kilometers of crusty white expanse at 3,656 meters above sea level in southwestern Bolivia. During the rainy season, it becomes the world's largest natural mirror. During dry season, it's a geometric wonderland of hexagonal salt patterns stretching to every horizon.
Either version is worth the trip. Here's how to plan it.
Overview
Uyuni is a small, dusty town in the Potosi department that exists primarily as a staging point for salt flat tours. There's not much to do in town itself — a few restaurants, a handful of hotels, and a main street lined with tour operators. The magic is all out on the flat.
Best Time to Visit
For mirror photos (rainy season): December to April. Sweet spot is late March to early April — enough water for reflections, fewer access issues than peak rainy months.
For dry salt patterns: May to November. The salt forms stunning hexagonal polygons, forced-perspective photography works best on the dry white surface, and tour access is unrestricted.
For stargazing: May to October. Clearest skies, driest air, and zero light pollution.
Includes: Train Cemetery → salt flat (mirror area or dry flat depending on season) → Incahuasi Island → perspective photography → sunset on the salar.
Good for: Limited time, budget travelers, or those already acclimatized who want the essential experience.
Missing: The south — Eduardo Avaroa, colored lagoons, flamingos, geysers.
3-Day Tour ($150-200 USD all-inclusive)
The definitive Uyuni experience. Departs Uyuni morning, ends at the Chile border (Hito Cajón) or returns to Uyuni.
Day 1: Train Cemetery → Salar de Uyuni → Incahuasi Island → overnight at salt hotel or village.
Day 2: Drive south through desert. Laguna Canapa (flamingos), Siloli Desert (Arbol de Piedra rock formation), Laguna Colorada (thousands of flamingos in red mineral water). Overnight at basic refuge near Laguna Colorada.
Day 3: 4:30AM wake-up. Sol de Mañana geysers (4,850m altitude — the cold is savage). Hot springs at Polques (bliss after the cold). Laguna Verde at the foot of Licancabur volcano. Drop at Chilean border or return to Uyuni.
This is the tour to do if you can only do one thing in Bolivia. The progression from salt flat to desert to colored lagoons to volcanic landscape is one of the most visually extraordinary road trips on Earth.
Sunset/Stargazing Tour ($30-50 USD)
Departs Uyuni 3-4PM, returns after dark.
Includes: Salt flat, sunset over the mirror (rainy season) or dry flat, stargazing. Some operators offer overnight camping.
Good for: Adding to a 1-day tour if you want the night sky experience without committing to 3 days.
Where to Stay
In Uyuni town:
Budget: Piedra Blanca Backpackers ($8-12/night)
Mid-range: Hotel Jardines de Uyuni ($30-50/night)
Comfort: Tambo Aymara ($60-90/night)
On the salar:
Palacio de Sal ($100-150/night) — the original salt hotel, everything made from salt blocks
Luna Salada ($80-130/night) — better heating, slightly more comfortable beds
Salt hotels are a unique experience but bring realistic expectations — heating is inconsistent, hot water is limited, and the remoteness means no WiFi.
Choosing a Tour Operator
This matters more than any other decision you'll make.
Recommended:
Red Planet Expeditions
Quechua Connection
Salar Expeditions
Brisa Tours
Red flags:
Price below $40/day for 3-day tours
No clear vehicle inspection policy
Cramming more than 6 passengers in one vehicle
Driver drinking during the tour (this happens — if it does, demand to stop immediately)
Camera with extra batteries (cold drains batteries fast)
Waterproof boots (rainy season)
Snacks (chocolate, trail mix, crackers)
Electrolyte tabs or rehydration salts
Motion sickness medication for the rough roads
Safety
There is zero cell coverage on the salar. Do not separate from your group.
Altitude at 3,656m (higher on the 3-day route) causes sickness. Acclimatize in La Paz or Sucre for 2+ days before coming.
UV radiation is extreme — the combination of altitude and salt reflection can cause sunburns in under 30 minutes. Reapply sunscreen obsessively.
Temperature swings from 25°C to -10°C in a single day. Layer, layer, layer.
If your vehicle breaks down, stay with it. Other tour groups pass regularly. Do not wander.
The Bottom Line
Salar de Uyuni is one of the most surreal landscapes on Earth — a place where the ground becomes the sky and the horizon dissolves into infinity. The infrastructure is basic, the altitude is punishing, and the cold is relentless. But nothing else on this planet looks like this.
If you're exploring more of the region, Cusco offers a complementary experience worth considering.
If you're exploring more of the region, Patagonia offers a complementary experience worth considering.
Do the 3-day tour. Pay for a reputable operator. Bring warm clothes and strong sunscreen. And try to stay overnight on the flat for the stars.
