SALAR DE UYUNI: 12 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The Salar de Uyuni tour takes you to unimaginably stunning landscapes across Bolivia. From salt deserts and active volcanoes to lagunas reflecting, ruby, emerald and sapphire hues. From wild flamingos to rocky desert landscapes, geysers, hot springs and salt hotels, the itinerary will keep you on your toes with one surprise after another.
Before you think that you 100% have to do a tour, you don't! I've met Bolivians who have done the tour independently on motorbikes whilst camping. A French family cycling across the desert with three children all under 10. And seen many other cyclists on the road braving the dirt tracks and burning heat of the day. The advantage of avoiding a tour is being able to go at your own pace and do things in your own time without being rushed.
I'm not usually one for organised excursions if I can avoid them, however, unfortunately, I'm also not one for riding motorbikes or cycling hundreds of kilometres.
You have a few options when choosing your tour ranging from 1,2,3 & 4-day expeditions. The itineraries are pretty much identical across agencies and will only differ depending on whether you start from Uyuni or Tupiza.
Here are the top 12 things to know before you go:
#1 You can start the tour from either Uyuni or Tupiza
The Uyuni itineraries are more or less the same except backwards going the other way from Tupiza.
If you've just crossed the border from Argentina into the little gem Tupiza, you may prefer to start your tour right away. A huge advantage with Tupiza as your starting point is that there are fewer agencies and therefore fewer crowds on your tour.
Going from Uyuni, you'll have more options on whether you want to do a 1,2,3 or 4-day tour, whereas from Tupiza it's more or less a 4-day tour. If you're planning to go to Chile, starting from Uyuni for 50B extra you can ask your tour company to drop you off in San Pedro de Atacama.
Salar de Uyuni Bolivia
Sunset on the salt flats!
#2 Don't feel as though you have to do the multiple day tours
It's true that everyone raves about doing the 3 or 4-day tour. But don't feel like this is an absolute must for you. If you've already spent time in Chile or Argentina then you may have seen similar landscapes. There are people who opt for the one-day tour and that's totally fine if it's the right option for you.
#3 The price of the tour is negotiable with most companies
I went with Esmeralda Toursand even in my group we all paid different prices from 700B to 870B. If you're two or more people, you will find it easier to negotiate. Definitely shop around and find the best company for you.
Handy tip: Ask for a sleeping bag to be included for free. It gets cold... really cold!!
#4 Bring toilet paper, money, snacks and water
Park entry fees are not included in the final tour price and nor is using the bathroom or hot water showers. Your tour operator should be able to advise you of up to date prices and fees.
Most of the accommodation is basic and didn't include toilet paper. To be honest, as a general rule of thumb for Bolivia, carry toilet paper with you!
#5 Tours are in Spanish
Unless you're really lucky and get a driver that speaks some English, most of the tours will be conducted in Spanish. If your Spanish isn't amazing like mine, hopefully there'll be some lovely fellow tourists who can help translate.
You can opt to go with an English guide but this will be reflected in the price and it may be necessary to do a private tour. The advantage of doing this allows you to tailor the tour to meet your needs instead of cruising along for the shared generic tours.
Salar de Uyuni Bolivia | Train Cemetry
The train cemetry!
#6 Altitude sickness
If you haven't acclimatised to the altitude, you may feel a little under the weather from adjusting.Luckily most of the tour is carried out in a vehicle and there is very little hiking or trekking unless you do the 4-day tour where you hike a volcano.
Your driver/guide should be able to provide you with coca leaves or some hot coca tea. If you're worried, it could be a good idea to take some altitude sickness tablets with you just in case.
#7 Go out to see the stars
On my second night, despite the below freezing temperatures, I braved it outside to see the sky lit up with stars like tiny fireflies scattered across the galaxy. It was spectacular!
#8 Bring a dinosaur or a prop for those fun perspective photos
You can't go to Salar de Uyuni and not take a load of ridiculous photos! In fact 1-2 hours is normally devoted to taking fun photos for everyone's amusement.
Have fun because when else are you going to get photos as funny as these!
Salar de Uyuni Bolivia
Totally kicking butt!
#9 Bring a backup charger
On our second night, the accommodation was basic and there was nowhere to charge our phones or cameras. Fortunately, a couple of people lent me their back up chargers.
Bring a backup charger if you can!
#10 Arrive in Uyuni and hop straight on a tour
If you're coming in on the overnight bus from La Paz, most buses will arrive around 7 am which will give you enough time to find a tour agency (if you haven't already booked beforehand) and hop on a tour. Most tours will begin at 10:30 am.
If you do want to stay in Uyuni for one night (there's not a whole lot to do) then there are a couple of really cool and quirky places to stay.
Onkel Inn Wagon Sleepbox Uyuni: A capsule hotel that offers quirky wagons to sleep in for the night. They have a range of accommodation options and prices for every traveller.
Casa Andina Salt Hotel: Start your trip in a beautiful salt hotel with beautiful rooms, bathrooms, heaters and hot showers. If you're on your way back from your Salar de Uyuni tour, this is the perfect place to relax and chill for a couple of days.
#11 Bring layers!
Depending on the time of year you choose to go, some months will be colder than others. I went late September and it was definitely a month to wrap up warm with alpaca socks and gloves!
Temperatures can drop to below freezing and as most tours only offer basic accommodation, there'll be no heating in your dorm.
#12 Get inspired!
Still looking for inspiration? Get inspired by this post!
How to get to Uyuni
A night bus from La Paz with Titicaca will cost 130B. It's cold so wrap up! Connections from other cities are also possible.
If you're stuck for time, there are daily internal flights to Uyuni with Amaszonas and Boliviana. Book ahead as flights get reserved quickly!
A little note to end...
Whilst I did my tour with Esmeralda Tours, there are loads of agencies out there and it's best to find the best one that is right for you. Hopefully, you get a fun and chatty driver with a great group!
Whilst everything went smoothly and we got from A to B safely, our driver wasn't particularly sociable or conversational during the tour even with the Spanish speakers. So I can't say that I would highly recommend my tour company, it all depends on who you get at the end of the day!
Planning a trip or fancy a freebie? These are some websites and services I love:
Booking.com: For the best hotel deals! 🏝
World Nomads: Travel insurance on the go 🌎
Airbnb: For the best apartment deals!🏡
Affiliate links above!
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