3-Days Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat and Colored Lagoons +Sunset+Mirror Effect

high res image
full ratings full ratings full ratings full ratings half ratings
based on 477 reviews
  • Duration: 3 days (approx.)
  • Location: Uyuni, Bolivia
  • Product code: 108758P6
From USD $250.00
Book in 2 easy steps:

1. Select A Date

2. Enter Total No Of Travellers

Adult (Age : 18 to 64)
Senior (Age : 65 to 70)
Child (Age : 4 to 9)
Infant (Age : 1 to 2)
  • PRODUCT DETAILS
  • TRAVELER REVIEWS
  • TRAVELER PHOTOS

Itinerary

Day 1: Uyuni Salt Flats to Salt Hostel (Train cemetery Colchani Salt craft shops and salt factory)

Stop At: Salar de Uyuni, Uyuni Bolivia
From the office at 10:00 am. We will visit the Train Cemetery, where you can see the remains of steam locomotives from the 19th centuries. Arrival in COLCHANI, we will visit the salt refinery where iodine is mixed with salt, in its different stages for national consumption, visit the salt craft shops, on the shore of the salt flat we will visit the salt eyes,visit ex- salt hotel Playa Blanca where we have lunch roast llama,beef,Vegetarian food for vegetarians, then the we go to INCAWASI ISLAND which is located in the middle of the salt flat, 100 km from Uyuni ,It is an extraordinary place seems to be out of another world a mountainous island covered in trichocerus CACTI and a flat white sea of salt with hexagonal shapes . In the middle of the salt desert we will have a perspective photo,videos session with our expert driver guides for 1-2 hours, sunset,after we go to the 3 star salt hotel with private toilet. Upon arrival you can enjoy a tee, coffee, hot chocolate, dinner, rest.
Duration: 9 hours

Stop At: Train Cemetery, Uyuni Bolivia
South of Uyuni, 3 kilometers from Uyuni, the Train Cemetery, where you can see different types, models, remains of steam locomotives from the 19th and early 20th centuries, locomotives made in North America, England, is a place where you can appreciate, the high technology of the nineteenth century, which impacted on industrial development and mining in Potosi and passengers, who replaced the caravan of llamas that transported silver from the Huanchaca-Pulacayo mine to Antofagasta, is a good place to take pictures artistic, the driver guide will help to take pictures and information, the time is 30 minutes.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Colchani, Colchani, Potosi Department
Arrival in the town of COLCHANI, it is next to the Uyuni salt flats where Cooperativa Rosario works, the main salt iodization plant. It is the best place to observe the different stages that salt undergoes, which is extracted from the salt, such as the drying of the salt, the crushing of salt, the mixing of iodine to the salt, the packing of the salt to the bags for its commercialization in Bolivia.Our expert guide will also explain this process of salt iodization.In the same town, the artisanal salt market will be visited, for example flamingos, llamas, carved in blocks of salt, medicinal salt mixed with made in salt, which can be photographs, bought as souvenirs and others.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Isla Incahuasi, Uyuni Bolivia
Later we will enter the majestic Uyuni Salt Flats , on the shore of the Salar, you can visit the salt eyes, which It is medicinal for rheumatism, arthritis, visit the Dakar monument, visit to the flags of the salar, visit ex-salt hotel Playa Blanca, , considered as a salt museum, made with blocks of salt. At noon lunch, later time to take photos and perspective videos, explained by our expert bilingual driver guide, arrived at Incawasi Island (Casa del Inca ) is located in the center of the salt flat 100 km from Uyuni, a mountainous island covered with giant cacti surrounded by a white sea with hexagonal shapes, volcanoes such as the Tunupa, populated by vizcachas, dominated by the colors blue and white, is an oasis with a unique and isolated ecosystem that is populated by cacti from a few centimeters up to 7 meters high.We went to the shore of the salt flat on the west side to wait for the sunset, then we went to the 3-star salt hostel to spend the night, dinner, rest.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Lunch: day 1 ,lunch,dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Hostel Piedra Andina In San Juan town

Day 2: Day 2: Salt Hostel / Laguna Colorada

Stop At: Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna, Bolivia
On day 2 is covered a distance of 350 km, altitude of 3660 to 5000 meters, in a time of 9 hours. "Laguna Colorada", the rich red coloration is derived from the algae, and the plankton, which is nourished by its minerals, is lined with bright white deposits of magnesium, borax. The following attractions will be visited on day 2:
• Chullpas cemetery, chiguana desert, ollague viewpoint
• Chain of lagoons, cañapa, hedionda (Lunch), Chiarcota, honda lagoons.
• crossing the Siloli desert, you can see 7 colors of volcanoes.
• visit the stone tree, visit the red lagoon, the 2 viewpoints, a) the Puntas Negras viewpoint b) the Aguas Calientes viewpoint, from where you can see the 3 types of flamingos, Chilean, Andean Jamesi.
• Later visit to the Sol de Mañana volcano, where you will appreciate the geysers and fumaroles, arrival at the hot springs of Laguna Polques, where you will enjoy the hot springs, tea, dinner, and spend the night in a 2-star hotel.


Duration: 10 hours

Stop At: Volcan Ollague, Ruta 701, Ollague Chile
We will have a breakfast. Departure at 7:30 am. On day 2 a distance of 350 km is covered, altitude of 3660 to 5000 meters, in a time of 9 hours. Departure to the "Laguna Colorada", it is located 151 km south of the Population of San Juan at an altitude of 4278 meters and covers an area of 60 km2. We will pass through the town of San Juan, we will make a stop in the middle of the Salar de Chiguana from where you can see a chain of volcanoes that surround the plain, later you begin to climb the slope of the Ollague volcano that borders Bolivia -Chile, from the viewpoint we will appreciate this semi-active volcano, you can also do a short walk Among the lava of giant stones of this volcano, which presents figures of animals such as serpent, eagle, etc., later our expert driver guide will drive to visit the altiplanic lagoons such as the Cañapa lagoon, the hedionda lagoon along with a legendary Toyota land cruiser.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Laguna Canapa, Uyuni Bolivia
The Cañapa Lagoon is the first in the circuit of the Uyuni 3-day tour, it is the second day after sleeping in the hotel of the salt. The road from Uyuni is long by trail and with little signposting. The cold is intense and on the way the incredible scenery. Later, more lagoons continue, culminating in the Laguna Colorada and Polques hot springs.
you will literally see snow-capped mountains, hills of brown and reddish colors and a large lagoon with many flamingos in it. We go around the lagoon to have the best shots of the flamingos, the lagoon and the snow-capped mountains, all this great landscape looks like a postcard. They can stay as long as they want, flamingos perceive that someone is approaching and immediately take flight in a flock, that image is beautiful, the birds flying in the celestial sky contrasting with their peculiar and stylized shape accompanied by those beautiful colors that adorn themt ,3it is the first stop where you will see these beautiful birds.
Duration: 1 day 6 hours

Stop At: Laguna Hedionda, Uyuni Bolivia
This is another wonderful lagoon in the highlands. It provides the opportunity to see a lot of flamingos, but it is also great to see it in the surrounding snow-capped hills and volcanoes. This is pretty remote and it's cool.Incredible landscape of lake, birds, delimited by mountains and volcanoes.Lots of birds, especially Andean flamingos.
The Hedionda lagoon has some structure to receive tourists. There is a restaurant, bathrooms and even outdoor tables to receive visitors, with lunch prepared by our company Ande Salt Expeditions, it is here where we have lunch.after lunch we continue through the desert to climb up to 5000 meters high in the siloli desert
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Arbol de Piedra, Uyuni Bolivia
After lunch we continue through the desert to climb up to 5000 meters high in the Siloli Desert. The route passes through spectacular landscapes with multicolored volcanic rock formations, and reaches a height of 5000 meters and then enters the Eduardo Abaroa National Reserve where the Stone Tree is located whose natural form is petrified volcanic lava eroded (volcanic Ignimbrite) by the wind. and the rain for what to reach the most important of the second day attractive red lagoon a lot of flamingos.
We will stop in the middle of this desert to observe the 7 colors of volcanoes with their pyroplasts of this desert, in Bolivia called Siloli, in Chile this same desert has the name of the Atacama desert.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Laguna Colorada, Laguna Colorada, Potosi Department
Then we go we will arrive at Laguna Colorada at approximately 04.00 p.m. Laguna Colorado is located 151 km south of San Juan at an altitude of 4278 meters and covers an area of 60 km2. The rich red coloration is derived from algae and plankton, which thrives on its minerals and the shoreline is lined with bright white deposits of sodium, magnesium, borax.This lagoon has a red tint due to algal blooms and being notice clearly. There are many miles of flamingos when you can walk along the side of the lagoon. Great place for bird watching and a beautiful mountainous backdrop.
We will visit this lagoon from 2 viewpoints, Puntas Negras viewpoint, Aguas Calientes viewpoint.
Laguna Colorado is known for its beautiful colors and its pink flamingos, then we will continue along the slopes of the Pabellon volcano until we reach the Sol de Mañana volcano to meet the geysers and fumaroles.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Geiser Sol de la Manana, Avaroa National Reserve, Uyuni Bolivia
We continue visiting the volcanic area of Geysers "Sol de Mañana". Here, at 4850 meters, is a geyser basin with bubbling clay pots, infernal fumaroles and a thick aroma of sulfur fumes. This is a site of intense volcanic activity. Inside a small crater we will observe boiling lava, reminding us of the time when the earth was formed.
You can take videos, photos, accompanied by our driver guides, observe bubbling mud, they look great (especially in slow motion), and you can get good photos and videos coming out of the fog that comes out of the ground, a very impressive place in this region, a place so Do not forget to bring warm clothes at sunset, otherwise you will literally freeze!
This geyser in the middle of the desert is an incredible sight, the columns of steam rise in the air and it is quite a spectacle,and then descend to the Polques lagoon where we will enjoy the hot springs and where we will spend the night in a 3-star hostel in the Piedra hotel.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Aguas Termales de Polques, Next to Cerro Faldajara, Uyuni Bolivia
We will arrive at this magical place of the hot springs of Laguna Polques at 6:30 pm, we will take our beds before enjoying the hot springs.
You are in the middle of nowhere surrounded by surreal beauty and you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in thermal pools at a height of 4410 meters. You can enjoy the thermal water after or before dinner or the next day before continuing the tour.
This place is truly magical and should not be missed. Enjoy the views while in the water or if you stay at the nearby hostel, enjoy the night sky while in the water.
The hot springs themselves are beautiful and have a great view of the lagoon with flamingos in the vicinity the experience is as if you were together with the flamingos in the hot spring water.
Duration: 14 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Day 2 includes breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: overnights at hostel Luna Dorada in Huallajara Town

Day 3: Salvador Dali Desert, Laguna Verde,Transfer out to san Pedro or Uyuni.

Stop At: Salvador Dali Desert, Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve Bolivia
We shall depart from Hot springs after breakfast to Laguna verde at 08:00 AM.Cross Salvador Dali Desert,we make stop, laguna verde,the green colour of this lake arises from high concentrations of lead, sulphur and calcium carbonate., Licancabur Volcano 5960 metres, you Have two Option:

1st OPTION CONTINUES ENDING IN SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA – CHILE AT 13:00 PM.

2nd OPTION BACK TO UYUNI, VISITING THE VILLAMAR COMUNITY (LUNCH TIME), We headed to the town of San Cristobal where we can observe a church of colonial times and then go through the barrel of Villa alota continue the Valley of Rocks to observe volcanic lava petrified then we went to the canyon of Catal to observe pretty much llamas and birds , continuing headed to the lagoon Villa Mar and Italy lost natural formation of giant rocks, and end Uyuni at 17:00pm.
Duration: 9 hours

Stop At: Salvador Dali Desert, Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve Bolivia
we continue with the expedition, we leave for the Laguna Verde, we will have a stop in the Salvador Dali desert, a beautiful desert that bears the name of the famous artist. The mountains, their shapes and colors create something unique, where we will stop to observe the panorama of volcanoes, pyrophlasts, giant rocks. Dalí's famous painting with the previous title coincides with the location of the rocks in this desert landscape . Surrounded by towering volcanoes, the setting is as surreal as Dalí's paintings. The rocks placed indiscriminately in the desert sand could easily be Dalí's painting. You would only be in this place on a 3 day / 2 night tour accompanied by our expert guides from Andes Salt Expeditions with a great stop and viewpoint. Colors and otherworldly things have to be seen to be believed. But the trip itself is not for the sick or faint of heart. Altiplano, at over 10,000 feet, it gets very cold at night and none of the places to stay is hot, just lots of blankets.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Laguna Verde, Bolivia
After visiting the Salvador Dali desert, we reached the edge of the Laguna Verde, this is the last stop on the tour, before reaching the border with Chile Hito Cajones, it has a beautiful green color and is a great opportunity to take pictures together With the Licancabur volcano in the background, there are no flamingos here because the water contains arsenic. The green color of this lake arises from the high concentrations of lead, sulfur and calcium carbonate, arsenic from the Licancabur Volcano 5960 meters Laguna Verde is together with Laguna Blanca with some flamingos. The Licancabur volcano borders Bolivia to the south with Argentina to the west with Chile, it is a truly surreal sight.Then clients are transferred to the Hito Cajones border to make the transfer out, for some tourists of the group, then they return to Uyuni with other clients of the group.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: San Pedro de Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region
From the Laguna Verde, we will travel about 20 minutes to the Hito Cajones between Bolivia-Chile, from where those who finish the tour in Chile will pass through the migration of Bolivia and Chile, the height in this part is 4400 meters high, For this, tourists have 2 options which are: 1st OPTION CONTINUES ENDING IN SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA - CHILE AT 13:00 PM. 2nd OPTION RETURN TO UYUNI, VISITING THE VILLAMAR COMMUNITY (LUNCH TIME), continuing towards the Villa Mar lagoon and lost Italy natural formation of giant rocks where we can see some flamingos, many llamas and other birds.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Laguna Negra, Potosi Bolivia
Black lagoon of Catal (villa Mar) It is a beautiful place with beautiful views, vegetation, llamas, colors were impressive the dark blue of the water, with yellow and green plants growing around it, in addition to the llamas and wonderful rock formations nearby. A very quiet place. and then passing through the Villa Alota canyon, we continue to go to the town of San Cristóbal where we can see a colonial-era church and finish in Uyuni at 17:00 pm.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: day 3 breakfast,lunch
No accommodation included on this day.


Inclusions

  • 2x Breakfast
  • Accommodation included: 2 nights
  • 1x Lunch

Exclusions

  • Transfer out ticket to San Pedro de Atacama Chile of 20 USD
  • Entradas
  • saco de dormir
  • Agua

Schedule Details

Departure Dates:

See Availability.

Departure Point:

Andes Salt Expeditions Tour Operator, 56 ferroviaria Avenue at front train station, Av. Ferroviaria, Uyuni, Bolivia
Traveler pickup is offered
we can pick up the passengers from the bus station of the hotel in Uyuni city.
Note: If your hotel is Palacio de Sal, Luna Salada or Cristal Samaña (Colchani town) you have to pay 30 usd extra.

Airports

  • Uyuni Joya Andina Airport, Uyuni Bolivia

Departure time

09:30 AM

Duration

3 days(approx.)

Return details

Returns to original departure point

product image

Additional Information

Not wheelchair accessible

Near public transportation

Not recommended for travelers with back problems

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund

This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund

This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers

Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Posted By : RedPanda007
My sister recently went on this tour. While the tour itself was fine, she had dietary requirements and the staff were completely rude about helping to cater for her requirements. Even after she alerted them to her needs multiple times before the trip, and they confirmed they can cater. They lied about what food was and wasn’t appropriate for her to eat, and didn’t understand at all that any animal meant it was a meat, and were meats that she couldn’t eat, so she had to be very careful with what they provided. And at the end, after fighting a lot, she managed to get a partial refund but the staff made it very difficult and intimidating for her to leave. They blocked the exit door, she had to push through to get out. They even said to her, when she tried to explain that her dietary needs are life threatening, that she didn’t die of bad driving so she should count herself lucky. They clearly have no understanding of anything besides omnivores. While many that go with this company may be fine with their dietary requirements, the company’s behaviour showed just how chauvinistic and inconsiderate the staff are. Beware!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-11


Posted By : Cgp978
We had a great time on our 3 day Salt Flats tour. What made our tour excellent was our tour guide, Henry. He went above and beyond to deliver quality service while being a fun source of laughs and conversations. Like the other tour guides at Andean Salt Expeditions, he took great photos and was very accomodating to our needs. Highly recommend.
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09


Posted By : jackjS9564WK
Jose and Jesus we fantastic guides throughout the trip. We had an incredible time on the 3D2N tour - a lot of the really good parts, like the red lagoon, you only seen with the extended tours. Bucket list stuff and would highly recommend the company and our two guides!
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-08


Posted By : andresit0
Sal 3 day trip with Andes expeditions In order to help persons interested in the 3 day trip, you may short and detailed review below before you book. Key points (short review): ➕ Great scenery ➖ Guide very knowledgeable but ruined a large part of the trip ➖ Poor food ➖ Tight and exhausting schedule - early wake up’s (e.g., 4am) ➖ No mirror effect ➖ Dust penetrated inside the car ➖ Freezing to death temperatures (including hotels) Fact: you will reach up to 5km altitude * I would prefer a single trip to Uyuni and another trip to see the stars. In my opinion, lakes are very nice but the climate is unfriendly (windy and cold even with no clouds) and overall, the fatigue to reach this part outweighs the beauty of the scenery. Detailed review: Scenery Sal de Uyuni is amazing! Try to brainstorm some ideas for photos before coming here! Guide The guide was very knowledgeable about everything regarding the animals and nature. However for some reason he was fixated to the fact that we would not have private rooms. Although we clarified that with Andes, he kept ruining our trip’s expectations by saying “ok we will see”. In the first hotel we had private room with bathroom. The water was not too hot. Regarding the second day he told us that we will sleep 6 in a room, with no running water, no electricity. When we arrived in the hostel we had our private room, with bathroom, hot water and electricity till 10pm. All people in the group spent our whole day on how to manage the fact we wouldn’t have a hot shower and remaining dirty for two days. Even though this was a good opportunity to practice mindfulness moments and not worry about the future, this was completely unnecessary. Every time we asked him something that he didn’t want to answer (not about nature, he was very knowledgeable on this topic) he responded with irrelevant sentences. We had to ask him three times in a row why he thinks that we would have shared rooms to give us a (reasonable for him) answer. So this idiotic behavior ruined our mood since we believed that the agency fooled us and gave us shared rooms. I hope that this review would be brought to the agency’s attention and talk to this guy. Poor food The food was simple but unhealthy, whites and coca colas. Only some cooked vegetables were offered. All breakfasts were awful: scrambled eggs not very well cooked. Chicken in the meals was uncooked. Bring your food (eg nuts) to have an alternative. Also raw vegetables were offered which I avoid due to past gastroenteritis that I add in the area. The only exception was some tasty soups! Schedule It is not communicated beforehand that last day you wake up at 4am. Don’t expect to have a proper rest in this trip. No Mirror effect The guide told us that in April there is no water so as to admire the mirror effect, small pods existed but the guide ignored our request to have a stop. Additionally two days later as we flew from Uyuni to La Paz, we saw water in salar de Uyuni. I will upload the relevant evidence. Dust penetrated inside the car The vehicles are quite uncomfortable inside and dust came inside multiple times. I had to wear a face mask at all times while the car was moving. Freezing to death temperatures The places we visited were very cold. When we asked if we needed a sleeping bag, the told us it is not necessary. Bring WARM clothes and many layers, you will freeze to death.
Rating : full ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-03


Posted By : Juliette_N
Uyuni is great and you should definitely add it to your itinerary. However, our guide had very little knowledge and we got little insights on the places we visited. Accommodation and food was ok. The transfer to Atacama was organized smoothly. Be aware of altitude sickness!
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-03


Posted By : at_fabiola
We did the 3 day/2 night tour and it was great. Our guide Henry was always very attentive. Not only was he able to answer all of our questions, but he also proved to be an excellent photographer. Each day of the tour was unique and wonderful, the food and hotels were great. We can recommend the tour with Henry in every aspect. :)
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-01


Posted By : Sveinung_S
This tour is highly recommended! You will have experiences and memories for life! The nature is breathtaking. The highlight for me was the sunset at Salar de Uyuni and swimming in the hot springs! The guide and the drivers did a brilliant job for us to have an unforgettable journey :) They are also very good at taking great photos and videos for their customers! This is good to know before you travel: - Bring cash! It costs 150 bolivianos per person to enter the National Park. - Your main luggage will be placed on the roof of the car, take a separate bag with you to keep in the car. The weather is very changeable. It is therefore a good idea to have warm clothes nearby! - We brought our own sleeping bags. It came in very handy because it is cold in the hostels. This is a trip you will never forget! It's highly recommended!
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-29


Posted By : 651karimad
This was an amazing, unforgettable experience. I did the 3 day tour with a mixed group of travellers and our guide, Bejmar. It was everything we wanted it to be and more. Our guide went above and beyond to take care of us, make sure we were comfortable and educate us on every destination. The landscapes and history in Bolivia are out of this world. Must do bucket list trip
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-24


Posted By : Amal A
Raquel was our guide and Goyo was our driver. They really made this experience a special one! Raquel kept telling us to feel like we are family and she really did make us feel like one! From feeding us, to telling us stories, to all the information she shared with us passionately about her country, to all the photos and videos she took! Is there anything this woman can’t do? I went on this tour for my birthday trip and she came to me in the morning with a big hug and sang happy birthday in Spanish to me! This truly was an unforgettable experience!
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-22


Posted By : 682kaiqueg
it was a fantastic experience. we took the medium package and slept all 2 days in a private room with a private bathroom and hot water. the food was good every day and we even had a picnic watching the sunset on the first day. our driver (Angél) was very attentive and even a great DJ on a relaxing day. our Guide, Dennis, was extremely competent, attentive and took excellent photos and videos. It seems to me that the photographs and videos he takes are a plus on the trip. all free, but all the equipment belongs to him. If you can choose, choose Dennis. We did the transfer to go to SAN Pedro de Atacama afterwards and everything went very smoothly. I highly recommend the agency
Rating : full ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratingsfull ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-22