Bolivia Salt Flats & Deserts

La Paz - Uyuni. Upon arrival in La Paz, you make your way to the central bus terminal to begin your overnight journey across the Bolivian altiplano. You board a comfortable night bus with reclining seats and settle in as the city lights fade and the road climbs into the high Andes.

The journey unfolds quietly through remote highland landscapes. You can rest under provided blankets or remain awake to glimpse small villages, wide open plains, and star-filled skies. Brief stops are made along the route, allowing you to stretch your legs or purchase a warm drink in the cool mountain air.

This morning, you arrive in Uyuni as daylight spreads across the plains. After meeting your guide, you set out on a full-day journey across the surrounding desert landscapes in a shared 4-wheel drive vehicle, with lunch and dinner included.

Your first stop is the Train Cemetery, where abandoned locomotives remain scattered across the sand, reflecting Uyuni’s railway past. You then continue to the village of Colchani to see how salt is traditionally harvested and processed, with time to browse local stalls selling handmade salt crafts.

Driving out onto the vast Uyuni Salt Flats, you stop to see salt piles and natural saltwater springs known as Ojos de Sal. Later, you reach Isla Incahuasi, a rocky outcrop covered in towering cacti. You may choose to enter the island to explore its walking paths and viewpoints (entrance payable locally), or enjoy views from the surrounding area.

As the day comes to an end, you travel to your salt hotel in the Uyuni / Salar de Uyuni region, where dinner is served and you spend the night surrounded by the white expanse of the flats.

After breakfast, you travel deeper into the high-altitude Andes, continuing your journey across the remote Altiplano, with lunch and dinner included. The route takes you toward Volcán Ollagüe, where you stop to view the active volcano and the stark scenery of the surrounding plateau.

The journey continues past a series of mineral-rich lagoons, including Cañapa, Hedionda, and Honda, where large groups of flamingos are often seen. From here, you enter the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, with the national park entrance fee payable locally.

Following a picnic lunch in the Siloli Desert, you visit El Árbol de Piedra, a wind-shaped rock formation standing alone in the open landscape. In the afternoon, you arrive at Laguna Colorada, known for its red-hued waters created by minerals and algae.

You check in to a simple high-altitude lodge in the Laguna Colorada / Polques area and enjoy dinner near the lagoon before settling in for the night.

Uyuni (Bolivia) - Atacama (Chile). After an early breakfast, you depart before sunrise to visit the Sol de Mañana geothermal field, where steaming vents and bubbling mud pools are most active in the cold morning air.

You then stop at nearby thermal pools, where you may choose to bathe in the warm water or enjoy the scenery from the edge. After breakfast, the journey continues to the Rocas de Dalí, followed by visits to Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde, set beneath the imposing Licancabur Volcano.

Later, you pass through the Valley of Rocks and several small Andean villages, including Culplina and San Cristóbal, offering brief glimpses of life in this remote region. By late afternoon, you cross into Chile and continue to Atacama, bringing your journey through Bolivia’s high-altitude deserts to an end.