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One-day tours generally visit the Train Graveyard, Colchani, salt flats and Incahausi Island. If taking a multi-day tour of the salt flats, it’s likely you’ll spend the night at one of the area’s unique salt hotels. However, despite a small size, Uyuni has comfortable hotels, restaurants, and travel firms which arrange multi-day tours through the salt desert.
Best Places and Sights in Salar de Uyuni.
A unique geological feature characterised by small, eye-like holes in the salt flats. Walking across the salt flats allows you to truly appreciate the scale of the landscape and feel the texture of the salt crust underfoot. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia offers a variety of activities, from exploring its vast salt flats to discovering the surrounding lagoons and volcanoes. The salt flats, visible from low Earth orbit, display stark white hues that contrast sharply with the darker surrounding rock formations. For much of the year, the salt flats stretch out in a seemingly endless expanse of white, covering about 10,000 square kilometers (4,000 square miles). The salt flat was formed through the gradual evaporation of prehistoric lakes, leaving behind an extensive, flat salt crust.
But in the wet season, a thin layer of water transforms the surface into the world’s largest mirror, reflecting the blue altiplano sky and the clouds. We visited these hot springs on our 2017 tour. There is some variation in which hot springs are included in Uyuni tours, depending on the agency. On our first tour, it wasn’t part of the itinerary, but our driver still offered to take us to watch the sunset before heading to the salt hotel. And the views of the salt flats from up there are absolutely incredible.
Be warned that the accommodation on the budget tours is likely to be very basic. These are shared tours with five or six people per jeep and often with a Spanish-speaking guide. If you have time, take a longer tour – you won’t regret it.” If you’d like to explore further afield and get out into the surrounding landscape then opt for a two- or three-day tour. Another popular option for travellers heading north from Chile is to take a tour from the border town of San Pedro de Atacama.
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Its remarkable design features walls, floors, furniture, and even igloo-shaped roofs constructed from salt blocks that are carefully harvested from the surrounding salt flat. The dry season, which lasts from May to November, offers clear skies and the opportunity to observe the unique hexagonal salt patterns. Many visitors enjoy stopping at the Salt Museum, a quaint space made of salt bricks that features a variety of carved sculptures.
The structure of the salt crust (Polygons, fractures, micro-textures)
- Make sure you know what the weather will be like before you book a tour and therefore what the landscape will look like.
- For photographers, scientists, engineers, and travelers, Salar de Uyuni is a place where nature behaves almost unreal.
- There was so much more to see than I expected and the locations on days two and three were far less crowded because there were no daytrippers at these sites.
- A 1-day tour from Uyuni is the cheapest option to explore Salar de Uyuni.
- Many visitors enjoy stopping at the Salt Museum, a quaint space made of salt bricks that features a variety of carved sculptures.
On the 2nd and 3rd days of a standard 3-day tour, you will be taken to beautiful lagoons, and you will see flamingos and vicuñas. Due to the proximity to these international borders, many travelers either start or end their time in Bolivia at Salar de Uyuni. The hotel’s interior showcases the artistry of local craftsmen, featuring intricate salt sculptures and designs that celebrate Bolivian culture.
Across more than 10,000 square kilometers, the elevation difference is barely around one meter.This is almost impossible in natural landscapes. The foundation of Salar de Uyuni goes back to a sequence of lakes that filled the Altiplano basin during the Pleistocene.In the past, huge inland lakes—like the prehistoric Lake Minchin—covered the region. Lisa is a writer and traveller who left her nine-to-five in London for life on the road.
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However, if you are travelling from La Paz (which is at a similar altitude) or Cusco (just 250 m lower) then you will likely be fine as you should have acclimatised. For private tours expect to pay significantly more. These are shared tours with usually five or six people per jeep.
Relax in the thermal waters of the Polques Hot Springs after exploring the salt flats. The Train Cemetery, also known as “Cementerio de Trenes,” is a significant tourist attraction near Uyuni, Bolivia, and within the Salar de Uyuni salt flats. For the adventurous, cycling or hiking across the salt flats is possible, but requires preparation and experience in arid environments. During the rainy season, water can fill parts of the salt flat, creating a stunning mirror-like effect. The salt flats are at 3,656 m.a.s.l. Some people can suffer from altitude sickness at this elevation.
Following rain, a thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world’s largest mirror, 129 km (80 miles) across. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. It is now covered by an 8 meter thick layer of salt, which is extremely flat. Bangbros.com has a perfect mix of hot pornstar girls and amateur women for your enjoyment.
Our new bookable trips
- Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, and a jacket (or two) of clothing – the day and night can be extremely different.
- The second day includes mind-blowing Laguna Colorada and other stunning lagoons filled with flamingoes.
- On our 2025 tour, the sunset was included in the itinerary, and we had wine and snacks while watching the sunset.
- Read more about visiting Salar de Uyuni independently here.
- But in the wet season, a thin layer of water transforms the surface into the world’s largest mirror, reflecting the blue altiplano sky and the clouds.
- The best time to visit Salar de Uyuni depends on what you want to see.
The thermal waters are delightfully warm and while you’re bathing you can soak up the beautiful scenery. While you might not fancy stripping off when it’s -10°C, you absolutely won’t regret it if you do – trust me! The hot springs of Polques are the perfect place to take a break and relax. Utilising the abundant material to hand, the innovative locals created entire buildings out of salt bricks. (Note that Incahausi can become inaccessible in the wet season due to flooding.) In the middle of the salt wilderness, this tiny oasis is covered in towering cacti.
Across its 10,582-square-kilometer (4,086 sq mi) surface, the elevation variation is less than 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) relative to the Earth’s circumference. Around 2007, a new hotel was built, under the name Palacio de Sal, in a new location at the eastern edge of Salar de Uyuni, 25 km away from the town of Uyuni. Mismanagement caused serious environmental pollution and the hotel had to be dismantled in 2002.
Snacks and water/drinks – food is provided, but in case you want extra in between the meals, pack some snacks and drinks. Sunblock, lip balm with SPF, and sunglasses – the sun is very harsh spinmaya no deposit bonus code at high altitudes. You are provided blankets in hotels and refuges, but a down sleeping bag will make your sleep more comfortable. A rain jacket if you go during the wet season.