3-Day Uyuni Salt Flats and Desert Adventure from Uyuni to Atacama
Uyuni, Bolivia
Trip Type: Multi-day Tours
Duration: 3 days
Embark on an unforgettable expedition in a 4x4 Toyota land cruiser through the vast and blinding-white salt flats of Uyuni and into the desert of southwest Bolivia. Along the way, visit tiny villages, multi-colored lakes with flamingos, geysers, and thermal hot-springs at 4,000 - 5,000m. What makes this tour unique is that you will also get to discover the Galaxia Caves, stargaze through a telescope into some of the world’s darkest skies, and watch the sun set over the salt flats on this once-in-a-lifetime journey.
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Embark on an unforgettable expedition in a 4x4 Toyota land cruiser through the vast and blinding-white salt flats of Uyuni and into the desert of southwest Bolivia. Along the way, visit tiny villages, multi-colored lakes with flamingos, geysers, and thermal hot-springs at 4,000 - 5,000m. What makes this tour unique is that you will also get to discover the Galaxia Caves, stargaze through a telescope into some of the world’s darkest skies, and watch the sun set over the salt flats on this once-in-a-lifetime journey.Day 1: Uyuni - Colchani - Uyuni Salt Flats (Incahuasi Island & Pia Pia Island) - Ajencha (L/D)
Start your tour off at 10:30am with a visit to Uyuni's 'train graveyard' to see the first locomotives in Bolivia. Then visit the small settlement of Colchani where you can see handicrafts made of salt and textile art made of llama and alpaca. Continue onto the great salt flats of Uyuni at an altitude of 3650m. Take photos as you cruise along the vast white expanse of salt, visit los Ojos de Agua Salada and then a hotel made completely of salt which is currently a museum. Lunch will be served on “Isla Incahuasi” where you will have time to take a hike to the top of the island to see giant cactus and rock formations made of petrified coral. Take time to organise your group for fun perspective and proportion-distorted photos on the blinding white surface of the salt flats. Then, head to Pia Pia island for the unique experience of seeing a beautiful sunset over the salt flats. Stay the night at a salt hotel in Ajencha, where there will be a telescope that you can use to do some stargazing.
Day 2: Chiguana Desert - Caves - Lagoons - Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve - Red Lagoon (B/L/D)
Start off at 7am for breakfast and then go visit the Chiguana desert on the south side of the Uyuni salt flats, surrounded by volcanoes such as the active Ollague Volcano (5840m) that you can see from a lookout. Next, visit the Cueva del Diablo and Cueva Galaxia where you can see mummies, stalagmites and stalactites. After, continue along a rocky road - Pasito Tuntun - to the beautiful Andean lagoons inhabited by Andean flamingos. Marvel at three lagoons on the way; ‘Cañapa’ where you’ll see the first pink flamingos, ‘Hedionda’ where lunch will be served, and ‘Chiarcota’ where you’ll see a wider variety of birds and altiplanic fauna. Then we enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, visit the Desert of Siloli at 4550m and take a photo next to the 'Rock tree'. Later, stop at the overlook point by the Red Lagoon to see more pink flamingos in their natural habitat and admire this intense red-colored lake. Stay the night at a shared family lodging.
Day 3: Sol de Mañana Geyser - Dali Desert - Green Lagoon - Transfer to San Pedro Atacama (Chile) (B)
Get off to an early start around 5am to visit the Sol de Mañana Geyser, at 5,000m and walk next to fumaroles and steaming craters filled with boiling pots of mud at 150-200 Cº. Continue to the open air hot springs and take a bath in 35 Cº water before enjoying a pancake breakfast. The next places to visit are the Dali Desert and then the Green Lagoon. Cross the border into Chile and change vehicle. Your local driver will meet you and take you all the way to San Pedro de Atacama, passing beautiful scenery along the way. Arrive in San Pedro de Atacama in the late morning.
Start your tour off at 10:30am with a visit to Uyuni's 'train graveyard' to see the first locomotives in Bolivia. Then visit the small settlement of Colchani where you can see handicrafts made of salt and textile art made of llama and alpaca. Continue onto the great salt flats of Uyuni at an altitude of 3650m. Take photos as you cruise along the vast white expanse of salt, visit los Ojos de Agua Salada and then a hotel made completely of salt which is currently a museum. Lunch will be served on “Isla Incahuasi” where you will have time to take a hike to the top of the island to see giant cactus and rock formations made of petrified coral. Take time to organise your group for fun perspective and proportion-distorted photos on the blinding white surface of the salt flats. Then, head to Pia Pia island for the unique experience of seeing a beautiful sunset over the salt flats. Stay the night at a salt hotel in Ajencha, where there will be a telescope that you can use to do some stargazing.
Day 2: Chiguana Desert - Caves - Lagoons - Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve - Red Lagoon (B/L/D)
Start off at 7am for breakfast and then go visit the Chiguana desert on the south side of the Uyuni salt flats, surrounded by volcanoes such as the active Ollague Volcano (5840m) that you can see from a lookout. Next, visit the Cueva del Diablo and Cueva Galaxia where you can see mummies, stalagmites and stalactites. After, continue along a rocky road - Pasito Tuntun - to the beautiful Andean lagoons inhabited by Andean flamingos. Marvel at three lagoons on the way; ‘Cañapa’ where you’ll see the first pink flamingos, ‘Hedionda’ where lunch will be served, and ‘Chiarcota’ where you’ll see a wider variety of birds and altiplanic fauna. Then we enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, visit the Desert of Siloli at 4550m and take a photo next to the 'Rock tree'. Later, stop at the overlook point by the Red Lagoon to see more pink flamingos in their natural habitat and admire this intense red-colored lake. Stay the night at a shared family lodging.
Day 3: Sol de Mañana Geyser - Dali Desert - Green Lagoon - Transfer to San Pedro Atacama (Chile) (B)
Get off to an early start around 5am to visit the Sol de Mañana Geyser, at 5,000m and walk next to fumaroles and steaming craters filled with boiling pots of mud at 150-200 Cº. Continue to the open air hot springs and take a bath in 35 Cº water before enjoying a pancake breakfast. The next places to visit are the Dali Desert and then the Green Lagoon. Cross the border into Chile and change vehicle. Your local driver will meet you and take you all the way to San Pedro de Atacama, passing beautiful scenery along the way. Arrive in San Pedro de Atacama in the late morning.
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