4-Day Uyuni Salt Flats and Desert Adventure from La Paz to Atacama
La Paz, Bolivia
Trip Type: Multi-day Tours
Duration: 4 days
Depart from La Paz for 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. You will 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. Along the way, visit tiny villages, multi-colored lakes with flamingos, geysers, and thermal hot-springs at 4,000 - 5,000m.
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Depart from La Paz for 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. You will 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. Along the way, visit tiny villages, multi-colored lakes with flamingos, geysers, and thermal hot-springs at 4,000 - 5,000m.Day 1: Night bus from La Paz to Uyuni
Arrive in La Paz at anytime. Make your own way to the bus terminal to take a night bus at 9pm to the town of Uyuni. (Note: There will be no tour leader to accompany you on the bus.)
Day 2: Uyuni - Colchani - Uyuni Salt Flats (Incahuasi Island & Pia Pia Island) - Ajencha (L/D)
Arrive at the Uyuni bus station in the morning and get picked up to be taken to the meeting point of the tour. Start off your 3-day tour at 10:30am with a visit to Uyuni's 'train graveyard'. Then visit the small settlement of Colchani. Continue onto the great salt flats of Uyuni at an altitude of 3650m. 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”. Take time to organize 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 3: 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 Ollague, which is still active and that you can see from a lookout. Next, we'll stop to visit the Cueva del Diablo and Cueva Galaxia where you can see mummies, stalagmites and stalactites. After, continue along a rocky road 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. Next, enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve and visit the Desert of Siloli at 4550m. Take a photo next to the 'Rock tree', a lava rock formation and stop at the overlook point by the Red Lagoon to see more pink flamingos in their natural habitat. Stay the night at a shared family lodging.
Day 4: Sol de Mañana Geyser - Dali Desert - Green Lagoon - Transfer to San Pedro de 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 the Green Lagoon (toxic copper water at the foot of the Licancabur volcano). Cross the border into Chile and change vehicles. Your local driver will meet you and take you all the way to San Pedro de Atacama, arriving there in the late morning.
Arrive in La Paz at anytime. Make your own way to the bus terminal to take a night bus at 9pm to the town of Uyuni. (Note: There will be no tour leader to accompany you on the bus.)
Day 2: Uyuni - Colchani - Uyuni Salt Flats (Incahuasi Island & Pia Pia Island) - Ajencha (L/D)
Arrive at the Uyuni bus station in the morning and get picked up to be taken to the meeting point of the tour. Start off your 3-day tour at 10:30am with a visit to Uyuni's 'train graveyard'. Then visit the small settlement of Colchani. Continue onto the great salt flats of Uyuni at an altitude of 3650m. 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”. Take time to organize 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 3: 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 Ollague, which is still active and that you can see from a lookout. Next, we'll stop to visit the Cueva del Diablo and Cueva Galaxia where you can see mummies, stalagmites and stalactites. After, continue along a rocky road 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. Next, enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve and visit the Desert of Siloli at 4550m. Take a photo next to the 'Rock tree', a lava rock formation and stop at the overlook point by the Red Lagoon to see more pink flamingos in their natural habitat. Stay the night at a shared family lodging.
Day 4: Sol de Mañana Geyser - Dali Desert - Green Lagoon - Transfer to San Pedro de 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 the Green Lagoon (toxic copper water at the foot of the Licancabur volcano). Cross the border into Chile and change vehicles. Your local driver will meet you and take you all the way to San Pedro de Atacama, arriving there in the late morning.
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