If travelling to Uyuni by bus you will arrive early in the morning (around 6 or 7 am) and most tours begin at around 10 am, giving you time to scout around for a tour you like. During this time the salt is covered by a layer of water that provides a dramatic mirror effect and creates unique conditions for fabulous photos. At this time of year you will enjoy the quintessential views of the salt flats, with vast expanses of white landscape extending to the horizon.
When it dried, it left behind two modern lakes, Poopó and Uru Uru, and two major salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and the larger Salar de Uyuni. Uyuni originates from the Aymara language and means a pen (enclosure); Uyuni is also the name of a town that serves as a gateway for tourists visiting the Salar. The large area, clear skies, and exceptional flatness of the surface make the Salar ideal for calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations of seven Late Pleistocene lakes whose progressive desiccation led to the accumulation of extensive evaporitic salt deposits.
The itinerary is similar to the standard 3-day tour, just in reverse, but this route is usually more expensive. Tupiza is another starting point for alternative Salar de Uyuni tours. A 2-day tour from Uyuni covers everything included in the 1-day tour. A 1-day tour from Uyuni is the cheapest option to explore Salar de Uyuni. Most tours to Salar de Uyuni start from the small town of Uyuni.
- By choosing green tours and taking care of any natural environment, it is possible to ensure that the future generations can still keep Exploring Salar de Uyuni in all its impeccable beauty.
- A rain jacket if you go during the wet season.
- Toys, bottles, etc, to take fun perspective photos.
- The night sky is bright with stars, constellations, and even Milky Way which is perfectly reflected on the mirror-like surface with minimal light pollution and high altitude (wet season).
- It’s a vast expanse of salt stretching to the horizon.
- Relax in the thermal waters of the Polques Hot Springs after exploring the salt flats.
Learning about the cultural aspect of Uyuni will enhance the experience of your trip to be not only a trip of sightseeing, it will be a good experience of humanity. You may also observe how the salt is extracted, processed and rolled into souvenirs, which is an ideal method of helping communities locally. Excursion to the nearby villages such as Colchani where people make their living by making artisan salt and craft through the traditional ways. Other than its natural beauty, the area surrounding Salar de Uyuni is very culturally diverse.
Day 3 – On the way back to Uyuni
- Some people decide to skip Isla Incahuasi and just walk around it to save 30 Bs, but I think it’s money well spent.
- Some would argue the vistas during the wet season are even more mesmerising than in the dry season.
- When the rain accumulates on the layer of salt, Salar de Uyuni is transformed into a tremendous mirror and reflects the clouds, sunrises and sunsets flawlessly.
- Each polygon is like the surface expression of a slowly growing salt plate.
- Salar de Uyuni is a popular tourist destination, and consequently a number of hotels have been built in the area.
Of course, there are also many reputable tour operators in the area who will ensure your experience of this natural wonder is both memorable and safe. Epic Guides provide inspiration and first-person stories for a lifetime of unforgettable travel experiences. A dried lake becomes a salt desert.A salt desert becomes a mirror.And a mirror becomes a global symbol of surreal natural beauty. High altitude → thin air → less scatteringWhite salt → strong reflectionFlat surface → no curvature effects
Tips for Visiting Salar de Uyuni 🤓
Plenty of travellers opt for the most basic Salar de Uyuni tour and have a fantastic time. There are options for one, two or three-day tours to Salar de Uyuni (some companies also have four-day options). Note that Chile is a much more expensive country to travel than Bolivia and as such tours booked and beginning in San Pedro tend to be more expensive than those in Bolivia. Most tours will visit the geysers at sunrise when the dawn light and rising steam combine to create an ethereal atmosphere.
When the rain accumulates on the layer of salt, Salar de Uyuni is transformed into a tremendous mirror and reflects the clouds, sunrises and sunsets flawlessly. The skies are very clear and can be viewed without clouds to have a perfect view of the stars and also photography. It presents the most opportune moment to the travelers that wish to go exploring in 4×4 vehicles and see the islands that are found in the flats. A land of the opposites – it is where the geological formations of the past are in contact with the futuristic sceneries that have been a source of inspiration to filmmakers, photographers and even adventurers. Salar de Uyuni is not just a vast expanse of salt, but it is located in southwest Bolivia, almost on the crest of the Andes, some 3,656 meters above sea level.
Time
Uyuni itself offers little of interest and so it’s best to avoid spending more time here than necessary. Salar de Uyuni sits at 3,656 m.a.s.l. and some parts of the tour reach altitudes of above 4,500 m. Many travellers begin their tour in Uyuni and then continue on to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. When booking a tour you’ll have the option of taking a round trip or including onward travel at the end of the tour.
Onward Travel ➡️
It is estimated to contain around 10 billion tonnes of salt! Salar de Uyuni sits at an altitude of 3,650 metres and covers a staggering 10,000 sq km. (There are no day buses for some reason.) Local buses can be booked on busbud.com.
The island is a remnant of an ancient volcanic formation and was once part of a prehistoric lake. It’s a unique landscape featuring giant cacti, some reaching over 10 meters tall, thriving amidst the harsh, salty environment. The salt crusts and brine pools support a rich diversity of microbial communities, including halophilic archaea and bacteria that have adapted to the high salinity and other extreme conditions. The Salar de Uyuni is characterised by high salinity, low humidity, and a significant altitude, creating a challenging environment for most life forms. The savage beauty of this vast salt desert makes it one of South America’s most awe-inspiring spectacles.
Collectively, these features make the Salar de Uyuni approximately five times more effective for satellite calibration than the surface of the open ocean. Salar de Uyuni is a popular tourist destination, and consequently a number of hotels have been built in the area. Because of its location, large area, and flatness, the Salar is a major car transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano, except when seasonally covered with water. However, except for January, even in the rainy season the number of rainy days is fewer than 5 per month. It is covered with a solid salt crust varying in thickness between tens of centimeters and a few meters. Lacustrine mud that is interbedded with salt and saturated with brine underlies the surface of Salar de Uyuni.
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.
The majority of travellers begin their Salar de Uyuni tour from Uyuni itself. Here are some of the key differences between the plethora of tours on offer. A multi-day Salar de Uyuni tour is essentially a tour of the reserve. In these hotels everything, from the walls and floors to the beds and tables, is constructed from salt!
Things to See and Do on a Salar de Uyuni Tour 🌵
Make sure you know what the weather will be like before you book a tour and therefore what the landscape will look like. Also make sure you know exactly what the tour you are booking includes in terms of duration, accommodation options, guide and itinerary. Even if you decide to book a tour on arrival in Uyuni, try to do a little research on the company you choose and check reviews. You’ll need a warm sleeping bag (tour companies provide these, often at an additional charge), and don’t forget to pack warm clothing. Daytime can often feel pleasantly warm in the sun, but after it sets temperatures can easily plummet spinmaya no deposit bonus code to around -10°C. If you’re booking a budget tour, expect there to be an additional cost.
Salar de Uyuni is by far the jewel of South America to those travelers who want awe-inspiring beauty and mystery and to have an adventure that they will remember. On its shores are saltworks at Salinas de Garci Mendoza on the north, Llica on the northwest, and Calcha on the south. I only recommend services I’ve either personally used, thoroughly researched, or consider reliable based on reputation and reviews. This is the most popular itinerary and absolutely worth your time and money. Toys, bottles, etc, to take fun perspective photos. Drinking water and drinks are more expensive than in the town of Uyuni.