On an Uyuni salt flats tour the route decides the trip: a one-day loop sees the salar only, while the lagoons, flamingos and geysers need the 3-day route, which may end at the Chilean border instead of Uyuni. The headline price is not the whole price either. Booking-platform extras and park fees paid in cash sit on top.
The lowest all-in total for a full day on the salar with a sunset finish is $85: our one-day pick at $80 plus $5 of booking-platform extras. One day covers the salar only, three days adds the red lagoons, flamingos and geysers, and a 3-day trip is chosen by where it ends, Uyuni or the Hito Cajón border with Chile.
Key takeaways
Each listing below is a bookable tour from a live platform. The price shown is the lowest adult rate on the listing, per person except the private jeep, which is priced per jeep for up to 4 travelers. Park and island fees are usually paid in cash on top, and one 3-day listing adds mandatory extras at checkout that lift the real total from $290 to $352. The platform handles payment and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Figures current in Q3 2026.
This 8-hour jeep tour from Uyuni covers the train cemetery, Colchani and Incahuasi Island for $90 with lunch included. The Incahuasi Island entrance fee of $5 (35 Bolivianos) is paid separately in cash.
$85 with the mandatory extras for a full day on the salar that stays out for sunset, the lowest total among the one-day tours rated 4.8 or higher
This 9-hour tour from Uyuni's Andes Salt Expeditions office runs the train cemetery, Colchani and the salt flat itself, timed for a sunset mirror-effect stop, for $80. Viator's own mandatory extras add $5, bringing the real total to $85 per person, and the 30-Boliviano Incahuasi Island ticket is separate again.
This full-day tour from Uyuni takes in the train cemetery, Colchani, a local lunch on the salt flat, Incahuasi Island and a sunset finish for $78. The Incahuasi Island entrance of $5 (30 Bolivianos) is paid separately, and the itinerary can skip that island during the January to April rainy season.
This Sweet Travel Uyuni day tour covers the train cemetery, Colchani, the salt flat and Incahuasi Island for $95, ending with sunset. The $95 price has no Viator mandatory extras added, but tips and extra snacks or drinks are excluded.
This 4-hour evening tour from Uyuni covers sunset and stargazing on the salt flat for $60, with entrance tickets and waterproof wellies included. The mirror effect and clear stargazing both depend on season and moon phase and are not guaranteed.
This 5-hour group tour from Uyuni runs 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM for $45, covering the sunset mirror effect and stargazing on the salt flat. Viator lists no mandatory extras on top of the $45 price, but taxes and fees are excluded without a figure given.
This 3-day, 2-night route from Uyuni lists at $290, but Viator's own mandatory extras add $62, bringing the real total to $352 per person. National park entrance fees and the sleeping bag rental are excluded on top of that, and the trip ends at Uyuni or with an extra transfer to San Pedro de Atacama.
This 3-day, 2-night route from Uyuni lists at $309.90, and Viator's own mandatory extras add $10, bringing the real total to $319.90 per person. The Eduardo Avaroa reserve fee (150 Bolivianos), the Incahuasi Island fee (30 Bolivianos) and the optional $25 bus onward to San Pedro de Atacama are all separate again.
This 3-day, 2-night route from Uyuni to the Chilean border costs $450 with meals, transfer to San Pedro de Atacama and 2 nights of accommodation included. Entrance fees are excluded, hot showers work about 75% of the time, and the second night's lodge is described as basic with no heating.
This 4-day, 3-night round trip from San Pedro de Atacama into Bolivia and back costs $332 with transportation, an oxygen bottle and all meals included. National park entrance fees are not on the operator's confirmed inclusions list, and the listing suggests carrying 300 Bolivianos in cash for entrances and purchases.
This overnight bus package from La Paz costs $299 and includes the sleeper bus both ways, a day of touring the salt flat and food per the itinerary. Entrance fees and personal expenses are excluded, and the listing's own exclusions list hotel pickup despite naming pickup in Uyuni as included.
A private jeep with driver for up to 4 travelers covers the train cemetery, Colchani, the Playa Blanca salt hotel, the Dakar monument and Incahuasi Island. Viator prices it per jeep: $320 plus $5 mandatory extras, so $325 split four ways is about $81 each.
All bookable listings side by side. Price is the lowest adult rate on the listing, per person except the private jeep. You pay adds the mandatory extras the platform charges at checkout where they are stated, and cash fees such as the reserve and island entrances sit on top of that.
| Tour | Price | You pay | Route | Rating | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Flats Highlights | $90 | $90 | Uyuni loop, 1 day | 4.8 (187) | Check Availability Details |
| Our pick 1 Day Sunset Mirror | $80 | $85 | Uyuni loop, 1 day | 4.8 (505) | Check Availability Details |
| 1-Day Sunset Experience | $78 | $78 | Uyuni loop, 1 day | 4.3 (181) | Check Availability Details |
| Salar 1 Day Sunset | $95 | $95 | Uyuni loop, 1 day | 4.9 (85) | Check Availability Details |
| Sunset and Stargazing | $60 | $60 | Uyuni evening, 4 hours | 4.7 (130) | Check Availability Details |
| Stargazing Sunset Run | $45 | $45 | Uyuni evening, 5 hours | 4.9 (40) | Check Availability Details |
| 3 Days Colored Lagoons | $290 | $352 | Uyuni to Uyuni or San Pedro, 3 days | 4.7 (851) | Check Availability Details |
| 3-Day Sunset Lagoons | $309.90 | $319.90 | Uyuni to Uyuni or San Pedro, 3 days | 4.9 (110) | Check Availability Details |
| 3 Days to San Pedro | $450 | $450 | Uyuni to San Pedro, 3 days | 4.5 (93) | Check Availability Details |
| 4 Days from San Pedro | $332 | $332 | San Pedro round trip, 4 days | 4.6 (77) | Check Availability Details |
| Express from La Paz | $299 | $299 | La Paz to La Paz, 2 days | 4.5 (183) | Check Availability Details |
| Private Full Day | $320 | $325 per jeep | Uyuni loop, 1 day | 4.9 (74) | Check Availability Details |
You pay adds the mandatory extras the platform charges at checkout. The reserve fee of 150 Bs and the Incahuasi fee of 30 Bs are paid in cash on the way on most tours. The private jeep is priced per jeep for up to 4. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead applies unless the card says otherwise.
Bookings on our pick take up to six travelers each. Check live dates below, or switch to another tour.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Three questions decide the booking: how long you have, what you want to see, and where you need to finish.
Jeeps carry six passengers and the luggage on the roof. Every route starts on the salar.
A Uyuni salt flats tour of one day is a loop that sees the salar and nothing else. The stops are the train cemetery 3 km from town, the salt village of Colchani, the flag plaza and Dakar monument, Incahuasi Island with its giant cacti, and the perspective photos out on the crust. The best one-day options stay out for sunset, and the lowest all-in among them runs $85. Read the full Salar de Uyuni guide.
The evening runs are a shorter cut: a 4-hour sunset and stargazing trip from $60 or a 5-hour run from $45 that leaves mid-afternoon. Both depend on clear skies and, for the mirror, on water on the salt.
The lagoons, flamingos and geysers need three days and two nights. Day one is the salar loop, night one is a salt hostel, day two crosses into the Eduardo Avaroa reserve for Laguna Colorada and the Sol de Mañana geysers, and night two is a basic refuge. Day three returns through the Dalí desert and Laguna Verde.
The cheapest 3-day listing shows $290, but checkout extras lift it to $352. Routes end back in Uyuni or at the Hito Cajón border with Chile, so pick by where you need to finish. See the lagoon route in detail.
Starting in Chile, a 4-day round trip from San Pedro de Atacama crosses at Hito Cajón and works the reserve in reverse for $332. From the Bolivian side, an Uyuni salt flats tour from La Paz bundles an overnight sleeper bus both ways with a full day on the salar for $299, sleeping on the bus rather than in a hotel. That 2-day format is the shortest Uyuni salt flats tour 2 days structure that exists here, since the driving happens overnight.
The table below lines up every route shape by length, what it covers and where it drops you. It follows the itinerary shown on each listing.
| Trip | Length | What you see | Ends in | Listings here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-day loop | 1 day | Train cemetery, Colchani, flag plaza, Incahuasi, sunset | Uyuni | highlights day, sunset mirror day, day and sunset, day with sunset, private jeep |
| Sunset and stars | 4-5 hours | Salt flat at sunset, stargazing | Uyuni | sunset and stars, stars and sunrise |
| Three-day lagoons | 3 days | Salar plus Laguna Colorada, geysers, Dalí desert, Laguna Verde | Uyuni or San Pedro | 3-day lagoons, 3-day Colorada, 3 days to San Pedro |
| Four-day from Chile | 4 days | The reserve in reverse, then the salar and Incahuasi | San Pedro de Atacama | 4 days from San Pedro |
| La Paz bus package | 2 days | Salar loop on one full day, bus overnight both ways | La Paz | from La Paz |
The listed price covers the jeep, driver, meals and beds on most tours. Cash costs on the road and platform extras at checkout are separate, and they change the ranking.
The biggest gap is on the 3-day listings. One shows $290 on the page and charges $62 of mandatory extras at checkout, for a real total of $352. Cash fees follow you along the route: the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, Incahuasi Island, the Polques changing rooms and, in the cold months, a sleeping bag rental. None of the one-day Uyuni salt flats tour packages here include the island fee. Break down the full cost of an Uyuni tour.
Carry bolivianos in cash for all of it. The 4-day round trip from San Pedro de Atacama tells travelers to budget 300 Bs (about $27) for entrances and small purchases, which is a sensible figure for any 3-day or 4-day route. Bolivia has run two dollar rates since December 2025, an official one and a higher street rate, so the dollar value of your cash depends on where you change it.
| Cost | Amount | Paid how | Which tours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform checkout extras, 3-day listing | $62 | Added at checkout | 3-day lagoons route |
| Platform checkout extras, other listings | $5-$10 | Added at checkout | One-day pick, 3-day Colorada, private jeep |
| Eduardo Avaroa reserve entrance | 150 Bs (about $13) | Cash at the reserve gate | All tours entering the reserve |
| Isla Incahuasi entrance | 30 Bs (about $3) | Cash at the island booth | Tours that stop at the island |
| Polques changing rooms | 5 Bs (about $0.45) | Cash | Tours with a hot-spring stop, e.g. to San Pedro |
| Sleeping bag rental | Not stated | Cash, excluded on some listings | 3-day lagoons route among others |
| Bus onward to San Pedro de Atacama | $25 | Cash or arrangement | 3-day Colorada route |
| Salt-hotel edge pickup surcharge | $30 | Per booking, on request | One-day pick, stargazing run |
Sources: Eduardo Avaroa reserve fee page, Isla Incahuasi fee reference, Termas de Polques fees
The one-day loop has a fixed shape. Here is what each stop actually is.
Isla Incahuasi, the cactus island in the middle of the salar. The fee is paid in cash at the booth. Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Most pickups run from Uyuni town offices mid-morning, since tours typically start around 10am. The first stop is the train cemetery, about 3 km outside town, where locomotives abandoned after the mining collapse of the 1940s sit rusting in the sun. Then Colchani, a village of just over 600 people and Bolivia's largest salt-processing cooperative, moving roughly 25,000 tonnes of salt a year off the salar into sacks for Bolivia and Brazil.
The railway explains the first stop. The line through Uyuni was built between 1888 and 1892, and when the mining economy collapsed in the 1940s the engines were left where they stood. At Colchani the process is still done largely by hand: workers scrape the salt into pyramid-shaped piles out on the flat, leave it to dry for about 4 days, cart it to the village, cook it in ovens, add iodine, mill it and seal it into 1 kg sacks for sale in Bolivia and Brazil.
The old Playa Blanca salt hotel was built in the middle of the salar in 1993 and ordered dismantled in 2002 over sewage risks. Its shell is now a rest stop, with salt sculptures, the Dakar Rally monument and the Plaza de las Banderas outside. Incahuasi Island sits at 3,656 m in the middle of the flat, covered in Trichocereus cacti up to 12 m tall and estimated up to 1,200 years old.
The loop trail to the viewpoint takes 30-45 minutes. Then the perspective photos on the crust, where the average elevation varies by less than one meter over 10,582 square kilometers, and sunset before the drive back. Sources put the salar between 3,656 m and 3,665 m, with a crust about 8 meters thick over brine roughly 130 m deep.
Three days and two nights take the jeep from the salar into the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, between 4,200 m and 5,400 m. This is the Uyuni salt flats tour itinerary that most travelers remember.
Laguna Colorada, less than a metre deep, where James's, Andean and Chilean flamingos feed. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The same loop as the one-day trip: train cemetery, Colchani, the flag plaza and Incahuasi, plus a sunset on the crust. The night is at a salt hostel. On one listing that is a private room with two separate beds or a queen bed.
On another it is a shared-bathroom room, with lodge names not stated.
The route climbs into the reserve. Laguna Colorada sits at 4,278 m, less than a meter deep, red from pigmented algae, and holds James's, Andean and Chilean flamingos, with peak counts above 40,000 birds in the austral summer. Árbol de Piedra is a 6-7 m wind-carved rock in the Siloli Desert, a plateau cited between roughly 4,000 m and 4,575 m. Sol de Mañana is one of the highest geothermal fields anywhere at about 4,900 m, with fumaroles near 70°C. The day ends with a soak at Termas de Polques, where the pool holds about 29°C against air that can drop to -10°C, then a night in a basic refuge beside the lagoon. Hot showers work about 75% of the time and the second-night lodge can have no heating.
Laguna Colorada has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 1990, and in 2009 the protected area around it grew from 513.18 km² to 14,277.17 km² to take in the surrounding high lakes. The flamingo count swings hard with the season, from above 40,000 birds in the austral summer to under 1,000 in the austral winter, so a July visit sees the red water and far fewer birds. Nearly a third of the world's James's flamingos breed here.
Day three crosses the Salvador Dalí desert at about 4,750 m, named for wind-carved rocks that resemble the paintings, then reaches Laguna Verde at 4,310 m, green from mineral suspensions under the 5,868 m cone of Licancabur. Tours end either back in Uyuni or at the Hito Cajón border pass at 4,480 m, where Bolivian customs are processed at the pass summit. Some operators carry oxygen on the vehicle for the high passes, stated on one 4-day listing.
Travelers with altitude risk, pregnancy or back problems are advised against this route on the listings themselves.
Listing photos show the mirror at its best. These three show the trip itself: the salar under water, the three-day route south and the train cemetery where most days begin, filmed by other travellers.
The salar in the wet season, from the jeep to the perspective photos. Useful for judging what the mirror looks like in person.
Video: Kara and NateThree days from the salar to the lagoons, flamingos and deserts, with the refuges in between.
Video: Red Hair TravelThe first stop of most day tours, a few kilometres outside town.
Video: Kara and NateThird-party videos, embedded from YouTube. We did not shoot them and have no relationship with the creators.
The season changes what you see more than anything else. The table uses the ERA5 climate archive for Uyuni town.
The mirror needs a few centimetres of water and no wind, most often in February. Photo: wallygrom, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rain falls from December to March, peaking around 95.8 mm in January, and almost never falls from May to September. The mirror needs 2-20 cm of standing water and near-zero wind, with the highest-probability window in February. Deep water can make the route to Incahuasi unreachable, and one listing skips the island from January to April. The dry months bring the hexagon crust, the clearest stargazing, and night lows between -3.7°C and -4.0°C at Uyuni town in June to August, colder still at the refuges.
Light matters as much as rain. In mid-September the sun rises around 6:14 AM and sets around 6:30 PM at Uyuni, and the June and July weeks around the winter solstice bring the latest sunrises and earliest sunsets of the year, which shortens a one-day tour's time on the salt in daylight. A sunset tour in winter comes back into town in the dark and the cold, so pack the warm layer even for a 4-hour trip.
| Month | Day high | Night low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18.2°C | 5.3°C | 95.8 mm |
| Feb | 17.8°C | 5.1°C | 85.0 mm |
| Mar | 17.7°C | 4.1°C | 45.9 mm |
| Apr | 16.7°C | 0.6°C | 3.3 mm |
| May | 13.5°C | -2.2°C | 0.3 mm |
| Jun | 11.0°C | -4.0°C | 1.0 mm |
| Jul | 11.8°C | -3.9°C | 2.5 mm |
| Aug | 13.1°C | -3.7°C | 1.1 mm |
| Sep | 16.1°C | -1.1°C | 2.9 mm |
| Oct | 18.2°C | 0.3°C | 2.9 mm |
| Nov | 19.3°C | 2.3°C | 14.0 mm |
| Dec | 19.6°C | 4.8°C | 57.7 mm |
Sources: Open-Meteo ERA5 archive. More on the best time to visit Uyuni and what to pack.
Uyuni has an airport, an overnight bus connection from La Paz, and a land border with Chile for the reverse start.
The road runs about 569 km. Todo Turismo departs La Paz at 9:00 PM and takes 10 hours, with the Cama Ejecutivo fare at $49 and the Semicama Master Suite at $44, dinner and breakfast served on board. Trans Omar runs 21:00 to 06:00 in about 9 hours, and Panasur departs at 8:00 PM daily with 160-degree sleeper seats. Cruz del Norte's run is cited as the fastest at about 9 hours, and a 2.5 Bs terminal fee applies. Or fly: Boliviana de Aviación flight OB 304 leaves at 07:10 and lands at Joya Andina airport at 08:10, about one hour, in time for the usual 10am tour start. The full La Paz to Uyuni guide.
The train is the slower, calmer option, but it starts in Oruro, not La Paz. The Expreso del Sur leaves Oruro on Tuesday and Friday at 14:30 and reaches Uyuni at 21:20, with Ejecutivo seats at 100 Bs (about $9) and Salón at 65 Bs (about $6). The Wara Wara del Sur leaves Oruro on Wednesday and Sunday at 19:00 and arrives at 02:35, which lands you in town in the coldest hours of the night. Treat the fares as indicative, since the operator labels its own table that way.
Chilean exit customs are completed in San Pedro town itself, about 45 km from the Hito Cajón pass at 4,480 m. The altitude jump is the issue: the day-one route climbs into the reserve between 4,200 m and 5,400 m, which is why a night or two at altitude before the crossing helps. Direct public buses also run Uyuni to San Pedro, about 12 hours over 522 km for about $47. The San Pedro de Atacama crossing guide.
Pickup varies more than people expect. Hotel, bus terminal and airport pickup in Uyuni is included on the 3-day San Pedro route, the 4-day Chile round trip starts with hostel pickup in San Pedro, and the La Paz package has a fixed bus-office meeting point with pickup in Uyuni on the tour day. Hotels on the salt edge cost $30 extra on one listing.
The salar sits high, the lagoon route climbs much higher, and the safety record of the cheapest operators is worth checking before you pay.
The second night is usually a basic refuge near Laguna Colorada, cold and often unheated.
Uyuni town sits around 3,656-3,700 m depending on the source, the salar at about 3,656 m, and the Sol de Mañana geysers at about 4,900 m. The CDC advises moving your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 m per night above 3,000 m and staging 2-3 nights at 2,450-2,750 m before going higher. Flying from La Paz to Uyuni in one morning breaks that guidance badly. Coca tea is legal and traditional in Bolivia, but no clinical evidence supports it. Read the altitude guide.
The CDC also advises against jumping from below 1,200 m to a sleeping altitude above 2,750 m in a single day. Uyuni town itself sleeps at around 3,656 m, and the second night of the lagoon route is higher again, so a night or two in Uyuni or La Paz before a 3-day tour is the cheapest insurance there is. Some multi-day listings carry an oxygen bottle in the jeep. Ask whether yours does before you pay.
In 2008 two serious crashes were documented on the circuit: a head-on collision that killed 13 people including tourists and three of four driver-guides, described in one account as involving a drunk driver, and a vehicle rollover. The fixes are plain: a sober driver, a vehicle in good order, and asking directly how many hours your driver has been on the road. The UK FCDO also warns that protest groups use road blockades without warning and advises against attempting to cross them in a vehicle.
Cold is a safety issue too: nights at the refuges in June to August sit far below freezing, so confirm the sleeping bag situation before the trip.
Short answer: yes, with your eyes open about fees, altitude and season.
Who it's NOT for: Skip it if you cannot sleep in basic cold refuges, cannot handle altitudes near 5,000 m, or need guarantees about water on the salt.
If you have one day and want the classic photos
Book the one-day sunset mirror tour, $85 all in with extras, rated 4.8 from 505 reviews.
If you want flamingos, geysers and the red lagoon
Take the 3-day lagoons route and budget $352 with checkout extras plus the 150 Bs reserve fee.
If you are traveling on to Chile
Finish at the border with the 3-day route ending in San Pedro de Atacama, $450 with the transfer included.
If you are starting from Chile instead
The 4-day round trip from San Pedro de Atacama works the reserve in reverse for $332.
If you are coming from La Paz with no time to spare
The express bus package from La Paz does the salar in one day between two overnight bus rides for $299.
Miguel was a wonderful guide who spoke excellent English and showed a real enthusiasm for showing us the sights.
Fantastic trip! Everything was greatly organized, and our guide, Javier, was amazing.
Probably the best experience of my life. I'd definitely recommend it.
Guides genuinely cared about our safety and well-being, frequently reminding us about proper gear and the importance of sun protection.
This activity was fantastic!! The tour took care of everything from food to transportation to stays.
Great trip and Carlos was a great guide. Knew all the spots and an expert with the camera as well. Highly recommend!
February is the highest-probability mirror month, when rainfall averages 85 mm and a thin water sheet covers the crust, though deep water can close the route to Incahuasi. June to August gives the hexagon crust and clear skies with night lows near -4°C. Month-by-month climate data.
Yes: 10,582 km² of crust flat to within a meter, at about 3,656 m, is a landscape almost nothing else on earth matches, and the mirror season doubles it. The honest cost is fees, cold nights and altitude. The full case for and against.
The best-value full day on the salar is our one-day sunset mirror pick, $80 plus $5 of platform extras, rated 4.8 from 505 reviews. If you want the lagoons, the best Salar de Uyuni tours are three days long. Compare all routes.
One day covers the salar loop, three days is what it takes for the lagoons, flamingos and geysers, and two nights are spent in a salt hostel and a basic refuge. Four days from San Pedro works the same route in reverse. Route lengths compared.
Usually not. The Eduardo Avaroa reserve entrance is 150 Bs (about $13) and Incahuasi Island is 30 Bs (about $3), both paid in cash on the way, and one listing adds $62 of mandatory checkout extras on top of its $290 price. Every extra itemized.
Yes. The express package runs an overnight sleeper bus from La Paz, a full salar day, and the bus back, $299 for 2 days. Alternatively fly to Uyuni in about an hour and join a standard loop the same morning. The La Paz bus package.
Planning guides
The detail that does not fit on one page: the salar, the lagoon route, the season, the full cost, altitude and the roads in, each built from the sources named on the page.
Uyuni Salt Flats Trips
