Salta to La Paz: the Altiplano and Uyuni by 4x4 from Tupiza

1. Day 1: Arrive in Salta

   Salta airport (SLA) to your hotel in central Salta

   • Dinner
   • Stay in Salta
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Martin Miguel de Guemes International Airport (SLA) in Salta, a colonial city at roughly 1,150 m (reported), the lowest point of the trip. A driver is proposed to meet you in arrivals and take you to the hotel in the centre. If you land early, walk to Plaza 9 de Julio, the arcaded square with the pink cathedral, and sit under the arches. In the evening your See Sight Tours guide, to be appointed, briefs the group on the twelve days: that this trip includes a border crossing at La Quiaca and Villazón, described by guides as on foot, that up to three nights are in simple lodges between roughly 3,650 and 4,300 m, that three days are in 4x4 vehicles on rough tracks, and how to look after yourself at altitude. A welcome dinner of northwestern dishes follows. Arrival times vary, and an early or late flight may change the plan.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Salta airport (SLA), proposed
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

2. Day 2: Salta: the colonial centre, the MAAM and a peña

   Salta on foot

   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay in Salta
   Day 2 details

   A day in Salta on foot, which is how to see it. We walk the arcaded Plaza 9 de Julio, the cathedral and the churches of the old centre, then visit the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana, the MAAM, where Inca child offerings reported to have been found near the summit of Llullaillaco are displayed. Which, if any, of the children is on show is not stated by the museum, so we cannot promise one. The museum's own listing, read on 9 November 2026, gives Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 to 19:00 with last entry at 18:30 and Monday closed, with holiday hours to be confirmed, so rechecking each date is needed. The rest of the day is free for the market or a rest. In the evening we have dinner at a peña, a restaurant with live folk music, where guitars and bombo drums play zambas and chacareras; the venue is unconfirmed.

   Included

   • Guided walk in Salta's old centre
   • MAAM entry
   • Dinner at a peña with live folk music

   Optional experiences

   • Cable car up Cerro San Bernardo, subject to operation

   Free time: Free time before dinner

   Activity: Dates must avoid a Monday for this day because the MAAM is closed. Which child is displayed is not stated by the museum and is unconfirmed.

3. Day 3: North through Purmamarca to Humahuaca

   Salta to Humahuaca by road through Jujuy and Purmamarca

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Humahuaca
   Day 3 details

   We leave Salta and drive north through the green Jujuy lowlands and up into the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a valley reported as UNESCO World Heritage listed of banded rock. The first stop is Purmamarca, at about 2,300 m (reported) under the hill of seven colours, where we walk the short circuit of coloured rock and have a late lunch on our own. We continue by Maimara and Tilcara, where the Pucara hill fort above the village gives a view along the valley, to Humahuaca, a historic town of narrow streets at about 3,000 m (reported). This is a long day, roughly four to five hours of driving including stops, as an estimate to be confirmed, and we are already sleeping at 3,000 m, so we walk slowly, drink water and eat lightly. Dinner is free so guests can listen to their appetite and altitude.

   Included

   • Vehicle and driver, Salta to Humahuaca
   • Purmamarca circuit walk with your guide
   • Tilcara Pucara visit, if time allows

   Easier option: Skip the Pucara climb and rest in Tilcara

   More active option: Walk the full Pucara circuit

   Free time: Free evening in Humahuaca

   Activity: Long driving day, with the first night at about 3,000 m.

   

4. Day 4: Crossing the border at La Quiaca to Tupiza

   Humahuaca to La Quiaca, on foot across the bridge to Villazon, then Tupiza

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Tupiza
   Day 4 details

   This is the border day and the longest, so we start early. We drive north from Humahuaca to La Quiaca at the end of Argentina's Ruta 9, then leave the vehicle and cross the international bridge on foot to Villazon in Bolivia, as travel guides describe the usual way; guests walk with their own bags and arrangements for luggage and vehicles on each side are to be confirmed. The Government of Canada's Argentina advice says land border posts with Bolivia and Chile are regularly closed in winter (June to September) because of weather, and its advice for both countries describes demonstrations and roadblocks that can close roads, so if the crossing or the road is closed the day would change and the plan for Tupiza may be shortened. Immigration queues, opening hours and entry rules for your passport must be checked in advance with official sources, and queue times cannot be predicted. A Bolivian vehicle would take us on to Tupiza, which guides put at about two to three hours from the border. Tupiza lies at about 3,000 m (reported) among red rock formations, and Tupiza is lower than the nights that follow.

   Included

   • Vehicle and driver, Humahuaca to La Quiaca
   • Assistance at the border by your guide
   • Bolivian vehicle to Tupiza
   • Lunch

   Easier option: Rest at the hotel in Tupiza on arrival

   Free time: Evening free in Tupiza

   Activity: Border crossing times, hours and queues are unverified; a winter weather closure, a roadblock or a strike could stop the crossing. The day may run long and the plan for Tupiza may shorten.

5. Day 5: Red canyons of Tupiza, then the 4x4 begins

   Tupiza red canyons, then south by 4x4 into the Altiplano

   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Southern Altiplano lodge
   Day 5 details

   In the morning we ride or walk among the red canyons around Tupiza, with their eroded pinnacles and dry riverbeds; a horseback ride of about two hours is proposed for those who want one, and walking is the alternative. Then we load into our 4x4 vehicles for the first of three days across the southern Altiplano. A group of 7 to 12 would travel in two or three vehicles, each with a driver, and the lodge for tonight is a simple one on the plateau whose name and exact place depend on the operator's route, which we have not yet fixed. The road climbs from about 3,000 m to well above 4,000 m, so everyone feels the altitude from today. We eat the first full-board day together; the lodge will be basic, with shared bathrooms possible. Expect long hours on rough tracks.

   Included

   • Red canyon ride or walk with local guides
   • 4x4 vehicles and drivers
   • Lodge accommodation, full board

   Easier option: Walk the canyon instead of riding

   More active option: Add a longer canyon walk or ride

   Activity: Altitude above 4,000 m from this day. The lodge, the exact first-night location and the route are unconfirmed.

6. Day 6: High lagoons

   Across the southern Altiplano to the Laguna Colorada area

   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Laguna Colorada area
   Day 6 details

   The second 4x4 day takes us through the heart of the high Altiplano, with volcanoes, wind-scoured desert and the coloured lakes. We plan to stop at high lagoons; flamingos are reported in this region but sightings are never guaranteed. Which lagoons we see depends on the final route; Laguna Colorada itself is reported at about 4,278 m, and the red-tinted water and white mineral crust are the best known. We stay at a simple lodge in the area, where nights fall well below freezing and the heating, hot water and electricity may be limited. Many people report poor sleep and headaches at this height. We do not promise any wildlife, colour or clear sky, and we may shorten the day for health or weather. Meals are served at the lodge.

   Included

   • 4x4 vehicles and drivers
   • Stops at high lagoons
   • Lodge accommodation, full board

   Easier option: Stay near the vehicle at lagoon viewpoints

   Activity: Altitude above 4,000 m on this day and night. Lodge and route unconfirmed; extreme cold is possible.

   

7. Day 7: Rocks, salt and a night at the edge of the flat

   From the lagoon country towards the Salar de Uyuni edge

   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Salar de Uyuni edge
   Day 7 details

   The third 4x4 day leaves the coloured lakes and heads north through wind-carved rock fields, volcanic plains and small villages towards the Salar de Uyuni. We lose altitude across the day, and the air feels easier by evening. The proposed night is in a salt hotel on the edge of the flat, built from salt blocks, with the salt crust close at hand; the hotel is not appointed and the style may be simple. If we arrive in time we walk on the salt crust for sunset. The flat's surface changes with the season: we propose the April to October dry window and do not plan around a water mirror, which belongs to the wetter months when the Government of Canada says the salt flat becomes dangerous to visit. We do not promise any particular state of the salt. Dinner and breakfast are at the hotel. Tomorrow's sunrise depends on the sky and the cold, so dress for it.

   Included

   • 4x4 vehicles and drivers
   • Sunset on the salt crust, if time allows
   • Salt-hotel or edge-of-flat lodge, full board

   Easier option: Stay at the hotel and watch from the terrace

   Activity: Hotel and exact edge-of-flat location are unconfirmed; route order is an estimate.

   

8. Day 8: Sunrise on the Salar and on to Potosi

   Salar de Uyuni sunrise, Uyuni town, then road to Potosi

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Potosi
   Day 8 details

   We rise early for sunrise over the salt crust, where the horizon vanishes in a white glare if the sky is clear. After breakfast we drive across the flat, stopping where the vehicles can stop, and reach Uyuni town for a short walk and lunch. Then the road to Potosi, which is roughly four hours by our estimate, to be confirmed, runs over high plateau, and the city appears below its silver mountain, the Cerro Rico, at about 4,000 m, the highest overnight of the trip's cities. We reach the hotel in the evening and rest. We do not plan any activity tonight. Cerro Rico mine visits are not part of the plan, and any underground option would be a separate decision on safety and conditions.

   Included

   • Sunrise on the Salar with your guide
   • Vehicle and driver to Potosi
   • Lunch in Uyuni

   Easier option: Skip the dawn walk and join the group for breakfast

   Activity: Potosi sits at about 4,000 m; slow evening advised.

   

9. Day 9: Potosi's mint and the road to Sucre

   Potosi, the Casa Nacional de Moneda, then Sucre by road

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Sucre
   Day 9 details

   In the morning we visit the Casa Nacional de Moneda, the colonial mint where Potosi's silver was turned into coins. Opening hours are reported inconsistently, so admission must be reconfirmed for each date. After the visit we walk to a viewpoint or the old centre if energy allows, then drive to Sucre, roughly three hours by road, an estimate to be confirmed. Sucre lies lower, at about 2,800 m (reported), and the air is noticeably easier. The white colonial centre is the city reported as where Bolivia declared independence. We arrive in time for a stroll around the main plaza before a free evening. Expect a long day with a mid-morning start, and allow time for the road, which can be slowed by weather, roadworks or the blockades the Government of Canada describes.

   Included

   • Casa Nacional de Moneda visit with your guide, subject to admission
   • Vehicle and driver, Potosi to Sucre

   Easier option: Visit the mint and skip extra walking in Potosi

   Free time: Free evening in Sucre

   Activity: Mint hours and tour format are unconfirmed.

10. Day 10: Sucre, the white city

    Sucre's old centre on foot

    • Breakfast and dinner
    • Stay in Sucre
    Day 10 details

    A day in Sucre. We walk the old centre with its white colonial buildings, courtyards and churches, visit a museum or house chosen with the guide, and look at the market. The afternoon is free, for a long lunch, a textile museum, or a rest after the Altiplano. In the evening we gather for a group dinner, proposed. We do not name specific museums or restaurants because none are confirmed. The plan avoids a long drive. Choices for the day are made with the guide on the morning, depending on opening hours, the weather and how everyone feels. Nothing is booked yet, and any museum or house visit would be confirmed with the written quote. Guests who prefer a quiet day can simply stay near the hotel.

    Included

    • Guided walk in Sucre's old centre
    • One museum or house visit, to be confirmed
    • Group dinner

    Optional experiences

    • A textile museum or a cooking class, if a local operator is available

    Free time: Free afternoon in Sucre

    

11. Day 11: Fly to La Paz

    Sucre to La Paz by flight, then La Paz on foot

    • By plane
    • Breakfast and dinner
    • Stay in La Paz
    Day 11 details

    We fly from Sucre's Alcantari airport (SRE) to La Paz, a flight of about an hour. BoA and aggregator listings suggest early-morning and late-evening flights on some days, so the flight times and the number of weekly flights are unconfirmed, and the plan for the day depends on what is available; no ticket is booked. In La Paz, at about 3,600 m in the city and higher at the El Alto airport, we reach the hotel, then ride the cable-car system for a view of the city in its bowl, and walk around Plaza Murillo. After a day at Sucre's lower altitude the high air hits again, so we keep the pace slow. A farewell dinner is proposed. Flight arrangements and aviation timings are supplier confirmations.

    Included

    • Flight Sucre to La Paz, proposed
    • Cable-car ride and Plaza Murillo walk
    • Farewell dinner

    Easier option: Take a taxi instead of walking on the steep streets

    Activity: Flight is proposed, unbooked, and the schedule is unconfirmed.

    

12. Day 12: Depart La Paz

    La Paz hotel to El Alto airport (LPB)

    • Breakfast
    Day 12 details

    After breakfast a driver is proposed to take guests to El Alto airport, which sits on the plateau above the city. The transfer length depends on traffic, which can be heavy, and we do not quote a time until the hotel and flight are known. Because international flights from La Paz leave at varied times and the schedule cannot be set in advance, please do not book onward flights until the plan and flight times are confirmed in a written quote. Extra nights in La Paz or side trips are not part of this proposal; whether they can be offered, and at what cost, is not yet known. See the related trips for the Uyuni to Atacama crossing and a Bolivia highlights route that starts in La Paz. The trip ends at La Paz.

    Included

    • Transfer to El Alto airport (LPB), proposed

    Activity: Earliest flight time to be confirmed.

Wildlife and weather: Dry-season days can be sunny, but nights can fall well below freezing and the wind is strong. Conditions on the salt flat vary from year to year and the surface cannot be predicted for any date.

• Salta2 nights
• Humahuaca1 night
• Tupiza1 night
• Southern Altiplano lodge1 night
• Laguna Colorada area1 night
• Salar de Uyuni edge1 night
• Potosi1 night
• Sucre2 nights
• La Paz1 night