Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Bolivia and Chile: the Uyuni Salt Flats to the Atacama
9 days from La Paz to Calama: a flight to Uyuni, three days by 4x4 across the salt flats and the coloured lakes to the Chilean border, and three nights in San Pedro de Atacama.
9 days · La Paz to Calama · up to 12 guests
James's flamingos feeding on Laguna Hedionda, in the high desert of southern Bolivia Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Flamingos_MC.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- La Paz to Calama
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 5.5 h on day 5
- Activity level
Moderate
Easy walking of 1 to 3 hours a day on city streets, salt crust and uneven desert ground, all at altitude: La Paz about 3,640 m, Uyuni and the salar about 3,660 m, the desert lodge about 4,300 m, and the Sol de Manana geysers about 4,900 m, the highest point. Days 4 to 6 are in a 4x4 on rough tracks, with 4 to 5.5 hours of driving and stops every 30 to 60 minutes; you can stay with the vehicle at any stop. San Pedro, at about 2,400 m, is a relief.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 660 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Old La Paz on foot and the Mi Teleferico cable car over the city in late-afternoon light
- A morning flight to Uyuni instead of a 10-hour road day, and a first sunset on the Salar de Uyuni
- The giant cacti of Incahuasi, reached before the midday wave of day tours
- Flamingos on Laguna Hedionda, the Arbol de Piedra and the red water of Laguna Colorada
- Steam at Sol de Manana at about 4,900 m, a soak in the Polques hot springs and Laguna Verde under Licancabur
- Over the border at Hito Cajon and down 2,000 m to San Pedro de Atacama
- Sunset in the Valle de la Luna, El Tatio at dawn and a night of stargazing in the dry desert air
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5.5 h, on day 5.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 660 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5.5 h, on day 5.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in La Paz
El Alto International Airport to your hotel in La Paz
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in La Paz
- Drive about 30 min
Your flight lands at El Alto International Airport (LPB), at about 4,060 m on the rim of the altiplano, one of the highest airports in the world. A driver meets you in arrivals for the short drive over the edge and down into La Paz, which fills a deep bowl about 400 m lower, with the snow-capped summits of Illimani on the skyline when the air is clear. Today is kept empty on purpose. Altitude is the one thing that can spoil the first days of this trip, and the best cure is rest, water and the coca tea every hotel offers. Your room is ready on arrival when the hotel can manage it.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead: how we pace the altitude, what the desert lodges are like and what to keep in your day bag. Then we walk a few minutes to an early, light welcome dinner of Bolivian dishes.
Included
- Pick-up at El Alto International Airport (LPB)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing; rest is the plan
Activity: Walk slowly, drink plenty of water and skip alcohol tonight; most people feel the altitude on the first day.
Old La Paz and the cable car
La Paz on foot, then Mi Teleferico over the city
- Breakfast
- Stay in La Paz
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A gentle morning on foot with your guide, at a pace set for the altitude. We start in Plaza Murillo, with the cathedral, the Legislative Palace and the old presidential palace around a square full of pigeons. From there Calle Jaen, a cobbled colonial street, leads past small museums in painted houses, and the stone Basilica of San Francisco faces a busy square. Behind it, the Witches' Market sells herbs, charms and dried llama foetuses for offerings to Pachamama, Mother Earth; your guide explains what each one is for.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice, and the early afternoon is free to rest. In the late afternoon we ride Mi Teleferico, the city's network of cable cars, which carries commuters between La Paz and El Alto. Gliding over the rooftops, you see how the city climbs the walls of its canyon, and the low sun lights Illimani across the bowl.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Walking tour of old La Paz with your guide: Plaza Murillo, Calle Jaen, the Basilica of San Francisco and the Witches' Market
- Cable car ride on Mi Teleferico in the late afternoon
Easier option: Join the walk as far as Plaza Murillo and Calle Jaen, then take a taxi to the hotel with the guide's help; La Paz streets are steep.
Free time: Early afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot on steep streets at about 3,640 m. The cable car ride is seated.
Fly to Uyuni, sunset on the salt
La Paz to Uyuni by air, then the Train Cemetery, Colchani and the edge of the salar
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Uyuni
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive up to El Alto for a flight of about an hour, which we aim to book in the morning, south across the altiplano to Uyuni.
Evening
Other trips spend nine to ten hours on the road for this leg, or a night on a bus; we have the afternoon on the salt instead. Uyuni is a windy frontier town at about 3,660 m, and lunch together is in town. A few minutes outside it is the Train Cemetery, where steam engines and wagons from the days when Uyuni was a rail hub for the mines have been rusting in the open since the mid 20th century. We continue about 20 km north to Colchani, a village on the edge of the salar where families dry, grind and pack salt by hand, then drive out onto the Salar de Uyuni itself, at more than 10,000 square km the largest salt flat in the world. We stay for sunset, when the white crust turns pink and gold, and drive back to Uyuni for a free evening.
Included
- Flight from La Paz to Uyuni
- Airport transfers in La Paz and Uyuni
- Lunch in Uyuni
- The Train Cemetery
- Colchani salt village
- Sunset on the Salar de Uyuni
Free time: Evening free in Uyuni
Activity: Short walks on flat ground. The salt is blinding: bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat. Flight times are set by the airline and sent with your final itinerary.
Across the salar to Incahuasi
Uyuni across the Salar de Uyuni to Incahuasi, then to the southern shore
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Salar de Uyuni (southern shore)
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
This morning we load the bags onto the roofs of our 4x4s, with local drivers and no more than four guests in each, so everyone has a window. We cross onto the salar near Colchani and stop at the salt monuments and the Dakar Rally sculpture, then drive west for about two hours across a flat white crust that, in the dry season, cracks into a pattern of hexagons as far as you can see. Incahuasi is an island of rock in the middle of it, covered in giant columnar cacti, some several metres tall, and in fossil coral from the time the salar was a lake.
Afternoon
We arrive before the midday wave of day tours from Uyuni and walk the trail to the top for a view across the salt to the volcanoes. Lunch is a hot meal at Incahuasi, then there is time for the classic perspective photos.
Evening
In the afternoon we drive south off the salt to a simple salt lodge on the quiet southern shore for sunset and dinner.
Included
- 4x4 crossing of the Salar de Uyuni with local drivers, no more than four guests per vehicle
- Salt monuments and the Dakar Rally sculpture
- Incahuasi island and its summit trail, entry fee included
- Lunch at Incahuasi
- Sunset on the salt from the southern shore
- Dinner at the salt lodge
Easier option: Walk the flat path around the base of Incahuasi instead of the climb to the top.
More active option: Climb to the summit of Incahuasi, about 45 minutes up and down on rocky steps.
Free time: Late afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: The Incahuasi trail is steep and rocky at about 3,700 m. The salt lodge is simple, with private rooms; heating is limited, so bring a warm layer for the evening.
The coloured lakes to Laguna Colorada
Southern shore of the salar to the Chiguana flat, the lakes, the Siloli Desert and Laguna Colorada
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Laguna Colorada
- Drive about 5.5 h
The longest day in the 4x4: about 220 km and five and a half hours of driving on desert tracks, eight to nine hours out with the stops, because the lakes are strung out across empty high desert with no town between the salar and Laguna Colorada.
Afternoon
A stop every 30 to 60 minutes and a hot lunch break it up. We cross the Chiguana salt flat, with the smoking summit of Ollague volcano on the Chilean border, then climb to a chain of small lakes, Canapa, Hedionda, Chiar Khota and Honda, each a different colour, where Andean, Chilean and James's flamingos feed in the shallows. Lunch is a hot meal on the shore of Laguna Hedionda. In the afternoon we cross the Siloli Desert, with wind-carved rocks including the Arbol de Piedra, the stone tree, and enter the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. We reach Laguna Colorada in the late afternoon, when the wind and low sun bring out its red.
Evening
The night is at a simple desert lodge nearby.
Included
- 4x4 day with your guide and local drivers
- The Chiguana salt flat and the Ollague volcano viewpoint
- Lagunas Canapa, Hedionda, Chiar Khota and Honda, with their flamingos
- Lunch at Laguna Hedionda
- The Siloli Desert and the Arbol de Piedra
- Eduardo Avaroa reserve entry fee and Laguna Colorada
- Dinner at the desert lodge
Easier option: Stay in the 4x4 or by the vehicle at any stop; the lakes are all close to the track.
More active option: Walk the shore path at Laguna Colorada to the higher viewpoint, about 45 minutes.
Free time: Evening at the lodge
Activity: Tracks reach about 4,600 m today and the lodge is at about 4,300 m. The lodge is simple, with private rooms and little heating, and nights are very cold from June to August: pack a sleeping-bag liner, and we ask the lodge for an extra blanket for every bed.
Geysers, hot springs and over the border to San Pedro
Laguna Colorada to Sol de Manana, Polques and Laguna Verde, then Hito Cajon and down to San Pedro de Atacama
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in San Pedro de Atacama
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
An early start, at about 6:30 am, because the geysers steam hardest in the cold of the early morning and the border handover is set for late morning. At about 4.5 hours this is over our 4-hour cap, because the track crosses remote desert with no town to stop in; the geysers, the hot springs, the lakes and the border handover break it into short legs. We climb to Sol de Manana, at about 4,900 m the highest point of the trip, a field of boiling mud pots and hissing vents. Breakfast warms up at the Polques hot springs, where you can soak in a pool at about 30 degrees with the desert all around. We cross the Dali Desert to Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde beneath the cone of Licancabur volcano. At Hito Cajon, the remote Bolivian exit post, we say goodbye to the drivers and switch to a Chilean vehicle, and your guide comes with you.
Afternoon
The paved road drops about 2,000 m in 45 km to San Pedro de Atacama, where we clear Chilean immigration and have a late lunch together. The rest of the day is free.
Included
- Sol de Manana geysers
- The Polques hot springs, entry included
- The Dali Desert, Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde
- Bolivian exit at Hito Cajon and transfer by Chilean vehicle to San Pedro
- Lunch in San Pedro de Atacama
Easier option: Watch the geysers from beside the vehicle, and skip the soak at Polques.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in San Pedro
Activity: The highest morning: about 4,900 m at the geysers and about 4,480 m at the border. Bring swimwear and a small towel for Polques in your day bag. Coca leaves and fresh food are not allowed into Chile.
A free morning, then the Valle de la Luna
San Pedro de Atacama to the Valle de la Luna and back
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in San Pedro de Atacama
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
After the crossing, a slow morning. Sleep in, walk the dusty lanes of San Pedro, an oasis village of adobe houses at about 2,400 m, or sit in the shade of the plaza by the whitewashed adobe church, one of the oldest in the region. The archaeological museum in town covers the Atacameno people who have farmed this oasis for thousands of years.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice.
Evening
About two hours before sunset we drive a few kilometres west into the Cordillera de la Sal to the Valle de la Luna, the Valley of the Moon, a protected area of salt-crusted ridges, dunes and wind-cut rock managed with the local Atacameno communities. We walk through the formations and the salt caves where access is open, then climb to a ridge viewpoint as the light turns the valley red and gold and the volcanoes on the eastern horizon glow pink. Back in town, we sit down to a group dinner together.
Included
- Valle de la Luna at sunset with your guide, entry tickets booked ahead
- Group dinner in San Pedro
Optional experiences
- Laguna Cejar, a salt lagoon where you float as in the Dead Sea, in the morning (priced at booking)
Easier option: Watch sunset from the first viewpoint, a short walk from the car park, instead of the ridge.
More active option: Hire a bike in the morning and ride the flat track to the Pukara de Quitor fortress, about 3 km north of town.
Free time: Morning and lunch free
Activity: About 1.5 to 2 hours on foot on sand and rock in the valley, with one climb of about 20 minutes to the ridge. Bring a warm layer: the desert cools fast after sunset.
El Tatio at dawn, stars at night
San Pedro de Atacama to the El Tatio geysers and back, then a stargazing session outside town
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in San Pedro de Atacama
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
The one very early start in San Pedro, because El Tatio is at its best at sunrise. We leave at about 5 am and drive about 90 km north, climbing in the dark to a geyser field at about 4,320 m run by local Atacameno communities. In the freezing air before the sun clears the mountains, steam from dozens of vents rises in tall white columns; as the day warms the plumes thin out, which is why we come early. We walk the marked paths with your guide, then have a picnic breakfast beside the field, and there is a warm thermal pool for anyone who wants it. On the way down we stop at Machuca, a hamlet of thatched adobe houses, and at a wetland where vicunas and water birds feed.
Afternoon
We are back by about noon for lunch together, and the afternoon is free for a long rest. After dark we drive a short way out of town for a stargazing session with an astronomy guide, with telescopes in the dry, dark desert air.
Included
- El Tatio geysers at dawn, community entry fee included
- Picnic breakfast at the geysers
- Machuca and the Putana wetland on the way down
- Lunch in San Pedro
- Stargazing session with an astronomy guide and telescopes
Easier option: Skip the stargazing for an early night, or watch the geysers from the first viewpoint by the vehicle.
Free time: Afternoon and dinner free
Activity: El Tatio is at about 4,320 m and well below freezing at dawn: wear every warm layer you have, with gloves and a hat. The stargazing runs late in the evening and depends on clear skies; on bright-moon nights fewer stars show, and we plan departures around the full moon where we can.
Across the desert to Calama
San Pedro de Atacama to Calama airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Evening
A relaxed last morning after the late night: breakfast when you like, and a last walk to the plaza or the craft market. We leave San Pedro at a time set by your flight and drive about 100 km west across the desert to Calama airport, about an hour and a quarter. The road climbs over the Cordillera de la Sal, with a last view back over the Valle de la Luna and the line of volcanoes along the Bolivian border, then crosses a flat, bare plain towards Calama, a copper-mining city on the Loa river. Your guide sees you to the check-in desks before saying goodbye. Most flights from Calama go to Santiago, about two hours, for connections home. Book a flight from Calama leaving after about 1 pm, so the morning is not rushed; if you want more time in Chile, we can add hotel nights in San Pedro or Santiago.
Included
- Drop-off at Calama airport (CJC)
Free time: Morning free until the airport transfer
Activity: Book a flight from Calama leaving after about 1 pm. Flights to Santiago take about two hours.
- La Paz2 nights
- Uyuni1 night
- Salar de Uyuni (southern shore)1 night
- Laguna Colorada1 night
- San Pedro de Atacama3 nights
- Calamaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April to October is the dry season: clear skies, a firm white salt crust cracked into hexagons, and open desert tracks. Days are sunny and nights are cold, sharply so in the southern desert from June to August, when snow can close the border or the El Tatio road for a day. Andean, Chilean and James's flamingos feed on the lakes through the season, and vicunas graze near the tracks. The mirror effect on the salar needs rain, roughly December to March, when we do not run.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the salar, the coloured lakes and the Atacama in one journey, one way, without doubling back
- People who are healthy at altitude, or willing to take it slowly and plan for it
- Photographers: the salt, the lakes, the geysers and the night sky
- Travellers happy with two simple lodge nights in return for the desert
Not for you if you want
- Anyone with a heart or lung condition their doctor says rules out sleeping at about 4,300 m
- Travellers who need hotel comfort every night: the desert lodges are simple and cold
- Step-free access: La Paz streets are steep and the 4x4 tracks are rough
- The salar's mirror effect, which needs the rainy season we do not run in
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- La Paz2 nights
- Uyuni1 night
- Salar de Uyuni (southern shore)1 night
- Laguna Colorada1 night
- San Pedro de Atacama3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in La Paz, 1 in Uyuni, 1 at a simple salt lodge on the southern shore of the salar, 1 at a simple desert lodge near Laguna Colorada, 3 in San Pedro de Atacama at the same hotel
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with heating in La Paz, Uyuni and San Pedro; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Private rooms every night; at the two lodges we confirm bathrooms and heating when we confirm the lodge
- Twin rooms, or a single room for a supplement of CAD 660
Transport
- Pick-up at El Alto International Airport (LPB) and drop-off at Calama airport (CJC)
- Flight from La Paz to Uyuni on day 3
- 4x4s with local drivers from Uyuni to the border at Hito Cajon on days 4 to 6, no more than four guests per vehicle
- A Chilean vehicle from Hito Cajon to San Pedro, and a vehicle and driver for the San Pedro days
- Cable car ride on Mi Teleferico in La Paz
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 9, including on the flight, in the 4x4s and across the border
- An astronomy guide for the stargazing session in San Pedro
Activities
- La Paz: walking tour of the old centre and the Witches' Market
- Uyuni: the Train Cemetery and Colchani
- Salar de Uyuni crossing with sunset, Incahuasi island
- The Chiguana flat, the coloured lakes, the Siloli Desert and the Arbol de Piedra
- Laguna Colorada, the Sol de Manana geysers, the Polques hot springs and Laguna Verde
- Valle de la Luna at sunset
- El Tatio geysers at dawn, Machuca and the Putana wetland
- Stargazing session with telescopes
- All entry fees for included sights, including Incahuasi, the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, Polques, Valle de la Luna and El Tatio
Meals
- 8 breakfasts, including a picnic breakfast at El Tatio
- 5 lunches: Uyuni, Incahuasi, Laguna Hedionda, San Pedro on arrival and San Pedro after El Tatio
- 4 dinners: a welcome dinner in La Paz, at the salt lodge, at the desert lodge and a group dinner in San Pedro on day 7
Not included
- International flights to La Paz and from Calama
- A visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance, which must cover travel at altitude
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: Laguna Cejar
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
- Personal expenses, laundry and toilet fees in the desert
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 660 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels and two nights in simple desert lodges, all in private rooms, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners, the flight to Uyuni, airport transfers, the 4x4s, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, with all entry fees. Lunch on days 2 and 7 and dinner on days 2, 3, 6 and 8 are yours to choose.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. In the 4x4s on days 4 to 6 we put no more than four guests in each vehicle, so everyone has a window seat and nobody shares a jeep with strangers.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from arrival in La Paz to the drop-off at Calama airport, including on the Uyuni flight, in the 4x4s and across the border into Chile. Experienced local drivers handle the desert tracks, and an astronomy guide leads the stargazing night in San Pedro.
How bad is the altitude, and how fit do I need to be?
Moderate fitness is enough, but altitude affects everyone. You sleep between about 3,640 m and 4,300 m for five nights and pass about 4,900 m at the geysers on day 6. La Paz comes first with two quiet days, and no walk is long. See your doctor before booking and ask about altitude medicine.
What are the desert lodges like?
Simple. The salt lodge on the southern shore and the lodge near Laguna Colorada are in remote places at high altitude, with limited heating and hot water. You have a private room, not a dormitory, and dinner and breakfast are served there. We confirm bathrooms and heating when we name each lodge, and ask for extra blankets.
Why are the 4x4 days longer than four hours?
Because there is no town between the salar and the Chilean border. Day 4 has about four hours of driving, day 5 about five and a half and day 6 about four and a half, mostly on slow track. We stop every 30 to 60 minutes, eat hot lunches, and give every guest a window seat.
How does the border crossing work?
You leave Bolivia at Hito Cajon, a remote post near Laguna Verde, where we change from the Bolivian 4x4s to a Chilean vehicle. Chilean immigration and agricultural control are in San Pedro. Your guide stays with you. Coca leaves and coca sweets are not allowed into Chile, and fresh food must be declared or eaten first.
Do I need a visa for Bolivia and Chile?
It depends on your passport. Canadian and US citizens do not currently need a visa for Chile as tourists. Bolivia's rules for some nationalities, including US citizens, have changed recently, so check the current rule with your government's travel advice. When you book, we confirm your paperwork, including Bolivia's SIGEMIG online pre-registration form.
When is the best time to go?
April to October, the dry season, when skies are clear, the salt crust is firm and the desert tracks and the border are usually open. June to August is the coldest, with nights well below freezing and the odd snow closure. The mirror effect on the salar needs the rainy season, when we do not run.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own costs a supplement from CAD 660, shown before you book, with no surprise at checkout. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book. Sharing depends on another solo guest of the same preference booking the same departure; if nobody does, the single supplement applies.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 3,895 per person sharing, with taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 7,010.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicles and 4x4s. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same flight, lodges and drivers.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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