3-Day Salar de Uyuni and Bolivian Desert Adventure from Uyuni

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Uyuni - Train Graveyard - Colchani - Uyuni Salt Flats (Incahuasi Island) - Pia Pia Island - Candelaria(L/D)
1 stop
1
Train Cemetery
Start off with a visit to Uyuni's 'train graveyard' to see the first locomotives in Bolivia. Then we will visit the small village of Colchani to visit a salt factory where they process the salt mined from Uyuni, have lunch, and enjoy some free time to explore the local museum or shop for souvenirs. Next we will continue to the great salt flats of Uyuni. Take photos as you cruise along the vast white expanse of salt, and visit a hotel made completely of salt. Next we will visit Incahuasi (Fish Island) where you will have time to take a hike to the top of the island to see giant cactus and rock formations made of petrified coral. Then, you’ll head to Pia Pia island, to see the beautiful sunset over the salt flats. Finish off at the village of Candelaria, and enjoy the unique experience of spending the night in a hotel made almost entirely of salt. Note: During the rainy season, between January and April, the Fish Island tour will be replaced with a possible stargazing / During the monsoon season, between January and April, the Salt Hotel will be unavailable so you will be staying in a hotel in Culpina or a similar location.If you’d prefer a private room for both nights, there is an additional cost of 250 BS (approx 36 USD) per person. This is subject to availability so please inquire in advance.
14 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 2
Chiguana Desert - Lagoons - Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve - Red Lagoon (B/L/D)
1 stop
2
Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna
Start off at 7:00 am for breakfast at the hotel and then head towards the Chiguana Desert, located on the south side of the Uyuni salt flats. It is surrounded by volcanoes. Our next stop is at the Volcan Ollague viewpoint, where we will have lunch before heading to the beautiful Andean lagoons inhabited by 3 species of Andean flamingos. Visit the Desert of Siloli at 4550m (the highest and driest in the world) and take a photo next to the `Rock tree`, a lava rock formation. Before arriving to our final destination today, we will stop at the overlook point by the Red Lagoon to see more pink flamingos and admire this intense red-colored lake before spending the night in a family lodging. The shared family lodging has electricity at certain times (only for 3 hours, 18:00 hrs to 21:00 hrs)
1 day • Admission ticket not included
Day 3
Sol de Mañana Geyser - Dali Desert - Green Lagoon - San Pedro de Atacama (B)
1 stop
3
Salvador Dali Desert
Get off to an early start around 5:00 am 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 breakfast. Continue with a visit to the Dali Pampas, where Salvador Dali found his inspiration from boulders sprinkled in the middle of the desert, and then to the Green Lagoon (toxic copper water at the foot of the big Licancabur volcano at 6000m, a few kilometers from the Bolivia-Chile border). 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, passing beautiful scenery along the way. Arrive in San Pedro de Atacama around noon. During spring and summer, the departure time will be earlier.
14 hours • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• This itinerary is subject to change without prior notice according to weather conditions, strikes, roadblocks, or force majeure events which are beyond our control. We will always do our best to follow the itinerary as close as possible.
• During the rainy season from January to April, the Salt Flats fill up with water so it is not possible to cross them in the same way as during dry season. As a consequence, the itinerary is modified during that period.
• Altitude: This trip takes place at a very high altitude. The salt flats are around 5,000 meters above sea level, and most guests will be able to feel the effects. We recommend acclimating yourself to above 3,000 meters before the trip and bringing along medication for headaches and tablets for altitude sickness in case you feel unwell. And remember, the real key is to drink lots of water!
• Accommodation / Facilities on Tour: The reality of visiting a remote area and immersing yourself in nature is that you will be far from modern facilities and the services will sometimes be slow and quite basic. Due to the harsh terrain, vehicle breakdowns are not uncommon, but the drivers are very used to fixing them and wait times are rarely excessive. The accommodations will be very basic, with cots and shared rooms, and the electricity and running water in the National Park are not as dependable as they are back at home. Toilet facilities will be available only on the first day and may have a small local cost. Make sure to bring snacks, some water, toilet paper, and plenty of warm clothes. That said, with some patience, preparation, and an appetite for adventure, this trip will certainly be a positive and unforgettable experience.
• Suggested packing list: Sun hat, sunglasses (to protect your eyes from the bright glare off the salt panes), sunblock, coat, gloves, wool hat, trekking shoes, warm socks, swimsuit and towel for hot springs at Sol de Manana Geysers, extra bottles of water (we recommend bringing a 5 Liter bottled water so you can have enough water for the whole trip), snacks, personal medication. Flashlight/torch, camera, extra batteries and memory card, charger (electricity available in most hotels), hand sanitizer, personal first aid kit. You will be sleeping up to 4,300 meters above sea level and depending on the season, temperatures can drop well below zero (reaching less than -15 degrees Celsius in the winter months of June and July) and the wind chill can be harsh, so bring plenty of warm clothes like a scarf and wool hat for the chilly evenings.

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