Day 1: Uyuni Salt Flats to Salt Hostel (Train Cemetery, Colchani Salt Craft Shops, and Salt Factory)
Repas : déjeuner : day 1 ,lunch,dinner
Your first night will be spent at a hostel on the shores of the Salt Flat: Hostel Magia del Salar.
Departing from our office at 10:00 AM, we will visit the Train Cemetery, where you can see the remains of 19th-century steam locomotives. Arrive in COLCHANI to visit the salt refinery and learn about the iodization process for national consumption. Explore salt craft shops and visit the "salt eyes" on the shore of the salt flat. We'll then visit the former salt hotel Playa Blanca for lunch, with options like roast llama, beef, or vegetarian dishes. Afterward, we head to INCAWASI ISLAND, located in the middle of the salt flat, 100 km from Uyuni. This extraordinary, mountainous island is covered in giant cacti and surrounded by a flat, white sea of salt with hexagonal shapes. Enjoy a perspective photo and video session with our expert driver-guides for 1-2 hours, followed by a sunset viewing. Finally, we proceed to a 3-star salt hotel with a private toilet. Upon arrival, enjoy tea, coffee, hot chocolate, dinner, and rest.
Day 1: Train Cemetery
Salar de Uyuni
9 h, entrée non incluse
Located 3 kilometers south of Uyuni, the Train Cemetery showcases various types and models of steam locomotives from the 19th and early 20th centuries, originally from North America and England. This site highlights the high technology of the 19th century that influenced industrial development and mining in Potosí, replacing the llama caravans that transported silver. It's an excellent spot for artistic photography, with your driver-guide offering assistance and information. The visit lasts 30 minutes.
Day 1: Colchani
Train Cemetery
30 min
Arrive in the town of COLCHANI, situated next to the Uyuni salt flats, home to Cooperativa Rosario, the main salt iodization plant. Here, you can observe the different stages of salt extraction and processing, including drying, crushing, iodine mixing, and packaging for commercialization in Bolivia. Our expert guide will explain the iodization process. You'll also visit the artisanal salt market, where items like flamingos and llamas are carved from salt blocks, and medicinal salt products are available for purchase or as souvenirs.
Day 1: Incahuasi Island
Colchani
30 min
Next, we enter the majestic Uyuni Salt Flats. On the Salar's shore, visit the "salt eyes," known for their medicinal properties for rheumatism and arthritis. See the Dakar monument and the Salar's flags. Visit the former salt hotel Playa Blanca, now a salt museum constructed from salt blocks. Enjoy lunch at noon, followed by a photo and perspective video session explained by our expert bilingual driver-guide. Arrive at Incawasi Island (Casa del Inca), located in the center of the salt flat, 100 km from Uyuni. This mountainous island is covered with giant cacti and surrounded by a white sea with hexagonal shapes, offering views of volcanoes like Tunupa and sightings of vizcachas. It's an oasis with a unique ecosystem populated by cacti up to 7 meters high. We will then head to the western shore of the salt flat to witness the sunset before proceeding to our 3-star salt hostel for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 2: Salt Hostel / Laguna Colorada
Isla Incahuasi
1 h
Your second night will be at the Laguna Colorada Hostel Los Andes.
Day 2: Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna
Repas : petit-déjeuner : Day 2 includes breakfast, lunch, dinner
Today covers a distance of 350 km, with altitudes ranging from 3660 to 5000 meters, taking approximately 9 hours. We will visit "Laguna Colorada," whose rich red coloration comes from algae and plankton feeding on its minerals, with its shores lined with white deposits of magnesium and borax. Attractions visited today include: the Chullpas cemetery, Chiguana desert, Ollague viewpoint, the lagoons Cañapa, Hedionda (lunch), Chiarcota, and Honda. We'll cross the Siloli Desert, where you can see volcanoes of seven colors. Visit the Stone Tree and Laguna Colorada, with two viewpoints (Puntas Negras and Aguas Calientes) offering views of three types of flamingos: Chilean, Andean, and Jamesi. Later, visit the Sol de Mañana volcano to see geysers and fumaroles, followed by a visit to the hot springs of Laguna Polques for a relaxing soak. Dinner and overnight stay at a 2-star hotel.
Day 2: Ollague Volcano
Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna
10 h, entrée non incluse
After breakfast, we depart at 7:30 AM. Today's journey of 350 km, with altitudes from 3660 to 5000 meters, will take about 9 hours as we head towards "Laguna Colorada," located 151 km south of San Juan at an altitude of 4278 meters, covering an area of 60 km². We'll pass through San Juan and stop in the Salar de Chiguana, offering views of surrounding volcanoes. We then ascend the slope of the Ollague volcano, bordering Bolivia and Chile. From the viewpoint, admire this semi-active volcano and take a short walk among its giant lava stones, observing animal-shaped rock formations. Our expert driver-guide will then lead us to visit the Altiplanic lagoons, including Cañapa and Hedionda, aboard a legendary Toyota Land Cruiser.
Day 2: Laguna Canapa
Volcan Ollague
3 h
Laguna Cañapa is the first lagoon visited on the second day of the Uyuni 3-day tour. The journey from Uyuni is long, with unpaved roads and minimal signage. The cold is intense, but the scenery is incredible. We continue to more lagoons, culminating at Laguna Colorada and the Polques hot springs. You will see snow-capped mountains, colorful hills, and a large lagoon teeming with flamingos. We circle the lagoon for the best photographic opportunities of the flamingos, the lagoon, and the mountains. Flamingos often take flight in a flock as you approach, creating a beautiful spectacle against the sky. This is the first stop where you'll encounter these magnificent birds.
Day 2: Laguna Hedionda
Laguna Canapa
30 h
This is another stunning high-altitude lagoon, offering excellent opportunities to see flamingos amidst snow-capped hills and volcanoes. It's a remote and captivating location with an incredible landscape of lake, birds, mountains, and volcanoes. Laguna Hedionda features facilities for tourists, including a restaurant and restrooms. Lunch, prepared by Andes Salt Expeditions, is served here. After lunch, we continue through the Siloli Desert, ascending to an altitude of 5000 meters.
Day 2: Arbol de Piedra
Laguna Hedionda
1 h
After lunch, we proceed through the desert, climbing to 5000 meters in the Siloli Desert. The route offers spectacular landscapes with multicolored volcanic rock formations. We enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve to visit the Stone Tree, a natural formation of petrified volcanic lava eroded by wind and rain. This leads us to the day's main attraction, the Red Lagoon, populated by numerous flamingos. We will stop in the middle of this desert to observe the seven-colored volcanoes and their pyroclasts. This desert is known as Siloli in Bolivia and the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Day 2: Laguna Colorada
Arbol de Piedra
1 h
We arrive at Laguna Colorada around 4:00 PM. Located 151 km south of San Juan at an altitude of 4278 meters, this 60 km² lagoon gets its rich red color from algae and plankton thriving on its minerals, with its shores lined with white deposits of sodium, magnesium, and borax. The lagoon's red hue is clearly visible due to algal blooms. You can walk along its shores, observing numerous flamingos and enjoying the beautiful mountainous backdrop. Afterward, we head to the basic hostel in Huayllajara for our second night's accommodation. The next day (Day 3) begins early at 4:30 AM with breakfast, followed by a visit to the Sol de Mañana volcano to see its geysers and fumaroles.
Day 2: Geyser Sol de Mañana
Laguna Colorada
2 h
We continue our exploration to the "Sol de Mañana" geyser area. At 4850 meters, this geyser basin features bubbling clay pots, infernal fumaroles, and a strong sulfurous aroma, indicative of intense volcanic activity. Inside a small crater, observe boiling lava, reminiscent of the Earth's formation. Capture videos and photos with our driver-guides, marveling at the bubbling mud and the steam rising from the ground. Remember to bring warm clothing, as it gets extremely cold here, especially at sunset. This geyser in the middle of the desert is an incredible spectacle.
Day 2: Aguas Termales De Polques
Geiser Sol de la Manana
1 h, entrée non incluse
We arrive at the magical hot springs of Laguna Polques at 6:30 PM, where we will settle into our beds before enjoying the thermal baths. Located in a surreal landscape at an altitude of 4410 meters, you can immerse yourself in the thermal waters before or after dinner, or the following morning. This truly magical place offers stunning views of the lagoon and nearby flamingos. The experience is unforgettable, and the night sky viewed from the warm water is spectacular.
Day 3: Salvador Dali Desert, Laguna Verde, Transfer out to San Pedro or Uyuni.
Aguas Termales De Polques
14 h, entrée non incluse
Breakfast is included on Day 3, along with lunch.
Day 3: Salvador Dali Desert
Repas : petit-déjeuner : day 3 breakfast,lunch
We depart from the hot springs for Laguna Verde at 8:00 AM. We will cross the Salvador Dalí Desert, making a stop at Laguna Verde. Its green color is due to high concentrations of lead, sulfur, and calcium carbonate, with the Licancabur Volcano (5960 meters) in the background. You have two options: 1st OPTION: Continue to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, arriving at 1:00 PM. 2nd OPTION: Return to Uyuni, visiting the Villamar community for lunch. We then head to San Cristobal to see a colonial church, pass through the Villamar lagoon and the "Lost Italy" rock formations, then continue to the Catal canyon to observe llamas and birds, and finally arrive back in Uyuni at 5:00 PM.
Day 3: Salvador Dali Desert
Salvador Dali Desert
9 h, entrée non incluse
We continue our expedition towards Laguna Verde, with a stop in the Salvador Dalí Desert. This beautiful desert, named after the famous artist, features unique mountain shapes and colors. We'll pause here to admire the panorama of volcanoes, pyroclasts, and giant rocks. The landscape strongly resembles Dalí's surrealist paintings. Surrounded by towering volcanoes, the setting is as otherworldly as his art. This stop is exclusive to the 3-day/2-night tour with our expert guides from Andes Salt Expeditions. The colors and surreal formations must be seen to be believed. Please note that the Altiplano, at over 10,000 feet, experiences very cold nights, and accommodations are basic, though warm blankets are provided.
Day 3: Laguna Verde
Salvador Dali Desert
30 min, entrée non incluse
After visiting the Salvador Dalí Desert, we reach the edge of Laguna Verde, the tour's final stop before the Hito Cajones border crossing into Chile. Its beautiful green color, derived from high concentrations of lead, sulfur, and calcium carbonate from the Licancabur Volcano (5960 meters), makes for excellent photo opportunities with the volcano in the background. Flamingos are absent here due to arsenic content. Laguna Verde, along with Laguna Blanca, is situated near the border of Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. The Licancabur volcano stands majestically, creating a surreal sight. Clients are then transferred to the Hito Cajones border for their onward journey, with some continuing to San Pedro de Atacama and others returning to Uyuni.
Day 3: San Pedro de Atacama
Laguna Verde
1 h, entrée non incluse
From Laguna Verde, we travel approximately 20 minutes to Hito Cajones, the Bolivia-Chile border crossing, at an altitude of 4400 meters. Here, tourists have two options: 1st OPTION: Continue to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, arriving at 1:00 PM. 2nd OPTION: Return to Uyuni, visiting the Villamar community for lunch. We then proceed towards Laguna Villa Mar and the "Lost Italy" natural rock formations, where you can see flamingos, llamas, and other birds.
Day 3: Laguna Negra
San Pedro de Atacama
1 h
The Black Lagoon of Catal (Villa Mar) offers beautiful views, vegetation, llamas, and impressive colors, with its deep blue water contrasting with yellow and green plants. Nearby rock formations add to the scenery. This is a very tranquil place. We then pass through the Villa Alota canyon and continue to the town of San Cristóbal, where you can see a colonial-era church, before concluding the tour in Uyuni at 5:00 PM.
Day 1: Uyuni Salt Flats to Salt Hostel (Train Cemetery, Colchani Salt Craft Shops, and Salt Factory)
Laguna Negra
2 h
Your first night will be spent at a hostel on the shores of the Salt Flat: Hostel Magia del Salar.
Departing from our office at 10:00 AM, we will visit the Train Cemetery, where you can see the remains of 19th-century steam locomotives. Arrive in COLCHANI to visit the salt refinery and learn about the iodization process for national consumption. Explore salt craft shops and visit the "salt eyes" on the shore of the salt flat. We'll then visit the former salt hotel Playa Blanca for lunch, with options like roast llama, beef, or vegetarian dishes. Afterward, we head to INCAWASI ISLAND, located in the middle of the salt flat, 100 km from Uyuni. This extraordinary, mountainous island is covered in giant cacti and surrounded by a flat, white sea of salt with hexagonal shapes. Enjoy a perspective photo and video session with our expert driver-guides for 1-2 hours, followed by a sunset viewing. Finally, we proceed to a 3-star salt hotel with a private toilet. Upon arrival, enjoy tea, coffee, hot chocolate, dinner, and rest.
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