Salar de Uyuni | The Ultimate Guide to Bolivia’s Salt Flats

As one of the most epic and unique landscapes we’ve ever seen, it will come as no surprise that we think Salar de Uyuni should be a destination on everyone’s bucket list.

The remarkable desert of salt is like no place on Earth – a behemoth of natural wonders that stretches out endlessly in every direction for a crisp white horizon line. And in the rainy season the wet surface becomes an infinite mirror that perfectly reflects the sky above.

This guide has everything you need to know before visiting the world’s largest salt flats, including when to go to get those dreamy reflections, the various ways to get there and must-pack items for the absolute best experience.

A Complete Guide to Salar de Uyuni

What , Where + When: A Bolivia Salt Flats 101
Getting to Salar de Uyuni: Multi-Day, Single Day or Self-Drive
Our recommendation: a 3-Day Tour from San Pedro de Atacama
How to find the right tour company: Three simple steps
Know before you go: Useful travel advice for your journey
Essential Packing List: What to bring on your Salar de Uyuni Tour
Photography Tips: How to capture the best reflection + perspective shots

Salar de Uyuni | What, Where + When

The world’s largest salt flats span over 10,000km² across Southwest Bolivia and sit over 3,500 meters above sea level. Notorious for the unusually flat and often reflective surface made of a thick layer of salt crystals left behind after prehistoric lakes evaporated. Salar de Uyuni is a spectacular place for odd and magnificent natural vistas.

The best time to go depends on what you’re looking for. To experience the symmetrical perfection of the reflective salt surface you need to visit when the ground is saturated, which means end of December to March rainy season. March offers the best chance of a pristine glass-like ground and has less rain than earlier months. On the other hand, if you want to avoid the wet, July to October is your sweet spot. That said, we visited in late April and were lucky enough to find some reflective sections. More on that in a minute.

Salar de Uyuni | Getting there

The namesake town of Uyuni, Bolivia is only 25km from the entrance to Salar de Uyuni making it the most common (though not our recommended) starting point for travellers. Uyuni doesn’t have an international airport so you’ll need to come via bus or train from La Paz, or a neighbouring country. There are three popular ways to visit the Salt Flats:

Option 1 // Three-Day Tour to or from San Pedro de Atacama

The longest, priciest and, in our opinion, the absolute best way to see Salar de Uyuni. We’ll tell you why in the next section. This three-day one-way (or 4-day round trip) journey can start in either Chile’s desert town San Pedro de Atacama or Uyuni. You can splurge on a private tour or an English guide but the base experience is 6 visitors and a Bolivian driver. One day is spent in the salt flats and the other two are packed with various less known yet remarkable landscapes along the way.

Option 2 // One-Day Tour from Uyuni or Tupiza

If you’re short on time or funds, you can also book a full day tour from Uyuni or its Southern neighbour Tupiza. You’ll have lots of time to enjoy the salt flats and save some money to boot. Though you won’t get to experience the diverse lands around the flats, if you plan your trip to coincide with the end of the rainy season you’ll increase your chances of rare sunny and reflective days.

Option 3 // Self-Drive from Uyuni

Last (and probably least) is driving yourself. It’s a breezy 25km of main-road driving from Uyuni to the Salt Flats. But from there it could honestly be an incredible adventure or a total nightmare. The main road ends at the entrance and then it’s an endless desert drive with zero navigational markers. You’ll be turned away at the gate if the water levels are too high so only attempt this in dry season. We met people who did it and learned to tell the tale, and heard other stories of people getting stranded in the scorching sun, so our advice would be to proceed with caution. And be sure to download iOverlander and maps.me before heading out.

Salar de Uyuni | Why you should go with a 3-day tour from San Pedro de Atacama

1. See More of Bolivia – There’s no doubt the Salt Flats are la piece de resistance in Bolivia but they shouldn’t be all you see of the beautiful country. The spectacular sights from San Pedro de Atacama to Salar de Uyuni are absolutely worth experiencing and are in a lot of ways just as memorable. Plus, the trip builds in anticipation so that the flats become the grand finale. Read all about the attraction in between here.
2. Off-Season Reflections – Unlike day tours from Uyuni, starting in Chile means there is no backtracking so not only are you approaching the Salt Flats from another direction but you get to cover more ground. The main benefit of this is that the drivers know where the salt is likely to be saturated and if you’re as lucky as we were you’ll get a chance to capture the photos you came for even if it hasn’t rained for days.
3. A ‘Free’ Transfer – While bus travel in South America is generally fantastic, this route is less traveled. The border crossing is set up for these tours, not commuter buses, and both food and accommodations between point A and B are scarce at best. A tour is definitely the best way to get from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile to Uyuni in Bolivia where you can catch a bus anywhere else in the country.
4. Lunch with Llamas – Ok, we can’t guarantee you’ll experience this one but a tour is absolutely your best bet. One of our favourite experiences of the entire three days was having a picnic lunch beside a pack of grazing llamas. Almost as insta-worthy as the reflections.

Salar de Uyuni | Picking the Right Tour Company

One thing San Pedro de Atacama and Uyuni have in common are streets lined with tour companies. They all have a spiel but are essentially offering the same thing. Here are 4 simple steps to ensure you get the best tour for you.

Step 1: Research 

Beyond the tour itself, it’s the little things that will have the biggest impact on your experience, namely: a competent driver, safe vehicle, good food and decent accommodations. But it’s difficult to tell if a company will deliver on these until you’re on the road. Your best resource is the people who have actually taken the tour. So read recent reviews on TripAdvisor, talk to other travellers, ask your hostel or hotel about their recommendations. Then narrow in on 2 to 3 options.

As a starting point, the three companies recommended to us were Cordillera Travel, World White Travel and Estrella del Sur. They were all at the top of the list on TripAdvisor and had great customer service agents. Based on price and vibe we went with Estrella del Sur and had an excellent time.

Step 2: Inquire

Visit your top choices in person to get their pitch. Ask how they differentiate from other companies and if their price is flexible. Don’t worry about talking to every shop in town, they are all very similar and honestly, after speaking with nearly a dozen shops ourselves, it’s exhausting and a waste of time.

Step 3: Negotiate

Once you have a rough idea of prices you’ll be able to negotiate for a better deal. In our experience a 3-day group tour can cost anywhere from $90-$150 USD per person. Last minute bookings and flexible departure dates will generally get you closer to the lower end as companies try to fill seats. And since there’s really no need to book a tour in advance you shouldn’t end up near the higher end.

So can’t you just find the lowest price and book it? Sure! We opted for a somewhere-in-between option to ensure it was safe and secure but we met other travellers who went with the cheapest and had no complaints.

Other tips for booking:

• You’ll have more negotiating power if you can get a group of 6 travellers together as you’ll be buying out the whole Jeep. Plus you’ll know who you’ll be bouncing around with for the next three days.
• If you’re booking from Chile, look into whether the tour company also has an office in Bolivia. If not, they are outsourcing the hiring of drivers and may not be able to guarantee a quality experience.
• Most drivers will speak limited (if any) English. Tour companies offer an option to have an English guide but you not only pay for their seat in the car but also for their wages so it’s quite pricey. You’ll be on this journey with dozens of other Jeeps full of international travellers so you can certainly get by without. Download Spanish on Google Translate to be safe.

Salar de Uyuni | Know before you go

• High Altitude – The salt flats are over 3,500m above sea level which means you should acclimate before your tour starts to avoid altitude sickness. You can do this almost anywhere in Bolivia or in San Pedro de Atacama, just be sure to plan a low-key day before your tour. If you get a headache or upset stomach while on the road ask your driver for some coca leaves to chew on. And throw some out the window as an offering to Pachamama.
• Drinking and Driving – In Bolivia drinking and driving isn’t as taboo as most of the Western World and unfortunately the cause of several accidents in the past. Tour companies have come down hard against this and we didn’t see or hear of any issues on our tour. That said, if you even remotely suspect your driver has been drinking don’t get in the car.
• Crossing The Border – Not everyone had as easy of a time getting through as us Canadians. The Americans and Israelis in front of us had to pay a steep entry fee. Be sure to check your visa requirements before crossing as if you don’t have the right cash you’ll be heading back to Chile.
• Yellow Fever Card – There is a risk of Yellow Fever in Bolivia. In order to enter the country you’ll need to show your proof of vaccination if you’ve travelled to another at-risk country. And if you’re continuing to travel after Bolivia many countries will require the same if they see your Bolivia stamp. We always have ours with our passport just in case.

Salar de Uyuni | Essential Packing List

Clothes:

• For Cold Weather – Thermals, a fleece jumper, gloves, wool socks and a beanie. Seriously, with the high altitude nights and mornings are frigid and accommodations may not have more than thin blankets for you. Even if you’re doing a one-day tour you’ll want to bundle up for those pre-sunrise shots on the ice-cold water.
• For Warm Weather – T-shirts, a hat, and sunglasses. The afternoons can get hot so have some layers underneath your warm clothes for when the sun starts beating down.
• Waterproof Shoes or Flip Flops – To get those reflection shots you’ll be standing in ice cold water. Sometimes the levels are low enough that you can teeter from salt mound to salt mound but sometimes it’s a few inches deep. We got by with double layers of socks but don’t recommend it.
• A Sports Bra – You’re bound to be shaken up on the off-road journey, especially in the back seat.
• Bathing Suit – For visits to the hot springs on multi-day tours.

Day Pack:

• Toilet Paper + Hand Sanitizer – There are bathrooms along the way (often for a small fee) but not all of them are well equipped. And when there are no bathrooms you’ll be going on the side of the road. Be prepared. 
• Headphones – You’re covering a lot of ground over the course of three days and the bumpy journey makes reading no bueno. Download an audio book, some podcasts or your favourite album and have your headphones at the ready.
• Snacks – The food on tour was surprisingly decent but stuck to three meals a day. With breakfast often falling before sunrise you may want some snacks in between. We’re partial to make-your-own trail mix with nuts, dried fruit and peanut M&Ms. Granola bars are a nice addition too.
• A Good Camera – A cell phone goes a long way but if you want epic reflection or perspective photos you’ll want a camera with Manual mode. More on that below.
• Sunscreen – It may be cold but you’re near the equator so could get burnt very easily.

Optional: 

• A Pack of Cards – What better way to get to know your new roomies than with a round of games after dinner.
• A Water Filter – Most of the water along the way isn’t potable. Bring a filter or iodine tablets to keep the plastic bottles your tour provides to a minimum.

Salar de Uyuni | Photography Tips

One of the main attractions of visiting the Salt Flats in Bolivia is the epic photos you can get. Your driver knows this is what most people look forward to so they’ll probably have a glove box of props to bust out for hilarious (and mildly embarrassing) photo shoots, but don’t leave it all in their hands. Here are our top tips for getting the best photos on your Salar de Uyuni tour:

• Bring a Tripod – Two reasons. First, with your self timer it’s WAY easier to capture you and your boo or crew in the same shot. Second, you may only get the opportunity to capture the reflective surface of the flats before sunrise and having the ability to lengthen your shutter speed to let more light in will give you more flexibility for what you can shoot.
• Perfecting Perspective Shots – The endless white surface of Salar de Uyuni makes for amazing perspective shots. They all have one thing in common: something in the foreground and something in the background. To make sure both are in focus you need to maximize your depth of field with a small aperture. Set your camera to f/8 or higher for the best results.
• Embrace the Silly – Running away from a dinosaur, jumping out of a pot, holding up a salt shaker…it’s the kind of tacky touristy thing that turns a lot of serious travellers off. But honestly, it’s fun and memorable and the outcomes can be hilarious. Let your driver play amateur director and photographer and share all their tricks they’ve collected from past experience.

Are the Bolivia Salt Flats on your bucket list?