Uyuni Salt Flats to Salt Hostel (Train Cemetery, Colchani Salt Craft Shops, and Salt Factory)

Salar de Uyuni - Depart from the office at 10:00 am. The tour begins with a visit to the Train Cemetery, showcasing remnants of 19th-century steam locomotives. Upon arrival in COLCHANI, explore the salt refinery where iodine is mixed with salt at various stages for national consumption. Visit the salt craft shops, and on the salt flat’s edge, see the salt eyes. Visit the former salt hotel Playa Blanca for lunch, offering roast llama, beef, and vegetarian options. Next, travel to INCAWASI ISLAND, located 100 km from Uyuni in the salt flat’s center. This extraordinary island, covered in trichocerus cacti, is surrounded by a flat white sea of salt with hexagonal shapes. Enjoy a photo and video session with expert driver guides for 1-2 hours, followed by a sunset view. Conclude the day at a 3-star salt hotel with private facilities, where you can enjoy tea, coffee, hot chocolate, dinner, and rest.

Train Cemetery - Located 3 kilometers south of Uyuni, the Train Cemetery features various models and remnants of 19th and early 20th-century steam locomotives from North America and England. This site highlights the advanced technology of the era, which significantly impacted industrial development and mining in Potosi. It replaced llama caravans that transported silver from the Huanchaca-Pulacayo mine to Antofagasta. It’s an excellent spot for artistic photography, with the driver guide assisting in taking pictures and providing information. The visit lasts 30 minutes.

Colchani - Arrive in COLCHANI, adjacent to the Uyuni salt flats, where Cooperativa Rosario operates the main salt iodization plant. This is the best place to observe the different stages of salt processing, including drying, crushing, iodine mixing, and packaging for commercialization in Bolivia. An expert guide will explain the iodization process. In the same town, visit the artisanal salt market, featuring items like flamingos and llamas carved from salt blocks, medicinal salt, and other souvenirs.

Isla Incahuasi - Enter the majestic Uyuni Salt Flats, visiting the salt eyes, which are medicinal for rheumatism and arthritis. See the Dakar monument, the flags of the salar, and the ex-salt hotel Playa Blanca, considered a salt museum. After lunch, enjoy time for photos and perspective videos, guided by an expert bilingual driver. Arrive at Incawasi Island (Casa del Inca), located 100 km from Uyuni, a mountainous island covered with giant cacti surrounded by a white sea with hexagonal shapes. The island is an oasis with a unique ecosystem, populated by cacti up to 7 meters high. Head to the salt flat’s west side to watch the sunset, then proceed to a 3-star salt hostel for the night, dinner, and rest.

Day 2: Salt Hostel / Laguna Colorada

Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna - Day 2 covers a distance of 350 km, with altitudes ranging from 3660 to 5000 meters over 9 hours. “Laguna Colorada” is known for its rich red coloration, derived from algae and plankton nourished by minerals, and lined with bright white magnesium and borax deposits. Day 2 attractions include:
• Chullpas cemetery, Chiguana desert, Ollague viewpoint
• Chain of lagoons: Cañapa, Hedionda (Lunch), Chiarcota, Honda lagoons
• Crossing the Siloli desert, observing 7 colors of volcanoes
• Visiting the stone tree, the red lagoon, and two viewpoints: a) Puntas Negras b) Aguas Calientes, where you can see three types of flamingos: Chilean, Andean, and Jamesi.
• Later, visit the Sol de Mañana volcano to see geysers and fumaroles, then arrive at the hot springs of Laguna Polques to enjoy the hot springs, tea, dinner, and spend the night in a 2-star hotel.

Laguna Canapa - The Cañapa Lagoon is the first stop on the Uyuni 3-day tour circuit, on the second day after staying at the salt hotel. The road from Uyuni is long, with little signage, and the cold is intense, but the scenery is incredible. More lagoons follow, culminating in Laguna Colorada and Polques hot springs. Snow-capped mountains, brown and reddish hills, and a large lagoon with many flamingos create a postcard-like landscape. Visitors can stay as long as they wish, capturing images of flamingos taking flight against the celestial sky, a beautiful sight.

Laguna Hedionda - Another stunning lagoon in the highlands, offering views of numerous flamingos and surrounded by snow-capped hills and volcanoes. The remote location provides an incredible landscape of lake, birds, and mountains. The Hedionda lagoon has facilities for tourists, including a restaurant, bathrooms, and outdoor tables. Lunch is prepared by Ande Salt Expeditions. After lunch, continue through the desert, climbing to 5000 meters in the Siloli desert.

Arbol de Piedra - After lunch, continue through the desert, reaching 5000 meters in the Siloli Desert. The route features spectacular landscapes with multicolored volcanic rock formations, reaching 5000 meters before entering the Eduardo Abaroa National Reserve, home to the Stone Tree, a natural formation of petrified volcanic lava eroded by wind and rain. The second day’s highlight is the red lagoon with many flamingos. Stop in the desert to observe the 7 colors of volcanoes, known as Siloli in Bolivia and Atacama in Chile.

Laguna Colorada - Arrive at Laguna Colorada around 4:00 p.m. Located 151 km south of San Juan at 4278 meters, it covers 60 km2. The red coloration is due to algae and plankton thriving on minerals, with bright white sodium, magnesium, and borax deposits lining the shore. The lagoon’s red tint is noticeable, with many flamingos along the shoreline. It’s a great spot for bird watching with a beautiful mountainous backdrop. Known for its colors and pink flamingos, the tour continues to Huayllajara for the second night’s accommodation in a basic hostel. The next day (day 3) starts at 4:30 am with breakfast, then continues to the Sol de Mañana volcano to see geysers and fumaroles.

Geiser Sol de la Manana - Visit the volcanic area of Geysers “Sol de Mañana” at 4850 meters, featuring a geyser basin with bubbling clay pots, fumaroles, and a sulfur aroma. This site of intense volcanic activity includes a small crater with boiling lava, reminiscent of Earth’s formation. Capture videos and photos with driver guides, observing bubbling mud, especially in slow motion. The fog rising from the ground creates an impressive scene. Bring warm clothes for sunset to avoid freezing. The geyser in the desert is a spectacular sight, with steam columns rising into the air.

Aguas Termales de Polques - Arrive at the magical hot springs of Laguna Polques at 6:30 pm, settle in before enjoying the hot springs. Surrounded by surreal beauty, immerse yourself in thermal pools at 4410 meters. Enjoy the thermal water before or after dinner, or the next day before continuing the tour. This magical place offers stunning views while in the water, or enjoy the night sky from the nearby hostel. The hot springs provide a beautiful view of the lagoon with nearby flamingos, creating an experience as if you were with the flamingos in the hot spring water.

Salvador Dali Desert, Laguna Verde, Transfer out to San Pedro or Uyuni.

Salvador Dali Desert - Depart from the hot springs after breakfast to Laguna Verde at 8:00 AM. Cross the Salvador Dali Desert, stopping at Laguna Verde, where the lake’s green color arises from high concentrations of lead, sulfur, and calcium carbonate. Licancabur Volcano stands at 5960 meters. Two options are available:

1st OPTION: Continue to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, ending at 1:00 PM.

2nd OPTION: Return to Uyuni, visiting the Villamar community (lunch time), then head to San Cristobal to see a colonial church. Continue through the Villa Alota canyon, the Valley of Rocks with petrified volcanic lava, and the Catal canyon to observe llamas and birds. Proceed to the Villa Mar lagoon and Italy’s lost natural rock formations, ending in Uyuni at 5:00 pm.

Salvador Dali Desert - Continue the expedition to Laguna Verde, stopping in the Salvador Dali desert, named after the famous artist. The mountains’ shapes and colors create a unique landscape, reminiscent of Dalí’s paintings. Surrounded by towering volcanoes, the setting is as surreal as Dalí’s art. The rocks in the desert sand resemble a Dalí painting. This 3-day/2-night tour includes expert guides from Andes Salt Expeditions, offering a great stop and viewpoint. The colors and otherworldly features must be seen to be believed. The trip is not for the faint-hearted, as the Altiplano, over 10,000 feet high, gets very cold at night, and accommodations are basic with many blankets.

Laguna Verde - After visiting the Salvador Dali desert, reach the edge of Laguna Verde, the last stop before the Chilean border at Hito Cajones. The lake’s beautiful green color offers a great photo opportunity with the Licancabur volcano in the background. No flamingos are present due to arsenic in the water. The green color results from high concentrations of lead, sulfur, and calcium carbonate, with arsenic from the Licancabur Volcano at 5960 meters. Laguna Verde is near Laguna Blanca, which has some flamingos. The Licancabur volcano borders Bolivia to the south, Argentina to the west, and Chile. It’s a surreal sight. Clients are transferred to the Hito Cajones border for some group members, then return to Uyuni with others.

San Pedro de Atacama - From Laguna Verde, travel about 20 minutes to the Hito Cajones between Bolivia and Chile. Those ending the tour in Chile will pass through Bolivia and Chile’s migration at 4400 meters. Tourists have two options: 1st OPTION: Continue to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, ending at 1:00 PM. 2nd OPTION: Return to Uyuni, visiting the Villamar community (lunch time), continuing to the Villa Mar lagoon and Italy’s lost natural rock formations, where flamingos, llamas, and other birds can be seen.

• Oxygen tank at second night
• Lunch
• 1st night Salt Hostel Magia del Salar in a private room with two separate beds, a queen-size bed
• Meals
• Breakfast
• 2nd night at Hostal Los Andes, at Laguna Colorada, in a shared room and shared bathroom.
• Private transportation
• bilingual English driver guide
• For two night you will have a room with a private bathroom and hot shower.

• Transfer out ticket to San Pedro de Atacama Chile
• Entrance to National Parks and others
• Sleeping bag 10 USD cash
• Water

On this 3-day/2-night expedition you will get to know this magical Uyuni salt flat, the largest in the world with a route of more than 200 km long and 80 km wide, with more than 64 billion tons of salt, more than 21 million tons of lithium. Of astonishing natural beauty, an amazing island of giant cacti in the middle of the salt flat, a giant mirror in the rainy season , from an impressive sunset, volcanoes in the western mountain range such as the Licancabur, Ollague, Tunupa and other volcanoes, where can practice trekking from 3600 meters high to 5000 meters high, enjoy their hot springs in different places, Laguna Polques hot springs, Laguna Blanca hot springs, etc., inhospitable deserts such as the Siloli desert, Salvador Dalí desert, and observe the fauna and flora of the south west of Potosí, come to know and enjoy a great unforgettable adventure with Andes Salt Expedition with 8 consecutive Awards of Quality Excellence Certifications of service by TRIPADVISOR 2015-2023.

• no recomendado para viajeros con mal de altura deven aclimatarse en Cuzco Peru
• No recomendado para viajeros con diarrea y neumonia
• No recomendado para viajeros con sobre peso

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.