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The Salar de Uyuni tour from Tupiza (find out what to see in the Bolivian town HERE) is definitely one of the wonders to visit in Boliva…and around the world!

This tour largely matches the one that starts in Atacama, which I describe HERE..

Located at an altitude of 3,600 meters, the Salar de Uyuni is the largest salty expanse in the world, created by the evaporation of a salt lake. The Uyuni tour from Tupiza allows you to see the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa entirely: compared to the Atacama tour, you can also see the Kollpa Lagoon, famous for its flamingos.

I toured the Salar de Uyuni from Tupiza in June 2013 and January 2025. Doing the tour again, I was fortunate to see the Salar de Uyuni in both its dry season and its rainy season, when the mirror effect forms.

Salar de Uyuni tour from Tupiza: day 1

The van picked me up at the Mitre Hotel in Tupiza at 7:30 am. Tupiza is only 90 kilometers away from the Argentine border and is famous for its canyons. In fact, the first viewpoint is called Sillar: from here you can enjoy a splendid view of the canyons in the Tupiza area. After appreciating a few small Andean villages, such as Cerrillos, San Pablo and San Antonio de Lipez. The altitude already exceeds 4,000 meters above sea level. Shortly after San Antonio de Lipez, ruins can be observed. These houses (and a small church) were Spanish constructions: the colonialists exploited the locals, enslaving them and sending them to work in the nearby mines, under harsh conditions.

At the end of the day we enter the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa, sleeping in the small village of Quetena Chico.

Salar de Uyuni tour from Tupiza: day 2

Day two of the Uyuni Salar tour from Tupiza is devoted entirely to the Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa. The first vantage point is the Kollpa Lagoon: a half-hour walk provides a close-up view of the beautiful flamingos.

The second stop is dedicated to Desierto de Dali: the geological shapes, in fact, are reminiscent of the famous painter’s works of art. A further hour’s jeep ride takes you to the Verde and Blanca lagoons: the splendid Licancabur volcano, meaning mountain of the people, completes the incredible panorama.

The wonderful morning is completed with relaxation at the aguas termales de Polques: here there are two pools of thermal waters, very hot! The hour of relaxation in the thermal waters while waiting for lunch was very welcome! After lunch we resumed our journey. In the early afternoon we spent twenty minutes visiting the beautiful Sol de Manana geysers. This is the highest point of the whole tour, touching 4950 meters altitude.

Finally, the Colorada Lagoon was the focus of the second visit of the afternoon. A one-hour visit allowed us to admire this beautiful red-colored lagoon. The lagoon, located at an elevation of 4,200 meters above sea level, is a mineral-rich salt lake: it is easy to find James’ flamingo and…lots of llamas, at least in the dry season! We slept in a hostal near Laguna Colorada.

Salar de Uyuni tour from Tupiza: day 3

Generally, the third day of the Salar de Uyuni tour from Tupiza differs from the second day of the Atacama tour. In fact, tour operators in Tupiza prefer to visit the altiplano lagoons instead of admiring the rock formations of Italia Perdida and Anaconda canyon. Having taken both tours, I don’t know which option to choose-they are both excellent!

The first stop of the day is arbol de piedra-the rocks in this area of Bolivia are very distinctive! After admiring some small vizcacha (chinchilla) comes the highlight of the third day of the Tupiza tour. In fact, you can see as many as four altiplano lagoons: at Honda and Hedionda there are many flamingos, which make the view sublime.

Lunch break on the third day is at the mirador Volcano Ollague, which separates CIle and Bolivia. After a short break at the small village of San Juan we arrive at the salt hotel, near the Salar: if the day is nice it is possible to see the sunset at the Salar.

Salar de Uyuni tour from Tupiza: day 4

The fourth day is totally the same as the tour starting in Atacama.

The day started at five in the morning. After about 45 minutes by jeep we arrived at the base of Isla Incahuasi. This veritable islet is a paradise: full of cacti, it is totally surrounded by the immensity of the Salar de Uyuni. After a hike of about 20 minutes (elevation gain about 100 meters) we arrived at the summit of Isla Incahuasi: the sunrise from the island is simply unforgettable (video of the island!)

After having breakfast at the base of Isla Incahuasi we resumed the jeeps to enter the middle of the Salar de Uyuni (video).. Of course, it was time for the long photo session! In fact, the Salar de Uyuni lends itself perfectly for special photos, thanks to the deceptive perspective for human eyes!

The museo de las banderas is the end point of the Salar de Uyuni: just outside the Salar is the town of Colchani, famous for its markets.

The Salar de Uyuni tour ends with a visit to the cementerio de los trenes. At this place you can see train cars used in the 1980s. The epic tour ends around 1 pm.

IN ADDITION TO THE SALAR DE UYUNI TOUR FROM TUPIZA YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ….

Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca!

Top 10 of Chile!

More information about the Salar!

SALAR DE UYUNI TOUR INFORMATION FROM TUPIZA

• The Uyuni tour starting from Atacama takes three days. I organized it with Tupiza Tours:: I had a very good time with them. I paid about $200, to which you have to add about $30 entry fees to be paid in Bolivianos: in San Pedro de Atacama there are exchange houses. It is possible to return directly to Atacama: the tour in this case is four days and the cost is about $220.

• Once in Uyuni, it is possible to reach La Paz by night bus: it arrives in the main Bolivian city at first light. It is also possible to reach Potosi, one of the most interesting places in Bolivia (described in this post): it is about four hours away.

• There are two different seasons in Uyuni. In the season from December to March, in fact, the rains cause a mirror effect to form between the salar and the sky. in this season, during heavy rains, it is not possible to visit Isla Incahuasi.

• When to visit Uyuni? In my opinion Uyuni is always magical. The mirror effect of the wet season is incredible, but the perspective of infinity of the dry season is equally hallucinating.

• It touches a maximum altitude of 4950 meters. I strongly recommend staying at least a couple of nights in Atacama (located at 2300 meters altitude) to acclimatize a bit. It is, in fact, quite common for tourists to suffer from altitude sickness. Coca mate and coca leaves help, but the first rule here is to get down in altitude quickly!

• Cold weather clothing advice. I brought fleece, windbreaker and hiking pants: all were necessary! Very little walking: the only uphill walk was to the summit of Isla Incahuasi. This is an easy walk, despite the altitude.

• You can also visit the Salar de Uyuni independently, with your own jeep.

• The typical cuisine encountered on the Uyuni tour is chicken and rice.

• The town of Uyuni is frankly not interesting. In my opinion at the end of the tour it is better to leave directly for La Paz or Potosi, without spending a night in Uyuni.

• The tour runs almost solely from Tupiza to Uyuni, not vice versa. This is a big difference with the Atacama tour, which is taken in both directions.

• Having done it three times I can safely confirm: the Salar de Uyuni tour is one of the wonders of the world, without a doubt!