Uyuni Salt Flats Tour – One-Day VS. Multi-Day Tour
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The Thrill of Pursuit was started so that I can share my tips and experiences with friends who, like me, have limited vacation days from work and want to make the best use of those days. Admittedly, my brief time in Bolivia was only an appendix to my more extensive Peru itinerary. Since I was headed to Peru, I figured that I might as well add another stamp to my passport from its southeastern neighbour. I didn’t know much about Bolivia except that I definitely wanted to see Salar de Uyuni (aka Uyuni Salt Flats). In this post, I share my experience going on an Uyuni Salt Flats 1-Day Tour.
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<3 Dominique
If I had more time, I definitely would have loved to do a multi-day tour of the world’s largest salt flat. Uyuni is one the most stunning regions on Earth! I didn’t expect to fall in love with what was essentially a pit stop on my way to the Inca Trail. I quickly regretted only allocating two days in Uyuni in my itinerary.
Below, I am sharing what I experienced during my day trip to Salar de Uyuni to help you determine whether a one-day tour or a multi-day tour is the right adventure for you.
Why Choose a Day Trip to the Uyuni Salt Flats?
I chose a one-day Uyuni Salt Flats tour because I had limited time in Uyuni but there may be other factors to consider when weighing your options…
Do you want to camp out in the desert?
Not everyone enjoys roughing it or being out in the elements. A multi-day tour of Salar de Uyuni would entail two to three nights of camping out in the desert. The desert gets really cold once the sun goes down – FYI. If you choose a day trip, you would be dropped off in Uyuni at the end of your tour. There you can enjoy a warm shower and sleep in a hotel after a full day at the Bolivian salt flats.
Do you want to spend more time at the actual salt flats?
Since the day tour starts so close to the salt flats, I feel like you get more time at the Salar itself. I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to arrive at Uyuni (where all day trips begin). Also, the sun was already up and I was able to witness our entry into the world’s largest salt flat. Since your tour ends at Uyuni, day trips typically don’t leave the Salar until after sunset.
On the other hand, you experience so much more of the land when you go the multi-day tour route. You can expect to drive through (seemingly) untouched wilderness to see strange rock formations, geysers, and flocks of flamingos in gem-coloured lagoons. You can even take a dip in natural hot springs! As I understand it, you will have to get up at dawn on the last day of the tour to arrive at Salar de Uyuni. And while you might not be able to see the approach in the dark, you will arrive there at sunrise. Multi-day tours that go back to San Pedro de Atacama will depart the Uyuni Salt Flats before sunset.
Are you coming to or from Chile?
If Chile is part of your travel itinerary, then a multi-day tour that starts and/or ends in San Pedro de Atacama would be the perfect way to fit Salar de Uyuni to your itinerary too. If you have no need to go all that way, the day trip may be more suitable for your itinerary.
Do you have a limited budget?
If budget is a concern, a day trip is considerably cheaper.
Would you prefer to travel with a smaller group?
Whether you choose a day trip or a multi-day tour, Salar de Uyuni is one of those places where it is better to visit through a guided tour. By my observation, multi-day tour groups tend to be bigger than day trip groups. When I signed up for my one-day tour, there were six of us on the tour. The average multi-day tour group consisted of 10 to 12 people.
Travel tip: when booking a guided tour for your adventure out in the Bolivian Altiplano, it is important to book with a reputable tour operator. I chose Red Planet Expeditions based on online reviews. You can book them directly at their Uyuni office on Av. Ferroviaria for the best price. For convenience and guaranteed spot, you can book their One-Day Tour or their Three-Day Tour via these links.
Highlights of my Uyuni Salt Flats 1 Day Tour
Are you still undecided? Below I am sharing the highlights of my one-day Uyuni Salt Flats tour to help you decide if it hits all that you want to experience during your visit.
Cemeterio de Trenes
The first stop on my one-day tour of Salar de Uyuni was Cemeterio de Trenes (English translation: Train Cemetery).
Cemeterio de Trenes is an open-air museum of historic steam locomotives and rail cars. Some of the trains date back to the early 19th century. The trains were abandoned about 3 kms outside of Uyuni in the 1940s. These abandoned trains rusted at a faster rate than average because of the salt blowing in from the nearby salt flats; making it appear like the trains have been there for hundreds of years.
The trains are relics from the golden age of Uyuni when the town was poised to become a major transportation hub. Sadly, the transportation project in the area was abandoned when the Bolivian mining industry collapsed post World War II. Gradually, trains sent to Uyuni to be repaired never came back into operation which inadvertently created the open-air museum.
Colchani Village
My tour group made a stop at Colchani village for lunch. Colchani is home to a salt cooperative. All miners working at the Salar belong to the Colchani cooperative (i.e. there are no mining plants at the salt flat as the Bolivian government strongly opposes exploitation by foreign corporations). Before lunch, we toured a salt processing factory in the village. Our bilingual guide talked us through the salt mining and processing methods used in the area.
Besides the processing plant and a salt museum, Colchani also has market stalls where you can buy props for your perception distortion shots at the salt flats (you KNOW which ones I’m talking about). You can also pick up authentic, Bolivian souvenirs and refreshments before heading out to the Salar.
don’t worry. Market stalls at Colchani village sell plenty of items that can be used as props for your shots.
Travel Tip: Bring small change with you for Colchani. You will need to pay for the toilets if you need them. The young attendant I was trying to pay refused to accept the bill I was handing to her; she only accepted exact change…
Incahuasi Island
After lunch, my tour group drove out into the blue and white horizon towards Isla Incahuasi. Isla Incahuasi is an “island” in the middle of the sea of salt. It is a big mound in the middle of the salt flat that is covered in giant cacti that look straight from a Dr. Seuss book. A small hike up Isla Incahuasi provides SPECTACULAR panoramic views of Salar de Uyuni.
Salar de Uyuni was formed because 40,000 years ago it was a prehistoric lake. When the lake dried up the salt flat was formed which holds 7% of the world’s known lithium sources. Isla Incahuasi is believed to be the top layer of an ancient volcano that was submerged in the prehistoric lake.
Travel Tip: there is a tourist center at Incahuasi. This would be your last chance to use the restroom for the rest of your day trip.
Salar de Uyuni!
We drove away from Isla Incahuasi and into the vastness of the Bolivian salt flat. The repetitiveness of our surroundings lulled me to sleep. I don’t know how long we drove our into the Salar for. I woke up when someone from the group asked when we were going to stop to take pictures. We literally stopped where the question was asked.
It was the perfect time of day to stop for pictures because the sun was no longer directly above us . Without a guide, there was NO WAY my perception distortion shots would have turned out as good as they did!
I felt like we stayed at that spot for as long as group needed to get all the photos that we wanted. We got plenty of time to stage all the perception distortion effects that we wanted to try.
Read more: How To Take The Perfect Salar de Uyuni Photo
Dakar Monument and the Palacio de Sal
Salar de Uyuni is so uniformly flat that there aren’t many landmarks. At some point, your guide will most likely stop at the Dakar Monument and the old Salt Hotel for photo ops.
The Bolivian Salt Flat is part of the course for the Dakar Rally – an annual off-road race that takes place over several days. To celebrate their inclusion in the Dakar Rally, the Bolivians built the Dakar Monument in 2014.
Palacio de Sal (in English: Salt Palace) was a hotel made of salt blocks which was built in 1990s. The hotel had 12 double rooms, a common bathroom, and no shower. It was a popular tourist destination. However, its location in the middle of the desert created sanitary problems. Most of the waste at the hotel had to be collected manually. Mismanagement of the waste created a serious environmental mess and the hotel had to be dismantled in 2002. No worries though; your tour guide will show it to you from a safe distance.
Sunset at the Salt Flat
My one-day Uyuni Salt Flats tour itinerary ended gradually. We waited near the Dakar Monument for the sun to set. As we waited, our driver and guide prepared a snack of chips (if you’re Canadian or American; it was a snack of crisps if you’re from Australia or the UK) and red wine.
As previously mentioned, the day tour lasts until sundown at the Salar. For me, it was the perfect end to a beautiful day spent entirely on Salar de Uyuni.
Related Reads
Do you still need help deciding between a multi-day or Uyuni Salt Flats 1-Day tour? Have you done both tours and have tips on the pros and cons of each? We would love to hear from you in the comments below…
[…] Located in the awe-inspiring Altiplano of southwestern Bolivia, these expansive salt flats are a hidden gem that are practically a must-visit for travelers around the world. Stretching across 12,000 square […]