Uyuni Salt Flats: 1-Day vs 3-Day Tour Comparison
| Feature | Salt Flat 1-Day Tour | Salt Flat 3-Day Tour |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$50-75 |
$150-250 |
|
Timing |
10:00 AM – 19:00 PM |
3 days / 2 nights |
|
Highlights |
• Train cemetery • Incawasi Island • Tunupa Volcano • Sunset on the salt flat |
• Everything included on the single day tour • Laguna Colorada, Verde & Blanca • Termas De Polques Hot Springs • Salvador Dali Desert • Licancabur Volcano |
|
Advantages |
• Much cheaper than extended tours • Best for people who are short on time or need to return to La Paz |
• Transport to Chilean border on the final day • The places visited on the second and the third day are amazing |
*the sights you visit and the order you see them in depends on which tour company you book with. The sights in the table are based on our tour with Salty Desert Aventours.
“Joe saved us so many hours of research and planning. His expertise turned our stress into a clear, custom itinerary we could actually enjoy.”
Maeve & Martin – 6 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Unsure how to pick the best route
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Uyuni Salt Flat 1-Day Tour
- Cost: $50-75 (depending on season)
- Advantage: Cheap and ideal if you are short on time in Bolivia
- Disadvantage: You miss out on seeing the incredible sights on day 2 of the tour
What To Expect On A 1-Day Uyuni Tour
The 1-day tour is perfect for travellers who are short on time but still want to see this incredible natural wonder.
The morning is simple as you drive just outside of town to see the Train Cemetery. After half an hour exploring and taking photos, you move on to the Salt Museum and have lunch. The museum isn’t anything spectacular and just seems like a place to stop to get you to buy souvenirs.
After lunch, you will head out onto the actual salt flat for the famous perspective shots and reflection shots (if there’s been recent rainfall). You’ll spend a couple of hours driving around, finding good spots for photos and generally enjoying this beautiful place.
In the afternoon you will travel to Incawasi Island. Incawasi is a rocky outcrop in the middle of the salt flat where you can watch furry little rodents called visacas running around, and climb to the top to get an incredible view of across the salt desert.
Then to end, you will drive close to Tunupa Volcano to watch the sunset before returning to Uyuni.
Which Is The Best Uyuni 1-Day Tour Company?
I choose Salty Desert Adventours as my Uyuni Salt Flat tour company.
They had been recommended to me by a friend and after going with them for the 3-day tour, I would also highly recommend them.
The tour guide was incredible, spoke great English and made sure every part of the trip was enjoyable.
You can check out their 1-day Uyuni Salt Flat Tour here.
However, if you are looking for something unique, then this starlight and sunrise tour does look incredible!
You get up at 3.30AM to go star gazing on the Salt Flat where an expert guide will talk you through the different stars and constellations.
You’ll then wait to the sunrise to illuminate the endless white expanse of the salt flat.
“Joe turned our fragmented ideas into a seamless itinerary. His expert advice saved us time, money, and stress – making our 3-month trip feel easy.”
Sam & Amy – 3 Months In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Unsure how to pick the best route
✔ Spent hours researching… and still feeling lost
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Uyuni Salt Flat 3-Day Tour
- Cost: $150-250 (depending on season)
- Advantage: The second and third days take you to some of the most unique places in Bolivia, perfect for nature and adventure lovers
- Disadvantage: The tour ends on the Chilean border which may not work with travel plans
What To Expect On A 3-Day Uyuni Salt Flat Tour
The 3-day tour is perfect for travellers who want to get out into the wilderness and see Bolivia’s unique and incredible scenery.
Day 1 - Uyuni Salt Flat
The first day will be similar to the one-day tour, ending with dinner and a stay in the salt hotel.
In the middle of this seemingly infinite salty expanse is a hotel built entirely out of salt.
Created from salt bricks held together with salt mortar, the hotel and everything inside it is made from salt. Whilst it sounds cool, the hotel isn’t anything special, but the private room we had was excellent and the beds were super comfy – we crashed pretty early as it’s a long and tiring first day.
Day 2 - The High Altitude Desert (Altiplano)
On the second day, it’s an early start driving across the high-altitude desert past the salt flat.
The first few stops of the day are the incredible:
- High-altitude lakes filled with flamingos. The best one is Laguna Colorada which is a deep red colour due to a specific type of red algae that lives there.
The geothermal area of the desert where you will see the Sol de Mañana Geyser (Morning Sun Geyser). The steam pools and boiling mud can reach between 200ºC to 250°C. The hot steam of the geyser can reach heights of between 10 to 50 meters, depending on the pressure.
- Once you reach your hotel, you and your tour group can all jump in the thermal springs and watch the stars. This was my favourite part of the trip. The night sky was so clear, and we could see the entire Milky Way.
All these stops are why the 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour is well worth your time. Head to the link below to read the others:
Day 3 - High Altitude Desert Part 2
First up is a visit to the Dali Desert – a surreal, and barren part of the high-altitude desert that is frequently compared to a Salvador Dalí painting.
The weird mix of colours and strange rock formations here make it feel like you are in another world.
Then it’s on to the final sights, and the tour saves the best till last – Laguna Verde, Laguna Blanca & Licancabur Volcano.
The two lagoons, one green and one white, are right next to each other, eclipsed by the perfectly cone-shaped stratovolcano – Licancabur.
If you decide to head to the Atacama Desert after the tour, check out my Atacama Desert guide to see what’s up next:
Which Is The Best 3-Day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour?
As mentioned, Salty Desert Adventours is my recommended company.
Book in person for much cheaper prices. I was in Bolivia during the low season (Jan-Feb) and got a greal deal on the 3-day tour – around $150.
However, if you prefer booking online, you can always look at options such as this:
For more tips on preparing for a Uyuni Salt Flats tour, follow the link below:
Uyuni Salt Flat Tours From La Paz
- Cost: $200-250 (depending on season)
- Advantage: The most efficient way of seeing the Salt Flats from La Paz
- Disadvantage: Requires two overnight buses
What To Expect On A Uyuni Salt Flat Tour From La Paz
This tour is perfect for travellers who need to be back in La Paz and want all their admin taken care of. Here’s a summary of what’s included:
- Day 1: Evening departure from La Paz on a night bus to Uyuni, with reclining seats, onboard bathroom, and a light dinner included.
- Day 2: Explore the Uyuni Salt Flats, visiting the train cemetery, Colchani salt processors, and Incahuasi Island. Enjoy a local lunch, capture stunning photos, and toast the sunset before returning to La Paz overnight by bus.
“Joe turned our fragmented ideas into a seamless itinerary. His expert advice saved us time, money, and stress – making our 3-month trip feel easy.”
Sam & Amy – 3 Months In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Unsure how to pick the best route
✔ Spent hours researching… and still feeling lost
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
