Things to do in Salar de Uyuni
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Salar de Uyuni
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season: classic white hexagons, all roads open, cold clear nights.
Wet season: the mirror effect when it rains, but floods can close areas.
Best things to do in Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni
12,000 square kilometres of white salt hexagons at 3,656 metres.
Incahuasi Island
Cactus-covered island with a 360-degree panorama of white from the top.
Cementerio de Trenes
Rusting 19th-century locomotives abandoned when the mining boom collapsed.
Colchani
Village where salt is still processed by hand; museum and cheaper crafts.
Dakar Rally Monument
Salt sculpture from the rally years, ringed by the Plaza de las Banderas.
Salar de Uyuni sunset
The white plain turns pink and gold; the silence is total.
Uyuni stargazing tour
Some of the darkest skies in South America, Milky Way bright enough to cast shadows.
Mercado Central de Uyuni
Fruit juices, salteñas and almuerzo stalls where the drivers eat.
Where to stay in Salar de Uyuni
Uyuni town
before and after the tour
Every circuit starts here; stay the night before to acclimatise.
Salt hotels on the salar edge
the experience night
Hotels built of salt blocks with views straight onto the white.
Tour-included accommodation
the standard circuit
Hostels to salt hotels depending on your departure; confirm heating before paying.
Think twice about
- Potosí as a salar base
Seven-plus hours each way; make it a separate stop or skip it.
- The cheapest jeep tour
At 4,500 metres on rough roads, vehicle condition and a sober driver are safety.
- Arriving the morning your tour leaves
Uyuni is at 3,656 metres; a day to acclimatise saves day one.
Best restaurants in Salar de Uyuni
Restaurante Tika
The closest Uyuni comes to fine dining: llama, trout, quinoa soups.
Minuteman Revolutionary Pizza
Genuinely excellent pizza and the famous breakfasts inside Toñito Hotel.
Lliphi
Local lunch spot: meats, soups and vegetarian options at town prices.
Kactus Restaurant
Reliable international menu when the top spots are full.
Mercado Central de Uyuni
The cheapest good meal in town, eaten standing with everyone else.
Best coffee in Salar de Uyuni
Railway Cafe-Bistro
Coffees and light bites for the wait before an overnight bus.
Llama Cafe
The cheap-eats pick: filling Bolivian basics at backpacker prices.
Outdoor things to do in Salar de Uyuni
Uyuni to San Pedro 3-day circuit
The standard circuit: salar, lagoons, geysers, ending at the Chilean border.
Laguna Colorada
Red algae lagoon with hundreds of flamingos feeding in the shallows.
Sol de Mañana
Geothermal field at 5,000 metres, best at dawn in the cold.
Laguna Verde
Emerald lagoon at the foot of the perfect cone of Licancabur.
Reserva Eduardo Avaroa
The protected area holding the lagoons, geysers and deserts together.
Best hotels in Salar de Uyuni
Hotel Jardines de Uyuni
The comfortable pre and post-tour base in town.
Toñito Hotel
Central town hotel, home of Minuteman Pizza.
Palacio de Sal
The first salt hotel in the world, built almost entirely of salt.
Hotel Luna Salada
Salt-block hotel with salar views and a spa.
Tayka Hotel de Sal
The tour-operator favourite salt hotel on the north salar.
Is Salar de Uyuni expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BOB 250 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BOB 600 a person |
| Splurge | BOB 1,400 a person |
| No limits | BOB 2,800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Uyuni stargazing tour: a few days ahead
- Uyuni to San Pedro 3-day circuit: a few days ahead
- Hotel Jardines de Uyuni: a few days ahead
- Palacio de Sal: weeks ahead
- Hotel Luna Salada: weeks ahead
- Tayka Hotel de Sal: weeks ahead
- 3-day tours in July, August and over Christmas: book days ahead.
- Palacio de Sal and Luna Salada independently: weeks ahead in high season.
- Confirm private bathroom and heating before paying for a tour.
Is Salar de Uyuni safe?
- Safe town; the risks are altitude and cold. Hydrate, go easy on alcohol. Emergency number 911.
Salar de Uyuni travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The one-day salar tour misses the lagoons, geysers and sunset.
- Mirror-effect guarantees in dry season: it needs rain, roughly December to April.
- Salt souvenirs at triple price in Uyuni town; buy in Colchani.
- Exchanging money with touts; use the casas de cambio.
Getting around Salar de Uyuni: public transport and more
- The salar is jeep-tour territory; do not self-drive the flats.
- Uyuni town is walkable; everything is within fifteen minutes.
- The train to Oruro is the comfortable long-distance option.
- The 3-day circuit ends at Hito Cajón; transfers to San Pedro connect there.
Who Salar de Uyuni suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Salar de Uyuni your trip
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