San Pedro to Uyuni Tour Review (Three Days Round Trip)

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On a recent trip to Easter Island and northern Chile, my dad and I finished our time in San Pedro de Atacama with a three-day guided tour across the border to Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, in Bolivia.

The trip featured truly surreal scenery, but it also came with some challenges worth knowing about in advance.

After shopping around, I booked this three-day San Pedro to Uyuni tour on GetYourGuide. Most tours on this route start in San Pedro and end in Uyuni – this is the only one I could find that actually returned to San Pedro, which made more sense for our itinerary, since we were flying home from Chile.

In this review, I’ll share exactly how the tour went, what we saw each day, liked and didn’t like, and whether it was worth the price. Even if you’re considering a shorter two-day tour or a one-way version ending in Uyuni, you should still find this guide useful, because most tours follow a very similar route and make the same stops.

Table of Contents

Was the San Pedro to Uyuni Tour Worth It?

Nick Kembel and his father stand on either side of a tall cactus, just barely touching it with their hands, on Isla Incahuasi, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia — My dad and I making memories at Salar de Uyuni

To be blunt, this tour was not cheap. From my prior research, I knew it was possible to show up in San Pedro and book a San Pedro to Uyuni tour locally for much less.

However, most of those tours end in Uyuni, while we needed to return to San Pedro to catch our flight. For me, having that return leg arranged in advance – and not worrying about making it back in time – was worth the extra cost alone.

As for the experience itself, this is not a comfortable trip. Expect early wake-up times, a slow border crossing, some effects from the high altitude, and the longest, bumpiest drive you can imagine.

That said, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking along the route, culminating in the surreal landscapes of Salar de Uyuni.

In the end, this was an unforgettable father-son adventure, and for us, it was absolutely worth the price.

San Pedro to Uyuni Tour Itinerary Overview

A track across Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia — Checking Salar de Uyuni off my bucket list

Here’s a quick overview of our San Pedro to Uyuni tour, from booking to return. Even if you don’t book this exact tour, most groups follow a very similar route and schedule. Several tours (like this one or this one) also take three days but finish in Uyuni, which means you won’t drive as far each day and you’ll have a little more time at Salar de Uyuni.

I booked the tour here on GetYourGuide, a reputable tour booking platform, a few months before the trip. The full amount was charged two weeks before the trip.
One week before the tour, our guide Freddy, owner of Bolivia-based Koa Travel agency messaged me on WhatsApp to share key details and answer any questions I had.
I used Holafly‘s Latin America eSIM on this trip, so had still had data when moving between countries, for example to check important messages about this tour. Just one easy eSIM purchase on the Holafly app at the start and I had Internet for the whole trip – when there was a signal, or course.
There was no signal for much of the long drive across the Bolivian altiplano, but I had downloaded offline maps in advance so I could still see where we were on GoogleMaps. In Uyuni, my signal was better than the hotel WiFi so I even shared Internet with my dad using my phone’s hotspot.

Nick kembel shot from behind as he stands on the shore of Laguna Blanca in Bolivia — Self portrait of me at Laguna Blanca on Day 1

Day 1: A minibus picked us up from our hotel in San Pedro around 6 AM. We drove to and crossed the Chile-Bolivia border and met our main driver and guide on the other side.
We spent the rest of the day driving across the dramatic Bolivian altiplano, making several scenic stops, and reaching an insane maximum elevation of 5500 meters. We reached Tonito Hotel in Uyuni town (3700 meters) after dark. This would be our hotel for two nights.
Day 2: A more relaxed start, with a late-morning walking tour of Uyuni town center and the Train Cemetery. We then spent the afternoon touring Salar de Uyuni, including sunset.

Cacti overlooking Salar de Uyuni from Isla Incahuasi — My favorite spot was Isla Incahuasi on Salar de Uyuni

Day 3: We had an especially early departure of 5 AM for the drive back to the border and San Pedro, with a few additional scenic stops along a slightly faster and smoother route. We crossed the border more quickly this time and arrived back in San Pedro before 4 PM.
The tour included all transportation, meals (except one dinner at the amazing pizza and craft beer restaurant at Tonito Hotel), and guide.
We only needed a small amount of Bolivian cash (the guide recommended 600 Bolivianos (BOB), roughly USD 60 worth, per person) for that one meal, snacks and drinks, a couple small attractions not included, toilets, and tipping the driver & guide at the end (you can tip in Bolivianos, Chilean pesos, or USD). We had exchanged pesos for Bolivianos the day before the tour in San Pedro.

Map of the 3-Day Tour Route

In the above maps, the colored pins represent:

Blue Pins: Day 1 route from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile across the border and north up through the Bolivian altiplano, ending in Uyuni (red pins).
Red Pins: Day 2 from Uyuni town to Salar de Uyuni
Green Pins: Slight different return route with a few stops before we reconnected to the original blue route back to San Pedro de Atacama.

What We Loved and Didn’t Love About This Tour

This tour was incredible in many ways, but it definitely wasn’t perfect. Here are the main pros and cons of our San Pedro to Uyuni tour experience.

Pros

Looking across red Laguna Colorada backed by volcanos — Laguna Colorada with flamingos

The landscapes along the entire route were truly out of this world, from colorful lagoons filled with flamingos to towering volcanoes and vast desert scenery.
Small group experience: just us, one other couple, plus the driver and guide. We also traveled alongside one other vehicle with three additional guests.
Freddy, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and spent a lot of time answering my father’s endless questions. He had purposely paired himself with my dad (age 68) instead of one of his younger guides.
The driver handled the horrendous roads with impressive skill.
Almost everything was arranged for us and included, with little planning required on our part.
Good hotel choice in Uyuni (not upscale but functional and well located), with excellent on-site restaurant and craft beer.

Cons

A track leading through the dirt towards two volcanoes — I shot this while waiting for two hours to cross the Chile-Bolivia border in sub-zero temperature

The tour was noticeably more expensive than standard one-way tours ending in Uyuni (though this is understandable given the long return journey).
Two very early starts, especially the 5 AM departure from Uyuni on Day 3, which came as an unexpected surprise.
Some itinerary details didn’t match the GetYourGuide listing (for example, hotel choice for night 1 and number of breakfasts – we had brought a packed breakfast for Day 1 but it wasn’t needed).
No clear warning about altitude risks was provided, which can be a serious issue on this route.

Back of a 4x4 vehicle covered in dirt — Our vehicle during the very dusty and bumpy ride

The journey is long and uncomfortable, but of course this will apply to any tour on the same route.
The two lunches on travel days were very basic and we were taken to the same restaurant in Uyuni town twice.
Our time at Salar de Uyuni felt a bit rushed . If you take a three-day tour which ends in Uyuni instead of going all the way back to San Pedro on Day 3, you will likely get more time on the salar itself.

Looking down a track across Salar de Uyuni and a vehicle driving along it — We kind of rushed through Salar de Uyuni, but it was still spectacular

Warning About Elevation

A vicuña walking across a colorful lagoon in Bolivia — Vicuña we spotted at 4500 meters – their favorite altitude, but not ours!

One of the most important things to understand about this tour is the extreme elevation. The highest point we would reach on the tour was 5550 meters, which is higher than Everest Base Camp!

To prepare, my dad and I stayed in San Pedro de Atacama (2400 meters, see our itinerary) to acclimatize for three nights before the tour. On our second full day there, we drove up to the El Tatio Geysers, reaching around 4500 meters, before returning to town. Gradually increasing your altitude like this then going back down helps a lot!

We also took Diamox (prescribed by our doctor) to help prevent altitude sickness. In addition, we drank coca tea, which was provided at Hotel Kimal (see on Booking / Agoda) and is widely available in the region.

Looking into a green plastic bag of dried coca leaves — Coca leaves we bought in Bolivia

Because my dad has a history of migraines and I know I’m sensitive to altitude, we were especially cautious.

However, most of the other guests on our tour struggled. One young French woman and three Japanese women experienced altitude sickness, and one became sick enough to vomit. None of them had been aware of the risks and had joined the tour only one day after flying from sea level to San Pedro, which is extremely risky.

Our guide did carry emergency supplies, but told us they are only used in more serious cases.

Artistic shot of a viscacha on top of a rocky promontory, standing up and lit up on one side by the sun — Viscachas are also thrive at these elevations.

Our Day-by-Day San Pedro to Uyuni Tour Experience

I’ll now cover every detail of our whole three-day tour, including all the stops we made. Most tours from San Pedro to Uyuni will follow a similar route and make the same stops.

However, tours which end in Uyuni usually stop for one night in a smaller town along the way instead driving all the way to Uyuni in one day. And on Day 3, they will usually have more time at Salar de Uyuni than we did.

Day 1: San Pedro to Uyuni

The first day of our tour involved an early start, lengthy border crossing, and long, rugged day of travel to Uyuni, arriving after dark.

Departing San Pedro and Crossing the Border

A dark hill with stars above and light from the sun before it reaches the horizon lighting up the bottom left corner — Driving to the border before sunrise

On Day 1, we were up hours before sunrise for the 6 AM pick-up from our hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. Since early departures are very common for tours from San Pedro, our hotel, like most, offered a packaged take-away breakfast.

The minibus didn’t arrive to pick us up until 6:25, which was a mild annoyance after having woken up so early. But we understood that different tour providers pool their guests onto these minibuses for the drive to the border, so they have to pick up guests from various hotels in town.

We drove in the pitch black for 40 minutes to the Chilean border here, which is called Hito Cajón. The sky was just starting to brighten as we arrived.

Chilean immigration building at the Hito Cajón crossing into Bolivia in the early morning — Hito Cajón border crossing from Chile to Bolivia

We were surprised to learn that we had just ascended from 2400 meters to a staggering 4600 meters, and the temperature outside was -8°C! My dad and I had to dig warmer clothing out of our packs before stepping outside. My dad was literally in shorts and t-shirt.

Next came another surprise: the border didn’t even open for another hour. Because of our late departure from San Pedro, we were near the back of a line of around 25 identical minibuses, all carrying passengers doing tours just like us.

The minibuses all rush there to get good spots in line, only to sit and wait for ages to actually go through. And, apparently, we had lost the race.

Looking down a line of identical white minibuses parked and waiting to cross the Chilean border into Bolivia — Line of minibuses at the Chilean border

For breakfast, every minibus driver did exactly the same thing, setting up a table outside with bread, jam, cheese, fruit, coffee, and tea. We hadn’t been aware this would happen, otherwise we wouldn’t have requested packed breakfasts from the hotel.

Some passengers on our bus were so cold, tired, and/or uncomfortable (with the effects of altitude already kicking in) that they didn’t even want to get off the bus and have breakfast.

Line of white minibuses, with the driver of one of them setting up a breakfast table beside the bus. — Every single minibus set up an identical breakfast table like this.

But not me! I was totally enamored by the phenomenal scenery outside. We had an epic view of Volcán Licancabur (which is visible from San Pedro, left side of my below photos) and the even closer Volcán Juriques (right side).

As the sun came up around 7:30, it lit up the two towering volcanoes before us. I could handle standing outside taking photos for around 10 minutes before I had to retreat to the minibus to warm up.

A small pile of stones in the foreground and two volcanoes in the distance just before sunrise — Before the sun came up

Two volcanoes half illuminated by the sunrise, with a person standing in the shadows in the foreground — The sunrise starts illuminating the volcanoes

Close up of the slopes of Juriques Volcano lit up by morning sun — Juriques Volcano almost totally illuminated

Two cone shaped volcanoes on the Chile-Bolivia border — Licancabur and Juriques volcanoes once the sun had fully risen

Even looking away from the volcanoes in other directions, the view was breathtaking. Overall, while this border crossing was unexpectedly cold and long, for me, the awesome views really made up for it.

Landscape shot of a barren rocky field with shrubs and background of mountains and volcanoes — Looking in another direction

Because we were so far back in the line, we didn’t get to drive into the border control until 9:30 AM, which meant we’d been sitting there waiting for over two hours.

Chilean departure immigration was fast and easy. We then got back on the bus for a five-kilometer drive to the Bolivian border here. This must be one of the most scenic border crossings in the world, as we drove around the base of Volcán Juriques.

A small, shack-like building that says "Migration Bolivia", some 4X4 vehicles parked around it, and desolate landscape behind with volcano — One of several buildings at the Bolivian border

As soon as we got off the minibus, dozens of 4X4 vehicles were waiting to pick up their guests. We met Freddy and he guided us through the longer formalities of the Bolivian border crossing.

This included a long line to get our passports stamped (he eventually used his connections inside to help us skip part of the line), completing an online arrival form that only worked on one phone out of our group of four due to poor WiFi on site), and finally, customs. The whole process took about an hour.

A couple 4X4 vehicles parking on a dirt field with volcano behind — Our 4X4 vehicle was waiting for us

Nick Kembe's father stands talking to their Bolivia tour guide behind their 4X4 vehicle at the Bolivian border, with a volcano rising behind them — My dad meeting out guide, Freddy

Nick Kembel and his dad with their hoodies up, taking a selfie as they go through Bolivian immigration procedures — Going through Bolivian immigration – it was still quite cold out even after the sun came up

As soon as we finished the last step, we used a horrendous toilet which we had to pay for (the standard rate for toilets at tourist places in Bolivia seems to be 5 Bolivianos, while in local places like markets it’s just 1).

We then followed Freddy into a small visitor’s center, where he gave us a brief introduction to the area, including its landscapes and wildlife.

A Bolivian tour guide giving a talk in front of some posters showing the wildlife in the Bolivian altiplano — Freddy introduce the local wildlife

At this point we set out clocks back one hour (i.e. we gained an extra hour). Then we set off for our journey into Bolivia!

Colorful Lagoons, Lunch, and Hot Springs

View of a driver (shot from behind him) and windshield with super dusty road ahead — Super dusty drive as we set out

As soon as we set off, we were driving through a dust cloud stirred up by other vehicles. I wondered if the whole day would be like this (thankfully, it wasn’t).

Almost immediately, we made our first scenic stop of the day, at Laguna Blanca (White Lagoon, here). Freddy taught us that the white color is not salt but the chemical borax and showed us ancient stone tools on the ground.

The colors of the lagoon and view looking across it to the volcano on the other side, were truly awesome.

Looking across a white lagoon at a gray cone-shaped volcano on the other side — Beautiful Laguna Blanca

Sweeping view of the white shore and turquoise water of Laguna Blanca — The white, borax-encrusted shore of Laguna Blanca

Looking down the shore of Laguna Blanca, with green grass and algae along it, with white beach and volcanoes beyond — Looking down the colorful shore

A 4x4 vehicle parked on a white dirt expanse with dark gray volcano rising behind it — Moving on from Laguna Blanca

Just five minutes’ drive past the Laguna Blanca, we made a brief photo stop at Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon, here), which is more accurately a pale turquoise color from the magnesium it contains. It was around 11 AM (Bolivian time) when we left.

Landscape shot with white beach in foreground, turquoise colored lagoon in middle, and dark gray conical volcano behind — Laguna Verde

From there, we drove through an immense flat expanse with rocks scattered almost perfectly evenly on it.

Panoramic shot of a barren landscape with stones scattered across it and snow-dusted volcanoes behind — Rocks scattered across the barren landscape

Thirty minutes later, we passed a viewpoint of the Salvador Dalí Desert (here), named so by travelers (not locals) because it resembles a Salvador Dalí painting, with “dripping” stone towers. We actually wouldn’t stop here until our return journey, when we would be less rushed and the light angle would be better.

A wide landscape view of a desert with some random stone monuments resembling a dripping Salvador Dali painting and volcano to the side — Salvador Dali Desert

Shortly after that, we reached Termas de Polques (Polques Hot Springs, 4400 meters, here) on Laguna Salada (Salt Lagoon).

This would be our lunch stop – we could see the hot spring pools overlooking the picturesque lagoon, but we wouldn’t actually bathe in them until our return journey (see the end of my article).

The hot springs were full of people when we arrived, but at one point they suddenly emptied, as I assume a large tour group departed, and a single vicuña even decided to pose for my photos.

Close up of the hot water pool with steps going into it at Termas Polques and colorful lagoon behind — Hot spring pool overlooking Laguna Salada at Termas Polques

An empty hot water pool at Termas de Polques with a vicuña walking on the lagoon behind — A vicuña strolls past Termas de Polques

Close up shot of vicuña walking across a multi-colored lagoon — Vicuña close-up

Our lunch was provided in a building here. The meal was quite bland, including plain pasta with no sauce, boiled frozen vegetables, a Greek-esque salad, and cutlets of meat. We set off from the lunch stop around 1 PM.

Three plates of food on a table: salad, meat cutlets, and boiled vegetables — Some dishes from our shared lunch

Laguna Colorada, Siloli Desert and Uyuni Arrival

Shot from the side of a rocky road and other paths through the rocky desert past a volcano — Driving routes through the rocky desert

The remainder of our drive to Uyuni was more of a slog, with longer bouts of even bumpier driving, punctuated by only a few short scenic stops.

At the hot springs, one of the young Japanese women in our group was already quite sick from the elevation, and we still had to go higher from there.

Within an hour, we reached the highest point of our journey: a borax factory with huge steam vent, which was around 5500 meters.

Looking down the shore of Laguna Colorada, with green vegetation and layers or red and white in the water — Our first view of Laguna Colorada as we drove along its shore

Close up of sections of red and white on Laguna Colorada, with many flamingos barely visible — Close-up of the lagoon, with flamingos

At around 3:30 PM, after a long stretch of tiring driving, we arrived at the gorgeous Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon, here), which is the most famous attraction we’d see all day.

The lagoon is enormous – we stopped at the side of the road first to get the above photos, then drove a long ways around it to a lookout point on the other side (below photos).

This was just a short stop for photos from an extremely windy viewpoint, but the expansive view, with vibrant colors and so many flamingos, was jaw-dropping.

Nick Kembel posing at the Laguna Colorada viewpoint with blue, white, and red lagoon behind him — Me at the Laguna Colorada viewpoint

Close up of a group of flamingos standing in blue water of Laguna Colorada with red expanse behind them — Flamingos shot with my zoom lens and further cropped

Looking along the shoreline of Laguna Colorada, with colors of gray, green blue, white, red, and gray volcanoes beyond, and blue sky above — Looking along the shoreline

After that, the landscapes gradually transformed from high mountain altiplano scenery to classic sandy desert, which meant we were entering the Siloli Desert.

Looking through a windshield at a driving path through the Siloli Desert and one other vehicle ahead — Entering the Siloli Desert

We made a stop at Árbol de Piedra (Stone Tree, here), an eroded stone tower resembling a tree, with other cool stone formations around it.

Nick Kembel's father standing next to Arbol de Piedra, a tree-shaped stone formation, in the Siloli Desert — My dad at Árbol de Piedra

Cool stone formations resembling a huge crashed bird in the sand at Árbol de Piedra — This looked like a giant crashed bird to me

After that stop, we felt like we in the Dakar Rally, a desert race which has been held multiple times in the Siloli Desert and on Salar de Uyuni. We traversed huge sand dunes lined with tracks going in different directions.

Looking out a windshield at vehicle tracks leading up a sand dune in the Siloli Desert with one car visible at the top — I felt like we were driving in the Dakar Rally

Around 4 PM, we made our final stop of the day to see the high concentration of flamingos on Laguna Q’ara (here). This is the closest we’d get to flamingos on the whole trip – my third shot below is with a zoom lens fully zoomed.

A dirt vehicle track leading to milky colored Laguna Q'ara — Approaching Laguna Q’ara

Panoramic shot of Laguna Q'ara with lots of flamingos — High concentration of flamingos on the lagoon

Over a dozen flamingos taking off flying from Laguna Q'ara — Flamingos taking off when we got too close

From there on, we’d be gradually driving downwards, which would bring some relief to those suffering from the elevation.

We cruised past another scenic lagoon without stopping, with most passengers nodding off and only wishing to reach our destination faster. I couldn’t sleep because I just didn’t want to miss any of the amazing views, like the one below, which I shot from the vehicle window.

Looking across layers of red desert going up to a high, snow capped mountain — I couldn’t get enough of these views

Around 6:30 PM, something beautiful happened. We reached a paved road! I can’t describe how nice it felt to cruise along that smooth highway towards Uyuni (though for some reason it would turn into a dirt road again as we got closer to the town).

Looking out a windshield at a llama crossing a paved highway — Reaching a glorious paved road, with llama

We’d already seem lots of llamas and vicuñas that day, but as we cruised down the highway towards Uyuni, we saw hundreds more, often crossing the road in front of us. We also passed gorgeous, bright pink and yellow fields of quinoa (we’d stop at one later on return journey).

We had to make a brief stop for gas. The line of cars at the station was so long that our driver and guide decided to use their spare supply instead, which they got into the tank by using a combination of sucking power and gravity.

A 4x4 vehicle with one Bolivian man on the roof sucking gas out of a container and the other at the side leading the hose into the tank — We skipped a long line at the gas station thanks to the driver and guide’s ingenuity

We arrived at Tonito Hotel (here) in the center of Uyuni town after dark, and only an hour before their famous pizza and craft beer restaurant, Minuteman Pizza (here) closed.

Rooms in an internal courtyard in Tonito Hotel in Uyuni with dim lights — Arriving after dark at Tonito Hotel

This meal, which was the only one on the tour we had to pay for, was excellent. Many reviewers have dubbed it the “best pizza in South America”. Of course, I haven’t traveled the continent enough to confirm that, but it was really damn good.

My dad and I shared a spicy llama pizza and another with pesto, feta, and olive tapenada.

Their house-made beer also hit the spot – they had several kinds on tap, while I also enjoyed a bottled quinoa beer made by another local brewery. My dad enjoyed a house-made citrusy drink which comes in their own vintage Tonito bottles – he wanted to take one to go but they wouldn’t let him.

Close up of a spicy llama pizza at Minuteman in Uyuni — Delicious spicy llama pizza at the hotel’s restaurant

Hand holding up a bottle of quinoa craft beer made by Cervecería Uyunense in Uyini — A Quinoa craft beer by Cervecería Uyunense

Our room here was on the basic side, but the beds were comfy and shower was excellent. According to the guide, it’s a much better option that the hotels in small towns on the way to Uyuni.

A dim double room at Tonito Hotel in Uyuni — Simple double room at Tonito Hotel

Day 2: Uyuni Tour, Train Cemetery and Salar de Uyuni

Front exterior of Tonito Hotel in Uyuni — Seeing our hotel front in the light the next day

On Day 2, we got to catch up on sleep. We only had to be up before 8 AM if we wanted to catch the hotel’s included breakfast. My dad stayed in while I did some exploring in town before we met our guide at 11 AM.

Uyuni Town Tour

Looking down a packed aisle at Mercado Central de Uyuni, with local women shopping for produce — Mercado Central de Uyuni

We started our day with a late morning walking tour around our hotel. Freddy took us through the Mercado Central de Uyuni (here).

I had already visited the market earlier that day on my own, in the gap we had between breakfast and the tour, but he pointed out or explained some items I wouldn’t have noticed or known.

A vendor and customer standing on either side of a huge squash in Central Market of Uyuni — Huge squash

Row of glasses displaying drinks available at a stall in Central Market of Uyuni — Local drinks

Row of older women swilling bags of coca leafs in Central Market of Uyuni — Coca leaf sellers

Basket of large, orange dried chilis in Central Market of Uyuni — Dried chilis

We also got to actually meet and photograph one vendor Freddy knew – most people in Andean markets do not like being photographed, as they believe it can steal their spirit. But this guy certainly didn’t mind!

A vendor in Mercado Central de Uyuni giving thumbs up to the camera while surrounded by his products — Local vendor we got to meet

We also walked past the Central Clock (here) and lovely pedestrian street next to it.

Looking along the facade of a blue and white colonial style building and yellow clock tower in central Uyuni — Cool architecture and Central Clock

A group of people walking down a pedestrian street with colorful decorations overhead in Uyuni — Our group exploring a pedestrian street

A statue of a woman holding her arms out made from random metal pieces in the middle of a main road in Uyuni — Statue made from discarded metal pieces on main street

We then stopped for Kactus Restaurant (here) for lunch, which was included (except drinks). The meal came with a salad bar, soup, and a few choices for main dish – I had a drumstick in a nice sauce with rice. The food was passable but we definitely weren’t blown away by it.

When we came back to the same restaurant that night for dinner, we made sure to ask for llajua, which Freddy had told us before is a spicy salsa that locals have with their meals across the country – every place has their own recipe.

Tables along a wall made of salt bricks inside Kactus Restaurant in Uyuni — Wall of salt bricks in Kactus Restaurant

A plate with rice, vegetables and chicken drumstick in orange sauce — Chicken in a tasty sauce

Next we returned to the hotel to collect our things and departed just after 1 PM.

In retrospect, I wish we’d done the walking tour earlier and the Train Museum before lunch (instead of after, see below). Then we could have had an extra hour at Salar de Uyuni, which we’d soon find out would have been useful.

Train Cemetery

We were a little surprised to find that the Train Cemetery was here on the edge of town, and nowhere near Salar de Uyuni, which starts a ways out of town.

I’m not sure why, but in the few photos I’d seen of the Train Cemetery online before, I thought the ground looked a little white, so I’d always assumed it’s right on (or near) the Salar.

But, to be fair, I had done barely any research about this portion of our trip because it was a guided tour.

Colorful vertical Uyuni sign at Train Cemetery — Uyuni sign at Train Cemetery

The Train Cemetery is an open air site where dozens of rusting steam locomotives have been abandoned since the early 20^th century, ever since parts of the mining industry collapsed.

Today, their corroded metal frames sit scattered across the desert, creating a stark, almost post-apocalyptic landscape that’s become one of Uyuni’s most iconic and photogenic stops.

Nick Kembel on a swing between train cars at Train Cemetery in Uyuni — Fun swing between train cars

We enjoyed the cute swings which have been placed between some of the carts.

We also liked the collection of metal artworks here – statues like Optimus Prime and Predator had been fashioned out of discarded metal pieces. Visit was by optional donation in a box.

An Optimus Prime statue made out of discarded metal pieces in Uyuni — Optimus Prime in Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni

When my father and I planned this trip, his bucket list item was Easter Island, while mine was Salar de Uyuni.

However, I tried not to build up my expectations too much. I had learned my lesson on my Machu Picchu trip a few years earlier, only to be disappointed when it poured rain on my Inca trail hike and on the two days I’d dedicated to exploring the various circuits through the ancient Citadel. I’d be quite disappointed, to say the least.

Unlike that experience, the weather was perfect and the feeling was surreal when I first laid my eyes on Salar de Uyuni.

A collection of rubber boots under a tarp with local Bolivian family renting them out — Renting rubber boots for later

This first view came at a very practical stop, right on the edge of the Salar, where we tried on and rented rubber boots for later in the day.

From there, and as we drove out onto the Salar, it was even more stark, expansive, and blindingly white than I could have imagined.

A pack of six empty Corona beer bottles on salt bricks next to white expanse of Salar de Uyuni — Some memories were clear made here.

Looking past a driver and out the front windshield and the white Salar de Uyuni, with another vehicle ahead — Driving onto Salar de Uyuni

From there, we drove out onto the Salar at approximately 3 PM and s0on stopped at Playa Blanca Salt Hotel (here), the world’s first hotel made of salt. I had first seen this hotel years ago on the Lonely Planet TV show and wanted to visit it ever since.

The hotel was built in the 1990s but shut down around 2002-2003 due to environmental concerns. Later, it was used as a rest and equipment storage spot for the Dakar Rally.

Exterior of Playa Blanca Salt Hotel in Salar de Uyuni, with stickers covering a window — Playa Blanca Salt Hotel

Outside, the Plaza de las Banderas Uyuni has flags from around the world. A few steps away, there’s a salt monument to the Dakar Rally.

Looking past flagpoles with several country's flags flying outside the salt hotel on Salar de Uyuni — Plaza de las Banderas outside the hotel

A couple in South American ponchos walking towards the back of the tall white Dakar Rally Monument in Salar de Uyuni — Couple walking to the Dakar Rally monument

The Dakar Rally monument in Salar de Uyuni — Dakar Rally monument

Inside the former hotel, some of the original rooms are open for visiting, while the main lounge is used by tour groups to have lunch at tables made of salt.

This felt like a bathroom and souvenir shop stop for us – we didn’t get any explanations about the building’s history. But I already knew about these things and was happy to sneak off and explore the hotel on my own while the others paid to pee.

Ping pong table and llama statue in a hallway of the old salt hotel on Salar de Uyuni — The former salt hotel

Looking into a small hotel room with floor, walls, and bed made of salt — Original hotel room and bed made of salt

A table and chairs made out of salt bricks in Playa Blanca Salt Hotel, Salar de Uyuni — Table and chairs made of salt in the main room

Next, we cruised at high speed along the Salar for a solid 45 minutes to roughly the middle of it – I was shocked by the sheer size of it. The Salar is 10,500 km², or similar in size to Connecticut, Lebanon, or Jamaica!

A single black 4x4 vehicle crosses the white expanse of Salar de Uyuni — Passing another vehicle as we drive along the Salar

Looking across white Salar at a volcano island — A volcanic island – the salar even extends behind it

Our destination was Isla Incahuasi (here), the most famous of many “islands” on the Salar, which is actually a remnant of a volcano that once rose up from the prehistoric lake. This ended up being my favorite spot at Salar de Uyuni.

Looking across bright white salt flat at an island covered in cacti — Arriving at Isla Incahuasi

A peninsula covered in cacti sticking out into Salar de Uyuni shot from the side — View from our parking spot next to the island

Close up of a little cluster of cacti overlooking Salar de Uyuni — Same spot zoomed in

Stepping onto the rocky island, we were greeted by thousands of columnar cacti, (Echinopsis atacamensis), which reminded us of the famous Saguaro cacti in the Southern US and Mexico.

A sea of cacti covering a rocky slope on Isla Incahuasi — Sea of cacti as we stepped onto the island

Close up of a very fat and spiky cactus with many more out of focus behind it — Extra spiky one

Toilet building surrounded by cacti on Isla Incahuasi — Even the toilets looked cool

Hill covered in many cacti in different shapes and sizes — Different shapes and sizes

Looking down the slope of Isla Incahuasi at 4x4 vehicles parked below, with lots of glare looking into sun — Looking back at the vehicles parked below

Here we paid a BOB 60 entrance fee to do the roughly one-hour hike (with lots of photo-taking time) around the island. Our guide said the hike was optional.

But this hike is an absolute must and was my personal highlight at Salar de Uyuni!

Nick Kembel posing with arms outstretched next to some cacti on Isla Incahuasi, overlooking Salar de Uyuni — Me on the start of the hike around the island

The trail ascends on a loop around the island, offering 360-degree views of Salar de Uyuni, which looks like a pearl-white sea surrounding the island.

We passed below countless cacti overlooking the Salar. As the sun lowered on the horizon during Golden Hour, the colors warmed and shadows lengthened. In short, it was a photographer’s dream!

The sun shines down on some cacti on Isla Incahuasi overlooking Salar de Uyuni — My most artistic shot

A picture-perfect cacti overlooks Salar de Uyuni from Isla Incahuasi — And my most iconic shot?

Looking down a slop on Isla Incahuasi covered in cacti, with volcano in the distance across Salar de Uyuni — Heading back down, with volcano in the distance

However, our group was slow. My dad walks slowly due to two knee replacements, while he says I’m the slower one, always stopping to take photos – I guess we’re both slow. The guide accompanied my dad diligently the whole way.

Towards the end, the guide told me that if we didn’t leave ASAP, we were in danger of missing the sunset. That was the first point that I became aware that we were having time constraints.

Anyways, we drove off in the direction we had come from, racing to beat the falling sun (note the long shadows in the below photos!)

Track leading across Salar de Uyuni to a parked 4X4 with long shadow — Stopping to put on boots before water section

A long shadow of Nick waving on the Salar de Uyuni — My long shadow getting out of the car

Visiting in mid-March, which is just after the rainy season, there were still some patches of water left on the Salar. Most tours try to finish with sunset at one of these, where the Salar becomes a stunning, glass-like reflecting mirror.

Our driver took us to a perfect spot – a huge patch of water with few other vehicles around (it was nice to have at least a few, to take cool reflective photos of them from a distance). We’d seen other water spots closer to the main route that were crammed with vehicles.

AWe arrived just in time to put on our rubber boots, set up camp, and starting taking lots of photos well before the sun actually went down.

A 4x4 reflecting on Salar de Uyuni and some people in front of it — Our spot for sunset

Nick Kembel's dad standing in rubber boots on a flooded Salar de Uyuni with arms outstretched — My dad posing dramatically (at my request)

A young woman in poncho on Salar de Uyuni shot from behind with arms outstretched, facing the sunset — The Japanese ladies did it better…

At this point, I felt like I’d missed one thing that day. We’d never actually just randomly stopped and walked around anywhere on the Salar.

We’d cruised across it, only making stops at the hotel and island. But I never got a chance to just take a photo of me posing or jumping on the salar (isn’t that what everyone wants?) This would be my single biggest complaint about the day.

I made up for this by splitting from the group and power walking out of the flooded area to the adjacent semi-dry area so I could take at least one mandatory jumping photo of myself, with the help of my handy little tripod (one of my essential travel items).

Because it was next to the flooded area, the salar was bumpier and a little wet here – not that classic dry, encrusted, patterned surface we’d been driving across for hours – but this this what I had to work with, so I did my best.

If you are like me and care about this, make sure to ask your guide to budget some time to stop at a random spot somewhere on the salar for photo taking.

Nick Kembel jumping in the air on the Salar de Uyuni — What I felt to be an obligatory jumping shot

I returned to our group to find a pleasant surprise. The drivers and guide had set up a cute little table with olives, cheese, and red wine just in time for the sunset.

Based on what I’d seen in the last two days – all the tour groups doing almost exactly the same thing – I wouldn’t be surprised if they all do this. Nevertheless, it was unexpected and truly a nice touch.

A car and table with people reflecting on the surface of Salar de Uyuni — Returning to our spot

Close up of car and table with people reflecting on Salar de Uyuni — Coming back and seeing the table

Two Bolivian drivers putting some snacks and wine on a table next to their vehicle on Salar de Uyuni — The drivers setting up our wine table

A hand holding up a wine glass to the sunset over Salar de Uyuni — This was heavenly.

It was impossible not to take stunning, reflective photos at the sunset.

The drivers proved to be masters of staged photos, guiding the Japanese ladies to arrange themselves in cute poses, and then our whole group to stand in a line and take an “evolution of humankind” photo. It was the most animated I saw them throughout the whole trip.

Silhouetter of three women in ponchos doing a pose with sunset behind them on Salar de Uyuni — The Japanese ladies doing a cute pose as directed by one of the drivers

Our whole group of guide, drivers, and tour group members taking a group photo in silhouette with sunset behind us on Salar de Uyuni — Group shot! (thanks to the Japanese ladies for setting up this photo!)

And just like that, our Salar de Uyuni experience was finished. Despite the short and slightly rushed visit, I left with a satisfied feeling that comes with finally making it somewhere you’ve wanted to visit for decades.

Two 4x4 vehicles parked on Salar de Uyuni just after sunset, with two men taking down a table — Sadly, time to leave.

A woman in silhouette takes a photo on Salar de Uyuni, with a layer of orange on the horizon after sunset — One last photo…

Day 3: Uyuni Back to San Pedro

A field of green and pinkish red quinoa plants — Field of quinoa

As I mentioned before, our departure time on Day 3 was 5 AM, which we only found out one day before.

We left that early to get us back to San Pedro at a reasonable time, but also so that the guides could have enough time to make it to wherever they needed to reach that day after dropping us off.

For the first few hours, we drove in the dark, with everyone but the driver and my dad nodding off.

Leaving the wonderful paved road behind again, we took a slightly easier and more direct route south than on Day 1.

This came with a few new sights. First, we stopped to see some fields of brightly colored pink and yellow quinoa.

A Moai-like head at Bosque de Piedras in Bolivia — Moai-like head at Bosque de Piedras

At 7:45 AM, we stopped at Bosque de Piedras (Stone Forest, here), which featured a towering stone that looked just like a moai from Easter Island, which was very cool for us since we’d just been there.

We also had an awesome close-up encounter with a couple viscachas here – they look like real-life Pikachus and can run up cliffs!

A viscacha standing up and peering off the top of a cliff — Viscacha we met

This guy ran up the cliff right in front of me

Next we stopped briefly at a scenic little village called Villamar Mallcu (here) and again at Laguna Capina (here), which had pyramids of borax and a processing facility on it.

Just like on Day 1, we also saw loads of llamas and vicuñas throughout the day.

Looking across a verdant stream and buildings in a small village in the Bolivian altiplano — Villamar Mallcu, the largest town we passed on the altiplano

Looking down on 4x4 vehicle on a road overlooking Laguna Capina — Quick stop at Laguna Capina

Llama next to a stream in Bolivia — Lone llama

Close up of a white llama with some colorful adornments on its earns and neck — Close-up

Our route rejoined the original one at Polques Hot Spring, which we reached at 11 AM. This time we had a full hour to actually soak in the hot springs (entry BOB 60 per person, no towels or showers).

There are two hot spring pools on site, one slightly hotter than the other, and both with incredible view over the laguna.

Nick Kembel and his father soaking in Polques Hot Spring with laguna view behind them — Dad and I soaking in Polques Hot Spring

After our soak, we had a nearly identical meal in the same building above the springs that we’d had on the way in.

Our last stop was a brief one at Salvador Dalí Desert, which we had skipped on the way in.

Lines of white stones demarking parking spaces at Salvador Dali Desert in Bolivia — My last photo in Bolivia: the picturesque parking lot at Salvador Dali Desert

Before we knew it, we were at the Bolivian border and saying an emotional goodbye to the drivers and guide.

Despite the imperfections of the tour, we tipped our drivers and guide generously. The drivers had been at the wheel for countless hours, handling the awful roads as we well as we could have hoped for. I could tell that Freddy was completely exhausted, too.

Not only had he been guiding us through these long and uncomfortable days and answering countless questions but also he had taken the Japanese ladies out on a stargazing tour on the salar the night before, which means he’d barely slept a wink.

Nick Kembel and his father standing with their Bolivian driver and guide next to the 4x4 vehicle at the end of their trip — Saying goodbye to our driver and guide

Our minibus was waiting there for us and we departed as soon as we got on. Entering Chile took about half an hour, as we had to fill in the online entry forms (WiFi here was better). There was then a small delay, as they had just busted a group of young men who had tried to cross the border illegally.

As we descended rapidly from the Andes to San Pedro in the Atacama Desert far below, we shed layers of clothing and began to breathe more easily.

My dad and I got dropped off at the San Pedro bus station, where we bought tickets for the next bus to Calama (CLP 5000, 1.5 hours).

Arriving in Calama, we took at Uber to Park Hotel Calama (see on Booking / Agoda) near the airport before our flight back to Santiago (and home to Canada!) the next day.