Salar de Uyuni: Explore Bolivias Surreal Salt Flats

Due to lack of conventional construction materials, many of them are almost entirely (walls, roof, furniture) built with salt blocks cut from the Salar. Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tonnes (9.8 billion long tons; 11 billion short tons) of salt, of which less than 25,000 t is extracted annually. Lithium is concentrated in the brine under the salt crust at a relatively high concentration of about 0.3%. The brine is a saturated solution of sodium chloride, lithium chloride, and magnesium chloride in water. During the wet season, Titicaca overflows and discharges into Poopó, which in turn, floods Salar De Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni.
For travelers looking to design a trip that feels unique. These guides provide in-depth insights for your trips, helping you explore destinations deeply for unforgettable experiences, whether popular or off the beaten path. For travelers seeking the most comprehensive insights. Salar de Uyuni is one of those rare landscapes that feels like Earth trying to show what it’s capable of. Very few places on Earth bring together three simple elements—minerals, water, and light—in such a dramatic way.
I am not a fan of commercial tours and wanted to experience Salar de Uyuni independently. South America has stunning salt flats, but Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest at about 4,674 sq mi (12,106 sq km). Be sure to check out the Dakar Rally monument located in Colchani, right at the edge of the salt flats.

Volcanic islands rising from the salt desert

On both tours, the food was great, and there was plenty of it — we couldn’t even finish everything. The first night’s accommodation (salt hotel) was very clean and comfortable, with fresh bedsheets, towels, and toilet paper provided. Don’t underestimate the altitude and make sure to acclimatise before taking a tour. Most tours are conducted in 4WD vehicles, with the driver also acting as the guide. I’ve done the 3-day Salar de Uyuni tour twice with different agencies, eight years apart, in 2017 and 2025.

Things to Know Before Choosing a Tour

Make sure to charge your devices during this time.
It is possible to visit the salt flats independently and while I was there I saw people camping with bikes!
And the views of the salt flats from up there are absolutely incredible.
The rainy season (December to April) brings its own beauty.
When booking a tour you’ll have the option of taking a round trip or including onward travel at the end of the tour.
You may also observe how the salt is extracted, processed and rolled into souvenirs, which is an ideal method of helping communities locally.

Make sure you know what the weather will be like before you book a tour and therefore what the landscape will look like. Also make sure you know exactly what the tour you are booking includes in terms of duration, accommodation options, guide and itinerary. Even if you decide to book a tour on arrival in Uyuni, try to do a little research on the company you choose and check reviews. You’ll need a warm sleeping bag (tour companies provide these, often at an additional charge), and don’t forget to pack warm clothing. Daytime can often feel pleasantly warm in the sun, but after it sets temperatures can easily plummet to around -10°C. If you’re booking a budget tour, expect there to be an additional cost.

The thermal waters are delightfully warm and while you’re bathing you can soak up the beautiful scenery.
It’s also possible to take a tour starting in Tupiza – a great option for those coming from Argentina.
The lithium in the salt flats contains more impurities, and the wet climate and high altitude make it harder to process.
According to the local folklore, the water in Laguna Colorada is the blood of the Gods.
One must-do activity in Bolivia is exploring the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat.

Collectively, these features make the Salar de Uyuni approximately five times more effective for satellite calibration than the surface of the open ocean. Salar de Uyuni is a popular tourist destination, and consequently a number of hotels have been built in the area. Because of its location, large area, and flatness, the Salar is a major car transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano, except when seasonally covered with water. However, except for January, even in the rainy season the number of rainy days is fewer than 5 per month. It is covered with a solid salt crust varying in thickness between tens of centimeters and a few meters. Lacustrine mud that is interbedded with salt and saturated with brine underlies the surface of Salar de Uyuni.
In the salt flat, in the middle, there is an island known as Isla Incahuasi that is composed of ancient coral and is covered with giant cacti some of which are over 1,000 years old. It is up to you whether you enjoy the thoughtful amazement of the wet season or the cold magnitude of the dry season, but either way, they will all be a memorable experience with the nature. The two seasons have different viewpoints and therefore it is up to you to decide which one to watch depending on the type of experience you want to get. This is when photographers go a-swarming to get the surreal effect of the infinity horizon, one of the most recognisable photographs of travelling the world.

Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve 🦙

A unique geological feature characterised by small, eye-like holes in the salt flats. Walking across the salt flats allows you to truly appreciate the scale of the landscape and feel the texture of the salt crust underfoot. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia offers a variety of activities, from exploring its vast salt flats to discovering the surrounding lagoons and volcanoes. The salt flats, visible from low Earth orbit, display stark white hues that contrast sharply with the darker surrounding rock formations. For much of the year, the salt flats stretch out in a seemingly endless expanse of white, covering about 10,000 square kilometers (4,000 square miles). The salt flat was formed through the gradual evaporation of prehistoric lakes, leaving behind an extensive, flat salt crust.
If you are coming from Argentina it is possible to book tours that begin in Tupiza. Most people time their arrival for the morning of the start of their tour. There is nothing really of interest in Uyuni itself so it’s not worth spending much time here. Be aware that December and January are the wettest months and sometimes excessive rain can lead to tour cancellations. The clear night skies offer great star-gazing opportunities and you’ll also be able to visit some places that aren’t accessible during the wet season.
Relax in the thermal waters of the Polques Hot Springs after exploring the salt flats. The Train Cemetery, also known as « Cementerio de Trenes, » is a significant tourist attraction near Uyuni, Bolivia, and within the Salar de Uyuni salt flats. For the adventurous, cycling or hiking across the salt flats is possible, but requires preparation and experience in arid environments. During the rainy season, water can fill parts of the salt flat, creating a stunning mirror-like effect. The salt flats are at 3,656 m.a.s.l. Some people can suffer from altitude sickness at this elevation.
Following rain, a thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world’s largest mirror, 129 km (80 miles) across. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. It is now covered by an 8 meter thick layer of salt, which is extremely flat. Bangbros.com has a perfect mix of hot pornstar girls and amateur women for your enjoyment.

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A mesmerising and dazzling landscape, this vast salt plain is like nowhere else in the world! Bolivia’s Salt Flats are a breathtaking natural wonder. Read more about visiting Salar de Uyuni independently here. For a group tour that includes an English-speaking guide and more comfortable accommodation with private rooms, you will be looking at around $250USD.

Polques Hot Springs are the most common hot springs stop on 3-day Uyuni tours. Standard tours allow time for taking perspective photos. That’s what it’s like when you visit the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia’s enormous salt flat that stretches as far as your eyes can see. Alternatively, shorter one- to three-day tours are available from Uyuni or Tupiza, depending on your onward travel plans. Travellers with more time can opt for extended five- or nine-day tours from Salta, Argentina. From December to April, the wet season creates a stunning mirror effect across the salt flats.
The itinerary is similar to the standard 3-day tour, just in reverse, but this route is usually more expensive. Tupiza is another starting point for alternative Salar de Uyuni tours. A 2-day tour from Uyuni covers everything included in the 1-day tour. A 1-day tour from Uyuni is the cheapest option to explore Salar de Uyuni. Most tours to Salar de Uyuni start from the small town of Uyuni.
Today they create an eerie environment and stand as a testament to the corrosive power of salt! The first stop on most tours is the Train Graveyard (El Cementerio de Trenes) on the dusty outskirts of Uyuni. The deserted plain is the perfect canvas for taking perspective photographs and when covered in a layer of water it becomes the world’s largest mirror, which makes for stunning reflective images. Sense of distance and perspective become skewed as the salty surface goes on mile after endless mile. As the water evaporated the salt crystalised and formed a crust, which is up to 10 m thick in some places. There are tours that run directly from the Chilean town of San Pedro de Atacama, which is close to the Bolivian border.

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Most travellers spend 2-3 days exploring Salar de Uyuni and its surroundings, which provides ample opportunity to visit the salt flats, lagoons, and geysers. However, travelers should take great care in choosing which tour operator to go with when visiting the salt flats. The great news is there is no bad time to visit the salt flats in Bolivia and each season has its advantages. You can explore the Uyuni salt flats on your own, but after doing research and weighing the pros and cons, we decided to join a standard 3-day tour. This breathtaking natural wonder attracts thousands of travellers each spinmaya no deposit bonus code year, who come to marvel at the majestic salt flats spanning over 10,000 square kilometres.