It was one of the most memorable adventures of my life.
Traveling off-road in a 4x4 for three days from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni across the Bolivian salt flats.
It felt bittersweet to be leaving the Atacama Desert, but there was only one way forward, and I knew it too would involve high altitudes and spectacular landscapes.

Booking the Trip
As with most multi-day treks and tours I've taken around the world, it's easy to book your Bolivian salt flats trip once you arrive in San Pedro.
There's little to no difference in itineraries offered by the local tour companies, though the prices do vary from $20 to $30.
You can pay a little more than average in the hopes that the SUV and food are nicer, but there are no guarantees.
And the variance in the dozen or more SUVs that I saw was negligible. Most are Toyota Land Cruisers, and all appeared quite capable.
One piece of advice I did try to heed was the importance of booking a trip with a driver who owns his own SUV and is thus more likely to take good care of it and you.
Drunk driving amongst Bolivians is an ongoing issue in the region, not to scare anyone away, but serious traffic accidents have occurred on the salt flats.
It's a good idea to have comprehensive travel insurance before embarking on this kind of trip.
By Western standards, my tour was astoundingly cheap.
I paid just $135 for the three-day, two-night trip, and this was considered on the expensive side compared to some of the other agencies with tours priced around $120.
Included in the price were:
- 4x4 transport from San Pedro to Uyuni
- Two nights basic accommodation
- Six meals, starting with lunch the first day and ending with breakfast on the last
- Water and drinks during meals
The following were not included:
- Bolivian entry fee ($135 for Americans, paid in cash in Uyuni)
- National park fee ($27)
- Sleeping bag rental ($3)
- Drinks outside of those included at meals
- Bottled water
The tour agency didn't tell me in advance that the driver would hold my passport as collateral until I paid for my Bolivian visa in Uyuni.
I learned that tidbit at the border crossing, where I was given no alternative but to hand over my passport to the driver I'd just met minutes earlier.
It is recommended you bring the following:
- Snacks and water (I took 1.5-liter and 6-liter bottles)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Toilet paper
- Warm clothes (dress in layers)
- Bathing suit
- Sleeping bag
- Passport
- Camera
Seven and a half liters of water may seem like a lot, but it turned out to be about right.
The rule of thumb is to drink one liter of water for every thousand meters of elevation.
I can't overstate how important it is to bring warm clothing.
On arrival in San Pedro, I'd already bought an alpaca sweater, hat, and gloves in the local market as night-time temperatures plummet quickly in the desert.
This is especially true at higher altitudes.
In the Western sense, you may view your driver as your guide.
Still, from the Bolivian perspective, I discovered my driver saw himself as a taxi driver who just happened to be transporting people in a place with no roads and exotic scenery.
Acclimatization
If you arrive in San Pedro from Santiago, whether by bus or plane, you'll want to allow as much time as possible to acclimatize to the higher elevation before leaving for Bolivia.
In San Pedro, you're sleeping at 2,400 meters, while your first night in Bolivia will be at 4,200 meters.
The second night will be a bit lower at 3,600 meters.
As a reference, in mountaineering, it's not advised to sleep higher than 300 meters above where you slept the previous night to allow your body to acclimatize.
Otherwise, you increase your risk of developing Altitude Sickness.
To help your body adapt, you should also take day trips from San Pedro to higher altitudes, such as the nearby Salar de Tara and Tatio Geysers.
This is the first in a series of posts from my wild ride through the Bolivian salt flats. Stay tuned.
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This post was brought to you by Southern Cross Travel Insurance.
Mike says
Considering Bolivia's high altitude, it's advisable to check your travel insurance coverage details for any altitude restrictions.
Dave says
Good point Mike. Though I don't recall having seen high altitudes as an exclusion in my current or past medical or travel policies, I would not be surprised to see some companies stick it in there. Or include it as part of a sports rider you have to pay extra for.
Mat says
Im booking this in the next two days, who is the trip with?
Dave says
As I mentioned, they're more or less the same. The company I booked through was Expediciones Estrella del Sur. They have an office in the main tourist area of San Pedro.
Jen says
Can't wait to read your next few posts on this. Visiting the Salt Flats is something I really want to do soon.
Dave says
Thanks Jen. It's an incredible area, and well worth the effort to get there.
Jayne says
I just finished this trip about a week ago - so great! I also went with Estrella and had a good time. It's a shame we didn't go at the same time. I would have loved to have bought you a beer to thank you for this great blog.
Dave says
Thanks Jayne! Glad you had a good time on the trip.
Monica Limpias says
I am planning on doing this trip in june, but we will start and finish in Uyuni. I am from Santa Cruz, Bolivia and I follow your blogs. Thanks for all the information.
Dave says
Hi Monica, thanks for reading! After Uyuni, I visited Potosi and Sucre before flying to Santa Cruz where I spent 5 days. I'll be writing a story about your city in April :)
John @ GoodPlanetLiving says
Bolivia is a nice country. I think my next trip will be Bolivia. however, food in the picture is really delicious I think.
Paul Bailey says
Hi. I'm planning on doing this tour in mid-July... is it at all likely that I will not be able to get a place on a tour on a specific day?
Or are there so many agencies and tours that I don't need to worry... can I even rock up on the actual day and book just before I go, orrrr would you recommend doing it at least a day in advance?
So many questions for such a simple thing, sorry!
Thank you :)
Dave says
The tours leave early in the morning, around 7 or 7:30am, so you'll need to book it at least one day in advance. Also, if you want to book with a certain operator, it will depend on whether there are enough other people for your preferred departure date.
But in short, there's a constant stream of travelers leaving San Pedro for Uyuni, so it shouldn't be an issue. I went one-way to continue traveling in Bolivia, but you can also pay extra to add an extra day/night for the return trip to San Pedro.
Daniel says
Hi Dave,
I'm an American currently in San Pedro and am interested in doing the 4 day trip with Estrella del Sur. I'd like to go this Monday, but I'm a bit hesitant because I don't have a yellow fever immunization form, a passport photo, etc. How strict is Bolivia with these tour groups? Would you recommend not doing the tour because of this? Just want to make sure ahead of time in order to avoid problems at the border. Thanks!
Dave says
I dont know, you def need to show tour pasapor. You should ask in a couple of the tour offices
Philip Meidell says
Dave,
Re: San Pedro to Uyuni: Booking My Trip to the Bolivian Salt Flats
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. We are planning to tour the area in February, 2016. Could you please name the travel agency with which you traveled, and their web site or email? Did your tour end in San Pedro de Atacama? What was the outcome with the passport episode? I'm a US citizen, and I'd really prefer to maintain control of my passport at all times. Couldn't you just offer your driver the money for the visa and keep your passport? We have seen wildly varying prices for the Bolivian visa, from US $60 at one agency to US $140 at another. What did you end up actually paying? Thanks!
Dave says
Hi Philip,
I don't remember the name of the tour company. To be honest, from the other people I talked to and from what I saw, the level of service is similar across all the local tour companies.
If you're paying a premium to use international tour companies (like a G Adventures) you may be able to expect better service, vehicles and food, though I suspect they contract out to local tour guides so maybe not.
I chose to do the 3-day, 2-night tour starting in San Pedro and ending in Uyuni because I traveled onward to other parts of Bolivia. It's possible to pay for a fourth day which doesn't involve any sightseeing but takes you straight back to San Pedro de Atacama.
I paid my visa fee the morning after we arrived in Uyuni and got my passport back from my guide without a problem. Unfortunately, the immigration office opened a bit late so I missed a flight I'd wanted to take from Uyuni to Santa Cruz and had to spend several days making the trip via bus.
Trust me, I preferred to hold my passport too, but it was out of my control. It wasn't my driver that was calling the shots, it was the immigration officials who called him into the office and sealed my passport in an envelope and gave it to him. I protested a little bit, but to no avail.
I believe I paid $135 in Uyuni as mentioned in the article, but this was back in 2012 and it may have changed. I doubt it's gone down though.
jamie says
dave
how much luggage can you take with you on this tour as i will be travelling from san pedro to uyuini and then continuing on to la paz i will have all my gear with me is this possible. thanks
Dave says
I don't think there's a specific limitation in terms of weight or size, but you need to be realistic. You can see the size of a typical SUV that does these tours, and my photo of my large backpack and day pack. You can certainly have a larger backpack than I did, but I'd leave the guitar or surfboard at home.
DD says
Thanks for sharing your experience! This is really useful! I'm planning to do the Uyuni tour at the end of December/ beginning of January and will be travelling from Santiago to San Pedro. Would you know what would be the best way to get from Santiago to San Pedro?
Dave says
I recommend flying, which is what I did. It can take 24 hours by bus.
DD says
Thanks Dave!
One more questions - where did you stay in San Pedro?
Dave says
A hostel, I don't remember the name, but it was one of the better-rated ones on Hostelworld.
justkolyan says
Hi,
thanks for you report! Very informative.
A little question - you said "I paid my visa fee the morning after we arrived in Uyuni and got my passport back from my guide without a problem." Does it mean that you came to Uyuni, went to hotel and came to the driver the next day to get your passport back and to go to immigration to pay for a visa?
I am planning to do the same trip so I would appreciate you could help me.
Thanks.
Bertrand Delvaux says
Hi,
Thanks a lot for the information, it's really useful and I can't wait to do that!!!
Do you remember by any chance the name of the company you went with?
Best wishes,
Bertrand
Priti Patel says
Hi,
Do you have a tour package to visit Uyuni, La Paz and San Pedro Atacama for the dates below? If so what is the price per person?
Please can you let me know what this tour includes (e.g. food, accomodation etc) and doesn't inlcude?
We are looking to be in the following locations during these dates:
April 19th-20th - La Paz
April 21st-22nd Uyuni Tour
April 23rd-24th San Pedro de Atacama Tour
Thanks,
Priti
Helena Goodwyn says
Hi Dave, thanks for this really useful post. I have a couple of questions if that's ok:
Does this trip repeat any of the Atacama sightseeing or does it head straight into Bolivia?
Also - does the trip end in Uyuni proper - as in the city? And at what time of day on the third day did you arrive there?
Thank you@
Temple says
What if you have been in Bolivia a few days.....you pay that $135 fee upon arrival, no? And that is done at the airport? I am looking at tour company in Argentina that is asking $1940 for a private tour from Sucre, Bolivia to Potosi and Uyuni and then on La Paz. It is 4 days.....does that sound about right to anyone? I would love a travel mate and am looking into group tour prices from Sucre. I want something simple and easy......but am wondering if I should venture to Uyuni and see if I can get a $120-135 deal? What do you think about traveling alone with a driver? Thoughts......
Dave says
When I visited back in 2012, I arrived in Bolivia overland and had to pay the $135 visa fee. I imagine it's collected at the airports too.
$1940 is A LOT to me, given Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America. My 3-day Salt Flats (group) tour was only a few hundred dollars, and then I went on to travel by local bus to Potosi and Sucre on my own. It was quite easy. From Sucre I flew to Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
You could save a lot of money arranging your own travel and doing the Salt Flats with a group. Plus, it's more fun if you can share the experiences with other people.
Temple says
It is a lot to me, too! That is whY I reached out when I saw your blog......of course the more you travel with less it is....were solo? I would love to travel with a group but am getting down to the wire on planning.....I will look some more on line. And I am not wanting to travel by bus.....don't have the patience or time this trip.
Travis W says
Dave,
I am guessing there is no full 3 day tours from San Pedro to Uyuni salt flats back to San Pedro... the 4th day of travel back may be a deal breaker... :(
Kamil says
Hello. Thank you for all your information. where can I find the prices for 3/4 days tours with your operator... I can not see anything on their website...
Dave says
You'd have to email or call them. As long as you're booking with a local company like this versus an international company such as a G Adventures or Intrepid Travel, you might save $50 per person trying to cost-compare between local agencies, but nothing significant. I don't even think it'd be worth your time.
Looking back, I still can't believe I got the 3-day tour for just $135!
Prices in a country like Bolivia, which is extremely poor, are unlikely to rise noticeably year to year.