After an enjoyable few days in La Paz, it was time for the main reason we had come to Bolivia – a salt flats tour.

Arriving in Uyuni

Overland travel in South America seems to involve a lot of overnight bus trips and early mornings. We booked seats on Todo Turismo, which is the most luxurious option for the overnight bus trip from La Paz to Uyuni, the starting point for our salt flats tour. The bus itself was nice, but the roads were not, so it was another uncomfortable night.

Just before arriving at our destination we stopped at a rest area a little way out of town. I don’t really understand why we stopped, but it was a chance to use a toilet that wasn’t swaying and bouncing with every pothole. The desert scenery in the pre-dawn light was pretty, but it was very cold, so after a quick photo or two I retreated back to the bus.

It was still early when we arrived in the small desert town of Uyuni. A representative from our tour company met us at the bus and directed us to a nearby cafe. We ordered some breakfast (and more importantly, coffee) and waited for the tour company office to open. After a while we got the word that they were ready for us to check in and load up the vehicles ready to set off.

Salt Flats Tour – Day 1

The first stop on our tour was the train cemetery just outside Uyuni. There’s a fascinating collection of old trains here from the early 20th century. Grand plans to expand the Bolivian railways (with Uyuni as a hub) didn’t come to fruition due to mine closures and border disputes, so these engines and carriages were left to corrode away in the salty air.

We visited on a similar schedule to every other salt flats tour that left on the same day, so it was pretty crowded. This spoiled the “abandoned” vibe a bit. Nevertheless, it was an interesting place to spend some time and take photos.

You can climb all over the trains, which is fun if a bit scary. It’s a long way to any medical facilities if you cut yourself on rusty metal.

After the train cemetery, we visited a small salt processing operation. There’s not really much to it, but it was interesting to see the salt blocks and crystals harvested from the salt flats.

On to the Salt Flats

Next, we headed onto the salt flats. First, we stopped at a building made from salt blocks. This was originally a hotel, but is now a restaurant and gift shop. Before going outside, we enjoyed our first views of the amazing salt flats.

The sun reflecting of the salt flat was relentless, sunglasses are a must on a salt flats tour.

For a number of years, the famous Paris to Dakar off-road race passed through the Uyuni salt flats after moving from Africa to South America due to security concerns.

Near the salt block building a plantation of flags has been left by travelers from all over the world.

After checking it out, we returned to our tour vehicles parked nearby, where our guide and the drivers had set up lunch for us.

Perspective Photography

After lunch we drove deeper into the salt flats. Away from any buildings or people we could appreciate even more the vast, bright flatness. The conditions play tricks with your depth perception, which you can play with to make photographic optical illusions.

After letting us experiment for a while, our guide gathered the group together to show us how it was done. After taking some photos, he directed the group in a video.

Isla Incuahasi

Our next stop was Isla Incuahasi, which is a rocky outcrop that rises impressively from the otherwise featureless plain. It features giant cactus and coral-like rock formations, which give it an other-worldly vibe.

We climbed to the top of the island for spectacular views over the Island and over the salt flats.

Salt Flats Sunset

By this time it was late afternoon, and the light was getting softer. We headed to a spot on the salt flats to watch the sunset. The drivers expertly parked the vehicles in a photogenic formation. As the sun sank lower in the sky, the temperature also dropped.

Interesting cloud formations boded well for a spectacular sunset.

After a while, the sun reached the horizon and bathed us in a golden glow.

The setting sun threw crazy long shadows on the flat salt plain.

As the sun set, our guide gathered us together for a group photo.

After the sun set, more pinks added to mix of colors in the sky.

By this stage it was getting seriously cold, so even though the sky continued its spectacular display, we bundled ourselves into the vehicles and headed towards our accommodation for the night. We checked into a surprisingly luxurious hotel made from salt blocks. Our room had a private bathroom and hot water for the shower (as long as not too many other people were trying to shower – we had to coordinate as a group so everyone could have hot water).

After a nice dinner and some time getting to know the other participants in our salt flats tour, we slept very well after a long and interesting day.

Salt Flats Tour – Day 2

Although the part of our salt flats tour that actually took place on the salt flats was over, there was still plenty left to see. After breakfast we piled into the vehicles again for a day of sightseeing.

The landscape we passed through was very different to what we had seen the previous day, mountains and high desert.

What you can’t see in the photos is the bitterly cold wind that was blowing. Each stop throughout the day involved leaving the vehicle to take photos for a short time before jumping back in to warm up again.

This is really desolate country, there’s not much out here. Our morning break stop was just a wide spot in the road. The restroom was wherever you could find a bush (there were no trees) big enough to hide behind.

As we moved further into the high desert we saw the distinctive shape of volcanic cones.

For a while we drove along a long, straight stretch of railroad line.

This really is a unique part of of the world.

Andean Lakes and Flamingos

The highlight of the second day of our salt flats tour was a couple of alpine lakes. As well as the stunning scenery, we saw flocks of flamingos. It was surreal to see them in this cold, high altitude setting when it hadn’t been long ago that we had seen them at sea-level in the far warmer climes of the Galapagos Islands.

The first lake we saw was also our lunch stop. Luckily there was a restaurant with a sheltered dining room so we had some respite from the cold wind while we ate lunch.

After lunch we moved along to another lake, passing some more stunning scenery.

Our next stop was the Red Lagoon. The red color caused by algae and minerals along with the borax deposits that look like ice give this lake a very distinctive look.

We didn’t see as many flamingos here as the previous lake, but they also added an extra color to the palette.

The freezing wind was still blowing here, you could see it on the surface of the water.

The Stone Tree

We made one more stop on the way to our accommodation. The “Stone Tree” is a massive sandstone formation that has been carved into a fantastical shape by wind erosion.

As the sun was getting lower it was getting even colder, so we quickly took our photos and got back in the vehicles for the final stretch to our accommodation.

Our digs for the second night of our salt flats tour were more rustic than our previous night’s hotel. With the temperature outside below freezing and no hot water, everyone decided to forgo any thoughts of a shower. The night sky full of stars was amazing, but it was so cold I decided against trying some astrophotography. Everyone was in bed early under piles of blankets in our dormitory rooms, staying warm and resting up for a very early start.

Salt Flats Tour – Day 3

We had a very early start for the last day of our tour. Our guide told us that this was necessary to see the fumaroles (geysers) at their best. The billowing steam we saw as we approached the geysers supported this approach, but I suspect the early start also had something to do with the long distance that the vehicles had to cover to return to Uyuni. We were planning to leave the group after the morning’s sightseeing and cross the border into Chile, so we didn’t have to face the long boring drive back.

We arrived at the fumaroles right around sunrise. The temperature gauge in the vehicle indicated an outside temperature of 13 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 10 degrees Celsius). This was the coldest temperature we had seen so far, and we were at the highest altitude we had seen on our trip, 4,850 feet (almost 16,000 feet).

Nevertheless, we piled out of the vehicles for the chance to see some geothermal features up close, with no railings or safety barriers like you would find in other more developed parts of the world. It was quite a sight to see the steam rising and mud bubbling away.

All of us mostly stayed close to our guide to make sure we were on safe ground. We had a bit of a scare at one point when we lost sight of Lachlan in the steam. He managed to avoid falling into the boiling mud and we headed off to our next stop.

Next we had the opportunity for a quick soak in a hot spring. This definitely wasn’t a luxury spa experience, but spending some time in the hot mineral waters was definitely worth it after the frigid start to the morning, even though it involved dealing with some primitive changing rooms and a walk over frozen ground.

Salvador Dali Desert

All too soon we had to exit the hot spring and deal with getting dry and changing back into our clothes in the frosty air. Next, we stopped at the Salvador Dali Desert, named for its resemblance to the landscapes in Dali’s Surrealist paintings.

The final sightseeing stop on our salt flats tour was the Laguna Verde, or Green Lake. The seasonal conditions meant that it wasn’t particularly green. It was impressive nonetheless, with a dramatic volcanic peak supplying a picturesque backdrop.

Summing up our Salt Flats Tour

Soon after leaving the lake, we arrived at the rendezvous point with the smaller bus that would take us across the border into Chile, and our tour was finished.

Our salt flats tour was a bit of an ordeal, partly due to the fact that we were traveling at the coldest part of the year, and partly due to the rustic conditions of the accommodations and facilities along the way.

However, we saw some amazing things along the way. This was definitely a backpacker tour, and we traveled with a fun, mostly young group of people. The group traded the obligatory entertaining travel stories and tips along the way.

The options for a more comfortable trip were significantly more expensive and luxurious. There doesn’t seem to be a middle “flashpacker” level for salt flats tours. As well as costing a lot more money, the more luxurious trips look like they would be a less social experience. We mostly traveled independently on our round-the world trip but we did enjoy group trips like this one for some variety and the chance to talk with people outside of our family unit.

Although all of the backpacker level tours have a similar itinerary, it’s worth paying a bit more for one of the more reputable options. There are stories about drunken guides and drivers, and vehicle malfunctions. It seems like these are less common these days, but I suggest you check reviews before you book. We were happy with Red Planet Expeditions. They are one of the more established operators, and we traveled in a convoy of three vehicles, which was somewhat reassuring as we passed through some very isolated areas.

We’d definitely recommend working a salt flats tour into your South America itinerary if possible. It’s a unique part of the world, well worth experiencing, despite the discomforts. However, I would suggest not going in the middle of winter.