San Pedro de Atacama to Salar de Uyuni
- From
- San Pedro de Atacama
- To
- Salar de Uyuni
- By
- 4x4 overland across the Bolivian altiplano
- Time
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Cost
- From about $350, plus the Bolivian park fee in cash
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Salar de Uyuni is the salt flat everyone has seen photographs of — 10,000 square kilometres of it, more than three times the Salar de Atacama, and the one that floods and turns to a mirror. It is in Bolivia, and getting there from San Pedro means a three-day overland crossing rather than an excursion. You do not come back the same way unless you book the return, and you sleep two nights higher than anything else sold from this town.
Step by step
- 1
Leave San Pedro at dawn and cross the border at Hito Cajón.
You climb from 2,407 m to over 4,000 m within the first couple of hours. Passports are checked on both sides and you pay the Bolivian park entry in cash. Day one runs through the Eduardo Avaroa reserve past Laguna Verde and Laguna Colorada.
- 2
Spend the night in a basic refugio above 4,000 m.
Shared rooms, limited heating, limited hot water. This is the standard across every operator on this route, not a shortcoming of one. It is also the night that tells you whether you acclimatised properly in San Pedro.
- 3
Cross the Siloli desert and the lagoons on day two.
Rock formations, more high lagoons, more flamingos, and a second night at altitude. The driving is long and the roads are not roads.
- 4
Reach the Salar de Uyuni on day three and finish in Uyuni town.
The salt flat itself, then the tour ends. Your onward travel leaves from Uyuni — there is no return leg unless you booked one, and getting back to San Pedro overland is another two days.
Tips
- Do this at the end of your Atacama week, never the start: two nights above 4,000 m with no chance to descend.
- Carry bolivianos in cash for the Bolivian park entry fee.
- Check where your onward flight leaves from. This tour ends in Uyuni, not back in San Pedro.
Other ways to get there
| Method | Time | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| The same route in reverse, Uyuni to San Pedro | 3 days | Similar | Arriving this way means you reach San Pedro already acclimatised, and can do El Tatio on your first morning. |
| Four-day version | 4 days | Higher | More time on the salt flat and a gentler pace across the altiplano. |
| Round trip back to San Pedro | 4 to 5 days | Higher again | The only version that returns you to Chile, and the one to take if your flight leaves from Calama. |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Uyuni salt flat a day trip from San Pedro?
No. It is a three-day overland crossing into Bolivia, ending in Uyuni town rather than back in San Pedro.
Do I need a passport?
Yes, and cash in bolivianos for the Bolivian park entry fee.
When does the salt flat become a mirror?
In the wet season, roughly December to March, when a thin layer of water sits on the salt. The rest of the year it is dry white crust.