Uyuni is probably the most visited destination in Bolivia and of course, it is due to the great wonder that dazzles anyone with the vast white landscape of the world's largest Salt Flats. Here's how to get there and what options you have to cross the vast plains of salt. If you're out of Bolivia, we suggest you first go to La Paz, the main entrance to the country. When you have reached the highland town, you have 3 options to continue the course towards the salar. These options let you choose between speed, comfort and budget. We recommend taking the train if you are not in a hurry and are willing to spend a night in the town of Uyuni. Here are the available options:
- Bus La Paz - Uyuni
This is the most widely used by travelers. Travel time is approximately 10 hours. The bus leaves at 9:00 pm and has daily departures. It has seats very comfortable seats and includes a snack. The price is $ 35, but you can find buses from other companies for less money. Obviously, comfort is not the same, nor have a snack, but if you are looking to save a little money that is an option to consider. Whatever the bus by which you decide, please keep in mind that the road has no asphalt at 100%. In fact, we estimate that only 30% of the road is paved.
- Bus La Paz - Oruro + Train Oruro - Uyuni
As mentioned before, this is the option we suggest, and as you may have noticed in the subtitle, you have to travel to Oruro to catch the train that will take you to Uyuni. We recommend this option primarily for comfort and also because you will not have to deal with a half paved road. The bus La Paz - Oruro also has daily departures and the trip length is approximately 3 hours, but please note the following table to accommodate the train schedule:
From - To Expreso del Sur Tuesdays and Fridays Wara Wara del Sur Sundays and Wednesdays Departure Arrival Departure Arrival Oruro - Uyuni 3:30 PM 10:00 PM 7:00 PM 2:20 AM From - To Expreso del Sur Tuesdays and Fridays Wara Wara del Sur Sundays and Wednesdays Departure Arrival Departure Arrival Uyuni - Oruro 12:00 AM 7:00 AM 1:45 AM 9:10 AM
Prices vary according to the level of comfort on the train. Contact us to quote the price that fits your budget.
- Flight La Paz - Uyuni
No doubt, this is the most expensive and fastest way to get to Uyuni. The price of the flight La Paz - Uyuni is US$ 145 in the airline called Amaszonas. Trip length is 1 hour. The airline offers daily flights at 5:00 am and a second flight on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:55 pm. Flights depart every day normally, but there have been cases where the company changed some provisions, so we suggest you confirm everything before booking and making payments for these services.
Did you choose your transportation? Congratulations! You must be in Uyuni by now. You will find some places to eat breakfast if you're not staying in a hotel. After breakfast, you just need to wait for the tours to start. You also have tours available to suit both the time you have available and the budget you have planned. We have tours of 1, 2, 3 and 4 days, shared or private options with basic accommodation, as well as hotel accommodation. Contact us so we can arrange a package according to your needs.
Visiting the Salt Flats of Uyuni is a unique and very inspiring experience, but the salt plains are not the only available attraction in this part of the world. Very close to it, is the National Reserve Eduardo Abaroa, home of stunning lagoons and fauna of the highlands, which you can access if you choose the 3-day Tour, preferred by many travelers, with prices starting at $ 130 and detailed below:
Uyuni Salt Flats - Colored Lagoons Expedition / 3 Days
From US$ 130
Day 1 The tour to Uyuni Salt Flats is a circuit in 4WD vehicles that lasts all day. It begins when we meet the group from 10:30 - 11:00 am. The vehicle can accommodate 8 people, which are usually 6 tourists plusthe driver and the cook in front. The official guide is practically excluded because it is mainly a scenic tour, but if you really need one, we can make an arrangement. Without further explanation, we start the tour visiting the most outstanding attractions of the region, including the train cemetery, which has locomotives and trains which formerly served as transport for the industrial minerals in Bolivia. Then continue to the village of Colchani, which shows the manual process of salt, salt crafts shops, salt extraction, the thickness of the salt and the first hotel built with blocks of Salt. The next attraction is in fish island (Incahuasi) with ancient giant cactus, from the top where you can see the Salar de Uyuni in its entirety. Note that the entrance to the island will cost $ 3 and is inaccessible during the rainy season (January to April). At the end of the day we head to our basic accommodation. Be sure to bring warm clothes and other stuff of primary necessity.
Day 2 starts with a breakfast so we can get ready to visit the surroundings of Ollague Volcano, which is still active and you can watch it from a 15km distance. Later visit the beautiful colored lagoons and flamingos that surround the area. We will have lunch around noon and continue our journey through the vast desert region of Siloli, where you can see the particular red colored lagoon "Laguna Colorada" and a rock shaped like a tree named "Stone Tree". Overnight in basic shelters, probably more basic than the previous day because the rooms are shared tonight. 
The journey of day 3 begins at 5:00 am so we can see the geysers, which reach heights of more than 3 meters at this time of day due to volcanic pressure. You also have the opportunity to visit the hot springs of Lake Polques, where you take a bath while the cook prepares a breakfast. Later, we continue the journey to the spectacular green lagoon "Laguna Verde" and white lagoon "Laguna Blanca", lagoons that adopted very particular colors due to richness of minerals around these areas. After visiting these attractions, you decide if you want to be transferred to San Pedro de Atacama or go back to Uyuni after lunch.
The 3 days tour includes:
It does not include:
Entrance tickets to Incahuasi Island and Eduardo Abaroa National Park
To keep in mind:
The tour has a cold weather with little wind and you're exposed to sunlight on many occasions. We suggest you bring warm clothing, sunglasses, sleeping bag, gloves, water, sunscreen, towels, a hat, flashlight and basic necessity stuff.Remember that you have the option to spend the night at hotels if you think you will be uncomfortable at basic accommodations. Tayka Hotels are a good option and you can see the facilities here.
We hope this information helped. We will be happy to arrange the trip you want to do. We have great offers if you travel in groups, if you are a student or you decide to make other trips with us.
Source: http://www.toursbolivia.net
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