Guide and Review: Ultimate 3 Day Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour (Bolivia)

Updated December 31, 2025

Originally Published December 30, 2025

Was it social media that first introduced me to the Salar de Uyuni? The largest salt flats on the planet do make for some incredible photos and videos. So I knew that I wanted to experience it for myself as I made my way around South America.

I have been very lucky when traveling to make friends who are so gracious to help with travel planning by passing on tips and recommendations (especially useful since I am so by the seat of my pants with my trips!) Otherwise I would not have known to book a multi-day trip through Uyuni and would have missed out on this incredible Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour with Red Planet Expeditions.

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Why Consider a 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour in Bolivia

The Uyuni Salt Flats are one of the most extraordinary natural wonders on Earth with the vast white expanse seeming endless and surreal.

The Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour (Red Planet Expeditions) allows you to go beyond the salt flats and venture deep into the volcanic deserts. You are rewarded with days of being mesmerized by flamingo-filled lagoons, geysers, and surreal high-altitude landscapes and evenings being awed by some of the clearest dark skies to star gaze (and one night whilst in a geothermal pool!)

Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour (Red Planet Expeditions)

Tour Details

• Overview: Explore the world’s largest salt flat on a 3-day tour from Uyuni in southwest Bolivia. Travel in a comfortable Land Cruiser and take in spectacular views of the Salar de Uyuni with stops at indigenous villages, geysers, hot springs, and multicolored lagoons filled with flamingos. Watch the spectacular desert sunset and enjoy star gazing at the Milky Way. Your tour includes all meals, hotels, and transfers.
• Details: Start time at 11:00 am
• Important Notes:
  • Hotel Pickup (from Uyuni hotels) can be requested
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers (per car)
    • Note that one guide is divided between two cars ( 1 Guide for 12 people max )
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking – Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Wheelchair accessible
• Not Included:
  • Entrance fees (30 bs for the Inca wasi island and 150 bs for the National park)
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)

What’s Included

Day 1 of My Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour with Red Planet Expedition

Meet Up + Note on Traveling Solo

I head to the Red Planet office and am efficiently checked-in. We will have a group of 11 and are divided between two cars.

SOLO TRAVEL: I balance traveling solo with day trips to help keep costs down (which can quickly added up when it’s just me) and as a way to have logistics figured out (decision fatigue is very real especially on long trips!). By either booking via hostels I am staying at or via word of mouth recommendations, I have had really great luck not only with incredible tours but also with making some good friends along the way. I was the only solo traveler in the group but everyone got along so well that many of us ended up continuing our trip together in San Pedro de Atacama!

Cementerio de Trenes (Train Cemetery)

The journey begins just outside Uyuni at the iconic Train Cemetery, where dozens of abandoned steam locomotives rust under the open sky.

These trains once symbolized Bolivia’s mining boom and now form an eerie, photogenic landscape that contrasts sharply with the salt flats ahead.

Colchani Village

Dakar Monument

The Dakar Rally is an off-road endurance race that raced through Bolivia for several years and famously featuring stages across the Salar de Uyuni amongst other stops.

Here we find multiple social media photo ops with the monument and flag display.

Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats) – Altitude of 11,985 feet (3,653 meters)

As the Landcruiser rolls onto the salt flats, the scale becomes immediately apparent.

In the antiplano (high plateau) of the Andes, multiple prehistoric salt lakes dry up and leave behind Salar de Uyni.  And it is here, in the southwestern corner of Bolivia, near the borders with Chile and Argentina, that I am able to really see the immensity of the world’s largest salt flat at 4,633 sq miles (12,000 sq km) that contains an estimated 10 billion tons of salt!

During the dry season, the surface displays striking hexagonal patterns. In the rainy season, the flats transform into a giant reflective mirror.

Some of the places we see are the salt pyramids: where salt is piled and dried (as pictured above). As well as the eyes of the salt: which are natural holes where underground water rises and a former salt hotel museum, built entirely from salt blocks

And then we are given time to take “those photos and videos” – the ones you have probably seen on your feeds. Here’s one of the sillier, whole group pics from the many, many we took.

Isla Incahuasi (Fish Island)

Rising from the center of the salt flats, Incahuasi Island is covered in massive giant cacti, some over a thousand years old.

We hike up the island and are rewarded with a spectacular view with an endless white horizon in some directions or the white salt flats with the surrounding mountains and the sky in another and some crazy long shadows cast in yet another….making this stop, yet another of the many must-sees on the tour!

We are given the opportunity to complete the full hike/loop around the island which for most in the group, takes around an hour including many photos.

Sunset on the Salar de Uyuni

The tour is timed with the sun beginning to set as we head out of the Salar with the Land cruisers stopping for some epic silhouette sunset photos. Robert, our guide, also is well versed in taking photos!

As the sun dips low, the Salar glows with gold, pink, and purple hues and is another vivid moment etched in my mind from this tour.

Salt Hostel

The salt hostel with furniture and floor made from salt. The accomodations are of the shared variety including shared restrooms and lean towards basic almost rustic. We have a simple dinner and then I head out to star gaze a bit since we are in incredible dark sky territory!

Day 2 On My Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour with Red Planet Expeditions

Chiguana Desert & Alpacas + Llamas

Leaving the salt flats behind, the landscape shifts dramatically. The route crosses the Chiguana Desert, with distant views of Volcano Ollagüe, an active volcano straddling the Bolivia-Chile border.

And it becomes clear why the tour is conducted in Landcruisers with their ability to navigate through many different terrains! As we make our way towards the border with Chile, we learn about some of the contentious history between the two countries from Robert.

I do love tours with interesting facts such as this lichen is so dense that it can be used as firewood!

Laguna Cañapa & Laguna Hedionda

Next up are these stunning high-altitude lagoons that are home to thousands of pink flamingos.

The mineral-rich waters shimmer in shades of blue and green (different mineral compositions account for the different shades), framed by volcanoes that are sometimes snow-dusted. These lagoons are among the best wildlife-viewing spots on the tour.

Siloli Desert & Stone Tree – Altitude of 14,600 ft (4550 m)

The journey continues into the Siloli Desert, one of the most desolate regions in Bolivia where the large and funny-shaped rocks remind me so much of home (Colorado!)

And here is where we find the famous Árbol de Piedra (Stone Tree), a wind-eroded rock formation shaped like a tree standing alone against the desert backdrop.

And we head farther south through the Siloli desert, we also encounter colorful, rainbow mountains 

Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon)

We are so excited to make it to this next stop!

Flamingos wade through the shallow waters while volcanoes loom in the distance—an unforgettable visual experience.

One of Bolivia’s most striking natural sights, Laguna Colorada glows deep red due to algae and mineral sediment.

Sol de Mañana + Geysers – Altitude of 16,502 ft (5030 m)

As altitude increases, the landscape becomes increasingly volcanic.

We make our way to the top of a big volcano called Sol de Mañana

where we encouter the fumaroles or vents in the Earth’s surface that release steam and volcanic gases (the sulfur smell is especially pungent!)

And also make sure to avoid the boiling mad pots – which with the volcanic activity can reach temps of 100 Cº!

Overnight Stay + Dinner

I didn’t take any pictures of the lodging (another simple setup) or dinner as I was in a rush for what was the highlight of the tour for me!

Polques Hot Springs

The hot springs were right outside of where we were staying so we missed the earlier tour crowds and were able to enjoy an incredible moonrise (one of the brightest I have ever seen!) and even with a full moon, due to the dark skies, I was still able to stargaze.

Day 3: Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour with Red Planet Expeditions

Dali Desert

This surreal desert features rock formations scattered across a barren plain, resembling abstract art (hence its name referencing Salvador Dali!).

Chilean Border – Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama OR Laguna Verde & Laguna Blanca + Return to Uyuni

I had previously arranged for transfer to San Pedro de Atacama and as luck would have it, so had a few of my new friends! We ended up spending the next few days together in Chile!

Final Thoughts – So Many Unforgettable Moments in Bolivia

I must confess that I originally booked the 3 day tour because it was a cost efficient way to get from Bolivia into northern Chile and would allow me to see the Salar de Uyuni. My friends that recommended this to me did tell me that the entire tour was incredible and I cannot agree more.

This multi-day 4×4 journey is widely considered one of the best and most unique things to do in Bolivia, combining adventure, photography, wildlife, and dramatic scenery in one unforgettable experience. If Bolivia is on your travel list, Uyuni should be at the very top.

Good To Know for the Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour

• Altitude: The tour reaches over 16,502 ft (5030 m) and it is always a good idea to acclimatize beforehand and stay hydrated during the tour.
• Lodging: Expect basic accommodations, shared bathrooms, and limited electricity
• Cash Only: Bring Bolivianos for restrooms, tips, and small purchases
• Limited Connectivity: No reliable Wi-Fi or cell service during most of the tour
• Temperature Swings: From hot sun during the day and freezing temperatures at night to colder weather as you gain altitude (notice how I went from a tank and shorts to my jacket and pants from Day 1 to Day 2?)

What To Pack For Ultimate 3 Day to Uyuni Salt Flats and Lagoons Tour

• Thermal layers & insulated jacket
• Sunglasses & high-SPF sunscreen
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Gloves, scarf, and warm hat
• Power bank & camera protection
• Swimsuit for hot springs.

Why Chose to Book This Activity Via Viator?

Why Book This Tour Via GetYourGuide Instead?

Unfortunately Red Planet Expeditions does not have this tour on GetYourGuide, but does offer this highly rated, small group From Uyuni: Red Lagoon & Uyuni Salt Flats 3-Day Guided Tour