Undoubtedly one of the absolute highlights from my South American trip was the 3 day Salar de Uyuni tour in Bolivia. It's 3 days of driving around in a jeep in the mountainous south west corner where Bolivia meets Chile. Prepare yourself for endless deserts, reflective salt plains, wildlife and gorgeous landscapes. This is a tour not to be missed! Here's my guide on how to book the Salar de Uyuni tour in Bolivia...and also how to prepare for it.
First tip is don't be booking anything in advance - there is no need to do that - head to Uyuni and book it there. Or simply book it in Potosi or La Paz. Certainly don't be booking anything online or before your arrival into Bolivia.
You can start the Salar de Uyuni tour in either Bolivia or Chile, but this report focuses on doing it from the Bolivia side, here's a guide on booking the excellent tour!
How to book the Salar de Uyuni Tour:
- Ask at the hotel or hostel for help booking a 3 day tour. They normally can help you and the 3 day tour is the best option.
- Get the price from the hostel then look around to compare and get a cheap option - you should be paying somewhere in the region of 70 - 100 US Dollars.
- Be flexible with dates (I booked mine on a Tuesday night and started the tour on the Friday morning - this was over 2 days in advance, allowing me to see Potosi on the way to Uyuni).
- Double check the price includes a hostel pick up and your 3 days of food.
- Ask them where the tour starts and ends so you can think about your next journey after the tour.
- Ask what extra costs there will be (for example the cost of our tour included the guided tour of the Salt Refinery, but didn't include the entrance fee to Laguna Colorada National Park).
- Make sure they give you a receipt for the tour - you usually pay the full amount at the start.
How do you prepare for the Salar de Uyuni tour:
- If you are heading across the border into Chile at Hito Cajun, ask about the passport situation (most people have to get their passport stamped in Uyuni before heading on the tour - this is important).
- Bring a load of water - it's a desert and it gets hot. Other drinks are provided but water is not. 4 litres should be plenty for you.
- Bring a couple of beers as there is no alcohol on the tour - this is also a great way to get to meet your travel buddies at night.
- Take plenty of sun cream and insect repellent.
- Phone, internet, e-mail etc. is not available on the tour. It's probably a good idea to let your friends and family know this at the start.
- A good tip is leaving your bags in a hostel in Uyuni beforehand (assuming you're heading back there)
- Make sure you take your passport with you. Just in case you fancy heading to Chile spontaneously...(although you'd also need your Bolivian exit stamp in advance). You may also be asked for your passport at the entrance to Laguna Colorada National Park.
- Make sure all of your batteries on cameras, iPods etc. are all charged beforehand - not all the accomodation will have sockets.
There you go! That is a full guide to get you started to get onto the amazing salt plains tour known as the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. There are loads of companies to book with and the tour is a highlight of most people's travels in South America. A fantastic trip to do!
First tip is don't be booking anything in advance - there is no need to do that - head to Uyuni and book it there. Or simply book it in Potosi or La Paz. Certainly don't be booking anything online or before your arrival into Bolivia.
You can start the Salar de Uyuni tour in either Bolivia or Chile, but this report focuses on doing it from the Bolivia side, here's a guide on booking the excellent tour!
How to book the Salar de Uyuni Tour:
- Ask at the hotel or hostel for help booking a 3 day tour. They normally can help you and the 3 day tour is the best option.
- Get the price from the hostel then look around to compare and get a cheap option - you should be paying somewhere in the region of 70 - 100 US Dollars.
- Be flexible with dates (I booked mine on a Tuesday night and started the tour on the Friday morning - this was over 2 days in advance, allowing me to see Potosi on the way to Uyuni).
- Double check the price includes a hostel pick up and your 3 days of food.
- Ask them where the tour starts and ends so you can think about your next journey after the tour.
- Ask what extra costs there will be (for example the cost of our tour included the guided tour of the Salt Refinery, but didn't include the entrance fee to Laguna Colorada National Park).
- Make sure they give you a receipt for the tour - you usually pay the full amount at the start.
How do you prepare for the Salar de Uyuni tour:
- If you are heading across the border into Chile at Hito Cajun, ask about the passport situation (most people have to get their passport stamped in Uyuni before heading on the tour - this is important).
- Bring a load of water - it's a desert and it gets hot. Other drinks are provided but water is not. 4 litres should be plenty for you.
- Bring a couple of beers as there is no alcohol on the tour - this is also a great way to get to meet your travel buddies at night.
- Take plenty of sun cream and insect repellent.
- Phone, internet, e-mail etc. is not available on the tour. It's probably a good idea to let your friends and family know this at the start.
- A good tip is leaving your bags in a hostel in Uyuni beforehand (assuming you're heading back there)
- Make sure you take your passport with you. Just in case you fancy heading to Chile spontaneously...(although you'd also need your Bolivian exit stamp in advance). You may also be asked for your passport at the entrance to Laguna Colorada National Park.
- Make sure all of your batteries on cameras, iPods etc. are all charged beforehand - not all the accomodation will have sockets.
There you go! That is a full guide to get you started to get onto the amazing salt plains tour known as the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. There are loads of companies to book with and the tour is a highlight of most people's travels in South America. A fantastic trip to do!
About the Author:
For more articles like How to book Salar de Uyuni head to Jonny Blair's excellent travel lifestyle website for more tales and tips.. Also published at Doing the Salar de Uyuni Tour.
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