Uyuni Salt Flats 4-Day Tour: An Honest Atacama Review (2025)

So, you are probably thinking about this big, incredible trip across the border from Atacama to the Uyuni Salt Flats, right? As a matter of fact, it is a very popular route, and frankly, the pictures you see online are pretty much real. The thing is, there’s a lot the pictures don’t show, you know. Honestly, this write-up is about what it’s really like to spend four days on the road, particularly with the promise of a private room in what is literally one of the most remote places on the planet. I mean, you kind of want to know what you are getting into before you hand over your money and commit to spending nearly one hundred hours in a 4×4 with a handful of strangers, anyway. Basically, this is the information I was looking for before my own trip, sort of a genuine peek behind the curtain of the standard itinerary.

Crossing the Border: A Very Early Start on Day One

Okay, so your first day starts very early, almost before the sun is even up, really. You’ll actually be picked up from your lodging in San Pedro de Atacama in a minivan, and I mean, it is typically still dark outside. It’s a bit of a quiet, sleepy ride up to the Chilean border station, which, to be honest, is a pretty straightforward building in the middle of nowhere. After getting your exit stamp, you then continue on a seriously bumpy road up to the actual Bolivian border, which, you know, is basically just a small, isolated outpost at an incredibly high altitude. As a matter of fact, this is where you say goodbye to your Chilean minivan and hello to your Bolivian 4×4 Land Cruiser and your guide for the next few days. It’s all very organized, more or less, with different tour groups waiting and drivers calling out names, so you just need to listen for yours, pretty much.

Right, so this is where the adventure sort of properly begins. In that case, you and your new car-mates, usually up to six people, load your bags on the roof and find your spots in the Jeep. I mean, you should know that from this point forward, it’s just you, your group, and these wild, open spaces for a very long time. Honestly, the switch in vehicles is a pretty clear signal that the ground is about to change in a big way. The air is seriously thin up here, you know, so it’s a good idea to have been taking your altitude sickness medication, or at least be chewing on some coca leaves, which your guide will almost definitely have on hand. It’s obviously a lot to take in before breakfast, which is typically a simple affair of bread, coffee, and tea, set up right there at the border.

The Wild High Altiplano and Its Colorful Lagoons

Seriously, once you are in Bolivia, the landscape completely and totally transforms. As a matter of fact, the first big sights you head towards are the lagoons within the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. For example, you have Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde, which sit at the foot of the Licancabur volcano, and their colors can be a bit subtle, you know, depending on the wind and sun. You’ll definitely spend some time here, just taking in the sheer scale of everything around you, pretty much. Honestly, the quiet out here is just incredible; it’s a silence that is almost absolute. You are also very likely to spot your first vicuñas, which are these very elegant, wild relatives of llamas, kind of wandering around.

After that, it is kind of a drive through the Dali Desert, which is called that because the rock formations look like they are literally out of one of his paintings. It is a really surreal place, and your driver will almost certainly stop for photos. Next, you often get to the Sol de Polques hot springs, and I mean, this is a pretty amazing spot to stop. You basically have the chance to soak in naturally warm water in the middle of this freezing, high-altitude desert, right? It’s a slightly strange feeling, but very, very welcome, you know. The real star of the day, though, tends to be Laguna Colorada, or the Red Lagoon. To be honest, this place is absolutely stunning. The water is this really deep, rusty red color because of the algae, and it is filled with, like, thousands of flamingos. The contrast of the pink birds against the red water and the blue sky is just something you have to see for yourself, really.

Finally, the Great Salar de Uyuni

Okay, so Day 3 is pretty much what everyone has been waiting for. You usually get up before dawn to drive out onto the Salar de Uyuni itself to catch the sunrise. Frankly, watching the sun come up over this vast, perfectly flat, white expanse is an utterly memorable moment. It’s almost like being on another planet, you know. The horizon seems to just disappear, and the silence is, again, just really profound. After the sun is up, you’ll drive for what feels like forever across the salt flats, which are literally the remains of an ancient lake.

Eventually, you’ll reach Incahuasi Island in the middle of the salt flats. Now, this isn’t an island surrounded by water, but sort of an island of rock and giant cacti surrounded by an ocean of salt. It is honestly a very weird and wonderful place. You can actually hike a short trail to the top for a 360-degree view that is just completely mind-boggling. After visiting the island, it’s time for the famous perspective photos, and your guide will be a pro at this. They will lie on the ground and tell you exactly where to stand to get those classic shots with dinosaur toys or Pringles cans, and stuff. It is all very fun and a bit goofy, and at the end of the day, you get some great pictures from it, anyway. That night, you typically stay in a hotel made almost entirely of salt bricks—salt tables, salt chairs, even salt bed frames, which is obviously a pretty unique thing to tell people about.

A Frank Discussion About “Private Rooms”

Right, let’s get into the “private room available” part of the tour description, because, to be honest, it is a very big selling point for a lot of people. You need to really manage your expectations here. A private room on this route does not, in any way, mean a hotel room as you probably know it. Basically, on the first couple of nights, you will likely be staying in very simple accommodations, or ‘refugios’. So, when you pay extra for a private room, you are basically paying for a room with a door that closes, just for you and your travel partner, instead of sleeping in a six-bed dorm with the rest of your car group. It’s absolutely a good thing to have, especially for a little quiet and space, but it’s still extremely basic, you know.

I mean, you will probably have a bed with some blankets, but you will definitely need a good sleeping bag because it gets incredibly cold at night, literally freezing. Electricity is often only available for a few hours in the evening, so you’ll want to have your power bank fully charged for your phone and stuff. Hot water for a shower is sometimes available, but it is often an extra charge, and sometimes it just does not work, frankly. Bathrooms are almost always shared, even if your room is private. So, are they worth it? I think so, because that bit of separation at the end of a long day of driving and socializing is very nice. Just don’t go into it picturing a cozy, heated hotel room, alright? It’s more about privacy than it is about comfort, at the end of the day.

The Last Day: Train Graveyard and the Long Road Home

Okay, so the last day of the trip usually starts with a visit to the Train Cemetery, which is just outside the town of Uyuni. As a matter of fact, it’s a very cool spot where all these old steam locomotives from the 19th and early 20th centuries were just left to rust in the desert. You can actually climb all over them, and they make for some really great, moody photographs. It is sort of a playground for adults and a neat piece of local history, really. After that, you’ll typically have a quick stop in the town of Uyuni itself, maybe to pick up some souvenirs or just see what a salt-mining town looks like.

And then, you just have to prepare yourself for a very long drive back, to be honest. Basically, you’ll be retracing a lot of the route you took over the first couple of days, but this time, it’s mostly just driving without as many long stops. I mean, it takes about six to eight hours to get from Uyuni back to the Bolivian border. The scenery is still incredible, but you will likely be pretty tired at this point, you know. Once you cross back over the border into Chile, a minivan will be there to pick you up and take you the rest of the way back down to San Pedro de Atacama. You can usually expect to arrive back in town late in the afternoon, feeling dusty and tired, but pretty much full of some absolutely amazing memories.

Tips You’ll Genuinely Be Glad to Have

Frankly, there are a few things that can make a huge difference in your level of comfort on this trip. First, you should bring your own snacks and a big bottle of water. While meals are provided, they are simple, and you might get hungry during the long drives between stops. Anyway, having your favorite snacks on hand is just a really good idea. Also, bring cash in small denominations of Bolivianos. You’ll need it for park entrance fees, which are often not included in the tour price, as well as for toilets, showers, and any souvenirs you might want to buy. You literally won’t see an ATM for days.

I mean, seriously, layers are your best friend here. The temperature can swing wildly from warm and sunny during the day to well below freezing at night. So, you’ll want thermal underwear, fleece jackets, a warm hat, gloves, and a good windproof and waterproof outer layer. Also, the sun is incredibly strong at this altitude, so sunglasses, sunscreen, and a wide-brimmed hat are absolutely necessary, you know. A portable power bank is a very good thing to bring, too, because outlets are really scarce. And finally, bring a small medical kit with things for headaches, upset stomach, and any personal medications, as you’ll be very far from the nearest pharmacy.

The Key Things to Remember

Honestly, this is an adventure, not a luxury holiday. Accommodations are very, very basic.
So, a private room gives you privacy, not hotel-style comfort. It’s basically a simple room with a door.
Basically, the altitude is no joke. You should prepare for it properly before you go.
You need to bring Bolivian cash, as credit cards and ATMs are pretty much non-existent on the route.
I mean, the landscapes are truly, truly otherworldly and just as amazing as they look in pictures.
At the end of the day, you will spend a lot of time in a 4×4, so you should hope you like your fellow travelers.
Seriously, pack lots of warm layers, a sleeping bag, and a powerful sunscreen.

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