Two of the most iconic sights in Latin America are the Atacama and Salar de Uyuni—the largest salt flats in the world. Despite falling in different countries, there is an incredible tour that can take you between the world-renowned sights, stopping at eye-wateringly beautiful natural sights along the way. I believe the three-day jeep tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni is the best tour in South America—and maybe the world. Here’s everything that you’ll do and why you should book it.
Atacama to Uyuni- Three day tour
Day 1- Atacama to Queteca
The start of your adventure is thankfully an easy one; you should be picked up from your accommodation and driven out of San Pedro. Making a beeline towards the mountains to the east of the town, the first stretch is only a 45-minute drive. But even in this short time, you’ll soak in views of the Chilean Altiplano and the Atacama Desert—the driest desert on earth. As you crest over the mountains, you’ll wrap around a snow-capped volcano before arriving at the Hito Cajon border post, your gateway to the incredible country of Bolivia.
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Laguna Blanca and Verde
Bolivia is often overlooked when it comes to Latin America, and with giants like Argentina and Brazil, it’s easy to understand why. But I promise you, once you cross over the border post and enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve, you’ll understand why I think it’s the best destination in the Americas.
Mere minutes after leaving the stress of the border crossing behind, you’ll see the conjoined Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde befall you. The lakes hold their distinct colours as a result of the rich mineral deposits in the area; Laguna Blanca, for example, is white because of the borax in the water.
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The hot springs
Most tours start pretty early on, and as you would expect, the border crossing is never simple, so although this might seem premature, the next stop is lunch. But first, there’s a half-hour drive through the Bolivian Altiplano, passing by the Salvador Dali rocks before arriving at another crystal-clear alpine lake.
But this one is different; for one, there’s a collection of ragtag-cobbled-together restaurants, but mainly—hot springs. Our wonderful guide, Edwin, gave us an hour to enjoy the springs, but the truth is, I could have spent the entire day here. Picture the scene: there isn’t a cloud in the sky; emanating from the springs is a lush garden that creeps forward to the gentle bank of the lake. At the bank, there’s a solitary flamingo gazing off into the distance, staring at the far side of the lake and the distant Andes peaks.
Sol de Manana geysers
Bolivia has some of the world’s most iconic geography: the Altiplano, the Andes and Cordilla Real mountain chains, and even the vast Amazonas. But it’s slightly less known for its volcanic activity, and while you can’t visit the country without seeing its towering peaks, I’d argue you should never leave without witnessing the titanic forces that created its dramatic landscapes—and vast mineral wealth.
Although this is a small example, it still, both literally and metaphorically, took my breath away. The Sol de Manana is a mud volcano and geyser that pumps out highly toxic sulphur and boiling hot mud 24 hours a day. But more than that, it’s an extreme landscape that perfectly represents the entire region. The Atacama is like being on the moon; this is like another world.
Each of the scolding hot mud volcanoes is sunk into the ground by 5–10 feet, with a thin strip of solid dirt veering up to separate them. Most people stayed by the road to admire from afar, but if you’re sure of your feet, go for a wander between them. You’ll see the relentlessly bubbling mass up close, feel the heat permeating from them, and feel the stench of sulphur thickening in your nostrils. It’s a truly visceral experience that reminds you of the power that Pacha Mama holds. Just be careful; it’s a long way to the nearest hospital.
Laguna Rojo
The final stop of the day before the overnight halt in Quetaca, Laguna Rojo, is aptly named given its deep maroon colour. But its main attraction is the fact that it is a sanctuary for thousands of flamingos. Prior to this tour, I’d only ever seen flamingos at Dudley Zoo, which is iconic in its own right but more than a little overshadowed by the spectacle here.
The lake itself is by far the largest of all seen so far today, but all along its shore, flocks of flamingos gather, eating the algae that collects on the rocks. Conservation in the national park is actually strict by South American standards, so you’re not allowed to get close to them. But seeing them from even a distance in their natural habitat is spectacular; their pink hue perfectly blends the bright colours of the green vegetation and the maroon lake together.
Pre-warning though; it’s really windy here and cold. You’ll need to put your windbreaker on before you leave the comfort of your 4×4!
After a long day, the sightseeing is done; now there’s just the journey to the overnight halt in Queteca. From what I remember, it’s quite a long drive, but around every corner is a new vista and a new geological formation. Most of the people in my group fell asleep for this drive, but this was maybe my favourite moment of the day, cruising with my mouth aghast watching the sun set over the high plains while listening to traditional Bolivian music.
Day 2- Queteca to Villa Calderena
The sun has risen on your second day, and the first thing you will notice is that it’s cold, like really cold. But fear not; this is nothing a Coca-Cola tea and a hearty breakfast won’t fix. We arrived in Queteca when it was dark, so if I were you, I’d use the morning to go for a walk around town. Coming from a city in England, it was fascinating to me that people live in these extreme conditions, so going for a quick walk and taking some photos to wake up is a must.
Queteca Llama farm
A short drive outside of Queteca, you’ll pull into a barely standing collection of rock houses. As we got out of the car, we were greeted by a weary-looking elderly Bolivian couple who shook our hands and welcomed us into their home.
The couple lives in the largest of the three stone huts, within earshot of their livelihood—a flock of 20–30 llamas. We find out later that this is for good reason: this area of Bolivia has a large population of native Puma, so their flock has to spend the night in a pen. You’ll spend about an hour chatting with the couple, understanding their unique way of life and the challenges that they face, before meeting and coming face-to-face with their flock.
The Llama’s are prey animals, so even when you’re in their pen with them, they won’t let you get too close to them. But this is an excellent chance to get some photos of them and some photos of your lovely hosts next to the flock.
Finally, you’ll get your chance to truly help out the farmers; they offer a really impressive collection of homemade Llama fur products. I don’t normally buy this sort of thing, but the miniature Llama was a perfect gift for my youngest nephew.
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Copa del Mundo Rock
Copa del Mundo translates to “World Cup,””and it’s easy to see why when you first set eyes on it. This singular free-standing rock formation eerily resembles the fabled trophy; it is located in the Valle de Rocas, a monumental collection of rocks formed after a presumably cataclysmic volcanic eruption long in the past.
The remnants of this volcanic eruption are a dark orange colour and rise 100 feet out of the ground, stretching along one side of the valley for as long as the eye can see, leaving a permanent mark on the landscape that would otherwise be typical of the altiplano.
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Valle de Rocas, Laguna
After leaving Copa Del Mundo Rock, you’ll continue up the valley, straddling alongside the prehistoric rock formation to your left. Spend the next hour admiring the jagged, chaotic shapes and deep cracks in the volcanic rocks from the jeep before you eventually turn off towards them.
You’ll turn towards the biggest gap in the dense rock formations, where you’ll see a steady stream that cuts through it, straddled on either side by a boggy grassy area. You’ll be ushered by your guide up the stream, walking on the thin patch of dry ground until you set eyes on the final laguna of the trip. You’ll probably be laguna’s out by this point, but this one is special, don’t worry. It’s nestled in between a narrow break in the volcanic rock, with each bank of the lake resting at the foot of a cliff that you can—and should—climb to the top of.
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Re-entering civilization at Villa Calderena
After two full days of traversing the Altiplano, stopping at incredible natural wonders, and learning about the local way of life, nothing will be more welcome than a crisp cold beer, a Bluetooth speaker, and a wifi hotspot. Thankfully, you’ll get all three here and the company of many other backpackers doing the same route.
This really felt like a party at the side of the train tracks; we spent hours here drinking, talking, and playing card games with our tour group and new friends. I could’ve stayed here all night, but just before the sun went down, we had to move on to the overnight accommodation. We’re up at 4 a.m. on day 3, after all.
Day 3- Salar De Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni
In my opinion, this is not only the best thing to do in Bolivia, nor only the best thing in South America, but the best thing in the entire western hemisphere. Today will be a super early start, but it’s one of the few things even someone as lazy as me would say is worth a 4 a.m. rise.
As soon as we were out of the room, we were ushered out of the overnight stay and into the jeep for by far the craziest car ride of my entire life. As soon as we got onto the salt flats, we picked up speed, and our guide Edwin just turned off the headlights and interior lights.
It’s only my second experience with zero light pollution, with the first being in San Pedro de Atacama, but this was different. The feeling of travelling at 50mph into an endless inky blackness is difficult to even begin to describe, but one I will never forget. But aside from unexpected adrenaline rushes, there is another benefit to zero light pollution: the full night sky.
The first stop of the morning was just to admire the Milky Way and to take the long exposure light shots below. After this brief stop, we head to a lookout to see the most astonishing sunrise I will ever see in my life.
Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, covering an area of over 10,000 kilometres squared, a truly mind-blowing size. Even from the lookout, you can’t even scratch the surface of their scale, but you get an incredible perspective. As you look out at the crystalline white, vast expanse, you’ll have your breath taken away by both the flat and the mountains that pierce out of it.
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For me, this instantly became a core memory, one I will never forget and will implore everyone to see at least once. As my incredible tour started to come to a close, I remember sitting with my coffee in the blistering cold, staring out into the distance, and turning to my friends to say “I don’t know how we’ll ever top this, not just on this trip, but for the rest of our lives”. This still stands true; even after another 3 months of travel after this, nothing came close to this moment.
For the rest of the day, we drove around the flats and took about a million incredible forced-perspective photos. But more than that, we enjoyed the rest of our time as a group. We listened to music, chatted, and reminisced on the amazing sights we’d seen over the last few days.
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Get up at 4am for some quick breakfast, leave while it’s still dark, and head to the flats in the pitch black. Zero light pollution, see the full milky way, and take some incredible photos against the backdrop of the stars. Then some light photos using slow capture.
The end of the most incredible three days of my life
When we entered Uyuni itself, I was overcome with conflicting emotions. For 3 days I hadn’t been able to shower, nor did I have internet, but even with the positive of re-entering civilization, I knew that the most amazing 3 days of my life were over. San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni is without a doubt the best tour in Latin America, in my opinion, beating even the likes of Macchu Pichu or the Lost City.
Will I ever be able to top the feeling of watching the sun pierce through the mountains and cast over the largest salt flats on earth? I doubt it; nothing seems to come close anyway.
FAQs
Which tour should I book?
I booked with Expediciones Yurajh Tina based on a recommendation from a friend we met a month earlier. I really don’t have a bad word to say about them. Sure, our tour guide didn’t speak the best English, but we were deep in the Bolivian highlands. What do you expect?
More to the point, our guide Edwin was incredible, always cheerful, and full of knowledge, and we travelled in a warm and comfortable 4×4. We paid $300 per person, which we found out was really expensive once we got to La Paz, but we were in a small group and comfortable through the entire journey.
What is the cheapest way to do this tour?
If your budget is a lot more restricted than mine, don’t worry; you can do this for a lot less. If you do this tour in reverse, from Uyuni to Atacama, it’s possible to book this for around $200 per person. $200 per person. But you will have to book it in La Paz, at the witches’ market near the centre of the city.
There’s a plethora of tour agencies in San Pedro de Atacama that offer this tour, but I don’t know how much they charge. Given that Chile is by far the most expensive country in South America, I imagine it won’t be cheaper than I paid.
