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 of all, here's an easy tip - DON'T BOOK ANYTHING IN ADVANCE!! Yes, there is absolutely no need to book this tour online or by any other means before you arrive in Bolivia. Get yourself to Uyuni, Potosi or La Paz and get things booked from there.
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:
- In your hostel check with reception if they can organise it for you - a 3 day tour is the most recommended unless your time is short
- Get a price for it, then shop around for the cheapest option (prices really do vary a lot, but I paid around $80 US for my 3 day tour back in 2010 - all inclusive).
- 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 to 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).
- Take a lot of water with you - around 4 litres should be fine. It's a desert you are visiting and although they provide drinks at mealtimes, they don't provide water.
- Bring some beer or wine with you - a great way to interact with your travel mates at night and no alcohol is provided on the tour.
- Sun cream and insect repellent are musts - don't forget them.
- If you need to contact friends or family, e-mail them before you head on the tour and tell them you'll be offline for about 3 days. There is no internet available on the tour, and you wouldn't want it anyway!
- You might be able to leave your bags with a hostel in Uyuni if you're heading back there (check beforehand).
- Don't forget your passport!! You might not actually need it but if you get to the border at least it gives you the option of popping across into Chile!
- Charge your batteries in advance on your iPods, cameras etc. - don't expect your accomodation to 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 of all, here's an easy tip - DON'T BOOK ANYTHING IN ADVANCE!! Yes, there is absolutely no need to book this tour online or by any other means before you arrive in Bolivia. Get yourself to Uyuni, Potosi or La Paz and get things booked from there.
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:
- In your hostel check with reception if they can organise it for you - a 3 day tour is the most recommended unless your time is short
- Get a price for it, then shop around for the cheapest option (prices really do vary a lot, but I paid around $80 US for my 3 day tour back in 2010 - all inclusive).
- 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 to 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).
- Take a lot of water with you - around 4 litres should be fine. It's a desert you are visiting and although they provide drinks at mealtimes, they don't provide water.
- Bring some beer or wine with you - a great way to interact with your travel mates at night and no alcohol is provided on the tour.
- Sun cream and insect repellent are musts - don't forget them.
- If you need to contact friends or family, e-mail them before you head on the tour and tell them you'll be offline for about 3 days. There is no internet available on the tour, and you wouldn't want it anyway!
- You might be able to leave your bags with a hostel in Uyuni if you're heading back there (check beforehand).
- Don't forget your passport!! You might not actually need it but if you get to the border at least it gives you the option of popping across into Chile!
- Charge your batteries in advance on your iPods, cameras etc. - don't expect your accomodation to 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!
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