Private Tour from Calama to the Salar de Uyuni
- Rates & Booking
- Reviews
- Includes
- How to get there
- Gallery
- Itinerary
Pricing Information - Final rates, admin fees and taxes INCLUDED.
Please read our cancellation policies.
For groups of 7 or more passengers, please contact us for a custom quote!
Make an inquiry
Please fill out and submit the form below. Or if you would like to speak with a Bolivia Expert, call us via Skype or Whatsapp.
Feel free to Contact Us for bespoke travel design and your best fit travel itinerary.
Recent reviews of this tour
Rating: 5.0
2019-02-27 09:31:53
Add a review:
The tour includes:
Pick up from your Hotel in Calama, Chile
Private transportation Calama - Hito Cajones border.
Private Transportation (4x4 Vehicle) Hito Cajones - Uyuni
Food: Day 1: Breakfast and Lunch. Day 2: Breakfast and Lunch. Day 3: Breakfast and Lunch. Drinks during lunches included.
- Lodging:
Day 1: Hotel del Desierto Tayka or Hotel Los Flamencos. (depending on the availability of the hotel).
Day 2: Hotel Luna Salada, Hotel Palacio de Sal, Hotel de Sal Tayka (depending on the availability of the hotel).
Experienced driver. The driver speaks only Spanish.
The rate does not include:
- Entrance tickets to:
Island of Incahuasi: 30 Bs.- per person = 5 $ us.- per person.
Eduardo Abaroa National Reserve 150 Bs. - = 22 usd per person. Bring currency in Bolivianos to pay entrance tickets. It is not allowed to pay with dollars or another currency.
Tourist guide in English
Dinners at selected hotels.
Recommendations
We recommend paying close attention to where you step during your visit to the geysers. The area is signposted, but accidents have happened in which tourists fell into the geysers for not paying attention while taking a picture. To avoid accidents we recommend extreme caution during this tour stop.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and a hat. The use of sunscreen and sunglasses is MANDATORY during your visit to the Salar de Uyuni.
During the winter it is essential to wear gloves, scarf and warm clothes. (May, June, July and August)
We recommend carrying a waterproof jacket during the rainy months (December - March)
If you want to enjoy a swim in the thermal springs of Polques, do not forget to pack your swimsuit.
IMPORTANT
We are a serious provider of tourist services in the Uyuni area. We make sure that our clients take the tour with responsible drivers and qualified tour guides.
The Uyuni area is quite hilly so sometimes vehicles suffer damage. We recommend that passengers have a little patience in case it is necessary to change the vehicle's wheel, our drivers have experience and skill when performing the maneuver.
It is important to have a medical checkup in your country of origin before taking this tour. The route reaches high altitudes that can affect your blood pressure. Although we carry a first aid kit in the vehicle, we recommend carrying basic medicines in case of stomach pain or headache.
Keep in mind that because the tour is done in inhospitable places it is very difficult for the help of an ambulance to arrive quickly. The nearest health center is located in the city of Uyuni, about 35 minutes from the Salar de Uyuni.
Due to weather conditions, the itinerary may vary without prior notice, always ensuring the safety of our customers. Please take the detailed itinerary as a reference only.
Please note that we usually inform our clients in advance about the main changes in the itinerary especially during the rainy season and during the winter when we have snow or hail in Uyuni.
This is a Private Tour which means that the passengers will NOT share the 4x4 vehicle with other tourists.
Meals are served with a variety of vegetables and the dessert is a fruit. We have a special menu for vegetarians at no additional cost. Drinks during lunch are included in the rate.
The service does not include tips or additional drinks.
Sites of interest visited during the tour:
San Pedro de Atacama
Salar de Uyuni
Train cemetery
Colchani
Eyes of the Salt Flat
Salt Statue of the Dakar Rally
Froemr Salt Hotel Playa Blanca
Incahuasi Island
Sunset in the Salar de Uyuni
Salt in formation Chiguana
Ollague Volcano
Cañapa Lagoon
Laguna Honda
Laguna Hedionda
Canyon of the vizcachas
Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve
Desert of Siloli
Stone Tree
Laguna Colorada
Sol de Mañana geysers
Thermal springs of Polques (Laguna Chalviri)
Desert of Dalí
Lagoons Green
Licancabur volcano
Villa Mar / Valley of the Rocks - Lost Italy
San Cristobal
Uyuni town
Related services:
Private Tour of the Majestic Uyuni Salt Flat
Private transportation Sucre, Potosí, Tupiza, Calama, Oruro, San Pedro de Atacama, La Paz.
Bus Tickets: La Paz - Uyuni - La Paz
Hotel Reservations
Location of the tour
The tour begins in Calama, Chile. You can take a flight from Santiago as the city has an airport.
Departure: Date of your convenience
Trip Highlights
Discover the sublime beauty of the Eduardo Avaroa National Park filled with unique Andean fauna, deserts, colored lagoons, geysers and volcanos.
Explore the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world and enjoy a beautiful sunset inside the Uyuni Salt Flat followed by an unforgettable stargazing!
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1
Calama - Hito Cajones Border - Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve: Green Lagoon with views of the Licancabur Volcano - Laguna Blanca - Dalí Desert - Polques Thermal Springs (Chalviri Lagoon) - Geothermal Field, Sol de Mañana geysers - Laguna Colorada - Stone Tree - Laguna Colorada - Cañon de las Viscachas - Hotel del Desierto Tayka
You will start the expedition at 07:00 a.m. We will pick you up from your hotel in the city of Calama.
You will then travel to the Hito Cajones border and go through the immigration procedures. First, you will visit the migration office in Chile and later complete the procedures in the Bolivian office.
After completing the immigration procedures we will serve breakfast.
You will begin your journey in Bolivian territory by entering the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve that has an area of 714,745 hectares and reaches an altitude of 4000 to 6000 meters. It has an exceptional scenic beauty, which is why it is one of the top tourist attractions in Bolivia.
The first destination of interest that you will visit will be the Laguna Verde. The intensity of the green color of the water in the lagoon depends on the wind in the area. In case there is no wind, you can see the reflection of the Licancabur Volcano in the crystalline waters.
The Laguna Verde is located at the foot of the dormant volcanoes Licancabur and Juriques, which are part of the volcanic mountain range of the Andes in southwestern Bolivia. Both are on the border with Chile.
Next you will observe the Laguna Blanca and cross the Salvador Dali Desert to the thermal springs of Polques where you can take a relaxing bath. There is a small pool and changing rooms next to it. The recommended time to stay in the pool is about 20 minutes. The thermal waters are at 4500 meters above sea level.
You will have lunch in a dining room located in front of the thermal water pool.
At the Sol de Mañana geysers you will see the mud and water boil intensely. The fumaroles and geysers located at 4850 meters above sea level emit streams of water vapor and hot steam that can reach heights of 10 to 50 meters.
The adventure will continue by visiting the Laguna Colorada, a favorite nesting place for large numbers of flamingos.
The Laguna Colorada is an immaculate and beautiful wild area inhabited by three species of flamingos: Chilean, James and Andean.
The intense red color of the Laguna Colorada is due to red algae and other microorganisms that live in the lagoon. The Laguna Colorada also has some white parts caused by large deposits of borax that accumulates near the surface of the lake.
The Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve boasts strange landscapes and bizarre rock formations shaped by the constant wind. The gigantic volcanoes, thermal water lakes and steaming geysers provide a dramatic backdrop for your instagram photos.
The most photographed rock formation is without doubt the Stone Tree.
The journey will take you through the vizcachas canyon where visitors can observe this adorable rodent, a close relative of the Chinchillas, in its natural habitat.
Your accomodation will be at the Tayka Desert Hotel located close to the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve in the middle of the frozen deserts of the High Andes.
The Hotel has rooms with private bathrooms, hot water and heating until 9:30 p.m. You can ask for oxygen cylinders at the reception, if required.
Day 2
High Andean Jewels Route: Chiarcota Lagoon, Laguna Honda, Hedionda Lagoon, Cañapa Lagoon, Turquiri Lagoon - Ollague Volcano Observation - Valley of the Rocks - Train Cemetery - Uyuni - Colchani
08:30 You will start the day by traveling to a region that offers visitors wonderful landscapes decorated by volcanoes, lagoons and Andean fauna.
You will enjoy the beauty of the High Andean Jewels Route made up of the Chiarcota, Hedionda (4,532 masl), Cañapa, Laguna Honda / Corazón (4,114 masl) and the Turquiri Lagoon. The lagoons are surrounded by mountains and during the winter you can see the snowy peaks.
The area is ideal for lovers of nature and photography. It is impossible to take a bad picture of these landscapes, they are all worthy of a postcard.
Lunch will be served in the middle of nature.
On the way you will see various rock formations and the Ollague semi-active volcano (5870 meters) located on the border between Bolivia and Chile.
During the tour you will visit the Valley of the Rocks also known as the Lost Italy, a site that has many impressive rock formations.
You will continue the journey to the towns of San Cristóbal and Uyuni. About 3 kilometers before Uyuni we will find the Train Cemetery, a place that shelters dozens of old locomotives and wagons from the year 1890.
The remains of these rusty trains take us on an imaginary journey to a time of flourishing progress. The site has now been transformed into a rustic deserted courtyard ideal for the romantic traveler who likes to photograph traces of a not so distant past.
You will pass through the city of Uyuni and arrive at the town of Colchani, where the famous Salt Hotels are located.
Lodging in a Salt Hotel. The Salt Hotels offer rooms with private bathrooms, hot water, heating and WiFi Internet. Depending on availability, we will include lodging at Luna Salada Hotel, Hotel Palacio de Sal or at the Hotel de Sal Tayka.
Day 3
Observation of stars and sunrise inside the Salar de Uyuni - Incahuasi Island - Salt Statue of the Dakar Rally - Former Salt Hotel Playa Blanca - Ojos del Salar - Uyuni
03:30 a.m. Your visit to the Salar de Uyuni will start quite early, as you will observe the stars and enjoy a beautiful sunrise. This activity is certainly unique, especially during the rainy season when the salt flat looks like a giant mirror that reflects the starry sky. The spectacle reaches its most impressive point during the dawn, when the first rays of light appear in the immense sky revealing an incomparable landscape.
After sunrise you will return to your hotel where you will have breakfast and rest a little before continuing the journey through the wonderful Salar de Uyuni.
During the dry season, the surface of the Salar de Uyuni is covered by geometric shapes of salt crystals agglomerated into polygons. During the rainy season (December, January, February and part of March) the Salar is covered with water and resembles a giant mirror.
You will travel to Incahuasi Island, home of millenary giant cacti (Echinopsis atacamensis) up to 10 meters high. Isla Incahuasi is a genuine witness of life inside the salt desert.
You will climb the island until you reach the viewpoint, from which there is a 360 degree perspective of the Salar de Uyuni and a privileged view of the Tunupa Volcano.
During the journey you will observe a huge salt statue erected to mark the occasion of the passage of the Dakar Rally in Bolivia. Then you will walk to the old Hotel de Sal Playa Blanca. Next to the former hotel there is a small mound with several flags from around the world. These symbolic flags have been left by travelers visiting the Salar de Uyuni. You may bring a flag of your country and leave it at this significant point.
You will have lunch while enjoying the beautiful landscape within the Salar.
Inside the Salar are the Eyes of the Salt Flat which are small currents of water that flow from the interior of the earth under the salt. It is said that these waters have healing properties due to their saline and acid concentrations.
Our expedition would not be complete without witnessing the sunset inside the salt flat.
You will conclude the trip in the town of Uyuni.
We can leave you at your Hotel, the Uyuni bus station or the Uyuni Airport.
Private Transportation