Choosing a tour
1 day or 3 days: which Uyuni tour is right for you?
· 6 min read
These are not a short version and a long version of the same trip. They are two different landscapes, and the choice usually comes down to one question: do you want the salt flat, or do you want the coloured lagoons behind it?
What the one-day tour covers
The salt flat itself, without rushing it. You leave Uyuni at 10:30 and stop at the train cemetery, the salt-processing village of Colchani, the ojos de sal, the Dakar monument and the salt hotel, then spend the afternoon out on the white for the perspective photographs, Incahuasi Island and sunset. Back in Uyuni between 18:00 and 19:00. From $69 per person in a shared 4x4.
What the three-day tour adds
Day one is essentially the tour above. Then the route turns south into the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, and this is where the trip stops being about salt. Day two is the Ollagüe volcano viewpoint, Lagunas Cañapa and Hedionda with their flamingo colonies, the Siloli desert, the Árbol de Piedra, the red Laguna Colorada and the Sol de Mañana geysers. Day three is the Polques hot springs at dawn, the Dalí desert, the emerald Laguna Verde, then the long way home through Villamar, the Valle de Rocas and San Cristóbal.
| 1 day | 3 days | |
|---|---|---|
| From (shared, per person) | $69 | $209 |
| Salt flat & Incahuasi | Yes | Yes |
| Coloured lagoons & flamingos | No | Yes |
| Geysers & hot springs | No | Yes |
| Highest point | 3,656 m | ≈ 4,850 m |
| Nights on the road | None | 2 |
| Can end in Chile | No | Yes |
The part people underestimate: the cold
The second night is spent in a shared refuge near Laguna Colorada, above 4,000 m, and it is basic: dormitory beds, no heating, cold water. In the dry season, outside temperatures overnight regularly fall to −10 °C and below. Sleeping bags can be rented in Uyuni for around 120 BOB, and most travellers who skip that regret it.
This is a real filter. If the idea of a freezing dormitory at 4,300 m sounds miserable rather than adventurous, the one-day tour is not a lesser choice — it is the right one.
So which one?
- Choose one day if your schedule is tight, if the mirror or the white horizon is what you came for, or if sleeping at altitude worries you.
- Choose three days if you want the reds, greens and flamingos — none of which are on the salar. They are three hundred kilometres further south.
- Choose three days if you are heading to Chile. The route can drop you at the Hito Cajones border for San Pedro de Atacama instead of returning to Uyuni.
Both tours run shared, up to six travellers, or as a private 4x4 for up to four. Private costs more but buys you the pace — stopping where you want, for as long as the light is good.
Frequently asked questions
- Is one day enough to see the Uyuni salt flats?
- Yes, for the salt flat itself. The one-day tour covers the train cemetery, Colchani, the salt hotel, Incahuasi Island and sunset without rushing. It does not reach the coloured lagoons or the geysers.
- How cold does it get on the 3-day tour?
- The second night is above 4,000 m in an unheated refuge. In the dry season, overnight temperatures regularly drop to −10 °C or below. A rented sleeping bag costs around 120 BOB and is strongly recommended.
- Can I travel from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama on the tour?
- Yes, on the three-day tour. On the final morning you can transfer at 09:00 to the Hito Cajones border instead of returning to Uyuni. The onward bus ticket costs about 120 BOB and is not included.
- What is the price difference between the 1-day and 3-day tours?
- Shared departures start at $69 per person for one day and $209 for three days, which includes all meals and two nights of accommodation. A private 4x4 for up to four travellers is $390 and $1,190 respectively.