Salar de Uyuni

The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat on earth, a blinding-white expanse of over 10,000 square kilometres in southwest Bolivia, sitting at around 3,660 metres. It is the country’s signature sight — a place that looks like nowhere else, whether it is a cracked white honeycomb in the dry season or a perfect mirror in the wet.

On this page

• Quick answer
• What is the Salar de Uyuni
• Best time to visit
• Tour options
• What you will see
• How to get to Uyuni
• Altitude and what to pack
• Where to stay
• Other things to do nearby
• Costs and tips
• FAQs

Quick answer

Visit in the dry season (May to November) to drive across the white salt crust, or the wet season (December to April) for the mirror effect. Most people fly in from La Paz and take a one-day tour of the flat or a three-day tour across the southern Altiplano. The flat sits at 3,660 metres, so acclimatise first and pack for cold nights.

What is the Salar de Uyuni

The salar is the dried bed of a prehistoric lake, left behind as a thick crust of salt over a pool of brine that holds a large share of the world’s lithium. In the dry months the surface hardens into the famous hexagonal tiles; in the rains, a shallow film of water sits on top and reflects the sky. It is remote, high, and genuinely vast — on a clear day you lose all sense of scale.

Best time to visit

Dry season (May–November). The salt is solid and vehicles drive far out onto it. This is the time for the classic perspective photos and for reaching Incahuasi island in the middle of the flat.

Wet season (December–April). Rain leaves a thin mirror of water, usually strongest around January and February, that doubles the sky. The trade-off is that heavy water can limit how far vehicles go and can hide the hexagon pattern.

There is no single best month, only a best month for you. If the mirror is the reason you are going, aim for the wet season and accept that some days will be too wet or too dry for a clean reflection. If you want to walk far out onto the crust, reach Incahuasi island, and run the full southern circuit without water blocking the route, the dry season is the safer bet. The shoulder months of April and November can, with luck, give you a little of both.

Tour options

Almost everyone visits on a guided tour from Uyuni town, in a 4×4 with a driver:

• One day: the salt flat, Incahuasi (cactus) island, salt-processing at Colchani, and the train cemetery — enough for a first taste.
• Two to three days: the flat plus the southern high-Altiplano circuit of coloured lagoons, flamingos, hot springs and geysers, often finishing at the Chilean border for San Pedro de Atacama.

Nights are spent in basic salt hotels or refuges. Compare operators for safety and vehicle condition rather than price alone.

What you will see

• Incahuasi island — a rocky outcrop covered in giant cacti, in the middle of the white.
• The train cemetery — rusting 19th-century locomotives on the edge of Uyuni town.
• Laguna Colorada — a red-tinged lake dotted with flamingos, on the southern circuit.
• Laguna Verde — a green lake beneath the Licancabur volcano near the Chilean border.
• Sol de Mañana — steaming geysers and mud pools high on the Altiplano.

The flat itself is the main event, but the stops around it give the trip its variety. Incahuasi, sometimes called Isla del Pescado, rises out of the white like a desert island covered in ancient cacti, and the short climb to the top is a rare high vantage point over the salt. On the way in from town, the train cemetery is a strange, photogenic graveyard of steam locomotives left over from Bolivia’s mining boom.

It is also a playground for photography. In the dry season the blank white background and total lack of scale let you set up the famous forced-perspective shots, so bring a small prop or two. In the wet season the reflections do the work, and the hour around sunrise and sunset gives the softest light and the strongest mirror.

How to get to Uyuni

The quickest route is a short flight from La Paz to Uyuni (under an hour). Overnight buses run from La Paz, as well as from Sucre and Potosi, and a train connects Oruro to Uyuni. Many travellers pair the salt flats with the wider Bolivia route through La Paz, Sucre and Potosi.

Where to stay

Most travellers base themselves in Uyuni town, which has a spread of simple hotels and hostels and is where tours begin and end. For something more memorable, several salt hotels sit on the edge of the flat, built largely from blocks of salt, with the Palacio de Sal the best known. On the three-day southern circuit, nights are spent in basic refuges and salt lodges with shared bathrooms and little heating, so pack a warm sleeping layer whatever the season.

Other things to do nearby

The salt flat is often the start of a longer southern loop rather than a stop on its own. The three-day circuit continues through the Eduardo Avaroa reserve to the red Laguna Colorada, the green Laguna Verde, bubbling geysers and flamingo-filled lakes, and can end at the Chilean border for San Pedro de Atacama. Heading the other way, the old mining town of Tupiza to the south makes a scenic alternative start or finish, with red-rock canyons and horse-riding.

Altitude and what to pack

At 3,660 metres — higher still on the southern circuit — altitude is the main thing to plan for. Acclimatise for a day or two beforehand, drink plenty of water, and take the first day slowly. Days are bright and cold, nights below freezing, so bring strong sun protection, sunglasses, warm layers, and a hat and gloves for the lagoon circuit.

Costs and practical tips

Bolivia is one of the cheapest countries in South America, and Uyuni tours reflect that: a shared one-day trip is inexpensive, while multi-day tours cost more for the extra days, fuel and lodging. Book with a reputable operator rather than the cheapest one, check whether meals, park fees and the Chilean transfer are included, and carry cash, as card payment is limited in Uyuni. A head torch, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, lip balm and a refillable water bottle all earn their place in your bag.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Salar de Uyuni?

It depends what you want. The dry season (roughly May to November) gives you the classic white, cracked salt crust you can drive across and use for perspective photos. The wet season (December to April) brings a thin layer of water that turns the flat into a giant mirror.

When can you see the mirror effect at Uyuni?

The mirror reflections need a thin sheet of water on the salt, which usually forms during the rainy months from around December to March, and is often strongest in January and February. It varies year to year with the rains, and heavy water can also close parts of the flat to vehicles.

How many days do you need at the salt flats?

A one-day tour covers the salt flat itself, Incahuasi (cactus) island, and the train cemetery. The classic three-day tour continues south across the high Altiplano to coloured lagoons, flamingos, and geysers, and can end in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.

How do you get to Uyuni?

The fastest way is to fly from La Paz to Uyuni, which takes under an hour. There are also overnight buses from La Paz, Sucre and Potosi, and a train service from Oruro. Most travellers fly in and start a tour from Uyuni town.

Is Salar de Uyuni at high altitude?

Yes. The salt flat sits at about 3,660 metres, and the three-day southern circuit climbs even higher, past 4,800 metres. Spend a day or two acclimatising in La Paz, Sucre or Potosi first, and expect cold nights.

Can you visit Salar de Uyuni all year round?

Yes, it is open year-round; only the experience changes with the season. Dry months give the drivable white crust, wet months give the mirror, and the transition months can offer a bit of both.