Have you ever dreamt of doing one particular travel activity, and then visited a destination for the very reason of doing it?
For me, that was the salt flats in Bolivia, and now I can proudly say that this travel goal of mine is ticked off the list! Salar de Uyuni totally lived up to everything I imagined it would be.
Here’s some exclusive video footage of our day trip exploring the largest salt flats in the world, and below you’ll find some details on how to get there and how to book your tour!
How to get there from La Paz:
There are overnight buses which take you from La Paz to Uyuni. The trip takes around 10 hours. We did the cheapo option and booked with Todo Turismo – a semi-cama bus (semi-reclining seats) which included dinner and breakfast and cost 270 Bolivianos (BOB) each way. To get back to La Paz, you take another overnight bus.
A word of warning: the road to Uyuni is not paved all the way, and you’ll find a few hours of incredibly bumpy sand/gravel road which will in all likelihood prevent you from sleeping. Be prepared for a somewhat sleepless night!
I know, I know, this sounds painful. If you have a little extra cash, you can make the trip more pleasant by flying to Uyuni and spending longer at the salt flats.
How to book a salt flats tour:
There are a number of companies that offer tours of the salt flats and a number of different tour options, including a 1-day tour (our choice, which cost 490 BOB) or 2/3 day tours from Uyuni.
You’ll be bombarded with offers for tours as soon as you step off the bus in Uyuni. Be careful; there are a number of less-than-reliable companies offering salt flats tours, so make sure you’ve done your research on which companies are reputable.
After doing some extensive research online, I found that Red Planet Expeditions is one of the best companies, so we pre-booked our tour with them. Note that entry to Cactus Island is not included in the tour price, and costs 30 BOB.
Very cool! The salt flats look amazing. What gear do you use to film with?
Thanks Petra! They were amazing 😀 I just used my Canon DSLR and travel lens (15-85mm). It was all good for filming except for on the bumpy roads!
Visiting these salt flats is so high up on my travel bucket list! I’m so happy to hear that they actually lived up to the hype. Great video too 🙂 I didn’t realize just how expansive the salt flats are. And I had no clue it is over 100 meters deep in areas…so cool!
I had no idea either, it was mind blowing visiting them and finding out these crazy stats! Thanks Justine 🙂
I was the same way with the salt flats, and planned my entire Bolivia trip around it. I actually wish I had gone with Red Planet, as I’ve heard great things. I ended up booking from La Paz with a company I used to do the Death Road trip, as they did a great job with that. However, the company (don’t even remember the name) was pretty bad. The Jeep was incredibly old, and the guide didn’t talk to us the entire time–in English or in Spanish. Glad you had a better experience! 😉
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Oh no, that’s terrible to hear! I’ve heard some dodgy stories about some of the companies that do the salt flats tours, and it would have been much less great if you didn’t have a guide explaining it along the way 🙁
Definitely on my radar! Thanks for the tips on tour booking and transport!
Not a problem Ana, it’s an awesome tour and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re ever in the area!
Awesome post! Question, how did you get to La Paz? Was it from Cuzco?
Thanks Yvette! We flew to La Paz from Cancun via Lima, then went from La Paz to Cusco via bus, stopping in at Lake Titicaca on the way 🙂 Are you planning a trip?