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Author: Salar de Uyuni Editorial Team
Quick Summary: The salt flat is the headline, but the southwest Bolivian Altiplano around it holds red and green lagoons full of flamingos, a geyser field at nearly 4,900 metres, hot springs you can sit in at sunrise, wind-carved rock deserts and abandoned mining towns. Most of these sit on the 3-day circuit rather than the day tour. A handful — the Train Graveyard, Colchani and Tunupa volcano — are close enough to Uyuni town to reach on their own.
Plenty of people arrive in Uyuni thinking the salt flat is the whole trip, do the day tour, and leave the next morning. That is a perfectly good trip. It is also about a fifth of what is out here.
The region south and west of Uyuni is a high-desert landscape of volcanoes, mineral lagoons and geothermal fields that runs all the way to the Chilean border. Most of it lies within the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, and most of it is only reachable on the 3-day jeep circuit. This guide covers what is genuinely worth your time, where each thing sits, and which tour actually gets you there.
Quick Reference: Where Everything Is
| Attraction | Roughly where | Which tour reaches it |
|---|---|---|
| Train Graveyard | 3 km from Uyuni town | 1-day and 3-day |
| Colchani | ~20 km north of Uyuni | 1-day and 3-day |
| Incahuasi Island | Middle of the salt flat | 1-day and 3-day, dry season |
| Tunupa volcano | North edge of the salar | Separate day trip or extended tour |
| Valle de Rocas | Southwest, day two | 3-day only |
| Laguna Colorada | ~4,278 m, day two | 3-day only |
| Sol de Mañana geysers | ~4,850–4,900 m, day three | 3-day only |
| Polques hot springs | Near Laguna Salada | 3-day only |
| Laguna Verde and Blanca | Near the Chilean border | 3-day only |
| Ghost towns | Southwest circuit | 3-day, route-dependent |
Close to Uyuni Town
The Train Graveyard
About three kilometres southwest of town sits a field of rusting steam locomotives and rolling stock, mostly British-built, abandoned when the mining industry that justified them collapsed. It is on every day tour as the first stop, but you can also walk or take a short taxi out independently, which is the better way to see it if you want it quiet.
The light is best early morning or late afternoon. There is no entrance fee and no fencing — you can climb on the carriages, which everyone does, so watch for sharp rusted edges. Our full write-up on the Train Graveyard covers the history of the rail line that put Uyuni on the map.
Colchani
The salt-processing village on the edge of the flat, roughly 20 km north of Uyuni. This is where you see how the salt actually gets from crust to table: harvested into conical mounds to drain and dry, then trucked to a small processing plant where it is dried, iodised and bagged. The flat produces an estimated 25,000 tonnes of salt a year.
There is a market strip selling salt blocks, llama-wool knitwear and carved salt souvenirs. Prices are better here than in Uyuni town. Read more about Colchani before you visit.
Tunupa Volcano
The dormant volcano on the northern shore of the salar, rising to about 5,320 metres, is the region’s most underrated day trip. Tours run from Uyuni or from the village of Coquesa at its base, and combine a hike partway up the slope with a visit to the Coquesa mummy cave, where pre-Inca remains sit in a rock shelter overlooking the flat.
The view from the ridge — the entire white expanse of the salar laid out below — is the best overview of Salar de Uyuni you can get without a drone. The hike is not technical but it is hard work above 4,000 metres. Allow a full day.
On the Salt Flat Itself
Incahuasi Island
The coral-covered outcrop in the middle of the salar, studded with giant cacti that grow at roughly one centimetre a year, meaning the ten-metre specimens are centuries old. There is a loop trail to the summit that takes about 15 minutes each way, a small entrance fee paid in cash, and a café at the base. Access depends on water levels and it can become unreachable during heavy rain. See Isla Incahuasi for the full picture.
Stargazing and Sunset Tours
Separate from the standard day tour, most Uyuni agencies run an afternoon departure that catches sunset on the flat and stays out for the stars. There is almost no light pollution, the air is thin and dry, and in mirror season the Milky Way reflects in the water. These typically run three to four hours and cost less than a full day tour. Dress far warmer than you think you need to.
The Star Wars Connection
The salar’s resemblance to the mineral planet Crait from The Last Jedi has become a minor pilgrimage in its own right — the film’s designers drew directly on this landscape. More on the Salar de Uyuni Star Wars link if that is your thing.
The Southwest Circuit: Days Two and Three
This is the part most travellers do not realise exists until they are already committed to a day tour. It requires the 3-day circuit.
Laguna Colorada
A shallow red lagoon at about 4,278 metres, coloured by algae and sediment, ringed with white borax islands and home to large flamingo populations — estimates run to tens of thousands of birds at peak. Three species breed here, including the rare James’s flamingo. It is the visual highlight of the circuit for most people. Our page on Laguna Colorada has more.
Sol de Mañana
A geothermal field at roughly 4,850 to 4,900 metres, with fumaroles, boiling mud pools and steam vents that reach around 90°C. Tours typically arrive around dawn, when the cold air makes the steam columns dramatic and the temperature is genuinely punishing. There are no barriers and the crust between pools is thin in places — stay where your guide walks. See Sol de Mañana.
Polques Hot Springs
Thermal pools beside Laguna Salada, usually visited straight after the geysers, at around 30°C in the water and often below freezing outside it. The changing facilities are basic and the wind is brutal in the thirty seconds between pool and towel, but sitting in hot water watching flamingos at sunrise is one of the circuit’s better moments. Small cash entry fee. More at Polques Hot Springs.
The Lagoons Near the Border
Laguna Verde sits at the foot of the Licancabur volcano (5,916 m) close to the Chilean frontier, its colour coming from mineral content that intensifies with wind. Next to it, Laguna Blanca takes its milky white from suspended minerals. Further north, Laguna Hedionda is a sulphurous lake whose name translates as “stinking lake” and which draws white and pink flamingos along with Andean geese. Our overview of the lakes of Uyuni covers the whole chain.
Valle de Rocas and Árbol de Piedra
The Valley of Rocks is a field of wind-eroded volcanic formations that tours usually stop at on day two, with enough scrambling to stretch your legs. Within the wider Siloli desert stands Árbol de Piedra, the Stone Tree — a rock sculpted by wind-driven sand into a narrow stem and broad crown. Both are covered on our Valle de Rocas page.
Ghost Towns
San Antonio de Lípez is an abandoned colonial mining settlement with a local legend about a pact with the devil explaining its collapse. San Cristóbal, still inhabited, has the feel of a ghost town and a church that was moved brick by brick from its original site after silver was found underneath. Whether your tour stops depends on the route your operator takes — ask when booking. See Ghost Towns of Bolivia.
Staying in a Salt Hotel
Hotels built from salt blocks — walls, floors, furniture — sit on the edge of the flat near Colchani and further out. Standards range from basic hostels used on the first night of the 3-day circuit to genuinely comfortable hotels with heating and private bathrooms. The novelty is real, but be realistic: heating is the thing to check, because Altiplano nights are severe and salt is not an insulator. Our guide to salt hotels in Bolivia covers what to expect.
Practical Notes for the Wider Circuit
- Cash only, no ATMs. The Eduardo Avaroa Reserve entrance fee is 150 Bs for foreign visitors, Incahuasi is around 30 Bs, and the hot springs a few bolivianos. There is no ATM anywhere on the circuit. Draw cash in Uyuni town.
- Altitude is the real challenge. The circuit spends most of days two and three between 4,200 and 4,900 metres, and you sleep at altitude. Acclimatise in La Paz or Uyuni first.
- Nights are brutally cold. Refuges on the circuit are basic and often unheated. Sleeping bags can usually be rented for around 30 Bs a day in winter. Check our Uyuni packing list.
- Seasonal access varies. Heavy rain can flood routes and close access to Incahuasi; parts of the circuit occasionally reroute. Our Salar de Uyuni weather page explains the seasonal pattern.
FAQ
Can I see the lagoons and geysers on a one-day tour?
No. Laguna Colorada, the Sol de Mañana geysers, Polques hot springs and the border lagoons all sit deep in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, four to six hours of rough driving south of the salt flat. They are only reachable on the 3-day/2-night circuit, or the 4-day version that ends in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. A one-day tour covers the Train Graveyard, Colchani, the open salt flat, Incahuasi Island and sunset — nothing beyond the salar itself.
What can I do around Uyuni without joining a tour?
The Train Graveyard is walkable or a very short taxi ride from town, and costs nothing. Colchani can be reached by local transport or a shared taxi if you are patient. Uyuni town itself has a small clock tower plaza, a handful of decent restaurants and the railway station that gave the town its reason to exist. Beyond that, the salar and the reserve genuinely require a 4×4 and a driver who knows the routes — there is no public transport onto the salt flat, and self-driving on the crust without experience is a bad idea.
Is Tunupa volcano worth a separate day?
If you have the time, yes — and it is the single most overlooked thing in the region. Tours run from Uyuni or from Coquesa at the volcano’s base, combining a partial ascent with the Coquesa mummy cave. The reward is a view down over the entire salar from the slope, which no amount of time standing on the flat can give you. It is a full day and it is hard work above 4,000 metres, so it suits travellers who are already acclimatised and reasonably fit.
How many flamingos are at Laguna Colorada?
Numbers fluctuate seasonally with water levels and breeding cycles, but the lagoon supports large populations running into the tens of thousands at peak, including the James’s flamingo, which is largely confined to these high Andean lakes. The birds concentrate in the shallows where the algae they feed on is densest, which is also what gives the water its red tint. Bring a zoom lens if you have one, since you will be viewing from the shoreline rather than up close.
Do I need to book these attractions separately?
Almost never. Everything on the southwest circuit is bundled into the tour price, except the cash entrance fees you pay on site: the reserve fee, Incahuasi, the hot springs, and toilets. Tunupa volcano is the exception, as it is a separate day trip booked in Uyuni. When comparing operators, check what is actually included, because sleeping bag rental, entrance fees and drinks are frequently excluded from the advertised price.
Limitations
Access to individual sites on the southwest circuit varies by season, weather and operator routing. Heavy rain between December and April can close access to Incahuasi Island and flood sections of the route, and not every 3-day tour visits the ghost towns or Valle de Rocas — confirm the itinerary before booking rather than assuming. Entrance fees are set locally, payable in cash only, and have been rising; Bolivia moved to a floating exchange rate in June 2026, so boliviano-to-dollar conversions quoted online may be out of date. Accommodation standards on the circuit are basic and heating is not guaranteed. Check current conditions with your operator in the week before you travel, and verify entry requirements for Bolivia, including SIGEMIG pre-registration, with the Bolivian migration authority.
