Updated Date:
Author: Salar de Uyuni Editorial Team
Quick Summary: Pack for three separate problems at Salar de Uyuni: nights that fall below freezing and sometimes to −15°C, sun that reflects upward off the salt at 3,656 metres, and altitude that reaches near 4,900 metres on the circuit. The non-negotiables are thermal layers, SPF 50, real sunglasses, a head torch, and 600–900 bolivianos in small notes, because there are no ATMs or card machines once you leave Uyuni town.
Most people pack for the photos. Then night two arrives, you are sleeping above 4,000 metres in a refuge with no heating, and you discover that the thing you actually needed was a warm hat.
Salar de Uyuni is remote enough that whatever you did not bring, you will not be buying. There are no shops on the circuit, no ATMs past Uyuni town, and no mobile signal for three days. This list is organised around the three conditions that actually catch travellers out — cold, sun, and altitude — followed by the practical items that matter and the things you can safely leave behind.
Our shorter Uyuni packing list is the quick version. This is the full one.
First, Understand What You Are Packing For
| Condition | Reality on the ground |
|---|---|
| Daytime temperature | 13–20°C in wet season, cooler but sunny in dry season |
| Night temperature | Below 0°C routinely; as low as −15°C on the circuit |
| Salt flat altitude | 3,656 m |
| Uyuni town altitude | ~3,670 m |
| Circuit high point | Near 4,900 m at Sol de Mañana |
| Night two sleeping altitude | Above 4,000 m, often unheated |
| Mobile signal on circuit | None |
| Card payments on circuit | None |
| Water on the flat | Available but heavily marked up |
The wet season (roughly December to April) is warmer and brings the mirror effect. The dry season (May to November) is colder at night — the first four months especially — but everything is accessible. Our Salar de Uyuni weather guide covers the seasonal detail.
The Cold Layer: Non-Negotiable
This is the category travellers most consistently underpack, and the one that most often ruins night two.
- Thermal base layers, top and bottom. Merino or synthetic. Two sets if you can spare the space.
- A proper insulated jacket. A winter coat, not a light windbreaker. Down or synthetic fill.
- A warm hat. You lose heat from your head faster than anywhere and refuges are unheated.
- Gloves. You will be handling a camera outside at sunrise in sub-zero temperatures.
- A scarf or buff. Doubles as dust protection — the salt and grit on the circuit get everywhere, and covering your nose and mouth genuinely helps.
- Warm socks, two or three pairs. Wool if possible.
- A fleece or mid-layer for the middle of the day, when the sun is strong but the wind is cold.
Sleeping bag: rent one in Uyuni for around 30 bolivianos per day, or bring your own if you have a bag rated to at least −10°C. Between June and August this is essential rather than optional. Refuges provide blankets, but the number and quality vary and the walls are thin.
The Sun Layer: Also Non-Negotiable
At 3,656 metres, UV is far stronger than at sea level, and the salt reflects sunlight upward into your face from below. Sunburn happens under your chin and inside your nostrils here, which is not a joke.
- SPF 50 sunscreen, applied more often than you think, including under your jaw and on your ears
- Real sunglasses with proper UV protection. The glare off white salt is intense enough to cause genuine eye damage, and cheap lenses will not cut it. Wraparound or side-shielded styles are better.
- A wide-brimmed hat for the daytime, in addition to your warm hat for the night
- Lip balm with SPF. Salt plus dry air plus altitude will crack your lips within a day, and this is the item travellers most often wish they had.
- A long-sleeved light shirt for the middle of the day. Covering skin beats reapplying sunscreen.
The Altitude Layer
You cannot pack acclimatisation, but a few items help.
- Any altitude medication your doctor recommends. If you have a history of altitude problems, discuss acetazolamide before you leave home rather than buying something in Uyuni.
- Basic painkillers. Altitude headaches are common and mild ones are manageable.
- Rehydration salts. Useful for altitude, and useful if you get an upset stomach.
- A reusable water bottle, 1–1.5L. You need to drink far more than feels natural at this altitude, and buying bottled water on the flat is expensive.
- Coca tea or coca leaves are the standard local remedy and are readily available in La Paz and Uyuni. They genuinely help mild symptoms.
The more important altitude preparation is not gear at all: spend at least two nights at altitude before your tour, in La Paz (3,650 m), Puno (3,810 m), or Potosí (4,090 m).
Cash and Documents
Bolivia’s 2026 payment environment makes this its own category.
- 600–900 bolivianos per person in small notes for a three-day trip. The circuit is cash-only.
- Withdraw in La Paz, not Uyuni. Uyuni’s ATMs are limited and frequently empty in peak season.
- Undamaged US notes as backup. Bolivia runs heavily on QR-code payments that foreign bank apps cannot scan, and physical cash can be scarce.
- Your passport, with at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates.
- A printed SIGEMIG confirmation. Online pre-registration is now mandatory for all foreign visitors regardless of nationality, free, and takes about ten minutes through the Bolivian migration authority. Print it.
- A photocopy of your passport to carry while the original stays locked away.
- Travel insurance details, ideally a policy that explicitly covers high altitude and medical evacuation.
What the cash actually goes on
- Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve entry: 150 Bs on three-day circuits
- Isla Incahuasi: 30 Bs
- Polques hot springs: around 6 Bs
- Toilets en route: 5 Bs, consistently
- Sleeping-bag rental: around 30 Bs per day
- Driver tip: 50–100 Bs per passenger over three days is normal
- Snacks and water in town
A 2026 note on prices: Bolivia ended its dollar peg on 29 June 2026 and by late August the Banco Central de Bolivia rate sat near 11.83 to buy and 11.93 to sell. Budget in bolivianos rather than dollars, and check the current rate before you decide how much to withdraw.
Camera and Photography Gear
Salar de Uyuni is one of the most photographed landscapes on earth for good reason, and the conditions are hard on equipment. Our photo tips guide covers technique; this is the kit.
- Spare batteries, more than you think. Cold drains them fast, and there is limited charging in refuges.
- Spare memory cards. You will shoot far more than planned, and the sun’s glare makes it hard to review and delete on the spot.
- A lens cloth and blower. Salt dust gets into everything.
- A small tripod or something to rest the camera on. Holding a camera steady at arm’s length for perspective shots rarely works; resting it on the ground gives sharper results.
- Props for perspective photos. Small toy animals, bottles, saucepans, even a ring. This is the trick that makes the endless-horizon illusion work — objects near the lens appear enormous and objects a few metres back appear tiny.
- A power bank. Electricity in refuges is limited and often switched off at night.
- A dry bag or plastic bag for wet season, when you will be standing in water.
Footwear
- Sturdy walking shoes or light hiking boots for the circuit — the terrain at the geysers and rock formations is uneven and sharp.
- Flip-flops or sandals. Essential for the hot springs, useful for refuge bathrooms, and necessary in the wet season when you will be walking in a few centimetres of water on the flat.
- Waterproof boots or wellingtons if you are visiting in the heart of the wet season and want to stay dry for the mirror shots. Some operators provide rubber boots; ask.
Practical Odds and Ends
- Head torch. Electricity in refuges is limited and bathroom trips at 2am in the dark are genuinely unpleasant.
- Hand sanitiser. Salt dust is everywhere and some toilets have no sink.
- Toilet paper. Carry your own; refuge and roadside facilities often have none.
- A quick-dry towel. For the hot springs and for refuge showers, which may not provide one.
- Snacks. Buy them in La Paz where the selection is better. You will want them between refuge meals, which are simple and spaced far apart.
- Wet wipes. Showers on the circuit are cold, brief, or unavailable.
- Earplugs. Refuge rooms are shared and thin-walled.
- Binoculars, if you care about wildlife. Flamingos at Laguna Colorada, vicuñas, and Andean geese are all easier to appreciate at distance.
- Offline maps downloaded before you leave Uyuni.
What to Leave Behind
- Large suitcases. Jeep space is limited and shared among six passengers. A soft duffel or backpack works far better than a hard case.
- Anything you would be upset to see covered in salt dust. Everything gets dusty.
- Heavy books and non-essentials. You will be carrying this in and out of a 4×4 repeatedly.
- Expensive jewellery. No use for it, and one more thing to keep track of in shared rooms.
- A hair dryer or anything mains-dependent. Refuge electricity is limited and often off overnight.
Wet Season vs Dry Season Packing
| Item | Wet season (Dec–Apr) | Dry season (May–Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeping bag | Useful | Essential, especially Jun–Aug |
| Waterproof boots | Strongly recommended | Not needed |
| Flip-flops | Essential for the flat | For hot springs only |
| Thermals | One set | Two sets |
| Rain jacket | Yes | Rarely needed |
| Dry bag for camera | Yes | Useful for dust |
| Sunglasses and SPF 50 | Essential | Essential |
| Warm hat and gloves | Yes | Absolutely yes |
FAQ
Can I buy what I forget in Uyuni?
Partly, and at a premium. Uyuni town has basic shops, pharmacies, and tour agencies renting sleeping bags, and you can find gloves, hats, and sunscreen of variable quality. What you will not find is a good jacket, proper sunglasses, or specific medication. Buy the important items in La Paz, where the selection and prices are both better, or bring them from home. Once your jeep leaves Uyuni there is nothing at all for three days.
Do I need my own sleeping bag or is renting fine?
Renting is fine and is what most travellers do — around 30 bolivianos per day from agencies in Uyuni. Check what you are given before you leave: you want something rated for well below freezing, since night two is spent above 4,000 metres and often without heating. If you already own a bag rated to −10°C or colder and have space, bringing it removes the uncertainty. Between June and August, having a proper bag is the difference between sleeping and not sleeping.
How much luggage can I actually bring on the jeep?
Plan on one soft bag of roughly 15–20 kg plus a daypack. Six passengers share the roof rack and rear space of a Land Cruiser, so bulky hard cases are a genuine problem for everyone including you. Most travellers leave their main bag at their hostel or hotel in Uyuni and take only what they need for three days, which is the better approach — hostels and agencies routinely offer storage.
Is a drone worth bringing?
The landscape is spectacular from above and the flat is one of the more tempting drone locations anywhere. Two practical constraints: batteries drain very fast in the cold and at altitude, so bring several and keep them warm inside your jacket, and rules around drone use vary by area and can be enforced inconsistently, particularly inside the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. Ask your operator before you fly, and check current Bolivian regulations before you travel.
What is the single most forgotten item?
Lip balm, closely followed by a head torch. The salt and dry air at altitude crack lips within a day, and there is nothing to buy on the circuit. The head torch matters because refuge electricity is limited and often switched off overnight, and the bathroom is rarely close by. Both weigh almost nothing and both make a disproportionate difference.
Limitations
Weather at Salar de Uyuni varies year to year and the seasons do not follow the calendar precisely — the wet season can extend into the dry season and vice versa. Temperatures on the circuit depend heavily on which refuges your specific operator uses and whether they have heating, which varies at the same price point. Rental sleeping-bag quality is inconsistent, and what is included versus rented differs between operators. Bolivian prices are moving quickly in 2026 with the boliviano floating since late June, so cash figures here are estimates. As a workaround, ask your operator directly what is provided, whether night two has heating, and what conditions have been like that week, then confirm cash requirements in bolivianos before you withdraw in La Paz.
