Uyuni Tours from San Pedro

A Uyuni tour from San Pedro de Atacama crosses into Bolivia at Hito Cajón and takes three or four days, climbing to about 5,000 m past colored lagoons and geysers before the Uyuni salt flat. When we checked on 3 October 2026, a 3-day round trip started from $880 per person and a 4-day round trip from $352. Spend at least two or three nights in San Pedro first.

The route, day by day

Both tours leave San Pedro early and climb to the border at Hito Cajón, near Licancabur volcano at around 4,500 m or more, where you switch to a Bolivian 4x4.

On the Koa Travel 3-day tour, pickup is at 06:00. Day one runs through Laguna Verde, the Dalí desert and Laguna Colorada, where flamingos breed, and ends at a hotel for the night. Day two crosses the Salar de Uyuni to Isla Incahuasi, an island of giant cacti in the middle of the salt, and ends with sunset on the flat and a night in Uyuni town. Day three visits the train cemetery and Laguna Catal before a private transfer from the border back to your hotel in San Pedro around 15:30. Our 3-day tour breakdown has the full itinerary.

The White & Green 4-day tour takes it slower. Day one covers Laguna Blanca, Laguna Verde, the Dalí desert, a dip in the Polques hot springs, the Sol de Mañana geysers and Laguna Colorada, with a night in Quetena Chico. Day two passes the rock formations of the Valley of Rocks and Laguna Catal to a salt hotel. Day three is the salt flat itself, with sunrise at Incahuasi, perspective photos, Colchani and the train cemetery, then back to Quetena Chico. On day four you return to San Pedro around midday. See our 4-day tour breakdown.

How many nights in San Pedro first

Most people reach San Pedro by flying into Calama and taking the Calama Airport transfer, about 1.5 hours by road. San Pedro sits at 2,407 m. The Uyuni route climbs to around 4,850 m at the Sol de Mañana geysers and about 4,900 to 5,000 m at its highest point, and the White & Green listing says you gain about 2,000 m in 45 minutes on the way to the border.

CDC advice is that two to three nights at around San Pedro’s altitude before going higher is markedly protective. So book at least two or three nights in San Pedro before the tour, and use them for stepping-stone trips: Valle de la Luna and the salt flat lagoons first, then Piedras Rojas and the altiplanic lagoons at about 4,000 m or the El Tatio geysers at about 4,320 m. Avoid alcohol for your first 48 hours at altitude. Koa Travel lists its tour as not suitable for children under 10, people over 70 or anyone prone to altitude sickness; White & Green carries an oxygen bottle. If you are planning Calama transfers around the trip, our round-trip transfers page covers booking both legs.

Border, entry rules and paperwork

Your operator handles the Chilean exit formalities; sources differ on whether the stamp is given in San Pedro town or at the Hito Cajón complex. The Bolivian post is at the pass. Get your passport stamped on both sides.

Entry rules depend on your passport:

• United States: no visa needed since 1 December 2025, for stays of up to 90 days. Before that date, US citizens needed a paid visa.
• United Kingdom: visa-free for up to 90 days a year, though the border may stamp 30 days at first. Your passport needs six months’ validity beyond arrival and two blank pages, and you may be asked for proof of accommodation.
• Canada: visa-free for 30 days, extendable. Canada’s official advice says you must complete the free SIGEMIG online pre-registration with Bolivian immigration before you arrive. Other sources report it applies to all foreigners, so check whether it applies to you.
• EU citizens: visa-free, typically 30 days on arrival.

Rules change, so check your government’s travel advice for Bolivia before you book.

Closures and disruptions

This route is at the mercy of the weather and of Bolivian politics. On 23 January 2026 a storm closed the Hito Cajón and Jama crossings as a precaution. Wet-season mud and flooding (roughly December to April) and winter snow can also shut the road. In Bolivia, road blockades over fuel subsidies stranded tourists in Uyuni in January and June 2026, and 135 foreign visitors were flown out. We could not confirm the situation on 3 October 2026, so read the news and your operator’s messages in the days before you leave, and keep a buffer day before any onward flight from Calama.

Which tour to choose

Choose Koa Travel’s 3-day round trip if you want private rooms with heating and hot water, an English-speaking guide and a quick return; it has the higher rating of the two (4.8 from 89 reviews). Choose White & Green’s 4-day tour if budget matters more and you want the Polques hot springs and an extra night on the altiplano; expect simpler hostels. Neither price includes the Bolivian park fees. The Eduardo Avaroa reserve fee is reported at about Bs 150, paid in cash, and Koa lists US$25 for the park and Isla Incahuasi.

Practical tips

• Bring Bolivianos in cash for park fees and snacks; White & Green suggests 300.
• Carry your passport, and a passport or ID for any children.
• Pack thermal layers, a swimsuit, towel and sandals for hot springs, sunglasses and a hat.
• Bring plenty of drinking water (White & Green recommends 5 liters) and toilet paper.
• Withdraw Chilean pesos in Calama; San Pedro’s ATMs can run out in high season.

Quick recommendations

• If you want comfort and a fast return → book the Koa Travel 3-day round trip.
• If you want the lowest price and an extra day → book the White & Green 4-day tour.
• If you are landing at Calama → book at least two or three nights in San Pedro first; see where to stay in San Pedro.
• If Bolivia feels like too much → the Atacama salt flats tours on the Chilean side need no border crossing.