So what makes Uyuni Salt Flats Tours so special that it took the number one spot in the top adventure trips list against some very tough competition? Let's count the reasons...
The Salar de Uyuni is one of the worlds great sights, a great expanse of nothingness. Every guidebook has a picture and you will take lots too, so take plenty of batteries (you can charge them along the way but it’s difficult) and film/memory.
The Volcanoes and lakes are very spectacular but perhaps the most enduring sight is that of so much wilderness (if you exclude the other Land Cruisers).
There is also some wildlife like wild Vicuñas (primitive llamas), Vizcachas (giant rabbits) and a semi tame Andean Fox at one of the lunch stops.
Seeing the Milky Way at night, when there is no light and Mercury rising in the early morning, things most of us never see, these are all bonuses.
One thing you must do, although many people chicken out, is to have a dip in the thermal baths. You will reach these at 0700 on the third day when it is still very cold, but it’s worth it. The water is about 30 c but you stay warm after you get out. It’s a highlight of many.
Uyuni Salt Flats Tours - Trip Reports Below Will Help You Choose
Uyuni is the kicking off point for trips into the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt pan in the world and a must on most visitors’ itineraries to Bolivia. The trip out to the lake also usually includes the dramatic landscape to the south of the lake, with is filled with volcanoes, salt lakes and geysers and takes about three days. Unfortunately booking a tour could be a little apprehensive because of the many ‘bad trip’ stories You’d heard, drunk drivers, broken down vehicles, crap food and other rip offs. But everyone said that the fantastic scenery outweighed the problems but that you had to be careful who you went with.
There are now almost 100 tour agencies in town and the prices are very competitive. Booking anywhere else means you will pay more. The tour situation is changing all the time and the guide books are usually very out of date.
Keep in mind having a good guide is the essential stuff for your trip. If you want an English speaking guide you will have to arrange it in advance and pay about $20 a day extra. Combining groups is very common; two people on my tour had booked with someone else. Do check the vehicle before you set out, see that it has a spare and a full tank of gas and if it looks bad insist on another one.
Be advised, these trips are not for people who want their comforts. Most tours take six or seven people so it can be a little claustrophobic. Who your tour companions are is up to luck. Three days cooped up in the same vehicle could be a problem if you don’t get on with people. If your tour is taking seven, it means that the driver/guide will also do the cooking, so don’t expect anything too elaborate to eat. The accommodation is also very basic, with dorm rooms, simple bathrooms and no heating. Power is from generators and it goes off at 2100. If you don’t have a sleeping bag you can usually hire one from the agency – do so, also if you don’t have warm clothing – buy some. The second nights stop is at 4300m and you will wake up to find water in bathroom frozen. The third days start is at 0530 with the temperature well below freezing. Most of the tours follow the same route so that there will be eight or ten Land Cruisers at the lunch stops and at the main Miradors. As there are no toilets most of the main stops double as large open air latrines, so watch your step when you walk around corners.
The prices paid bare no relation to what people got, some paid a lot and got rubbish. Grinding down the prices does mean that companies will cut corners, and maybe this is the whole problem, too many people chasing too few tourists. What Uyuni needs is a shake out so that only the best survive, Rankings is at least a step in the right direction.
Have you ever tried to find a Uyuni Salt Flats travel agent or tour operator to help you plan your trip to those amazing landscapes? There are literally hundreds to choose from and no way of knowing what kind of service you will get if you do decide to book through them.
Did I say no way of knowing? Well, that's not exactly accurate because there is a way to tilt the odds of choosing a good travel agent that will organize a very successful Uyuni Salt Flats trip for you significantly in your favor.
How?
By asking previous travelers who used that particular travel agent what their experience was like. You will very quickly find out if they are up to scratch or if they should be avoided at all costs. Learning from other people's experiences is a great way to get an impression of what a travel agent is really like.
So that's what We've done for you by using the Salar de Uyuni trip reports and reviews, forum posts, magazine articles and general consensus in the travel industry to compile a list of the top three Salar de Uyuni travel agents.
You can approach these travel agents with a great degree of confidence about the service that they provide because others have used them in the past with success.
Top Three Galapagos Travel Agents List
So here are the top three gleaned from the opinions and travel reviews of past visitors to the Salar de Uyuni, in random order...
Toñito Tours:
Andes Salt Expeditions:
Cordillera Traveller:
The Salar de Uyuni IS a cheap travel destination and because it is a once in a lifetime trip it is worth saving and paying a little extra to ensure a great trip. Trying to do it on the cheap may spoil it for you.
Prices are for the 2008 season, quoted in USD per person. They don't include Incahuasi Island entrance fee, tickets for Eduardo Avaroa National Park.
1 Day: $30 - $45
2 Days/1 Night: $60 - $90
3 Days/2 Nights: $90 - $120 (If you want a transfer to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile $20 Extra)
Flashlight (torch) - the lights go out when the generator runs dry.
Coins and small bills - The bathrooms aren't free.
Sunglasses - the salt planes are blinding.
Camera and loads of film - There are no better pictures than here.
Extra Water - The tour usually provides an inadequate supply.
Sunblock - there is no atmosphere to block ths sun's rays up here.
Sleeping Bag - You can rent one with the tour. Down is best, and check to see that the zipper works.
Warm Clothes - Layered is best.
Hot Water Bottle - The nights are freezing & you will be so happy to have it.
Altitude sickness is a real possibility here. If you are arriving directly from the coast, you may need up to a couple days to acclimatize. Dizziness, shortness of breath and headaches are common symptoms. The locals swear by chewing coca leaves to help, but be advised that you may fail a drug test.
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1999-11-30
hbooiqtsv,
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 0%
 | 0% Guide |
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nizoks ryipplfymjxu, [url=http://eunbsdxmynlm.com/]eunbsdxmynlm[/url], [link=http://okrxmgxbtkzg.com/]okrxmgxbtkzg[/link], http://dlyrwrdrmtzs.com/
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2008-08-28
MulchyG, United Kingdom
Source: TripAdvisor
Rating: 55%
| 40% Guide |
| 60% Transport |
| 60% Food |
| 60% Lodging |
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This was one of the highlights of our year away. A wonderful amazing, unique place. A hot outdoor bath, the flamingos, the ghost town, the island on the salt flats, the rock formations and much more. Totally amazing. We had a a really great group which really made it which was just as well because what Colque tours provided was basic at best.
Our tour guide never cracked a smile the whole time and his catchphrase seemed to be "Vamos"., plus he did not take us to the train graveyard which the other group got to see. It was all acceptable until the end, We had taken the 4 day tour from San Pedro de Atacame, the last day of which is basically walking about Uyumi all afternoon, for 6 hours on our own. 6 hours is far too long, and then when we met back at the agreed time we had to wait for another hour and then when we finally got underway we stopped so the driver could pick up a spare wheel, a CD, and some mysterious 20 minute errand while we froze in the car. Then when we finally got to where we were spending the night they were not expecting us so we got what I considered to be a woeful meal and more lies about when we were leaving. Not up to the standards of earlier stops. The whole return trip was very poorly organised and frustrating.
When we got back to San Pedro we complained but suddenly the tour agents English was not very good at all. Then he gave us the old chestnut of it being the employees fault, never mind that fact that the driver is an employee of Colque, and much more rubbish. not even an apology. I could go on a great length, including the loss of our booking at the start.
So in short the trip was amazing, definitely go, but do not go with Colque.
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2009-12-07
luis fabrice, Bolivia
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 95%
| 100% Guide |
| 80% Transport |
| 100% Food |
| 100% Lodging |
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hola amigos
miren en realidad hay muchas empresas en uyuni pero la realidad con gente contratada hay buenas y malas nosotros fuimos con expediciones lipez leimos los blogs comentarios de otra gente que decia quera mala empresa pero no es asi despues del tours les dijimos que es lo que leimos y les mostramos por internet los malos comentarios pero esos guias que hicieron un mal trabajo para lipez ya no trabajan mas ademas nos toco viajar con andres un guia muy bueno y lo que mas nos gusto es que lipez se queda en agua quiza en un hotel de sal y cactus y con mas tiempo en el salar fuimos a la gruta de las galaxias cueva del diablo soldados de piedra y en la tarde del primer dia y la mañana del segundo dia solo eramos nosotros pero todos los demas se van san juan y creo que ahi ya no hay diferencia.
suerte y no se dejen engañar por malos comentarios de otra gente.
atte luis fabrice torrez.
viva bolivia
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2009-08-16
katie gibson, Bolivia
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 40%
| 40% Guide |
| 60% Transport |
| 40% Food |
| 20% Lodging |
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one of the drivers got drunk the second day and a client had to drive the land cruiser...that day we had to rush through all of the sites (we missed the last lagoon) so we could reserve a spot at the hotel where we supposedly already had reservations....our guide said there were more people reserved there than there were beds...also we had to pay for showers the first night and the second they werent available...soemthign the agency did not tell us. they told us to brign 50 bolivianos for entrance fees, but it was actually 55 total, excludign the cash if you wanted to shower...
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2009-08-22
Katie Gibson, United Kingdom
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 45%
| 20% Guide |
| 60% Transport |
| 60% Food |
| 40% Lodging |
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one of the drivers got drunk the second day and a client had to drive the land cruiser...that day we had to rush through all of the sites (we missed the last lagoon) so we could reserve a spot at the hotel where we supposedly already had reservations....our guide said there were more people reserved there than there were beds...also we had to pay for showers the first night and the second they werent available...soemthign the agency did not tell us. they told us to brign 50 bolivianos for entrance fees, but it was actually 55 total, excludign the cash if you wanted to shower...
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2009-02-19
nelson barcellos, Brazil
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 80%
| 80% Guide |
| 80% Transport |
| 80% Food |
| 80% Lodging |
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Gostaria de mantener contacto con Hidalgo Tours acerca de reserva en Hotel Mallku Cueva, en Villa Mar, altiplano Boliviano.
Email?
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2000-09-23
ugjjwgloaet, Swaziland
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 55%
| 80% Guide |
| 60% Transport |
| 40% Food |
| 40% Lodging |
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BoGMeX gbfgzsqrpenu, [url=http://qwtgbksemvfx.com/]qwtgbksemvfx[/url], [link=http://rhdfrtfjypse.com/]rhdfrtfjypse[/link], http://wzmtixbipero.com/
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2008-07-24
rtBatman, United Kingdom
Source: TripAdvisor
Rating: 100%
| 100% Guide |
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My 4 day jeep tour of SW Bolivia´s national reserves and the Salar de Uyuni salt flats was the best money I´ve spent during my 7 months of travel so far around South America. The company I went with, Tupiza Tours, were absolutely brilliant - great driving, an excellent cook accompanying us, great humour and professionalism. I left from Tupiza ( a really great little Bolivian town surrounded by the best horseriding territory I´ve ever seen!) and ended up in Uyuni (a horrible freezing characterless place!), and because of this I got to explore the stunning volcanos and lakes of SW Bolivia and also get to the Salar salt flats before sunrise on my last day of the trip - a truely spectacular ending
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2010-03-21
alex zack, Israel
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 80%
| 80% Guide |
| 80% Transport |
| 80% Food |
| 80% Lodging |
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we -the israel couple- 60 y/o are planning 3-4 day's 4x4 trip started in uyuni (or tupiza)at 21-st morning
pls, mail your proposal (map and lodging info, what will include) and the price
thanks
alex
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2009-12-26
lani generoso de guia, Philippines
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 80%
| 80% Guide |
| 80% Transport |
| 80% Food |
| 80% Lodging |
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to hongkong on dec 26return on jan 3
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2008-01-16
kmatsukawa , Japan
Source: LonelyPlanet.com
Rating: 40%
| 40% Guide |
| 40% Transport |
| 40% Food |
| 40% Lodging |
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We just finished a tour 3 day tour from Uyuni to the Chile border with the much recommended Tonito Tours. I must say that we, including four other tourists, were hugely disappointed. The food was relatively disappointing compared to other tour groups. We kept looking at envy at other tour groups´ food. The driver-guide was completely useless, giving the bare minimum guidance. We had to force words out of his mouth and on top of that on the last morning he drank a small bottle of beer for his breakfast before making for the Bolivian-Chile border. All six of us were recommended to use Tonito but I would like everyone to reconsider. Maybe we just had a bad driver-cook, but we spent three days frustratred and envious of the other tour groups.
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2008-08-28
Scott Vanle , United Kingdom
Source: LonelyPlanet.com
Rating: 100%
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Very interesting unique part of Bolivia salt flat ,laguna colorada, which was made ever betts of services by the Andes Salt Expeditions, who provided good quality guideline, safe driver polite a patient more we World recommend them.
ANDES SALT EXPEDITIONS,56 ferroviaria avenue at front of train station. This company has guides who speaks English,french.Excellent salt flat and lagoons tours,with a good reputation recommended
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2008-06-01
Graham William, United States
Source: WorldNomads
Rating: 77.5%
| 80% Guide |
| 70% Transport |
| 80% Food |
| 80% Lodging |
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I traveled with a company called ‘Oasis Odyssey Tours’, which was near the top of the ‘best of’ list. Note that many tour operators are shut on Sunday including many of the better ones. Oasis turned out to be an excellent choice, mainly because we had an excellent guide. His name was Javier Canaza who was the driver guide and his wife, Liset who was the cook. Its worth asking for him by name as guides often work for a couple of tour agencies. Javier only speaks Spanish, but almost no guides speak English. If you want an English speaking guide you will have to arrange it in advance and pay about $20 a day extra. Liset was an excellent cook with fresh, hot food served up at every meal. There were no problems or breakdowns during the trip. All the agencies use Land Cruisers, the one I traveled in was in better condition than others I saw. I did see one group that had to borrow a spare tyre from another Land Cruiser and we passed another group who ran out of gas on the way back, just 10k from Uyuni! Combining groups is very common; two people on my tour had booked with someone else. Do check the vehicle before you set out, see that it has a spare and a full tank of gas and if it looks bad insist on another one. I did see most of Oasis’s stock of Land Cruisers and they all looked pretty good.
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2010-01-09
Andres Ernst, Switzerland
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 100%
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Hello!
We are staying in San Pedro de atacama for this moment. We would like to do a trip from here to Ujuni throuth the laguna colorada. Then we will stay in Ujuni. Could you pick up us on the border from Chile not far from Hito Cajones? What would it coast and what would be inclouded. Can you offer and answer us as soon as possible?
Thank you in advance!
Ernst and Marcus
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2009-02-01
David Tran, Australia
Source: BoliviaHostels.com
Rating: 70%
| 60% Guide |
| 40% Transport |
| 100% Food |
| 80% Lodging |
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The guy selling us (me and a friend) the tour lied straight up, telling us that an englishman, an irishman, and a spanish girl would be on the trip with us, turned out to be three french people. after we already booked, i asked if there would be breakfast on the first day, and he said yes, there was no breakfast. the driver/guide only provided the minimal amount of information really, he did not interact with us much, and showed very little flexibility with the itinerary, ie. we had to have lunch at 12pm every day, and arrive at our resting place at 5pm every day. we skipped several nice places for photos opportunities because of that. we had a puncture on the first day, fair enough, but the spare tyre was as bald as mr. burns, inevitably, that tyre punctured twice, causing us to rush through a few sites. at the end of the tour, they gave us a sheet to review them with, they got really upset when they looked at it, expecting us to give them maximum results for everything.
off topic: this form does not work when i put apostrophes in.
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