UYUNI SALT FLATS 3-DAY MOTORCYCLE TOUR

Price
$750.00
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A 3 day motorcycle tour of the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia. This is suitable for medium experience licensed riders and an incredible way to see one of the highlights of South America. This tour also includes a visit to small villages and provides a cultural insight of the area. This tour is available only during the dry season, when the salt flats are not covered in water. 

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

A 3 day motorcycle tour of the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia. This is suitable for medium experience licenced riders (involves some sandy dirt tracks) and an incredible way to see one of the highlights of South America. This tour also includes a visit to small villages and provides a cultural insight of the area. 

Riding on this vast white salt desert is a surreal experience and a adventure you will remember for a lifetime. With plenty of opportunities to stop and take photos plus included visits to nearby attractions such as the Incahuasi Island and its huge cacti. You will need lots of space on your camera.

The riding conditions include hard packed gravel and of course... "salt flat". This is medium level riding so is suitable for those with medium experience but expert level is not required. Riding on sandy dirt tracks requires more skill than just road riding. You will require a driver's licence and travel insurance. There is also a liability waiver that must be signed prior to riding.

The following is a typical tour itinerary but sometimes some things are omitted from a tour for reasons such as weather conditions or protests, or sometimes the itinerary order is changed so this shouldn’t be seen as a completely rigid itinerary, although the most popular main sites are always included whenever possible. If there is something you really want included your group should ask your guide before the start of the tour so he can plan accordingly.

ITINERARYITINERARY
DAY 1 – Uyuni – Pulacayo – Colchani – Salt Flats – Thunupa Volcano – Coqueza
You will need to meet with the guide at the local office in Uyuni at 9.30 am to try your gear and get the motorcycle ready to go. After setting off from Uyuni we will ride towards an old village called Pulacayo where we will stop to learn about the history of its ancient mining center. From here we return to Uyuni to have lunch. After eating we will head towards Colchani where we can learn about the salt processing and have a chance to buy some souvenirs made completely from salt. We then head to the salt flats themselves and ride across the great white desert toward Coqueza town where we can see Volcano Thunupa towering above us. After a short tea/coffee break we walk down to the edge of the salar to see the llamas and flamingos and take photos of the sunset. We will spend the night in a local accommodation run by a welcoming local family.
 
DAY 2 – Viewpoint – Chantani – Incahuasi Island – Chuvica – San Pedro
Today we will wake up early, have breakfast and then we will make our way up the volcano to see the mommies tomb and the 1300 years+ old mommies and also visit a viewpoint to look back over the amazing scenery. Later we set out to ride once again on the salt flats, stopping along the way at the villages of Chantani and Tahua to visit a museum and a sculpture garden. Once we reach the salt flats we will visit Isla Incahuasi where we can explore and see the giant cacti which sometimes reach over 10 meters tall. There are wonderful views of the salt desert from here and also you can buy lunch in the restaurant "Mongos" located on the island. After lunch we explore the salt flats some more with lots of chance to take photos. After lunch we head to the port of Chuvica and exit the salar. We will ride through dirt roads, with some sand and gravel. Our destination is the small town of San Pedro, where we will spend the night in a hostel. 
 
DAY 3 – San Jaun  Julacaca  Rio Grande – Vinto – Train Cemetery – Uyuni
Today we have breakfast at 8.00 and start making our way back to Uyuni passing through a number of villages named San Jaun, Julacaca, Rio Grande (where we will stop for lunch) and Vinto. The last stop will be at the train cemetery where we will stop to see the old abandoned trains and take some photos. We will return to Uyuni in the afternoon at a convenient time for your group (times vary depending on the group, usually around 16.30/17.30, in time if you have a night bus or a late flight back to La Paz on the same day).

INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDEDINCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED
INCLUDED
  • Motorcycle (Honda 250 c.c. Honda XR400 c.c. Honda Falcon NX 400 c.c. or Suzuki DR650c.c.) 
  • Basic equipment (jacket, helmet, boots and gloves)
  • Fuel and SOAT  insurance (we also ask for a 100$ security deposit to cover minor damages and insurance excess fees)
  • 1 English-speaking guide with good mechanical experience 
  • Support vehicle 4x4 when group size is 4 or more people
  • 2 evening meals and breakfast in hotel (basic local food)
  • 2 night accommodation in basic hostel
 
NOT INCLUDED
  • Meals, drinks and water on route (you can buy lunch)
  • Entrance fees (Incahuasi island fee 30bs - subject to change)
  • Travel insurance
  • Sunglasses and suncream (essential for the strong solar glare from the salt flats)
  • Damage insurance for bike (see below)

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONIMPORTANT INFORMATION
  • This tour starts in Uyuni and DOES NOT include the cost of transport for getting there. We can arrange flights, buses and trains for getting to Uyuni - see them all in our Transport section.
  • If you are an advanced-level rider with a lot of experience you might be interested in our 3-day option that follows a route that includes a visit to the lagoons, rocky valleys, geysers and a number of other attractions in southern Bolivia. Please see details HERE.  
  • This tour can only be confirmed when the salt flats are not covered in water. Usually departures are confirmed between April and December but please keep in mind that the duration of the rainy season can vary from year to year.
  • Pickups are not included. If arriving by bus or if staying overnight in Uyuni, then it will be easy for you to walk to the operator's office in the morning - Uyuni is small and you will have to walk only a few blocks. If arriving by plane, it will be also easy to find a taxi from the airport to the office (15-20 minutes drive). We will provide detailed information about the office location when we confirm your booking. You will be dropped off back at the office at the end of the tour.
  • The price includes the personal SOAT insurance (required by Bolivian law and very basic) but it does not include any insurance for damages to the vehicle. Before leaving, you will have to sign a liability waiver and take full responsibility for any damages you should cause to the vehicle. 
  • There is a security deposit of 100$ per group (payable on day) which is fully refundable when there are no damages. If there are any damages they will charge the minimum about possible to repair the damage. They are experienced mechanics and can usually repair things for the lowest possible costs and will not try to take advantage of the situation.
  • Group sizes are generally small making it easy for the guide to look after everyone easily. Minimum group size is 1 and maximum is 5 for this tour. Carrying extra passengers is not possible.
  • These tours visit remote areas that have very limited facilities. If you are ill or there is an accident there are no medical facilities other than Uyuni town and even these are basic. If things go wrong you are faced with the reality of travel in a remote area of a developing country. We strongly advise that you have a good insurance policy that covers all medical expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read through these common questions & answers - if you cant find what you want to know send us your questions using the Ask a Question button

Why don't you do salt flats tours over Christmas/New Year period?

We do not sell any salt flats tours from Dec 23rd through to Jan 6th because of safety concerns. 

Specifically this is due to the high number of incidences of drunk driving that occur on salt flats tours during this time. Some of the companies we work with, for example Red Planet, also completely stop tours during this time for the same reason. We still don't sell tours with any company that we work with that does not stop completely during this period as whilst they are likely to be safer options the fact is there could be drunk drivers from other companies making the area less safe. From experience we think it is best to avoid the dangers and problems that occur this time of year.

Please do not ask us to recommend any companies for tours during this time as we do not recommend anyone for the reasons stated. If you must do a tour (and we understand this is a highlight and it would be bad to miss) we would suggest you do a one day tour only as the 3 day tours are more problematic for the drunk drivers (drivers tend to celebrate in the evening with friends in the local villages near the accommodations). Also keep a close eye on the condition of your driver if you do end up on a tour.

Where do the Salt Flats Tours start from?

This salt flats tour starts in Uyuni and it does not included the price of getting to Uyuni. We can arrange transport (buses, trains, flights) from La Paz to Uyuni also – please visit out transport section HERE to see some popular options.

How does rainy season affect the Salt Flats Tours?

The Salt Flats (salar de Uyuni) tours leave year round including during the rainy season and in fact many people try to visit during the rainy season in order to see the "mirror effect" of the water sitting atop of the salt flats and reflecting the sky which is an incredible sight. This is caused when the water table below the salt flats has risen enough to cause the water to sit on top of the salt. It is fine to visit the area when there is a certain amount of water but when it becomes too deep (after long sustained periods of rainfall in consectutive days) some places can become inaccesible such as Isla Incahuasi and these must then be omitted from the tours but they can usually continue visiting other parts of the salt flats and the area to the south (the colored lakes, geysers, hot springs etc) are usually not affected so tours are not cancelled completely.

The road between La Paz and Uyuni usually becomes a bit problematic with potholes and other damage caused but the constant rain and is worst in Mar/Apr time. The buses are sometimes cancelled due to this and other forms of transport such as train or flights are recommended or alternatively you can travel via Sucre / Potosi to Uyuni which is a better conditioned road that is less affected.

What altitudes do the salt flats tours visit?

The town of Uyuni and the Salt Flats themselves are around 3700 meters (12139 feet) so 1 and 2 day tours are usually around this altitude only.

For 3 day tours you will visit much higher altitudes with the second nights’ accommodation near the Laguna Colorado area being at around 4300 meters and the Sol de Mañana geothermal field that is visited at around 4900 meters (16076 feet). You may also drive over a pass at  5000 meters (16404 feet), depending on the exact route taken, which will be the highest point.

How many people will be in the vehicle?

On 2,3 and 4 day salt flat tours there will be a maximum of 6 travellers in the vehicle (1 in the front passenger seats, 3 in the  center seat row and 2 in the rear seat row) plus the driver/guide.

On 1 day tours there can be up to 7 people in the vehicle (although usually 6) as the group gets out of the vehicle much more often and comfort is not an issue like it is for the long driving distances of the multi day tours.

I want to take perspective photos – will there be lots of time & items for me to use?

People enjoy taking the interesting perspective style photos on the salt flats and of course there will be some time to stop and do this.  The exact amount of time is impossible to say as it will depend on a variety of factors such as how long you have taken at previous stops, weather conditions, the group dynamic etc and you also need to bear in mind there is a schedule to keep to so the driver will only allow the amount of time he can in order to keep to the schedule safely.

As for items to use in your photos, some drivers do have some fun items but some wont have anything especially for photo props. The best advice is to take something interesting things yourself so you can get unique shots – let your creative side go crazy!

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HOW TO BOOK

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IMPORTANT

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