Uyuni Salt Flats TripsSan Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni Tour: 4-Day Salt Flats Round Trip
This San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni tour runs four days and three nights from Chile into the Bolivian altiplano and back again, priced at $332 per person with all meals, three nights of beds and an oxygen bottle on board. Day one climbs straight from the desert to the high lagoons of the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, where the listing puts the geyser field at nearly 5,000 meters, so altitude is the main thing to plan for. The route then swings north to the Salar de Uyuni, Incahuasi Island and Colchani before returning to San Pedro around midday on day four. Groups are limited to 6 and the guide speaks Spanish. The listing suggests carrying 300 Bs in cash for park entrances and purchases, which the confirmed inclusions do not cover. This page sets out what you get, what you carry and who should pick a different the Uyuni jeep tour comparison.
About This Tour
This is a 4-day, 3-night round trip operated by White & Green International Travel, listed on GetYourGuide at $332 per person with a 4.6 rating from 77 reviews. A Mercedes Benz van collects you from your hostel in San Pedro de Atacama early on day one and drops you back there around midday on day four. The group is limited to 6 participants and the driver-guide speaks Spanish.
The route covers Laguna Blanca, Laguna Verde, the Salvador Dali Desert, the Polques Hot Springs, the Sol de Mañana Geysers, Laguna Colorada, the Salar de Uyuni and Incahuasi Island. You sleep two nights in Quetena Chico and one in a salt hostel. An oxygen bottle is included, which matters on a route that reaches nearly 5,000 meters on day one.
$332 per person. No mandatory platform extras are stated. Park entrance fees are not on the operator's confirmed inclusions list, and the listing itself suggests budgeting 300 Bs in cash for entrances and purchases.
4 days, 3 nights. Two nights in a hostel in Quetena Chico and one night in the Salt Hostel, all accommodation included.
Starts and ends in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, with early morning hostel pickup and a drop-off around midday on day 4. The listing does not name the border post. Day one opens with the Chilean and Bolivian border formalities before Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde.
The listing's Includes text mentions national park entrance fees, but that line is absent from the operator's confirmed inclusions, so they are not treated as covered. Carry the suggested 300 Bs in cash. The Eduardo Avaroa reserve fee alone runs 150 Bs (about $13) for foreign visitors and the Incahuasi Island fee around 30 Bs (about $3) on comparable routes.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are on the confirmed inclusions list. Beds at Quetena Chico and the Salt Hostel are included, but reviews describe no heating and no warm water at the hostels, so bring layers, a hat and gloves. The listing tells you to bring toilet paper.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. Reserve now and pay later is available, so you can hold a spot without paying anything that day.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing flags this departure as likely to sell out and does not state fixed starting times. Check live dates and the pickup window for your travel days.
Quick answer Price, route and the catch
This 4-day, 3-night San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni tour costs $332 per person, with meals, beds, transport and an oxygen bottle included and park entrance fees paid in cash on top.
Key takeaways
- The confirmed inclusions are transportation, driver, oxygen bottle, accommodation and all breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Anything else on the listing is not included, so read what the price actually covers before booking.
- Day one climbs from San Pedro de Atacama to the Sol de Mañana geysers at nearly 5,000 meters. Read the altitude guidance and acclimatise before you go.
- The listing names a Spanish-speaking guide, and reviews describe cold hostel nights with no heating or hot water. If you need English, the 3-day Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama tour offers a Spanish or English guide, or compare all the Salar de Uyuni tours.
What the Price Actually Covers
Only five items carry the listing's included mark: transportation, driver, oxygen bottle, accommodation and food. The park entrance line in the Includes text is not one of them.
Confirmed Included, and What Is Not
The operator's confirmed list has five entries: transportation in the Mercedes Benz van, the driver, the oxygen bottle, accommodation for all three nights, and breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Includes text also names entrance fees to the national parks of Bolivia, but that line does not appear on the confirmed list, so treat the fees as your own cash cost. The listing tells you to bring 300 Bs for entrances and purchases, which is consistent with fees being paid on the road. For scale, on the Uyuni-side 3-day routes the Eduardo Avaroa reserve fee alone is 150 Bs (about $13) and Incahuasi Island adds around 30 Bs (about $3), so the suggested 300 Bs is a sensible cushion rather than a precise total.
The listing also recommends carrying 5 liters of drinking water and bringing your own toilet paper, since the overnight stops do not always provide it. There is no mention of a sleeping bag either way, so ask the operator in writing before you go.
This is the honest core of the Uyuni tour cost guide: the headline number is what the operator receives, and the cash you carry decides the rest.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transport in a Mercedes Benz van | Yes | Hostel pickup in San Pedro on day 1 and drop-off around midday on day 4 |
| Driver-guide | Yes | The listing names a Spanish-speaking guide. No English option is stated |
| Oxygen bottle | Yes | Included for the high-altitude route |
| Accommodation, 3 nights | Yes | Quetena Chico hostel nights 1 and 3, Salt Hostel night 2 |
| Breakfast, lunch, dinner | Yes | Food is on the confirmed inclusions list |
| National park entrance fees | Not confirmed | Named in the Includes text but absent from the confirmed inclusions. Carry the suggested 300 Bs in cash |
| Sleeping bag | Not stated | Neither included nor excluded. Confirm with the operator before booking |
| Toilet paper | No | The listing tells you to bring your own |
| Drinking water | No | The listing recommends carrying 5 liters of drinking water |
Sources: the operator's own listing on GetYourGuide, and Salar de Uyuni on Wikipedia.
What the Day Is Really Like
The itinerary below comes from the operator's own listing. Clock times are not stated for most stops, so the shape of each day matters more than the hour.
Day 1: The Climb to the Lagoons
An early morning pickup from your San Pedro hostel starts it. The listing says the van ascends 2,000 meters in 45 minutes, with breakfast before the Chilean and Bolivian border crossings. Then come Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde, which sits at 4,310 meters beneath the 5,868-meter Licancabur volcano, followed by the Salvador Dali Desert at about 4,750 meters.
After a dip in the Polques Hot Springs, where the pool holds about 29°C against air that can drop to -5°C to -10°C, the day reaches the Sol de Mañana geysers. The listing says nearly 5,000 meters, and other sources give 4,850 m to about 4,905 m. It ends at Laguna Colorada at 4,278 meters, red from the algae in its water and home to James's, Andean and Chilean flamingos.
Dinner and the night are in Quetena Chico. This single day is the biggest altitude jump of the whole trip.
Day 2: Rocks and a Salt Hotel
Breakfast first, then north to the Valley of Rocks, with formations like Camel Rock and the Stone Tree, the Árbol de Piedra. Next is Laguna Catal and its gorge, with lunch included, and the day finishes at the salt hotel for dinner and the night. Reviews of this tour describe bumpy rides and hostels with no heating or warm water, so this is the night to sleep in everything warm you brought.
Day 3: The Salar and Back South
An early start reaches the Salar de Uyuni, a white expanse the listing describes at over 10,000 square kilometers, for sunrise at Incahuasi Island among giant cacti. The loop takes in the salt hotel, the Plaza de las Banderas and the Ojos del Salar, then Colchani for souvenirs and the Train Cemetery outside Uyuni. After lunch at a local restaurant there are customs formalities at the operator's Uyuni office, and the night is back in Quetena Chico.
Day 4: Back to Chile
Breakfast, then the drive back to San Pedro de Atacama, with drop-off at your hostel around midday. Remember that Chilean customs applies strict rules on the way back in: any food of plant or animal origin in your bag must be declared at the border, and undeclared fresh fruit, meat or dairy risks fines and confiscation.
4-day Atacama Uyuni Loop on Video
The first day out of San Pedro, the border and the climb to the high lagoons. Third-party video by Team Sauce Travels. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing names three groups it will not take, and the route itself argues against a fourth. There is no stated minimum age.
Stated Exclusions and Health Warnings
The listing says the tour is not suitable for pregnant women, people with back problems or wheelchair users. The rides are long and bumpy on rough altiplano tracks, which is exactly what the back-problem exclusion is about. There is no minimum age published, so ask the operator directly if you travel with children.
The route is the real filter. Day one climbs 2,000 meters in 45 minutes out of San Pedro de Atacama, per the listing, and reaches the geysers at nearly 5,000 meters the same day, a jump far beyond the CDC's advice of raising your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500 meters per night. The oxygen bottle on board is a safety net, not a cure. If you have any history of altitude illness, read the guide to altitude sickness on an Uyuni trip and acclimatise first, or start from Uyuni, at 3,656 m to 3,700 m depending on the source, instead on the 3-day lagoons route from Uyuni.
The Spanish-only guide is another honest limit. Reviews praise the drivers, but the only guide language on this listing is Spanish. If you want an English-speaking trip to the same lagoons, compare the options on the Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama 3-day tour or the rest of the Uyuni jeep tours compared.
Árbol de Piedra in the Siloli desert. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to Settle Before You Book
A four-day crossing leaves little room to fix mistakes on the road. Settle these points in writing before you pay.
The Confirmation Email That Saves the Trip
Ask the operator to confirm four things in writing: that the driver speaks whatever language you need beyond Spanish, that the national park and island entrance fees really are covered or really are not, whether a sleeping bag is provided for the freezing hostel nights, and where exactly the border formalities happen on both days. The listing itself is ambiguous about the park fees, since the Includes text names them and the confirmed inclusions leave them out, so get a straight answer.
Cash, Documents and the Border
Carry the suggested 300 Bs in small notes for entrances and purchases, because the reserve fee of 150 Bs (about $13) is paid in cash. Check that your passport is valid and that your identification documents are up to date, as the listing requires. Bolivia requires all foreign visitors, including children, to complete the SIGEMIG online immigration registration before or on arrival.
US citizens no longer need a visa for tourism in Bolivia, a rule change that took effect at the end of 2025 and allows visa-free stays of up to 90 days. On the return into Chile, declare any plant or animal products under the SAG sworn declaration, because undeclared food risks fines and confiscation. Read the full San Pedro to Uyuni crossing guide for the border detail.
Clothes for Glare, Cold and Altitude
The listing's packing list asks for thermal clothing, a swimsuit, a towel, sandals, sunglasses, trekking shoes, a hat or cap and 5 liters of drinking water, plus toilet paper. The thermal layer is not optional: from June to August night lows in Uyuni town average about -3.7°C to -4.0°C, the higher parts of the route run colder, and reviewers of this exact tour report freezing nights with no heating. The sunglasses matter just as much, because salt glare on the white flat is fierce.
See the full packing list for Uyuni and the month-by-month guide to the best time to visit before choosing dates.
The Four Days, Stop by Stop
The listing gives no clock times except the midday return, so the steps follow the stated order of the route.
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Hostel pickup in San Pedro
An early morning pickup from your hostel in San Pedro de Atacama, then breakfast and the climb of 2,000 meters in 45 minutes to the Chilean and Bolivian border crossings.
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Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde
First stops at the two high lakes beneath Licancabur volcano. Laguna Verde sits at 4,310 meters, its green colour coming from mineral suspensions.
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Salvador Dali Desert and Polques Hot Springs
Photo stops in the surreal desert at about 4,750 meters, then a soak in the warm Polques pool with flamingos nearby. Bring the swimsuit and towel from the packing list.
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Sol de Mañana geysers and Laguna Colorada
Fumaroles and eruptions at nearly 5,000 meters by the listing's figure, where the oxygen bottle earns its place. The day closes at red Laguna Colorada at 4,278 meters. Dinner and night in Quetena Chico.
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Valley of Rocks and Laguna Catal
Day 2 heads north past Camel Rock and the Stone Tree, then to Laguna Catal and its gorge for lunch. Night two is at the Salt Hostel.
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Salar de Uyuni and Incahuasi sunrise
Day 3 starts early on the salt flat for sunrise at Incahuasi Island among giant cacti, then perspective photos, the Plaza de las Banderas and the Ojos del Salar.
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Colchani, Train Cemetery and back to Quetena Chico
Souvenir stop in Colchani, the Train Cemetery outside Uyuni, lunch at a local restaurant, customs formalities at the operator's Uyuni office, then the drive south to a second night in Quetena Chico.
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Return to San Pedro de Atacama
After breakfast on day 4 the van runs back over the border, with drop-off at your hostel around midday.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of the listing, the route and what verified reviewers describe.
What we genuinely like
- All meals, three nights of beds, transport and an oxygen bottle for $332, one of the fuller inclusions on the route
- Small group capped at 6 participants, so no crowding at the stops
- The full southwest circuit plus the salar in one loop, ending back where you started with no onward transfer to arrange
- Hostel pickup in San Pedro and drop-off around midday on day 4, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Reserve now and pay later keeps the booking flexible
The honest downsides
- The Includes text names park entrance fees, but they are not on the confirmed inclusions list, so budget the suggested 300 Bs in cash
- The listing names a Spanish-speaking guide, with no English option stated
- Reviewers describe hostel nights with no heating, no warm water and stained bedsheets on the first night, so the cold is real, not a footnote
- Day one jumps from San Pedro to nearly 5,000 meters in a single morning, a harder altitude hit than starting from Uyuni
- A sleeping bag is neither included nor excluded, and the listing never states pickup times
Who it's NOT for: Not for pregnant women, people with back problems, wheelchair users, or anyone who needs an English-speaking guide or cannot handle a fast climb to nearly 5,000 meters.
Questions About This Tour
How much does this San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni tour really cost?
The listed price is $332 per person, and the confirmed inclusions cover transport, driver, oxygen, three nights of accommodation and all meals. Entrance fees are not confirmed included, and the listing suggests carrying 300 Bs in cash for entrances and purchases, which puts the real total a bit higher. The Uyuni tour cost breakdown shows how this compares with other routes.
Do I need to worry about altitude on this route?
Yes, more than on any other direction. Day one climbs from San Pedro de Atacama to the Sol de Mañana geysers at nearly 5,000 meters in a single morning, far faster than the CDC's advice of about 500 meters of sleeping-altitude gain per night. The oxygen bottle helps in an emergency but does not prevent illness, so read the altitude sickness guide and acclimatise before you book.
Is the border crossing included and where does it happen?
The border crossing is part of the trip and hostel pickup in San Pedro is included, but the listing does not name the exact crossing point or give formalities beyond stating that documents must be current. Chilean customs on the return applies the SAG declaration to any food of plant or animal origin. The San Pedro to Uyuni crossing guide covers the paperwork in detail.
What are the sleeping arrangements like?
Nights 1 and 3 are in a hostel in Quetena Chico and night 2 is at the Salt Hostel, all included in the $332. Verified reviewers describe no heating, no warm water and stained sheets on the first night, so pack thermal layers, a hat and gloves and ask about a sleeping bag in advance. The packing list for Uyuni lists what actually matters at those temperatures.
Will I see the mirror effect on the salt flat?
Nobody can promise it. The mirror needs a thin sheet of standing water, which comes with the rainy season from December to March, and even then deep water can close parts of the route. The listing states no season limits, so check when to visit Uyuni if the mirror is the main reason you are going.
What if I want a shorter or one-way option instead?
This is a 4-day round trip, so it is the full loop for travellers who start and finish in Chile. If you are starting in Bolivia, the 3-day lagoons and salt flat tour from Uyuni covers similar ground in one less day, and the 3-day Uyuni to San Pedro tour runs the same route in the opposite direction. Compare every option on the Bookable Uyuni salt flats tours.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund, and reserve now and pay later lets you hold a spot without paying anything that day. That flexibility is worth using, because this departure is flagged as likely to sell out. Check live dates on the Uyuni salt flats tour catalog.
What Travellers Said After This Tour
This activity was fantastic!! The tour took care of everything from food to transportation to stays.
It was really nice experience! Thank you so so much!
Spectacular activity with our fantastic guide named Norberto! Everything was perfect!
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