South America: La Paz, Santiago & the Uyuni Salt Flats
South America: La Paz, Santiago & the Uyuni Salt Flats
South America: La Paz, Santiago & the Uyuni Salt Flats
11 Days Starting in La Paz, Bolivia and ending in Santiago, Chile
Visiting: La Paz, Sucre, Potosí, Uyuni, Salar de Uyuni, San Pedro de Atacama, Santiago
Tour operator:
Tour code:
26326
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Age range:
12-
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Vegans
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable adventure through the heart of South America with our La Paz, Santiago & the Uyuni Salt Flats tour. This journey takes you through the vibrant cultures and stunning landscapes of Bolivia and Chile. Begin in La Paz, where you can explore colonial architecture and bustling markets. Fly to Sucre, the former capital, and enjoy free time to discover its charm. Experience the breathtaking Salar de Uyuni on a three-day 4x4 excursion, capturing surreal photos on the world's largest salt flat. Cross the desert altiplano, spotting wildlife and visiting the unique Laguna Colorada. Descend into Chile's Atacama Desert, exploring the Valley of the Moon and the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama. Conclude your journey in Santiago, Chile's vibrant capital, with its rich history and stunning mountain backdrop. This small group tour offers a perfect blend of adventure, culture, and natural beauty.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: La Paz
Location: La Paz
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Arrive at any time. Enjoy a welcome meeting in the evening to get to know your CEO and fellow travellers.
Arrive early and choose to explore the city’s many fine museums or its historic structures, like the Iglesia de San Francisco. The city is also renowned for its many markets, including the Mercado de Hechicería (Witches’ Market). With streets lined with market stalls and vendors, the pace on the street and the vibrant atmosphere is an incredible experience. To the south of the city is the Valley of the Moon, with crater-like formations made of sand. Thrill seekers can pre book a Death Road mountain biking adventure.
*Please note for any of the optionals listed on Day 1, travellers will need to book a pre-night in La Paz in order to participate.
ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2: La Paz/Sucre
Location: Sucre
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Fly to Sucre and explore this beautiful colonial city.
Optional activities include mountain biking, hiking, and searching for dinosaur footprints.
TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Don't waste a minute, head out and explore.
Day 3: Sucre
Location: Sucre
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Free time to explore the city, the former capital of Bolivia. For more active options opt to go hiking in the surrounding area or mountain biking.
FREE TIME: FULL DAY Explore the landscape on foot or two wheels.
Day 4: Sucre/Potosí
Location: Potosí
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Travel by bus to Potosí and get a view of the mountain Cerro Rico looming over the city.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Spend free time learning about local mining production or wandering the city and soaking in the cultural atmosphere.
Day 5: Potosí/Uyuni
Location: Uyuni
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Travel through the Bolivian landscape to the town of Uyuni, the jumping off point for the three day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni.
Additional Information: During the rainy season the locations visited may change due to some routes being covered by water.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Day 6: Uyuni/Salt Flats And Desert Crossing
Location: Salar de Uyuni
Accommodation Name: G Adventures-supported lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a three-day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni and surrounding desert altiplano with spectacular scenery. Today you will be heading into the Salar de Uyuni. Our groups like to get creative with photography, as the endless white of the salt flats creates some great depth illusions that are fun to play with in photos. Last stop for the evening is a G Adventures-supported community lodge in a traditional agricultural village in the heart of a desert oasis.
ACTIVITY: Spend three days in the stunning landscape between the Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama Desert in Chile. Enter a world unlike anything else as we drive across the salt flats; the piercing blue sky contrasts against the blinding white of the flat salt beds. Take memorable photos of the unusual landscape complete with mountains and active volcanoes. Visit the coloured lagoon of Laguna Colorada and enjoy the uniqueness of this region.
ACTIVITY: Visit the Santiago de Agencha community, located two hours across the salt flats from Uyuni, a rural village surrounded by towering cacti and part of a small desert oasis. The community-owned salt lodge was renovated and expanded through a major project in 2016 funded by G Adventures’ foundation, Planeterra. With many of the village’s younger residences fleeing for economic opportunities, this lodge is seen by the community as a way to rescue their indigenous culture and provide opportunities for the future. Learn about their traditional agricultural practices, including their specialization in quinoa production, and take a guided walk with a community member to the sacred Jukil mountaintop for a beautiful view of the village below and the salt flats beyond. Meals of local ingredients grown in the village are prepared by ladies who were provided culinary training through the project. Leave Jukil Community Lodge knowing your visit is creating opportunities for a whole new generation of people in this community to improve their lives, and the lives of their children and grandchildren.
Day 7: Salt Flats And Desert Crossing
Location: Salar de Uyuni
Accommodation Name: Basic Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Explore the desert altiplano on a 4x4 excursion. Admire the spectacular scenery while passing red and blue lagoons and interesting rock formations along the route. Spot wild llamas, alpacas and even flamingos deep within the desert.
ACTIVITY: Spend three days in the stunning landscape between the Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama Desert in Chile. Enter a world unlike anything else as we drive across the salt flats; the piercing blue sky contrasts against the blinding white of the flat salt beds. Take memorable photos of the unusual landscape complete with mountains and active volcanoes. Visit the coloured lagoon of Laguna Colorada and enjoy the uniqueness of this region.
Day 8: Salt Flats And Desert Crossing/San Pedro De Atacama
Location: San Pedro de Atacama
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Rise early to cover more ground of the unique landscape of the Salar de Uyuni. Continue to see incredible scenery, including volcanoes, salt lakes and geysers. Travel to the border and descend by bus to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. It's a long but scenic drive.
From the high Bolivian altiplano descend almost 2000m to the edge of the Atacama Desert, arriving at the small desert oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, just across the Chilean border. Said to be one of the driest places on the planet, this little town is an oasis in an otherwise barren, dry landscape.
TRANSPORT: Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
ACTIVITY: Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Day 9: San Pedro De Atacama
Location: San Pedro de Atacama
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Enjoy an Included excursion to the Valley of the Moon. In San Pedro, opt to go sandboarding or mountain biking.
Enjoy an included excursion to the Valley of the Moon to learn about and appreciate the beautiful uniqueness of the landscape.
There are plenty of optional excursions in San Pedro de Atacama, including biking, exploring nearby ruins, and horseback riding. Despite its size, San Pedro offers some great restaurants as well as numerous handicrafts and artisan stores for those looking for souvenirs.
ACTIVITY: The sunset brings out a variety of colours over this majestic valley that experts say is the area on Earth that most closely resembles moon's surface. Explore the incredible formations created by wind and rain over millennia in this unique location between the Andes mountains and one of the world's driest deserts.
Day 10: San Pedro De Atacama/Santiago
Location: Santiago
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Drive to Calama and fly to Santiago, a vibrant capital city.
From the nearby city of Calama, fly to Santiago, the capital of Chile. The city is surrounded by mountains, and there are both internationally recognized vineyards and Andean ski resorts within a couple of hours from the city centre.
Explore the city’s many museums and parks and visit the vibrant neighbourhood of Bellavista with its handicrafts, trendy cafés, and San Cristobal Hill with its views of the city and the surrounding area.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, take your seat, and enjoy the ride.
TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Day 11: Santiago
Location: Santiago
Meals Included: Breakfast
Depart at any time.
ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.
What's Included
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G for Good Moment
Experience the Jukil Community and Lodge in Santiago de Agencha.
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Welcome Moment
Meet your CEO and group upon arrival.
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Discover Moment
Explore Sucre at your own pace.
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4x4 Excursion
Enjoy a 3-day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni and desert crossing.
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Valley of the Moon Tour
Participate in a tour of the Valley of the Moon in San Pedro de Atacama.
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Free Time
Enjoy free time in Sucre, Potosí, and San Pedro de Atacama for your own choice of activities.
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Internal Flights
Internal flights are included in the tour package.
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Transport
All transport between destinations and to/from included activities is provided.
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Meals Included
8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners are included.
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Accommodation
Stay in hotels/guesthouses for 8 nights and G Adventures-supported lodge/basic hotels on the Salar de Uyuni excursion for 2 nights, multi-share.
What's Not Included
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Optional Activities
Optional activities such as mountain biking, hiking, and exploring nearby ruins are not included.
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Meals Not Included
Meals other than the specified 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners are not included.
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Personal Expenses
Personal expenses such as drinks, shopping, and tipping are not included.
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Pre-Night in La Paz
A pre-night in La Paz is required to participate in optional activities on Day 1.
Mode of Transport
Travel through South America using a variety of transport modes including planes, trains, boats, public buses, 4x4 vehicles, and hiking, ensuring a comprehensive and adventurous journey.
Accommodation
Stay in comfortable hotels and guesthouses for 8 nights, with a unique experience at a G Adventures-supported lodge and basic hotels during the Salar de Uyuni excursion for 2 nights, featuring multi-share accommodations.
Meals Included
8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
Group Size
Max 16, avg 12
Minimum Age
You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a G Adventures tour. For minors travelling with a guardian over 21 years old, the minimum age is 12.
Group Leader
All G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of our Chief Experience Officer's (CEO). The aim of the CEO is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting- we think it's the best of both worlds.
Meals
Eating is a big part of traveling. G Adventures understands the importance of breakfast to start your day, we strive to include a basic breakfast wherever possible. This will typically include toast, coffee and tea, however this may vary depending on the city. Should breakfast not be included, your CEO can suggest some local options.
Travelling with G Adventures you experience the vast array of wonderful food that is available out in the world. Generally meals are not included in the trip price when there is a choice of eating options, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat. It also gives you more budgeting flexibility, though generally food is cheap. Our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There is no obligation to do this though. Your CEO will be able to suggest favourite restaurants during your trip.
For all trips please refer to the meals included and budget information for included meals and meal budgets.
What to Take
Most people automatically assume that the weather is hot in South America, but because of the higher altitude in the Andes, the temperature can feel quite cold, especially at night.
We recommend using a backpack for your convenience, or a medium-sized suitcase if you prefer. A daypack is also essential for carrying everyday items. Space is limited on transportation, so there is a limit of one main piece of luggage per person. You will be responsible for carrying your own luggage.
Spending Money
Every traveller is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. Some travellers may drink more than others while other travellers like to purchase more souvenirs than most. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. Please also remember the following specific recommendations when planning your trip.
Solo Travellers
We believe solo travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and solo travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.
Check out our Q&As
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What kind of transportation is used during the tour?
The tour uses a variety of transportation methods including planes, trains, boats, public buses, 4x4 vehicles, and hiking.
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What type of accommodation is provided on the tour?
Accommodation includes hotels and guesthouses for 8 nights, and a G Adventures-supported lodge or basic hotels on the Salar de Uyuni excursion for 2 nights, with multi-share arrangements.
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What is the Jukil Community Experience?
The Jukil Community Experience is a G for Good Moment where you visit the Santiago de Agencha community, learn about their traditional agricultural practices, and enjoy meals prepared by locals who have received culinary training. This experience supports the community by providing economic opportunities and preserving their indigenous culture.
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What activities are included in the Salar de Uyuni excursion?
The Salar de Uyuni excursion includes a three-day 4x4 journey across the salt flats and surrounding desert altiplano, with opportunities for creative photography, visiting the coloured lagoon of Laguna Colorada, and exploring the unique landscape with mountains and active volcanoes.
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What can I do during my free time in Sucre?
During your free time in Sucre, you can explore the city, go hiking in the surrounding area, or opt for mountain biking.
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What is the Valley of the Moon excursion?
The Valley of the Moon excursion is an included activity where you explore the unique landscape with formations created by wind and rain, resembling the moon's surface. The sunset brings out a variety of colors over this majestic valley.
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What is the role of the Chief Experience Officer (CEO) on the tour?
The Chief Experience Officer (CEO) accompanies the group trips to take the hassle out of your travels and help you have the best trip possible. They provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend local eating venues, and introduce you to local friends. They have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
G Adventures was established in 1990
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Most of our trips do not have a single supplement. This means that the accommodation is on a twin share basis and, if travelling on your own, you will be sharing a room with another G Adventures traveller of the same sex. Some tours have an optional single supplement. An optional service that may be available is called "My Own Room". This service allows solo travellers to request their own room.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
It's extremely difficult if not impossible to join a tour after it has begun. It is possible to leave a tour early however you will be responsible for your own arrangements from the moment you decide to leave the tour. You would also be responsible for all costs associated with joining a tour late or leaving one early. If you feel this may be necessary, please consult us before you book.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
https://www.gadventures.com/travel-with-confidence/
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
https://www.gadventures.com/about-us/core-values/
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Free Date Changes
G Adventures allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 0 days before the start of the tour.
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Low Deposit
G Adventures requires a minimum deposit of 350 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of g adventures charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions