By rail
Uyuni, Trains from Oruro on the line south
South America · Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The world's largest salt flat, a mirror in the rains
Getting there
By air
Uyuni Airport (UYU), ~25 km to the edge of the salt flat
Best time to visit
May to November — dry and walkable; January to March — the mirror effect
Don't miss
Isla Incahuasi
The Train Cemetery
Colchani
Laguna Colorada
Things to do
Jeep tours across the flat
Perspective photos
Multi-day trips to the high lagoons
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Luca Galuzzi · CC BY-SA 2.5
What to pack
Sunglasses, sunscreen, very warm layers for the nights
A quieter corner
Isla Incahuasi's giant cacti at sunrise
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Salar de Uyuni?
May to November — dry and walkable; January to March — the mirror effect. What to pack: Sunglasses, sunscreen, very warm layers for the nights.
How do I get to Salar de Uyuni?
Fly into Uyuni Airport (UYU), ~25 km to the edge of the salt flat.
What is there to do in Salar de Uyuni?
Jeep tours across the flat, perspective photos, multi-day trips to the high lagoons. A quieter find: Isla Incahuasi's giant cacti at sunrise.
What should I eat in Salar de Uyuni?
Quinoa soup, llama meat and simple meals at salt hotels.
About Salar de Uyuni
- Desert
Where it is
Salar de Uyuni is a vast salt flat on the Altiplano of south-western Bolivia, at about 3,650 metres, reached from the railway town of Uyuni.
History
The salt crust formed as prehistoric lakes on the Altiplano dried out. Local people have long cut blocks of salt here, and the town of Uyuni grew in the late 19th century as a railway junction for the mining trade before tourism took off.
People
The few villages around the salt flat are Quechua and Aymara communities who farm quinoa, herd llamas and harvest salt by hand.
Known for
- The largest salt flat in the world
- A mirror-like surface after rain
- Flamingos on the high lagoons
- Hotels built from salt blocks
Did you know?
The salt flat is so level and bright that it has been used to calibrate the altimeters on Earth-observation satellites.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.