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A 4×4 reflected in the water-covered Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Sample journey · 14–17 days

From the Atacama to the salt flat and Lake Titicaca

San Pedro de Atacama, the Altiplano lagoons, Uyuni, La Paz & the Isla del Sol

Photo: Matheus Oliveira / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

This is a journey across one of the highest inhabited regions on earth. It begins in Chile's Atacama Desert, where days are warm, nights are cold and the sky is so clear the stars seem closer. From there a 4×4 climbs onto the Bolivian Altiplano, past red, green and white lagoons, steaming geysers and volcanoes, to the Salar de Uyuni.

The route is deliberately shaped so that altitude is gained gradually: several days in San Pedro de Atacama to acclimatise, and only then the crossing, where the track climbs to nearly five kilometres. It is a physically demanding journey with simple nights high in the mountains, so it will suit experienced travellers who enjoy an adventure most. At the end come the bustle of La Paz and the quiet islands of Lake Titicaca.

The route

The journey

  1. Calama
  2. San Pedro de Atacama
  3. Eduardo Avaroa Reserve
  4. Salar de Uyuni
  5. La Paz
  6. Copacabana & Isla del Sol
  7. La Paz
  1. A walker on a sand slope between eroded ridges in the Valle de la Luna, Atacama

    01Days 1–4 · San Pedro de Atacama

    A desert that teaches you to slow down

    A flight to Calama and roughly an hour and a half by road to the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, at around 2,400 m. The first days are gentle: the Valle de la Luna at sunset, walks among adobe houses, then the high lagoons and an early morning at the El Tatio geysers, above 4,000 m. On clear nights, stargazing through a telescope. This is time for the body to adjust to altitude before the crossing.

  2. A traveller watching flamingos on a high lagoon in south-western Bolivia

    02Days 5–6 · Eduardo Avaroa Reserve

    The lagoon road across the Altiplano

    An early start to the Bolivian border high in the mountains, and the 4×4 that becomes your home for three days. Beneath Licancabur volcano lie the Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde; beyond them hot springs, steaming geysers and the red Laguna Colorada with its flamingos. Lodgings here are simple and nights very cold, at over 4,000 m. It's the hardest part of the journey, and often the one remembered longest.

  3. A figure standing on the hexagonal salt crust of the Salar de Uyuni

    03Days 7–8 · Salar de Uyuni

    White as far as the eye can see

    On the third day, sunrise on the world's largest salt flat and cactus-covered Isla Incahuasi at its heart. In the rainy season a thin layer of water sometimes turns the surface into a mirror; in the dry season hexagonal salt patterns appear. An extra night at the edge of the salar lets you see it in evening light and rest before the flight to La Paz.

  4. A cable car above the hillside neighbourhoods of La Paz, Bolivia

    04Days 9–11 · La Paz

    A city in a canyon, cable cars above it

    A short flight to La Paz, a city at around 3,600 m watched over by snow-capped Illimani. A network of cable cars climbs to El Alto and opens views you'd never see from the street. The Witches' Market, mornings at the Rodríguez market, a mid-morning salteña and new Andean cooking in the evenings: after the silence of the desert, the city feels wonderfully alive.

  5. A boat pulled up on a sandy beach on the Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca

    05Days 12–15 · Copacabana & the Isla del Sol

    A night on an island in a sacred lake

    By road along Lake Titicaca, with a ferry across the Strait of Tiquina, to the town of Copacabana. From here a boat to the Isla del Sol, where stone paths lead past Inca terraces and ruined shrines. A night on the island lets you see the lake at rest once the day visitors have gone. On the last day, back to La Paz and the flight home from El Alto airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Altitude gained gradually

    Several days in the Atacama before the crossing: a deliberate choice to make the journey more comfortable.

  2. 02

    Three days across the lagoons

    Coloured lagoons, flamingos, geysers and volcanoes: one of South America's most vivid landscapes.

  3. 03

    Sunrise on the salt flat

    The whiteness of Uyuni in the first light, when all sense of distance disappears.

  4. 04

    The Isla del Sol

    Inca paths and terraces above Titicaca, best with a night on the island.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • A private 4×4

    The crossing can be made in a private vehicle with a guide, which makes it easier to shape the pace, stops and standard of lodging.

  • Sucre and Potosí

    On a longer journey you could turn from Uyuni to lower, white Sucre and the silver city of Potosí.

  • On to Peru across the lake

    From Copacabana the journey could continue to Puno and Cusco on the Peruvian side, linking it with an Andean route.

  • Mirror or patterns

    Timing changes the salt flat's face: the rainy season sometimes brings the mirror, but can close some tracks.

Practical considerations

  • This is a high-altitude journey: the crossing reaches roughly 5,000 m and nights are spent above 4,000 m. It's worth speaking to a doctor or travel clinic before planning.
  • Lodgings on the lagoon route are simple and nights very cold; warm layers, a hat and gloves are essential in any season.
  • The Altiplano's rainy season usually runs roughly from December to March, when some tracks may close.
  • 4×4 trips across the reserve vary widely in quality, so they're worth choosing carefully and early.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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