Uyuni Salt Flats From Peru: How to Combine Peru and Bolivia in One Trip
The usual way to reach the Uyuni Salt Flats from Peru is overland via Lake Titicaca: Cusco to Puno, Puno to La Paz across the border, then an overnight bus or a short flight from La Paz to Uyuni. From Puno you need at least three days to cross into Bolivia, see the salt flats on a one-day tour and get back to La Paz; from Cusco, count four or five. The salt flats are a different experience depending on the season: from about January to March, rain turns them into a giant mirror, and from May to November they are a dry white plain of salt hexagons, easier to cross and with access to Incahuasi Island. Everything happens above 3,600 m, so do Bolivia after Cusco and Puno, never at the start.
Uyuni from Peru: the short answer
- Route: Cusco → Puno (Route of the Sun, a full day) → La Paz (bus across the border, most of a day) → Uyuni (overnight bus or flight) → salt flats tour → back to La Paz to fly home, or onwards.
- Minimum time from Puno: 3 days for a one-day salt flats tour and the return to La Paz; 5 to 6 days with a 3-day tour of the lagoons.
- Border crossings: Kasani (via Copacabana, the scenic route) or Desaguadero (the direct route).
- Best season: January to March for the mirror effect; May to November for the dry, white salt and the full routes.
- Altitude: Uyuni is at about 3,650 m, La Paz at about 3,600 m and El Alto, where the airport is, above 4,000 m. The 3-day tours reach nearly 5,000 m.
- Time difference: Bolivia is one hour ahead of Peru.
Why combine Peru and Bolivia
Peru and Bolivia share Lake Titicaca, the Andean high plateau and much of the history of the Inca and pre-Inca world. For many travelers the natural line of a trip runs from Machu Picchu to the lake and then to the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, over 10,000 km² of white salt at the bottom of an ancient lake.
The combination works because the pieces are on the same road. After Cusco and Machu Picchu, you are already acclimatized; the Route of the Sun takes you to Puno, the lake is the border, and La Paz is the gateway to Uyuni. What does not work is improvising it with too few days: the distances are long, the buses are slow and everything is at high altitude.
The routes from Peru to Uyuni
| Route | How | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puno – Copacabana – La Paz | Bus to the Kasani border and Copacabana; then bus to La Paz, crossing the Strait of Tiquina by boat | About 3 hours to Copacabana; about 4 hours more to La Paz | Travelers with time who want Copacabana and the Isla del Sol |
| Puno – Desaguadero – La Paz | Direct bus along the south of the lake, crossing at Desaguadero | Most of a day including the border | The quickest overland route to La Paz |
| La Paz – Uyuni by bus | Overnight semi-bed or bed bus | Around 8 to 10 hours | Saving a hotel night; budget trips |
| La Paz – Uyuni by air | Domestic flight from El Alto airport | About 1 hour | Short trips; travelers who sleep badly on buses |
| Uyuni – Chile | 3-day jeep tour ending in San Pedro de Atacama | 3 days | Continuing to Chile instead of returning to La Paz |
Step 1: Cusco to Puno
The first leg is the road across the Altiplano from Cusco to Puno. The most interesting way is the Route of the Sun tourist bus, a full day with stops at Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, the La Raya pass and Pukara; we explain it in detail in our guide to Cusco to Puno on the Route of the Sun.
Plan at least one full day in Puno for Lake Titicaca. The Uros floating islands and Taquile Island are the classic visit from the Peruvian side; our Uros Chimu homestay adds a night on a floating island.
Step 2: crossing into Bolivia
There are two main land borders between Puno and La Paz. Kasani, on the road to Copacabana, is the scenic one: Copacabana is a lakeside town with a famous basilica and boats to the Isla del Sol, the island where Inca legend places the birth of the sun. From Copacabana the road to La Paz crosses the Strait of Tiquina, where passengers ride a small boat while the bus crosses on a barge. Desaguadero, on the south side of the lake, is the busier, more direct crossing, used by many buses that go straight to La Paz.
How the border works: the bus stops on the Peruvian side, you walk to Peruvian migration to get your exit stamp, cross on foot to the Bolivian office for the entry stamp and get back on the bus on the other side. It usually takes 30 minutes to an hour, longer at busy times. Carry your passport, keep the papers you are given and change a little money into bolivianos for the first hours.
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and have changed in recent years for some passports. Check the current rules with a Bolivian consulate or your government's travel advice before you book, and make sure your passport is valid for at least six months.
Step 3: La Paz, a city worth an afternoon
Buses from Puno arrive in La Paz in the early or mid afternoon. The city fills a deep canyon below the high plateau of El Alto, with snowy Illimani on the horizon, and is unlike anywhere in Peru.
In a free afternoon you can walk the historic centre around Plaza Murillo, browse the Witches' Market (Mercado de las Brujas) and ride the Mi Teleférico cable cars, the urban cable-car network that is also the best viewpoint over the city. If you have an extra day, the Valle de la Luna and the pre-Inca site of Tiwanaku, near the lake, are excellent half- or full-day trips.
Altitude note: La Paz is at about 3,600 m and El Alto above 4,000 m. If you come straight from Cusco and Puno, you will be fine; if you fly into La Paz from sea level, take it very easy for two days.
Step 4: La Paz to Uyuni
By overnight bus. Several companies run semi-bed and bed buses from La Paz to Uyuni, leaving in the evening and arriving early the next morning, after around 8 to 10 hours. The road is paved, but nights on the Altiplano are very cold: choose a reputable company, carry a warm layer and a blanket or sleeping bag liner, and keep your valuables with you. It saves a hotel night and puts you in Uyuni just as the tours start.
By air. Domestic flights from El Alto airport to Uyuni take about an hour. They are the comfortable option if you have little time, but they are few and sell out in high season. Weather can also cause delays, so do not connect a tight international flight with a domestic one.
Whichever you choose, the salt flats tours leave from the town of Uyuni, a small, windswept town with hotels, restaurants and dozens of tour agencies.
Step 5: the salt flats tour
The one-day tour is the classic and fits most Peru–Bolivia itineraries. It usually starts mid-morning with the Train Cemetery, the rusting locomotives of Bolivia's old railways on the edge of town; continues to Colchani, a village where families process salt and sell crafts; and then drives onto the salt flats: the salt hotel, the flags monument, the Playa Blanca area and, in the dry season, Incahuasi Island, a rocky island covered in giant cacti in the middle of the white plain. The day ends with the famous perspective photos and, on many tours, the sunset.
The three-day tour continues south through the desert of the Lípez: coloured lagoons such as Laguna Colorada, with its flamingos, the Sol de Mañana geysers, hot springs, the surreal rocks of the Dalí desert and Laguna Verde at the foot of the Licancabur volcano. Nights are spent in simple lodges, very cold, at up to about 4,500 m, and the highest points approach 5,000 m. Many of these tours end at the Chilean border for San Pedro de Atacama or return to Uyuni.
How to choose: if your trip continues to Chile, the three-day tour is the natural route. If you are returning to La Paz to fly home, the one-day tour shows you the salt flats themselves, which is what most people come for.
When to go: mirror season or dry season?
| Season | Months (approximate) | What you see | Things to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet season, mirror effect | January to March (sometimes from late December to early April) | A thin layer of water turns the salt into a huge mirror of the sky | Some areas and Incahuasi Island may be inaccessible; tours change routes; rain can delay transport |
| Transition | April and late November to December | Patches of water and dry salt; the mirror is possible but not guaranteed | A good compromise; fewer visitors |
| Dry season | May to November | A bright white crust of salt hexagons, crisp blue skies | Full access, including Incahuasi; very cold nights from June to August, often below freezing |
The mirror effect depends on rain, not the calendar: one week can be perfect and the next too dry or too flooded. If the mirror is the main reason for your trip, go between January and March and keep a flexible day. If you are combining Uyuni with Machu Picchu, remember that January to March is also the rainy season in Cusco and the Inca Trail is closed in February; our guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu helps you balance both. For a Peru and Bolivia trip that includes the Inca Trail or the best trekking weather, April or May to October is the safest compromise.
Altitude: the real challenge of this trip
From Cusco (3,400 m (11,150 ft)) onwards, almost this whole route runs above 3,600 m: Puno and the lake at about 3,800 m, El Alto above 4,000 m, Uyuni at about 3,650 m and the lagoons of the three-day tour much higher. That is why the order matters: start at sea level in Lima or on the coast, acclimatize in Cusco and the lower Sacred Valley, and only then head for Puno and Bolivia.
Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol on the first nights at each new altitude, eat lightly and sleep warm. Coca tea is everywhere on both sides of the border. Our guide to altitude sickness in Cusco explains the symptoms and when to see a doctor; the advice is the same for Puno, La Paz and Uyuni.
Sample itineraries
| Days | Plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days from Puno | Day 1 Puno → La Paz, night bus to Uyuni · Day 2 one-day salt flats tour, night bus to La Paz · Day 3 La Paz, flight home | Travelers adding Uyuni to a Peru trip |
| 5 days from Puno | Puno → Copacabana and Isla del Sol → La Paz (one night) → Uyuni (one-day tour) → La Paz | A calmer pace with the Bolivian side of Titicaca |
| 6 days from Puno | Puno → La Paz → Uyuni → 3-day Lípez tour ending in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) | Travelers continuing to Chile |
| 12 days from Lima | Lima, Paracas, Cusco, Humantay, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Route of the Sun, Titicaca, La Paz and Uyuni | Our Peru and Bolivia tour, everything organized |
How our Peru and Bolivia tour does it
Our Peru and Bolivia tour, 12 days, follows exactly this logic. After Lima, Paracas and a week around Cusco and Machu Picchu, Day 8 is the Route of the Sun to Puno and Day 9 the Uros and Taquile islands. On Day 10 we take you to the Puno bus terminal for the public bus to La Paz, arriving at about 2:30 pm, with a free afternoon and an overnight semi-bed bus to Uyuni at about 9:00 pm. Day 11 is the salt flats tour, from about 10:30 am: the Train Cemetery, Colchani, the salt flats and Playa Blanca, and lunch on Incahuasi Island, before the night bus back to La Paz. Day 12 you have a hotel room to shower and change, and we take you to the airport.
In the rainy season the route on the salt flats may change and an alternative route to Incahuasi may be used, depending on the water. The tour costs US$1,650 per person, with hotels, the Lima–Cusco flight, the Machu Picchu train and ticket, the Peru–Bolivia transport and the Uyuni tour included.
What to pack for Uyuni
- Warm layers: a down or synthetic jacket, a fleece, a hat and gloves. Days can be mild in the sun, nights are freezing, especially from June to August.
- Sun protection: dark sunglasses (the white salt reflects like snow), high-factor sunscreen and lip balm.
- Rubber boots or sandals in the wet season, if your tour does not provide boots. Salt water ruins shoes.
- Props for the perspective photos: a toy dinosaur, a bottle, a hat. Plan the shots with your group before you arrive.
- A dry bag or zip bags for your phone and camera; salt and water are bad for electronics.
- Cash in bolivianos for park fees, toilets, snacks and tips. ATMs exist in Uyuni but are not always reliable.
- Passport at hand on the buses and at the border.
Is Uyuni worth it on a Peru trip?
If you have 12 days or more and you love landscapes, yes: few places on Earth look like the Salar de Uyuni, and combining it with Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca makes one of the great journeys of South America. The honest downsides are the long bus rides, the cold and the altitude, so it is not the best choice for a first short trip, or for travelers who struggle with altitude.
If you have one week to ten days, focus on Peru: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, perhaps Paracas or the lake. Our 7-day Peru itinerary is a good start, and Uyuni can be the reason for your next trip.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Peru to the Uyuni Salt Flats?
Overland from Puno: a bus to La Paz across the border at Kasani (via Copacabana) or Desaguadero, then an overnight bus or a one-hour flight from La Paz to Uyuni. From Cusco, add a full day on the Route of the Sun to Puno.
How many days do I need for Uyuni from Peru?
At least three days from Puno: one to reach La Paz and take the night bus, one for the salt flats tour with the night bus back, and one in La Paz. With a three-day tour of the lagoons, count five or six days.
When can I see the mirror effect in Uyuni?
In the wet season, usually from January to March, when a thin layer of rainwater covers the salt. It depends on the rain, so it is not guaranteed on any given day. From May to November the salt flats are dry and white.
Do I need a visa for Bolivia?
It depends on your nationality, and the rules have changed in recent years for some passports. Check with a Bolivian consulate or your government's travel advice before booking, and travel with a passport valid for at least six months.
Which border crossing is better, Kasani or Desaguadero?
Kasani, via Copacabana, is more scenic and lets you visit the Isla del Sol, but adds time. Desaguadero is the more direct crossing used by many buses straight to La Paz. Both are land borders where you walk between the two migration offices.
Is the altitude in Uyuni a problem?
Uyuni is at about 3,650 m and the three-day tours approach 5,000 m. Coming from Cusco and Puno, you will be acclimatized for the one-day tour. Drink water, avoid alcohol and sleep warm, and see a doctor if symptoms get worse.
Can I visit Uyuni in a day trip from La Paz?
Not by road, as Uyuni is a night's bus ride away. With early and late flights it is possible in a very long day, but most travelers combine an overnight bus or flight with a one-day tour.
Official sources: CDC Yellow Book: High Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness · UNESCO World Heritage: Tiwanaku, Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture (Bolivia)
