Field note · Bolivia · Potosí Department, Bolivian Altiplano

Uyuni and the Salar de Uyuni

Uyuni sits at 3,670 m on the altiplano and exists because of a railway junction; almost everyone arrives overnight and leaves within two days. There is no real bus terminal – the companies each keep a shop front on Avenida Arce and Avenida Cabrera a few blocks from the train station, and you buy from whichever counter is open. The overnight run from La Paz splits into two products on the same road: Todo Turismo's single tourist departure at 21:00 with a meal and a seat that reclines flat, at US$44 to US$49, and the ordinary interdepartmental buses at the regulator's capped fares, Bs 133 to Bs 276 depending on whether you want a normal seat, semicama or cama. Oruro is the other feeder, six to seven hours by bus and the terminus of the one surviving passenger train, the Expreso del Sur ferrobús, which runs a single weekly round trip down to Villazón on the Argentine border and stops at Uyuni in the small hours. Boliviana de Aviación flies into Joya Andina airport 5 km from town, which turns a fourteen-hour bus ride into an hour. Southwards, Potosí is three to seven hours and Tupiza five to six. The thing everyone comes for, the three-day Land Cruiser crossing of the salar and the Lipez lagoons, is genuinely transport as well as a tour: it is the normal way to get from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, dropping you at the Hito Cajón border at midday on day three. In town nothing needs a vehicle – it is all walkable – and the only local public transport of note is the ordinary bus out to Colchani on the edge of the salt. In January and February the salar floods and Incahuasi island comes off the itinerary; from May to August the nights at Laguna Colorada go to minus fifteen.

Researched: 22 September 2026
Reviewed: not yet
Ways of moving: 8, 26 sources
Not confirmed: 8
Fares seen: 2024–2026

How transport works here

8 ways of moving, each with its rule

We confirmed eight ways of moving to, from or around Uyuni: five by road, one by rail and cable, one hired or on demand and one by air, from 26 sources. One needs a phone call or a message before you turn up.

The fares were seen in 2024 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. We rate 3 of the 8 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 22 September 2026, and ends with eight things we could not confirm.

5 ways

By road

bus

Todo Turismo tourist night bus, La Paz to Uyuni

La Paz to Uyuni, about 550 km on fully paved road, and the same overnight run back

This company does not use the bus terminals. In La Paz it loads at its own office on Avenida Uruguay at the corner of pasaje Kramer no. 710 – from the main entrance of the La Paz bus terminal, walk about 100 m downhill to the passage. In Uyuni there is no physical terminal at all and the bus goes from the office door on Avenida Cabrera between Calle Bolívar and Avenida 6 de Agosto. Buses are Volvo coaches with Starlink satellite wifi, dinner and breakfast served on board

When: One departure a day in each direction, at 21:00, arriving early the next morning
Takes: 10 hours
Fare 2026: Cama Ejecutivo US$49, Semicama Master Suite US$44 on the headline service; a cheaper tier is shown at US$34 semicama and US$39 cama. Date or route changes cost US$5 per passenger, as does transferring a ticket to someone else

SeasonDaily year-round. Road blockades are common in Bolivia and the company's policy is that you must contact them to be met on the road or be treated as a no-show. BookingOnline at todoturismosrl.com, or WhatsApp +591 76974976. You get 30 minutes to complete an online purchase. Book ahead in high season and before you leave on a salar tour if you want the return. Run byTodo Turismo SRL.

bus

Ordinary interdepartmental buses from La Paz and Oruro

La Paz (the main terminal, and the El Alto interdepartmental terminal) and Oruro to Uyuni, mostly overnight. Many services are really Oruro buses and require a change there

In Uyuni these do not use a station either: the companies keep a row of offices on Avenida Arce a few blocks from the train station, around the corner of Cabrera. Walk the row and compare – departure boards are handwritten and cancellations happen without the office opening to explain. Watch your bag physically go into the hold; luggage going astray on Uyuni buses is a known problem

When: Several a day from La Paz, mostly leaving in the evening. From Uyuni towards Oruro and La Paz, departures have been logged at 04:30, 09:00, 15:30, 17:00, 22:00 and 23:00. Seats sell out, so book at least a day ahead and several days ahead in high season
Takes: 12 to 15 hours La Paz to Uyuni; 6 to 7 hours Oruro to Uyuni
Fare 2026: The regulator ATT caps the La Paz to Uyuni fare at Bs 133 normal, Bs 192 semicama and Bs 276 cama. Oruro to Uyuni on a semicama night bus has been reported at Bs 50

SeasonYear-round. Bitterly cold at night in winter – travellers sit in sleeping bags on the Oruro to Uyuni leg. Blockades and strikes stop services with no notice. BookingAt the company office, in person, usually cash. Check the ATT capped fare before paying – the regulator publishes it precisely because of overcharging. Run byMultiple private companies including Trans Omar and Panasur; fares set by the Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes (ATT).

bus

Uyuni to Potosí and Sucre buses

Uyuni east to Potosí on a paved road through the altiplano, and on from Potosí to Sucre. Some direct Uyuni to Sucre services exist but they are less frequent

Same row of company offices on Avenida Arce in Uyuni. At the Potosí end, Uyuni-bound buses use the old terminal on Avenida Universitaria, about a 30-minute walk uphill from the centre, not the new terminal in the northeast

When: Several a day. From Potosí towards Uyuni, departures at 10:00 and 18:00 are the traditional pair, with more afternoon runs including 13:00 and 15:00 reported from 2024
Takes: 3 to 4 hours according to the Uyuni end, 5 to 7 hours according to the Potosí end – treat 5 hours as realistic. Potosí to Sucre adds another 3 to 4 hours
Fare 2024: Bs 30 to Bs 35 Uyuni to Potosí. Potosí to Sucre Bs 17, or Bs 35 to Bs 50 in a shared cab that does it in 2½ to 3 hours

SeasonYear-round. Companies have cancelled without notice and without opening the office to explain. BookingAt the office the day before, or turn up. Cash. Run bySeveral small private companies; no dominant operator.

share taxi

Uyuni to Tupiza buses, rapiditos and the occasional Land Cruiser

Uyuni south to Tupiza via Atocha, about 200 km. The last stretch has long been rough road and dry riverbed, with highway construction under way

From the office row on Avenida Arce. Buses stop for an hour or so at Atocha even when sold as direct, which is worth using to look at the mine and the morning market west of the tracks. Rapiditos – shared minibuses – run the same road faster but you may have to change and wait at Atocha. Ask around for the Land Cruiser that sometimes leaves in the early evening

When: Several a day: departures from Tupiza around 05:30 to 06:00, 10:00 and 18:00, with three days a week adding a 09:00. Broadly the same pattern in the Uyuni direction
Takes: 5 to 6 hours by bus, roughly 1½ hours of it to Atocha plus the stop. The train covers it faster and far more smoothly
Fare 2024: Bs 40 to Bs 60 on the bus. Rapiditos Bs 30 to Atocha and Bs 60 through to Uyuni

SeasonYear-round, but this is the section that floods – the rail line here has been closed by flooding and the road crosses riverbeds. BookingAt the office, or on the spot for the rapiditos. Run byIndependent bus and minibus companies.

colectivo

Local bus to Colchani and getting about Uyuni town

Uyuni to Colchani, the salt-processing village 7 km north on the edge of the salar, on the ordinary local bus that crosses onto the flats

Catch it in the street where the bus company offices are, around the corner of Calle Cabrera and Avenida Arce. It is the budget way onto the salar without an agency: ride out, tell the driver where to put you down, and walk. Allow at least two hours on foot to reach any of the salt hotels, and do not wander – people have died walking out onto the flats. Uyuni town itself is entirely walkable and needs no transport at all

When: Ordinary local service through the day, no published timetable
Takes: About 20 minutes to Colchani
Fare 2024: Bs 10 for the local bus. A taxi across Uyuni town is a few bolivianos – agree it first, as some drivers charge per person

SeasonYear-round. In the January to March wet season the flats around Colchani are under water, which is the point for photographers and a problem for walkers. BookingNone, pay on board. Run byLocal bus owner-operators.

One way

By rail and cable

train

Expreso del Sur ferrobús, Oruro – Uyuni – Atocha – Tupiza – Villazón

The single surviving passenger rail service on the western network, running Oruro south through Uyuni, Atocha and Tupiza to Villazón on the Argentine border, and back

Uyuni's station is in the middle of town at the top of Avenida Ferroviaria, the most obvious landmark in the place, with the tourist map across the street. Southbound trains reach Uyuni in the small hours and leave again at 06:00, so you will be at the station in the dark either way

When: One round trip a week. Southbound: Oruro Monday 21:30, Uyuni Tuesday 04:23 arrive and 06:00 depart, Atocha 08:08, Tupiza 11:43, Villazón 16:30. Northbound: Villazón Thursday 14:30, Tupiza 18:10, Atocha 21:55, Uyuni just after midnight, depart Uyuni Friday 01:00, Oruro 07:55
Takes: 6 hours 53 minutes Oruro to Uyuni; about 5 hours 45 minutes Uyuni to Tupiza including the stop at Atocha; about 10 hours 30 minutes Uyuni through to Villazón
Fare 2026: Oruro to Uyuni Bs 60, Uyuni to Atocha Bs 22, Atocha to Tupiza Bs 25, Tupiza to Villazón Bs 25, on the operator's own published table

SeasonYear-round on the published timetable. The Uyuni to Villazón line has been closed by flooding before, for months at a time. BookingOnline through the operator's Boletos page, or at the station ticket window. Third-party agents such as ticketsbolivia.com.bo also sell ferrobús tickets. Book ahead – there is only one train a week each way. Run byEmpresa Ferroviaria Andina (FCA).

One way

Hired, booked and on demand

offroad 4x4

Three-day Land Cruiser crossing, Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama

Uyuni across the Salar de Uyuni to Incahuasi island and a salt hostel, then south through the Siloli desert, the Árbol de Piedra and Laguna Colorada, then over the Sol de Mañana geysers and Laguna Verde to the Hito Cajón border and down into San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. The alternative on day three turns back to Uyuni instead

Agencies line the streets around the train station and the Plaza Arce; Andes Salt Expeditions, for one, is at 56 Avenida Ferroviaria at Arce, opposite the station. Vehicles are Toyota Land Cruisers carrying six passengers plus a driver-guide who is also the mechanic. Get your Bolivian exit stamp at the immigration office on Ferroviaria in the old cinema before you leave, and pick a company on reputation rather than price – drunk driving and breakdowns in the cold are the standing complaints

When: Daily departures, leaving about 10:00. Day three reaches San Pedro de Atacama at about 13:00, or back in Uyuni at about 18:00
Takes: 3 days and 2 nights, first night in a salt hostel, second in a dormitory at Huayllajara near Laguna Colorada
Fare 2026: US$230 per person for the standard shared 3-day tour with a Spanish-speaking driver-guide, the same price whether you are 1 or 6 people. The onward transfer from the border to San Pedro is not included and costs US$20 per person in a shared minibus run from the Chilean side. Extras paid on the spot: Eduardo Avaroa park entry Bs 150, Incahuasi island Bs 30, hot spring Bs 6, hot shower Bs 10. Wikivoyage's 2024 street price for a bare-bones 3-day tour was around Bs 800 plus Bs 50 for the onward transfer, so there is a wide spread

SeasonDaily year-round, but January and February are the rainy months when the salar floods under about 20 cm of water and Incahuasi island, 80 km out, is dropped from the itinerary as unsafe. May to August is the cold season, minus 15 at night at Laguna Colorada. Running the other way from San Pedro costs roughly 50% more. BookingWalk into an agency office the day before; most also take online bookings. Airport and bus-office transfers in Uyuni are usually included if you tell them your arrival a day ahead. Run byDozens of Uyuni agencies, among them Andes Salt Expeditions; the Chilean leg from Hito Cajón is subcontracted to a San Pedro operator.

One way

By air

scheduled flight

Boliviana de Aviación flights to Joya Andina airport

La Paz El Alto and Cochabamba to Uyuni's Joya Andina airport (UYU), about 5 km northwest of town, plus a seasonal international link to Cusco in Peru

The airport is a short taxi ride from the centre; most salar agencies include the airport pick-up in the tour price if you tell them your flight the day before. The runway is 4,000 m long, tied for the longest in Bolivia, which is why private jets use it too

When: Scheduled BoA services; several a week rather than several a day. Two thousand tourists a week were passing through the airport in early 2026
Takes: About 1 hour from La Paz, against 12 to 15 hours by bus
Fare 2026: No published fare confirmed. Domestic air fares in Bolivia are capped by the ATT, which also keeps a Bs 15 airport use charge

SeasonYear-round, but the altiplano weather closes it: BoA cancelled flights in August 2026 when snow covered the runway, and the airport sits at about 3,665 m so afternoon wind matters. BookingThrough the airline or a travel agent; buy early, seats are limited and the route is the fast way in and out during the February high season. Run byBoliviana de Aviación (BoA).

Not confirmed

What we could not find out

8 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.

01
Correction to the brief: there is no longer a two-train system of the Expreso del Sur and the Wara Wara del Sur on separate days. Ferroviaria Andina's own passenger page now advertises one product, the Expreso del Sur ferrobús, with a single weekly round trip – Oruro southbound on Mondays, Villazón northbound on Thursdays. No Wara Wara service, and no second weekly departure, appears anywhere on the operator's site. The older Wikivoyage table showing Tuesday/Friday and Wednesday/Sunday departures with popular, salón and ejecutivo classes is out of date.
02
The current ferrobús has no published class structure or class-based fares – the operator lists one price per leg. Whether a sleeper or an executive carriage still exists could not be confirmed.
03
No 2026 fare was found for the Uyuni to Potosí, Uyuni to Sucre or Uyuni to Tupiza buses from an operator or regulator source. The Bs 30 to Bs 60 figures are Wikivoyage reports from 2024 and earlier, and Bolivian fares have moved a long way since. The ATT publishes capped interdepartmental fares from La Paz but the published table found did not cover Uyuni-origin routes.
04
Todo Turismo's own site shows two price pairs (US$49/US$44 and US$39/US$34) without labelling which service each belongs to. Confirm at the counter which tier you are buying.
05
No published BoA fare or weekly frequency for the Uyuni route was obtainable – boa.bo blocks automated access. The airline's Uyuni destinations are taken from Wikipedia's airport article, which cites an aviacionline report of the Cusco launch dated December 2025.
06
Which specific tour products stop in the wet season is only partly answered. One operator states plainly that Incahuasi island is dropped in January and February because of 20 cm of standing water. No source was found confirming that whole multi-day circuits are suspended, and mirror-effect tours are actively sold in exactly those months, so the wet season changes the itinerary rather than cancelling it.
07
Altitude figures vary by source: Wikivoyage's Uyuni article gives the town as 3,700 m and says the longer tours reach 5,500 m, while the Salar de Uyuni article says the highest point visited is about 5,000 m with sleeping at 4,200 m. The operator itinerary describes reaching 5,000 m on day two and Laguna Colorada at 4,278 m. Treat 4,900 to 5,000 m as the realistic maximum.
08
Nothing was found describing scheduled colectivos between Uyuni and nearby villages other than Colchani, or a fixed taxi tariff inside Uyuni.

In the planner

What the planner can route today

The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Uyuni is this.

Y: Scheduled flightsQuijarro (UYU), 4 km
Y: Trains and coachesTransitous carries 2 timetable feeds for this country, 0 with real-time
N: Ferriesno crossing within 25 km
Y: Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
N: Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
N: Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere

Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known.