Uyuni Salt & Sky Expedition

Join us to discover the surreal beauty of Bolivia’s southwest on this immersive 6-day overland tour through the Altiplano’s southern high desert and the incomparable Salar de Uyuni. Designed especially for photographers, though welcoming also adventurers, and nature lovers, this journey takes you deep into the heart of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve — home to colorful high-altitude lagoons, ethereal rock formations, steaming geysers, vast deserts, and ancient volcanoes.

Highlights include flamingo-filled lakes like Laguna Colorada and Laguna Hedionda, the green waters of Laguna Verde beneath towering Volcán Lincancabur, the bubbling geothermal fields of Sol de Mañana, and the wind-carved rock formations of the Siloli Desert. You’ll soak in natural hot springs, explore fossilized caves, and sleep under some of the clearest night skies in the world, with unforgettable views of the Milky Way over volcanic silhouettes.

The journey culminates on the iconic Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, where you’ll visit Isla Incahuasi, photograph cactus-studded landscapes at sunrise and sunset, and experience the dazzling white expanse stretching to the horizon.

Along the way, you’ll stay in remote lodges and desert refuges—including Tayka del Desierto and accommodations near Tunupa Volcano — for a truly off-the-grid experience. Whether you’re capturing astrophotography, exploring unique geology, or simply taking in the silence of Bolivia’s high plains, this tour offers a once-in-a-lifetime connection to one of Earth’s most otherworldly landscapes.

SPECIAL NOTE: Pre-Expedition Altitude Evaluation

For guests arriving in La Paz prior to the expedition, we offer a high-altitude fitness evaluation by Prof. Dr. Gustavo Zubieta-Calleja, a recognized expert in cardio-pulmonary adaptation and Director of the High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute (HAPPI-IPPA) in La Paz. Prof. Dr. Zubieta has advised athletes, researchers, and travelers from around the world on safe acclimatization and performance at altitude. This evaluation is optional and included in your tour price, and may be scheduled in advance of your departure to Uyuni.

Arrival on the Edge of the Salt Land

Our journey begins with a scenic drive from La Paz to the town of Uyuni, traversing the wide-open spaces of the Bolivian altiplano. We’ll settle into a unique salt-built hotel — a fitting introduction to the world’s largest salt flat. If daylight and timing allow, we may make a brief visit to Uyuni’s Train Cemetery, where rusting locomotives sit against a backdrop of endless sky, a reminder of the region’s mining and railway past. Depending on arrival, we might even step out onto the salar for a sunset shoot, though we’ll have an early departure the next morning for our first full day of exploration.

Cities of Stone

We set out toward the Ciudad del Encanto, a surreal maze of wind-carved rock towers and narrow passages. The formations create an otherworldly landscape that’s a dream for both wide-angle shots and intimate detail work. From here, we drive to the small community of Guadalupe, our gateway to the Ciudad Roma. The route is a photographer’s delight — sweeping views, shifting light, and occasional wildlife sightings often call for spontaneous roadside stops. After lunch in Guadalupe, we head toward the Ciudad Roma trailhead. A short but rewarding hike brings us to a panoramic viewpoint overlooking vast stone “cityscapes” framed by distant peaks. After soaking in the view and capturing it from multiple angles, we return to Guadalupe for the night.

Volcanoes, Ruins and Flamingos

The day begins at the haunting San Antonio de López, a colonial-era mining town now abandoned to the wind and sun. Stone walls and crumbling structures tell a silent story of centuries past. Climbing higher, we reach Laguna Morejón at 4,600 m, where the still surface reflects the twin summits of Volcán Uturunku, one of Bolivia’s highest peaks.

We pause in San Pablo de Lípez before continuing to Laguna Hedionda, home to James’s and Andean flamingos, often framed by mirror-like reflections. At Laguna Kolpa, locals harvest salt used in traditional soap-making — a glimpse into altiplano livelihoods. The day’s landscapes shift again at the Salar de Chalviri, where shallow pools and salt-crusted shores reflect the sky’s deep blues and passing clouds.

We end at the emerald waters of Laguna Verde, set against the perfectly conical Licancabur Volcano, before arriving at our hotel near the Polques hot springs. Those who wish can slip into the warm mineral waters under a canopy of stars — perhaps even setting up a tripod for some high-altitude astrophotography.

Steam and scarlet waters

We rise early to greet the dawn at Sol de Mañana, a geothermal wonderland nearly 4,900 m above sea level. Jets of steam erupt from the earth, and bubbling mud pots cast up mineral-rich spray — a scene as primeval as it is photogenic.

From this high plateau, we descend toward the Laguna Colorada, a vast, shallow lake stained crimson by algae and microorganisms, where thousands of flamingos feed in the shallows. The lake’s color shifts with the wind and light, making it a mesmerizing photographic subject.

Our final stop is the Árbol de Piedra, a wind-eroded stone formation rising from the Siloli Desert, where the stark beauty of sand and stone meets the horizon. Overnight at Hotel Los Flamencos, with views toward the shimmering waters of Laguna Hedionda.

Islands and galaxies

Today’s route includes Laguna Honda and a return to Laguna Hedionda, each offering unique angles and light for photographing flamingos and mountain reflections. We then descend to the Gruta de las Galaxias, where ancient coral-like formations — remnants of a prehistoric lakebed — create intricate patterns in the rock.

In the afternoon we reach Isla Incahuasi, a cactus-covered island rising from the heart of the salt flat. Late-day light transforms the surrounding expanse into a glowing mirror, and after sunset the true magic begins: astrophotography under a crystal-clear, moonless sky, with the Milky Way arcing over the salar’s horizon. Overnight on the island.

Crossing to Tunupa

We begin with an early shoot on Isla Incahuasi, capturing both the coral cave formations and the 360° sweep of the salar from its summit trail. Then we set out across the salt flat toward the towering Volcan Tunupa, its flanks painted in streaks of ochre, red, and gold. Arriving in Coquesa, we explore the lakeshore and prepare for a sunset session that blends the warm light on Tunupa’s slopes with the salt’s endless geometry. Once darkness falls, we can shoot starfields and long exposures before retiring to our lodging in Coquesa.

Farewell to desert, salt and stars

Dawn crowns Volcán Tunupa as you depart Coquesa, crossing the vast expanse of the Salar de Uyuni toward the southeast. The salt shifts from lavender to brilliant white under the rising sun. Along the way, pass the Dakar Monument and hand-stacked salt pyramids — sharp geometry against the horizon. At Colchani, see artisans refining salt and browse crystalline keepsakes before continuing to Uyuni. As evening falls, return to the salar for one last sunset — pastel light stretching across the flats, clouds igniting in orange and violet, and the salt glowing under a sky that feels closer to the stars than to Earth.

Trip Style & Field Conditions

The Experience

This is an 8-day, vehicle-based expedition across Bolivia's high desert and volcanic altiplano. You travel by private 4x4 — maximum three guests per vehicle to ensure room for long lenses, tripods, and camera bags. The daily rhythm follows light: pre-dawn departures for sunrise on the salar, midday transit between zones, and late-afternoon positioning for golden hour and twilight.

The route covers the Salar de Uyuni, the colored lagoons and geothermal fields of the southwest circuit, and Ciudad Roma — a remote volcanic formation of eroded towers and badlands where we camp overnight on a plateau accessible only on foot. Few travelers visit. Fewer stay the night.

Night sky photography is a central element. The altiplano offers some of the darkest skies on Earth, and clear nights at altitude produce extraordinary Milky Way conditions. At Ciudad Roma, with no light pollution for hundreds of kilometers, the sky is the subject.

We recommend flying between La Paz and Uyuni (under one hour, approximately $200 USD round trip) rather than driving — saving a full day each way for photography.

Field Infrastructure

Accommodation ranges across the spectrum of what the altiplano offers. The route includes stays at two Tayka Hotels — boutique properties with comfortable rooms, hot showers, and regional cuisine at altitude. Between them, basic refugios and hostales in remote desert towns provide functional shelter. Heating is limited — temperatures regularly drop below freezing at night. Hot water is not always available outside the Tayka properties.

The Ciudad Roma overnight is tent camping on the plateau — we provide all equipment. It's rustic, exposed, and extraordinary.

Meals are provided throughout, sourced locally where possible. Hearty Bolivian cuisine — soups, grains, llama or chicken, and coca tea at every stop.

Vehicle charging for camera batteries is available during transit. Cell service is intermittent to nonexistent outside of Uyuni town.

The high desert is beautiful and unforgiving. Altitude, UV exposure, wind, and cold are constant companions.

Who This Expedition Is For

This expedition is designed for photographers who:

Are comfortable at sustained altitudes above 4,000m
Want to photograph landscapes, night skies, and surreal terrain
Can work in extreme cold, wind, and UV exposure
Have experience with long-exposure and astrophotography techniques (or want to learn)
Value visual scale and isolation over wildlife density

Atacama extension note:

For photographers continuing south, we offer an optional extension into Chile's Atacama Desert — one of the driest places on Earth and a world-class destination for landscape and astrophotography. The crossing from Bolivia's altiplano into the Atacama is itself a photographic journey through volcanic passes and high desert terrain. Extension pricing is quoted separately based on group size and duration.

Investment