Best ways to get to the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia

Traveling through Bolivia is not easy; there are few straightforward options to get to rural destinations, such as the salt flat. Located approximately 100 miles from the city of Potosi, the salt flat has become Bolivia's most popular tourist attraction. Based on my experience traveling to the salt flat a few times via bus and plane, I developed different opinions on which one I think is best. Here are my recommendations on how to get to one of the most incredible places on earth.

Hexagonal shapes observed in the Uyuni salt flat (wintertime)

By airplane

Uyuni is a small city near the salt flat, founded in 1890. This city is today the starting point for tourists who want to explore the salt flat and its surroundings. In 2011 Uyuni opened up a small airport due to its significant increase in tourism over the last decade. As of today, the national airline, BOA, has flights to Uyuni only Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. This flight departs from Cochabamba and land in Uyuni within 1 hour and 10 minutes. Depending on the season, these flights might vary from $200 to $300+. One of the most popular seasons to go is during summer in Bolivia (December -March). Therefore, expect higher prices at the beginning of the year. So the easiest, not cheapest, way to get up there is by plane.

If you are trying to travel on a budget, flying might not be your best option. Flights are not cheap compared to bus tickets, and flight schedules are limited. Since flights are not scheduled daily, you might have to sleep more nights, if necessary, to catch the next flight. However, the good thing about Uyuni is that you can always find low-cost hotels and transportation. Therefore, flying might be more expensive but the amount of time you save on a plane trip compared to a bus ride is highly beneficial when planning a relatively short itinerary.

Once you arrive in the salt flat, tourists are moved around in oldies Toyota Land Cruiser. All local agencies have these exact same cars. They might look old but are constantly maintained. You will spend a lot of time on these cars doing different activities, such as exploring lakes, islands, mountains, and other places in and out of the salt flat. So it might be worth saving time flying to the salt flat, especially if you plan to stay only a few days.

By bus

You can also get to Uyuni by bus or car. Bus ticket prices range between $5 to $10. These buses depart from Potosi every day at different hours of the day. This is a very affordable option and a great option to explore the wonderful city of Potosi. However, based on my experience, I do not recommend going to the salt flat by bus for two reasons; altitude sickness and time. If you have not experienced high altitudes before or often, you might get altitude sickness when riding from Potosi to Uyuni. Remember, Potosi is one of the highest cities in the world! It has an elevation of more than 13,000 ft above sea level. The driving time is around 4 hours, which might not seem very long; however, the roads are not always in the best shape and are particularly curvy. So you will experience a lot of movement on the road.

If you love to be on the road and want to get to the salt flat this way, this is an excellent way to save money and explore more places. Just make sure to give yourself some time to acclimatize and drink coca leaf tea to help with altitude, as locals regularly do. Another popular way to get to the salt flat is by overnight buses from La Paz to Uyuni. This trip lasts 10-12 hours and costs approximately $40. This is a good option if you do not want to spend a day on the road and save money.

To conclude, flying to the salt flat is not the cheapest option but the fastest, most comfortable, straightforward, and time-saving option. Therefore when planning to come to the salt flat, choose the option that best suits your stay there. If you are a backpacker planning to stay long in Bolivia and visit as many places as possible. I totally recommend you get on the road. You will be able to interact with more locals and have a more authentic experience of every culture and place around. However, if you want to visit the salt flat for a couple of days and then go to your next destination, flying might suit you better. Both options are great ways to explore Bolivia.