Compare La Paz to Buenos Aires: Andes & the Atacama Desert by G Adventures vs Uyuni Salt Flats Tour 3 Days 2 Nights (Roundtrip from Uyuni) by Keteka
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 15 days | 3 days |
| Price From | $ 1,919 | $ 200 |
| Price Per Day | $ 128 | $ 67 |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Basic | Basic |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | 10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners |
All meals during the trip are included in the price |
| Description |
Breathe in the high mountain air of La Paz and dance in the tango palaces of Buenos Aires on this two-week adventure. Connecting the Andes to the Atlantic, you'll journey across the surreal landscapes of the Atacama Desert and the Salar de Uyuni. Feel like a sophisticate as you sip wine in Buenos Aires and pull back the curtain on the centre of the continent. Best of all, you'll do it in the company of other fun, young travellers. Don't choose between inspiring wilderness and urban sophistication — do it all. |
Visit some of the most breathtaking natural scenery in the world, and take in panoramic views of the Uyuni Salt Flats, high altitude lagoons, cactus-covered islands, active volcanos, and more on this 3-day, 2-night roundtrip tour from Uyuni! |
Day 1 La Paz
Arrive at any time. Catch your breath before heading out for a few cold ones near the hotel with your fellow travellers. Get to know each other as you prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.
Day 2 La Paz/Sucre
Get to know La Paz with a free day to wander through the city's winding streets and vibrant markets before boarding a night bus to Sucre.
Day 3 Sucre
Discover the beauty of Sucre, known as Bolivia's "White City" at your own pace with a free day to explore. Set in a valley surrounded by mountains, you can choose to go hiking or mountain biking to admire this city from a different point of view.
Day 4 Sucre
One day in Sucre isn't enough, so take another free day to explore! Try optional activities such as hiking, mountain biking, a visit to the Textile Cooperative, or get up close and personal with real dinosaur tracks.
Day 5 Sucre/Potosí
Venture south to Potosí, the highest city of its size in the world.
Staying in the Bolivian highlands, we travel south to the city of Potosí. The highest city of its size in the world, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has had a tumultuous history as a silver mining centre during colonial times.
Day 6 Potosí
Get out and explore Potosí on a free day. Choose to take an excursion to the silver mine, visit the Casa de la Moneda or wander the streets and visit the local market.
Day 7 Potosí/Uyuni
It's off to Uyuni today. Breathe in the beautiful scenery while relaxing in a private vehicle. Take it easy today because your next adventure is right around the corner!
Day 8 Uyuni/Salt Flats and Desert Crossing
Embark on a three-day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni. Get your camera ready because the endless white of the salt flats creates the perfect backdrop for mindbending photo ops. Settle in to your G Adventures-supported community salt-brick bungalow — complete with salt floors and salt furniture, and enjoy a delicious dinner prepared with local ingredients.
Note: During the rainy season, the locations visited may change due to some routes being covered by water. We offer unique accommodation on the Salar de Uyuni. Instead of very basic refuges and homestays most operators use, we have upgraded to simple hotels that are equipped with solar panels to provide electricity and hot water. Rooms are multi-share and each has a private bathroom. Meals are made from local ingredients, most of which are grown on-site.
Day 9 Salt Flats and Desert Crossing
Continue crossing the desert today, admiring the scenery while passing red and blue lagoons and intriguing rock formations along the route. Keep an eye out and you might spot wild llamas, alpacas, and even flamingos deep within the desert.
Day 10 Salt Flats and Desert Crossing /San Pedro de Atacama
Get a head start on your day by rising early to cover more ground on your journey through the unique landscape of the Salar de Uyuni. Soak in the views of unimaginable scenery including volcanoes and salt lakes. Travel to the border then kick back and relax on your descent by bus to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
Day 11 San Pedro de Atacama
Today is full of possibilities. Explore San Pedro de Atacama on a mountain bike, cruise down the dunes on a sandboard, or chill out in the hot springs. Or visit the Valley of the Moon, an area on Earth that resembles the moon's surface. (How cool is that?)
Day 12 San Pedro de Atacama/Salta
Say "Adios!" to Chile because you're heading to Argentina today. Relax on the bus en route to Salta, home to empanadas salteñas—and no visit to the town is complete without trying them! Unwind at the hotel or liven it up with a visit to a Peña Folklore show to dance the night away and sip delicious Argentine red wine.
Day 13 Salta
Tantalize your tastebuds with the local cuisine today as you explore freely. Choose to saddle up and admire the scenery on horseback. Or, if you'd prefer, take a visit to the town of Cafayate to roam vineyards and sample some of the white wine produced at insanely high altitudes.
Day 14 Salta/Buenos Aires
Skip the long bus journey with a quick flight to Buenos Aires. Spend the afternoon exploring the city. Cruise around on a bike with a local or dine on a traditional Argentine meal while experiencing the art of the tango.
Opt to pre-book the "Buenos Aires Tango Experience" on the checkout page ahead of time to include it on your tour.
Day 15 Buenos Aires
Depart at any time.
Consider booking post-tour accommodation to further explore fascinating Buenos Aires.
Day 1: Visit the world’s largest salt flats and stay in a hostel made of salt
The trip begins with a pickup at your hostel in Uyuni around 10:30 am. The first stop on the tour is the Train Cemetery, where you’ll see some of the oldest trains on the continent, rusted from the harsh climate. From there, the group move on to the town of Colchani, where you will learn about processing of salt, meet local artisans, and visit the Salt Museum.
Then, it’s on to the main attraction — the famous salt flats! The Uyuni Salt Flat is the world’s largest — at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 square miles). It’s situated at 3,656 meters (11,995 feet) above sea level. The flat was formed from prehistoric lakes. Today, you’ll have the chance to see the Salt Mountains, salt extraction facilities, and the “Eyes of the Salt Flat,” where water bubbles to the surface.
You will also visit Isla Incahuasi, an island of coral and giant cacti in the middle of the flats (30 boliviano entrance fee not included in the tour price). The day ends in the town of San Juan, where you will stay in a hostel that is made completely of salt.
Day 2: See wildlife and otherworldly rock formations
Accommodation: A hostel in Huayllajara
The exact order of Day 2 depends on weather and where other tour groups are that day, but you will see all of the following sights:
Cave Paintings
Valley of the Rocks – featuring formations, such as The Lost City of Italy, the World Cup, Camel, and many others!
Black Lagoon – This area is full of altiplanic flora and fauna, including tawas (black ducks with yellow faces), geese, and native vegetation.
Catal Canyon
The Fresh Water Waterfall Lookout Point – From here, you can see a valley that is home to many Andean towns that make their livings tending animals, such as llamas and alpacas.
Day 3: Relax in hot springs and visit high-altitude lagoons
Today is an early start, so that you can see the bright red lake, Laguna Colorada, which is a nesting ground at times for over 30,000 flamingos. Next, the group will visit the Geysers of the Morning Sun. Incredible natural spouts of steam spout from the ground at over 90°C (194°F), at an altitude of 4,900 meters (just over 16,000 feet!).
From there, you will go to the Polques hot springs, where you can enjoy the hot water before continuing the trip. After a relaxing dip, you’ll visit the Dalí Desert, named after Salvador Dalí, as it features rocks that are reminiscent of the style he uses in many of his paintings.
From here, the group continues to White Lagoon (Laguna Blanca) and Green Lagoon (Laguna Verde), both located at the foot of the impressive Licancabur Volcano. Once you are done checking out Laguna Verde, you will begin the return journey to Uyuni, which takes about 7 hours. You will stop for lunch around midday, but otherwise not stop many times on the way back. You will arrive back in Uyuni around 5:00 pm (17:00).
