Explora Uyuni

Tucked into the slopes of the Tunupa volcano, 12,000 feet above sea level on the northern edge of Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flats, the extraordinary Explora Uyuni Lodge exudes contemporary chic, and forms the origin for one of the world’s greatest, most scenic journey. Offering serenity, awe and adventure, the Travesía Explora Uyuni-Atacama is a private guided nomadic journey that invites you to witness the endless pure white expanse of the Uyuni Salt Flat, the world’s largest salt flat, and Chile’s Atacama Desert, the world’s driest desert, with mesmerizing scenery and explorations from every angle along the way.

Room Facilities

The lodge can host up to sixteen travelers in eight spacious rooms, each offering a spellbinding view of the high Andean salt flat from each bedroom. All are furnished with a king size bed or twin beds, adjoined by a private bathroom, and have been carefully designed to provide comfort and relaxation from your intrepid days of hiking and exploration.

Here, you can look forward to soft pillows, hot showers and thoughtful bathroom amenities. The lodge has a separate dining area serving exquisite indigenous cuisine created from local ingredients, and a lounge bar serving local wines.

Activities

At Explora Uyuni, a personal guide will always be on hand to help you select from a range of activities designed to fill your days and meet your interests and abilities. Not only do these highly trained guides possess all the knowledge and passion required to enrich your expedition, but they also all have Wilderness First Responder certification. In addition, the vehicles at your disposal have the latest satellite communication systems, GPS technology, VHF radio and oxygen supplies to ensure your safety and wellbeing.

Witness the endless pure white expanse of the Uyuni Salt Flat, which appeared as the planet ‘Crait’ in the climax of the 2017 Star Wars episode, The Last Jedi, as you elect from an array of hikes, overland trips, and bike rides. You may choose to take a road trip to Isla del Pescado, a hilly and rocky outcrop covered with cactus trees in the middle of this high Andean salt flat and named for its resemblance to a fish.

If you’re a true adventurer, you might be tempted by a hike to Tunupa volcano, a sacred protector of local villages. You can climb the multi-hued slopes of the volcano up to 17,835 feet, bike across a section of the salt flat, or cruise the slopes of the volcano by vehicle and stop at villages along the way. What you see here will remain imprinted on your heart and in your memory for the rest of your life.

An Unforgettable Journey

During your epic journey from Uyuni to Atacama, you will stop off at two Bolivian “mountain homes” along the way. Purpose-built for adventure in the Andes wilderness, Ramaditas and Chituca, are essential rustic spaces of prefabricated, minimalistic, and light construction to ensure as little interference as possible to the ground beneath and the surrounding territory. Each private lodge offers space for up to twelve travelers in six bedrooms, blessed with dramatic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

As you weave along the Qhapaq Nan section of the ancient Inca trail through a supernatural highland world, hiking, biking, and vehicle excursions will take you to local villages and breathtaking terrain, including places so remote even some locals don’t know about them. Your final destination, the Atacama Desert, is dotted with volcanoes, vibrantly colorful lagoons, flamboyances of flamingos, steaming geysers, and monumental rock formations. Connecting with farmers and experiencing their ancient cultures is also a highlight, with opportunities to learn about quinoa cultivation and highland shepherds.

Please note that Explora Uyuni can only be reserved as part of the Travesía to (or from) Explora Atacama, and may not be booked separately. The optimal season for the journey is between mid-April and mid-December.