1. Home
  2. Bolivia Tours
  3. Lodges
  4. Explora Uyuni

Explora Uyuni

A luxurious, minimalist Scandi-style lodge set upon Bolivia's spectacular Uyuni Salt Flats.

Overview

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.

Itineraries & Prices

All itineraries are subject to change due to seasonal weather conditions (and resultant variations in river and tributary water levels) affecting accessibility to locations. Thus navigation routes, times and excursions may need to be modified at the cruise captain’s or your guide's discretion.

1 / 1
11-Day

11 Day - Boundless Uyuni

itinerary map

Arriving to Bolivia

AM: We pick you up at the Uyuni airport and we drive to the Uyuni lodge, settled on the slopes of the Tunupa volcano. This is the salt flat with the greatest area and the highest altitude on Earth, located at 3,665 m.a.s.l./ 12,024 f.a.s.l. The wondrous landscapes are never-ending as we approach the Uyuni salt flat. As soon as you arrive you will feel the immersion in the essence of the remote. 

PM: After your welcome, we introduce you to the region with a briefing, either before lunch, or after your first exploration, depending on the time you arrive. In the end of the day, you and and a guide discuss and deci where and what you will be exploring in the next few days.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Uyuni
Day
1 / 11

Exploring Uyuni Salt Flats

AM-PM: Take in the astounding view over the Uyuni salt flat from the comfort of our haven. Your guide will help you decide the explorations you would like to go on. You can choose from hikes, overland trips, and bike rides. Climbing the multi-hued slopes of the volcano up to 5,432 m.a.s.l/ 17,835 f.a.s.l., biking across a section of the salt flat, or cruising the slopes of the volcano and stopping by at villages along the way are a few of the possibilities. What you see here will remain imprinted in your heart, soul and fondest memory for the rest of your life.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Uyuni
Day
2 / 11

Exploring Uyuni Salt Flats

AM-PM: Take in the astounding view over the Uyuni salt flat from the comfort of our haven. Your guide will help you decide the explorations you would like to go on. You can choose from hikes, overland trips, and bike rides. Climbing the multi-hued slopes of the volcano up to 5,432 m.a.s.l/ 17,835 f.a.s.l., biking across a section of the salt flat, or cruising the slopes of the volcano and stopping by at villages along the way are a few of the possibilities. What you see here will remain imprinted in your heart, soul and fondest memory for the rest of your life.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Uyuni
Day
3 / 11

Uyuni to Chituca

AM: After a fulfilling breakfast, we set off to Chituca, where we will spend the next night - we get to walk through ancient mines and valleys on the way. The Turquiri lagoon, with its great diversity of birds and rock formations, is the perfect setting for a restoring lunch.

PM: Time to explore the region in greater depth: you may choose between hiking or alternating drives and short walks. After the exploration is done, we continue the drive towards Chituca, where we will learn about the culture and way of life of the locals.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Chituca
Day
4 / 11

Exploring Chituca

AM: Another new day in Chituca allures deeper exploration of this abundant region. You may delve into the wonders of the territory in a full-day exploration, or return for lunch at the mountain home. Trail ancient routes, discover shepherds’ havens, sight the colours of quinoa plantations, decipher petroglyphs and pictoglyphs that depict Andean history, and even climb the mountains to presence the region’s active volcano.

PM: At nightfall, the silence of the Altiplano fills the air as we wonder at the starry shimmering sky, which has served as a map for the people in the region for centuries and at which we will be able to have an exceptional look through an astronomy binocular.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Chituca
Day
5 / 11

Roaming Chituca to Ramaditas

AM: After a fulfilling breakfast, we set off to one of the explorations of your choice. Explore the mountain home’s surroundings, roaming the cactus forest and the ancient agricultural terraces nearby. Or visit the village of San Pedro de Quemes, a former Spanish settlement with bewildering panoramic views of the Altiplano and the salt flat. 

PM: We then proceed until we reach Ramaditas Mountain home, where we watch the sunset into the horizon and finally rest for a new day. As we close our eyes, we can feel and listen to the vast silence, the lonely beauty of the territory we have just started to unearth.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Chituca - Ramaditas
Day
6 / 11

Altiplano Views & Activities

AM: Fresh exploration possibilities come to life with every inch of the Altiplano illuminated by the new morning. Ahead of you: a day full of discoveries. Choose from hikes, over lands, and mountain climbs to unfold the beauty and spirit within the shimmering lagoons, vast valleys, bewildering salt flats, and majestic rocky formations – some of them so grand we call “cathedrals” – surrounding the mountain home.

PM: When the night starts to fall, we return to our haven and spend one more evening in the heart of the Altiplano, connecting with its nature and with our own.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Ramaditas
Day
7 / 11

Crossing the Border - Welcome to Chile!

AM: We transfer you to the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, located at 2,407 meters above sea level/ 7,897 feets above sea level. After your welcome, we introduce you to the region with a talk either just before lunch, or after your first exploration, depending on the time you arrive.

PM: During the later part of the day you and a guide can discuss and decide where and what you will be exploring in the next few days.

We do recommend you start off by exploring the oasis, the La Sal and Domeyko mountain ranges, the Atacama salt flat and the unparalleled canyons, landscapes and ecosystems. After that, adventuring yourself over the Altiplano’s 4,000 m.a.s.l/ 13,123 f.a.s.l. is an experience you will not regret. But above all, experiencing the Puritama hot springs with your own senses is a must.

This is the perfect start for the transforming journey ahead of you. Warm up body and mind by unravelling the many charms that astonishingly bloom in the Atacama desert.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Ramaditas - Atacama
Day
8 / 11

Marvel at the Atacama Desert

AM - PM: Delve into the world’s driest desert and feel its inextricable aura in every landscape. The plan you and your guide have idealised together begins to unfold at your own pace in this private programme. The activities range from light to difficulty levels, short to long durations, and multiple exploration methods: hiking, horseback, bike rides, drives and short walks, and even mountain climbing, for the adventurous-spirited. And remember: any weather makes a perfect day for exploring. But if the skies happen to be clear, dive into the fresh desert night sky in an astronomy session in the observatory at our hotel.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Atacama
Day
9 / 11

Landscapes of the Atacama Desert

AM-PM: Delve into the world’s driest desert and feel its inextricable aura in every landscape. The plan you and your guide have idealised together begins to unfold at your own pace in this private programme. The activities range from light to difficulty levels, short to long durations, and multiple exploration methods: hiking, horseback, bike rides, drives and short walks, and even mountain climbing, for the adventurous-spirited. And remember: any weather makes a perfect day for exploring. But if the skies happen to be clear, dive into the fresh desert night sky in an astronomy session in the observatory at our hotel.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Atacama
Day
10 / 11

Departure

AM: The last day of the Travesía. After a nourishing breakfast, we drive across the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama towards the Calama airport, recalling all we have lived for the past days as we gaze off into the rare beauty and enormity of this extraordinary place. A last glance. For now.

Explora Uyuni - Boundless Uyuni
Location
Atacama - Calama
Day
11 / 11
1 / 11

Accommodations

Social Areas

Atacama Lodge
Ramadita Camp
Ramadita Lounge
Chituca Camp
Chituca Camp Exterior
Uyuni Lodge Lounge

Suites & Cabins

Explora Uyuni's Room.
8 Cabins

Uyuni Suite

Guests
2
Size
Beds
King / Twin

Each Uyuni Room includes one king sized bed or two twin beds, toiletries, bathrobes, slippers, safe deposit box, heating hairdryer, complimentary wake up calls, and laundry service.

Technical Information

Property Layout

Features

  • Wheelchair access
  • WIFI available
  • Solar Energy
  • Onsite tour desk
  • Hot showers
  • All inclusive
  • Heating
  • Charging areas for electronic equipment

Equipment

  • Satellite phone
  • Nitrox
  • Flash lights
  • Water canteen/bottle
  • Binoculars
** Use of certain equipment at additional cost, ask for details
As Featured In