Cones of harvested salt on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
← All destinations South America

Bolivia

High altitude, and the world's largest salt flat

Photo: Piles of Salt Salar de Uyuni Bolivia Luca Galuzzi 2006 a.jpg by Luca Galuzzi (Lucag), edit by Trialsanderrors, CC BY-SA 2.5. All photo credits

The least-visited of its neighbours and the most striking to photograph. Most trips here attach to Peru, since Lake Titicaca straddles the border between the two.

What it's known for


  • Salar de Uyuni The largest salt flat on earth, and a mirror after rain
  • La Paz A capital built into a canyon at around 3,600 m, with cable cars as public transport
  • Lake Titicaca The highest navigable lake in the world, shared with Peru
  • Tiwanaku Pre-Inca ruins on the altiplano, within a day trip of La Paz

When to go


May to October is dry and clearest. The salt flat floods between December and April, which is when the mirror effect appears.

Getting there


Usually entered overland from Peru across Lake Titicaca, or by air into La Paz or Santa Cruz. Altitude needs planning for.

This page is a starting point, not a packaged trip. Larry builds each itinerary around what you want and quotes it once he has confirmed availability and current pricing.