On this 3-day excursion to La Paz and the Uyuni Salt Flat from Puno, we'll discover 2 very popular places in Bolivia that are sure to amaze you!
La Paz & Uyuni Salt Flat 3-Day Trip
Day 1: Puno - La Paz
Let's go on an adventure! At 9 am, we'll pick you up from your hotel in Puno and cross the border from Peru into Bolivia. We'll stop for lunch at your own leisure on the way to La Paz.
At around 3 pm, we'll arrive in the Bolivian capital. Here, we'll visit the city's cable car, the most important in South America, which runs aerially through the city up to the urban center.
In this area, we'll take a brief guided tour of the colonial quarter along the 16 de Julio and Mariscal Santa Cruz avenues to see the Church of San Francisco and Murillo Square. In the square, we'll find the Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz and the Legislative and Government Palace.
Afterwards, you'll have some free time to have dinner on your own before we take the bus to Uyuni at 8 pm.
Day 2: Uyuni Salt Flat - La Paz
Rise and shine! We'll arrive in Uyuni early in the morning and walk to a local restaurant so you can have breakfast on your own. We'll then take a jeep to the iconic Uyuni Salt Flat, which is the largest salt desert in the world. On the way, we'll stop at the Uyuni Train Cemetery, which is an open-air museum where you'll see Bolivia's first locomotives.
We'll hop out of the jeep in the town of Colchani, which is near the salt flat. Here, we'll see how salt extraction works and visit the Playa Blanca hotel, which was constructed entirely from salt blocks. We'll stop for a traditional regional lunch consisting of a starter, main course, and infusion, and then head into the desert towards Incahuasi Island, which is located in the heart of the salt flat. Get ready to see some huge cacti!
You'll have some free time in Incahuasi and at the salt flat to take pictures before returning to the town of Uyuni. Here, you'll have some more free time to rest, shop and have dinner at your own leisure. We'll reconvene at 8 pm and take you to the bus terminal so you can get the bus back to La Paz.
Day 3: La Paz - Pomata - Juli - Puno
We'll pull into La Paz at 5 am and take another bus to Desaguadero so we can cross the border again. From here, we'll take you somewhere you can have breakfast on your own before setting off for the Peruvian town of Pomata. When we get there, we'll visit the colonial Santiago Apostol Church, one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the area. You'll see the incredible Cusquenian artistry found inside this church.
Our next stop will be Juli, a city also known as Little Rome due to its large number of religious buildings. This city was also a centre of evangelization during the colonial period. We'll visit the church of San Juan de Letrán or Our Lady of the Assumption (depending on availability or the season), which were built by the Dominican and Jesuit orders.
After visiting these two places, we'll return to Puno and drop you off at your hotel at around 1 pm.
Overnight Bus
This tour doesn't include accommodation, but the return bus journey between La Paz and Uyuni takes place at night. You'll sleep on the overnight bus we take between these places.
