Review: San Pedro De Atacama & Uyuni 4-Day Adventure

So, thinking about seeing the Atacama Desert and the Uyuni Salt Flats? It’s almost the kind of trip you talk about for years. This review will look at a typical four-day adventure starting and finishing in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. We’ll talk about what’s great, what you might not enjoy so much, yet, what to think about when you’re arranging it. This is, very, more or less, the idea.

What to anticipate on your adventure

Typically, a four-day trip that does a loop from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni covers a whole heap of interesting things. You will, basically, cross from Chile into Bolivia, get to see surreal desert views, then, finally, visit the famous salt flats. A usual tour will be in a sturdy 4×4, traveling, like your average road tripper, with a driver and cook. Expect early mornings, high altitudes, and scenery that will look completely out of this world. Oh, so you should think about packing layers of clothing, right?

Day 1: San Pedro de Atacama to the Bolivian Border

Alright, so the fun very starts early. Many tours actually start before dawn to make the most of the daylight. It is that the first thing is crossing the border from Chile into Bolivia, right near the Atacama. Then, just a little further on, you find yourself in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. It’s almost full of volcanoes, colorful lakes like Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde, plus geysers. The landscape is just out of this world and a total shock, right. Accommodation tends to be basic on the first night; that being said it gives you a taste of what Bolivia is all about.

Day 2: Geysers and surreal landscapes

The second day might be, really, even more unbelievable. Imagine waking up super early to watch the sunrise at Sol de Mañana, is that a geyser basin alive with steaming vents and bubbling mud pools. Later on, very, that day might take you past more cool spots like the Dalí Desert – which, clearly, resembles a painting by Salvador Dalí – and several more colorful lagoons packed with flamingos. Many trips usually visit thermal baths where, alright, you can thaw out in the high-altitude chill. Like, your accommodations on the second night also might be pretty basic.

Day 3: Into the salt flats

So, the highlight for a heap of people, clearly, comes on day three. The 4×4 could be heading toward the Salar de Uyuni. Which, seemingly, is the biggest salt flat on earth. Waking up in a salt hotel, could be the next thing on the schedule; this being where everything from the walls to the furniture is built from salt blocks. You should anticipate spending hours exploring the never-ending white horizon, taking awesome perspective photos, then, of course, visiting landmarks like Incahuasi Island, is that a rocky outcrop with huge cacti. This evening tends to be spent in a slightly more cozy setting compared to the earlier nights.

Day 4: Back to San Pedro

Basically, the last day is usually about heading back to Chile. It tends to be that you get an early start to make it back to San Pedro de Atacama, is that a drive that can take the whole day. A lot of tours will actually stop at a few sights along the way. Anyway, depending on the route, but generally, arrive back in San Pedro in the late afternoon or early evening, with what are seemingly a crazy amount of photos and memories.

Things that are cool on a trip like this

The landscape is very other worldly: It’s like nowhere else, almost. Imagine deserts, volcanos, colored lakes, is that it’s kind of unbelievable. Taking photographs, arguably, it can be really good with lots of interesting photos to be had, specifically, that can make it look like another planet. Oh so seeing wildlife is another good point, you see lots of flamingos and vicuñas in their home place. Meeting others is also enjoyable as these adventures pull people in from every part of the world. This kind of trip, more or less, gets people very social with each other.

Stuff that is not as amazing

So, altitude sickness is no joke. In fact, spending days above 13,000 feet may affect you, then again others might be perfectly OK. Just to let you know, in some respects, lodging can be rather rough. Lodgings especially on the first couple of nights, they may be pretty basic and do not offer a ton of comfort. Also, so it’s not always easy, right, that border crossings might take a chunk of time, plus, the standards of organization might be very different to what you are used to.

Tips for planning the trip

Okay, so first things first: Book with someone that is known for reliability. It seems pretty important, right, to shop around and read feedback so you get an established tour company. So, very, pack clothing in layers. Conditions shift fast in the desert and at altitude, really, so you need to come prepared for heat and cold. Do, just a little, spend some time in San Pedro de Atacama just so you can adapt to the altitude before your travel, seemingly, begins. Always make sure you bring Bolivian currency for the fees that must be paid, seemingly, while you’re crossing borders and entering national parks. Try getting coca leaves as chewing them can make it easier to cope with the high altitude, yet, so most local people recommend them.

Is this tour for you?

Seemingly, if you love adventures. Yet, can cope with conditions that are rather tough, like being high up and traveling over deserts; and of course you adore photography then, almost, that four day travel is something that could work for you. Conversely, actually, this might not be well-suited if, arguably, you’re not ok with roughing it, have altitude-related problems, or are someone that desires extreme comfort.

So, to be real, spending four days seeing San Pedro de Atacama as well as Salar de Uyuni actually offers up sights, that, well, you’re not going to believe, very, that may even stay with you. What are nearly basic lodging spots, high-altitude situations and a few issues that might surface now and then, the tour tends to be an amazing thing if seeing other worldly landscape scenes, really, is something you adore.

#AtacamaDesert #UyuniSaltFlats #SouthAmericaTravel #AdventureTravel #Bolivia #Chile