Does the tour has daily departures?
Yes. The tour has confirmed departures all days of the week, the whole year.
How much time in advance should I book the tour?
Due to high demand of the tour, we recommend to book at least a week in advance.
Do I need to be vaccinated against yellow fever for the tour?
The vaccine against yellow fiebe is not required for the tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat. It is only required if you subsequently plan to visit the Bolivian jungle.
What kind of car is used to do the tour?
The tour is made on a 4×4 (Toyota Land Cruiser) in Bolivia in a group of 6 people each.
How is the infrastructure in every shelter?
All shelters have a similar level of infrastructure. They have shared mixed gender rooms, with 6 beds and have no heating. Bathrooms are shared and the first night there is warm shower, and the second has no shower. None of the shelters has internet.
What type of sockets have the accommodations?
The accommodations have sockets type C, compatible with the types E and F. Anyway, our recommendation is that you carry an adapter to avoid any inconvenience.
How many bags or suitcases can I bring?
Each passenger may carry at most 1 bag or suitcase of 18 kilos and one sleeping bag, which will go above the 4×4.
How is the weather along the tour?
In summer (December to March), the temperature ranges from about 4 °C as a minimum, to 23 °C maximum. In winter (June to September) the temperature ranges from about -20 °C as a minimum, to 16 °C maximum.
It is necessary to bring sleeping bag?
It is not essential, because the accommodations have blankets. Anyways, consider the information about the weather according to your trip’s date, and if you believe that you will feel cold, we recommend you bringing your own sleeping bag with a temperature rating of 32 ºF.
How much money should I bring to the tour?
We recommend to bring 300 bolivianos per person for expenses not included in the tour, as entrances to parks (186 bolivianos per person), access to toilets and buying of souvenirs.
How likely is suffer “puna” or altitude sickness during the tour?
Most of the tour is made above 13,123 ft. of altitude so it is quite likely to suffer from altitude sickness specially the first day of the tour. To avoid or reduce the general feeling of discomfort, we recommend acclimate to the altitude one or two days above 8,202 ft., drink lots of water before and during the tour, eat light meals (avoid meat) the previous days, and do not drink alcohol the night before the beginning of the tour.
What is it about the meals?
The meals are varied, and includes tea, coffee, bread, cookies and fruit for breakfast, and meat, pasta, rice, soup and vegetables for lunch and dinner. In case you need a vegetarian menu, you must ask for it writing at reservas@southtreks.com at the moment you make the online booking.
What about the tour in case of rain?
In case of rain, the order of the places visited and the accommodation places are subject to change, because some of the roads might be closed. Added to the previous information, water in the Uyuni Salt Flat is an important obstacle and the Incahuasi Island (located in the center of the salt flat) remains closed. This means the Incahuasi Island cannot be visited and we enter to the salt flat only for a certain distance, so the passengers are safe.
When is it possible to see the mirror effect on the Uyuni Salt Flat?
The mirror effect occurs when there is water on the salt flat. This happens only in rainy periods (January and February) and after them (March).
Is it possible to do the tour in private service?
Yes. To request rates, write to reservas@southtreks.com, indicating departure date and number of people.
Is it possible to do the tour staying in hotels instead of refugios and hostels?
If you want to do the tour with superior accommodation please check our tour.
Why all the restrictions to make the tour?
The tour is made in the Altiplano area, at an altitude above 9,842.5 ft. Just with this, our body is submitted to an abnormal stress, which can cause discomfort and risk in people with the conditions mentioned in the restriction’s section. Moreover, the tour does not have health insurance and there are not health centers to treat this kind of situations in a proper manner on the route.
Is it possible to do the tour with an english-speaking guide?
Yes. The English-speaking guide service has the following prices:
o 1 person: US$ 55 in high season and US$ 65 in low season.
o Group of 2 people: US$ 45 per person in high season, and US$ 55 per person in low season.
o Group of 3 peopler or more: US$ 30 per peson in high season, and US$ 40 per person in low season.
The service must be paid after the booking, after asking for availability at reservas@southtreks.com