Uyuni tour from Tupiza or Uyuni?

Hello lisalisa, if you want to go to Uyuni, the best route from Argentina is:

Salta - Jujuy - La Quiaca - Villazón - Tupiza - Uyuni

In Uyuni you will find plenty of turist agencies that offer guide services, it depends at what time you arrive to Uyuni.

cheers

If you're coming up from Argentina it makes much more sense to do the tour from Tupiza (its a 4 day tour to Uyuni from there, not 3). Saves backtracking, you get an extra day of sights on the tour and see the Salar at sunrise on the last day which Uyuni tours don't offer. Agencies in Tupiza are usually better on average as well (or at least there are less corner cutting cheap ones).

You should arrive in Uyuni after lunch so you could probably leave for your next destination later that afternoon / evening, though after 4 days in a jeep on rough roads and basic hostels you might want a night in Uyuni to relax rather than getting straight on a bus. If you go to straight to Uyuni you may well end up spending a night there before or after a tour in any case, the 3 day tours from Uyuni usually return there late pm.

Very much in agreement with #2, you'll just lose the extra day you could have on the 4 day tour from Tupiza by first going to Uyuni and then backtracking.

The tour companies in Tupiza tend to be a bit more expensive, but you get better quality. I myself went with Tupiza Tours a couple of years back and was more than content with their (not drunk!) driver and the cook and the over-all stops-to-sitting-in-the-car-staring-out-the-window ratio. I haven't read of a bad experience with La Torre, the other big company from Tupiza, on here either. And again as #2 says, seeing a sunrise from the border of the Salar is just incredible.

All the bad stuff with drivers not showing up, drivers being drunk, etc. I read on here is with Uyuni companies. No doubt there's good ones as well, but finding those apparently isn't as straightforward in Uyuni as it is in Tupiza.

So just make your way to Tupiza and start your tour from there.

By the way, I don't know how soon after NYE you'll be planning your tour, but do take note of this in your plans!

Edited by: Peter_1972

Nothing wrong with the town of Uyuni itself, just there is not much to see and do there. But one night after the tour from tupiza won't be bad if you can't or don't want to catch a bus onwards that day after the tour ends.

Hi,

I'm going to be doing a similar trip but in reverse direction. Tupiza>Salta>Salta airport SLA. Just wondering if there's any information on bus schedules? I heard the trip is around 10 hours total. How long does it take for the border crossing and does it open 24/7?

Thanks.

I would fully endorse a tour from Tubeza. The extra day and extra expense was well worth it