Essential Bolivia: Self-Launched

Touch down at El Alto International Airport (LPB) and take a shared minibus or taxi collectivo into central La Paz (around £2–4). Spend the afternoon acclimatising — La Paz sits at 3,640m above sea level, so take it slow. Wander the Witches' Market (Mercado de las Brujas) and the colourful Jaén Street. In the evening, head to a lively local restaurant in the Sopocachi neighbourhood for your first taste of Bolivian food — try salteñas or a hearty sopa de maní.

🚌Shared minibus from airport to city centre ~£2–4

🛏Hostel: Wild Rover Hostel or Adventure Brew Hostel (central La Paz, dorm ~£10–12/night or private room ~£20–25/night)

• →Explore the Witches' Market (free)
• →Walk Jaén Street and Plaza Murillo (free)
• →Acclimatise with a gentle stroll around Sopocachi neighbourhood

Book a budget internal flight from La Paz to Uyuni with Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) or Amaszonas — typically £50–80 one way if booked a few weeks ahead. On arrival in Uyuni, join a 3-day/2-night shared 4×4 jeep tour departing that afternoon — this is the standard independent traveller method and costs around £60–80 per person all-in (accommodation, most meals, transport within the reserve). Your jeep will stop at the Train Cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes), a hauntingly photogenic graveyard of rusted 19th-century locomotives. Continue to San Cristóbal for a historical stop before heading into the desert for the night.

🚌BoA/Amaszonas internal flight La Paz–Uyuni ~£60–80; shared 4×4 jeep tour departure from Uyuni (included in tour package)

🛏Desert lodge included in shared jeep tour package (e.g. Tayka Del Desierto or similar basic desert hostel)

• →Train Cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes) — entry ~£1
• →Stop at San Cristóbal old silver-mining town (free)
• →Book 3-day shared 4×4 jeep tour from Uyuni via GetYourGuide or local agencies on Avenida Ferroviaria, Uyuni (~£65–80pp all-in)

Day 2 of your shared 4×4 jeep tour takes you deep into Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. Rise early to visit Laguna Colorada, a striking red-hued lake home to thousands of flamingos — one of Bolivia's most iconic sights. Continue to Sol de Mañana geysers at 5,000m altitude, where sulphurous steam vents and boiling mud pits bubble dramatically from the earth. Warm up afterwards at the Polques Thermal Baths (bring a swimsuit!). Round off the day at the surreal Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca near the Chilean border.

🚌Shared 4×4 jeep (included in tour package). Eduardo Avaroa entry fee ~£5

🛏Desert lodge included in shared jeep tour package

• →Laguna Colorada flamingo spotting (included in jeep tour; reserve entry ~£5)
• →Sol de Mañana geysers at 5,000m (included in jeep tour)
• →Polques Thermal Baths dip (included in jeep tour)
• →Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca viewpoints (included)

Day 3 of your jeep tour continues through extraordinary landscapes. Morning birding stop at Laguna Turquiri, followed by the scenic Cañapa, Hedionda and Honda lakes. The afternoon brings the Valley of Rocks — a surreal field of wind-sculpted volcanic boulders — and the famous Stone Tree (Árbol de Piedra), a 7-metre rock formation carved by centuries of wind erosion. By evening, arrive at the edge of the Uyuni salt flats and check into Palacio de Sal or a budget salt hotel nearby for a truly unique night's sleep. Note: if the jeep tour package doesn't include the salt hotel, book separately — budget salt hotels run from around £25–45/night.

🚌Shared 4×4 jeep (included in tour package)

🛏Salt hotel on the edge of the flats — Luna Salada or Cristal Samaña (~£25–45/night independently, or included in premium jeep packages)

• →Laguna Turquiri birdwatching (included in jeep tour)
• →Cañapa, Hedionda and Honda lakes scenic stops
• →Valley of Rocks and Stone Tree (Árbol de Piedra) exploration
• →Check in to salt hotel — admire the architecture and interiors (free)

The highlight of the trip — a full day on the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat at 10,582 km². Your jeep tour typically includes this as the final day before returning to Uyuni town. Drive out across the blinding white expanse, stop to photograph the geometric hexagonal salt tiles and salt pyramids, and reach Incahuasi Island (Isla Incahuasi), a surreal rocky outcrop studded with giant centuries-old cacti rising from the middle of the flats. Pay the small island entry fee (~£3) and hike to the summit for 360° views. Stay for a stunning sunset when the flats turn golden. Return to Uyuni town by early evening.

🚌Shared 4×4 jeep back to Uyuni town (end of jeep tour)

🛏Hostel in Uyuni town — Piedra Blanca Backpackers or similar (~£8–12/night dorm)

• →Salar de Uyuni salt flat exploration (included in jeep tour)
• →Incahuasi Island entry and cactus hike (~£3)
• →Perspective trick photography on the flats
• →Sunset viewing on the salt flats

Take the morning shared bus from Uyuni to Potosí (approximately 4 hours, ~£5–8). Once the world's largest city and the engine of the Spanish colonial silver empire, Potosí's dark history is laid bare on a mine tour of Cerro Rico. Book independently through a local agency (e.g. Koala Tours or Silver Tours on Calle Quijarro) — tours run ~£12–18pp and are led by former miners who share first-hand accounts of the brutal conditions. The tour visits the miners' market where dynamite is still sold, and an ingenio ore-processing factory. Afterwards, walk the UNESCO-listed colonial centre: the Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint), baroque churches and colourful plazas are all within easy walking distance.

🚌Shared bus Uyuni–Potosí ~£5–8 (book at Uyuni bus terminal the night before)

🛏Hotel or hostel in Potosí — Hostal Carlos V or El Turista (~£12–20/night)

• →Cerro Rico mine tour with ex-miner guide (~£12–18pp, book via local agency)
• →Miners' market visit (included in mine tour)
• →Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint) museum entry (~£5)
• →Self-guided walk of UNESCO colonial centre (free)

Take an early shared bus from Potosí to Sucre (about 3 hours, ~£4–6) — Bolivia's constitutional capital and a gorgeous UNESCO-listed whitewashed city. You'll likely have a couple of hours before your flight, enough time to stroll Plaza 25 de Mayo and admire the cathedral. Book your Sucre–La Paz flight in advance with BoA or Amaszonas (~£55–80); the flight often connects via Santa Cruz or Cochabamba. Arrive back in La Paz in the evening and celebrate your adventure with dinner in Sopocachi — try El Jardín Escondido or any of the excellent restaurants on Calle Sánchez Lima.

🚌Shared bus Potosí–Sucre ~£4–6; Sucre–La Paz internal flight ~£55–80 (book via BoA website or Amaszonas)

🛏Hostel in La Paz — Adventure Brew or Wild Rover (~£10–12 dorm, £20–25 private)

• →Stroll Plaza 25 de Mayo and Sucre cathedral (free)
• →Celebratory dinner in La Paz Sopocachi neighbourhood (~£8–12)

Enjoy a final breakfast in La Paz — grab a coffee and a pastry at one of the excellent Sopocachi cafés, or head to the Mercado Lanza for a cheap and authentic Bolivian breakfast. If you have time before your flight, take the Mi Teleférico cable car system for sweeping aerial views over La Paz and El Alto (~£0.50 per segment). Shared minibuses and taxi collectivos run regularly from the city centre to El Alto International Airport (~£2–4). Safe travels!

🚌Shared minibus or taxi collectivo to El Alto Airport ~£2–4

🛏Check-out

• →Breakfast at Mercado Lanza (£1–2)
• →Mi Teleférico cable car ride over the city (~£0.50 per segment)
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping at Mercado de las Brujas (free to browse)