The Best of Bolivia Self-Launched: La Paz, Tiwanaku, Uyuni Salt Flats & All Lagoons - 5 Days
5 days · Bolivia
Peru Trek 4 Good charges £770
No-markup version: ~£410 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, budget-friendly version of the classic La Paz → Uyuni route: high-altitude city wandering and cable cars, the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku, an overnight bus to the salt flats, and a three-day 4x4 loop through the surreal altiplano lagoons to Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde. Skip the group-tour markup by booking your own hostel, using local buses and joining locally-run Uyuni 4x4 tours (which include the driver, guide, meals and hostel nights). Costs are rough per-person estimates; Bolivia is cheap but Uyuni tours and national park fees add up. Note: altitudes of 3,600–5,000 m — budget 1–2 days to acclimatise and drink plenty of water.
Day-by-day
La Paz: Plaza Murillo, Witches' Market & Mi Teleférico
La Paz
Arrive at El Alto airport (LPB) and take a taxi or shared minibus down into the city bowl (~£3–5). Check into a hostel in the Sopocachi or Centro area. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk: Plaza Murillo, the Presidential Palace, Legislative Palace and Metropolitan Cathedral, then browse the Mercado de las Brujas (Witches' Market) on Calle de las Brujas for llama-foetus charms and herbal remedies. In the late afternoon ride the Mi Teleférico cable car network — the Red Line from Estación Teleférico Central up to El Alto gives the best city-and-Illimani views for about £0.40 per ride. Take it easy on day one to acclimatise at 3,600 m.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4; cable car rides ~£0.40 each; walkable centre
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Sopocachi/Centro (private double ~£15–20, dorm ~£7–10)
- →Self-guided Plaza Murillo & colonial centre walk
- →Mercado de las Brujas
- →Mi Teleférico cable car ride for city views
- →Optional: free walking tour (tip-based ~£4)
Tiwanaku ruins day trip, then overnight bus to Uyuni
La Paz – Tiwanaku – Uyuni
Take a morning bus from La Paz's Terminal de Buses to Tiwanaku (about 1.5–2 hours, ~£2–3 each way, or a shared tour minibus from the city for ~£10 including entry). Explore the UNESCO ruins: the Akapana pyramid, Kalasasaya temple, the Semi-subterranean Temple and the Sun Gate. Entry to the site is roughly £8 for foreigners. Return to La Paz by late afternoon, collect your bags, and board the overnight bus to Uyuni (departing ~20:00–21:30, arriving ~06:00). Book a cama/semi-cama seat with Todo Turismo, Trans Omar or Panasur for ~£18–25 — it's a cold, bumpy ride but saves a night's accommodation.
🚌Bus La Paz–Tiwanaku ~£3 each way; overnight bus La Paz–Uyuni ~£20
🛏Overnight bus (semi-cama seat, blanket provided)
- →Tiwanaku archaeological site (Akapana, Kalasasaya, Semi-subterranean Temple)
- →Sun Gate & site museum
- →Overnight bus to Uyuni
Uyuni: Train Cemetery, Colchani & Incahuasi Island sunset
Uyuni – Salar de Uyuni – San Juan
Arrive in Uyuni at dawn, grab breakfast near the bus terminal and meet your locally-booked 3-day 4x4 tour (book ahead online or at an Uyuni agency — around £90–120 per person for the full loop including driver, guide, fuel, meals, hostel nights and park fees, usually paid separately ~£20). First stop: the rusting Train Cemetery on the edge of town. Continue to Colchani, where salt is still hand-harvested and piled into mounds. Cross the blinding white salt flat, stop for the classic perspective photos and the Dakar monument, then head to Incahuasi Island for the cactus-covered summit climb and a sunset over an endless white horizon. Overnight at a basic salt hostel in San Juan with a private bathroom.
🚌Shared 4x4 with driver-guide (tour cost ~£90–120 pp for 3 days)
🛏Salt hostel in San Juan, private room (included in 4x4 tour)
- →Train Cemetery
- →Colchani salt-processing village
- →Salar de Uyuni perspective photos
- →Incahuasi Island hike & sunset
- →Optional: Tunupa Volcano viewpoint
High-altitude lagoons, Siloli Desert & the Stone Tree
San Juan – Laguna Colorada
Early start on the 4x4 route south. Stop at the altiplano lagoons — Laguna Honda, Laguna Ramadita and Laguna Hedionda — where flamingos feed in mineral-rich water at 4,000+ m. Cross the arid Siloli Desert and see the Árbol de Piedra (Stone Tree), a wind-carved rock formation. Keep an eye out for vicuñas and viscachas along the way. Arrive at Laguna Colorada by late afternoon: the red, algae-tinted lake punctuated by white borax islands and pink flamingos is the photographic highlight of the trip. Overnight in a simple hostel near the lagoon (very cold — bring layers and a sleeping bag liner).
🚌Shared 4x4 with driver-guide
🛏Basic hostel near Laguna Colorada, private room (included in 4x4 tour)
- →Laguna Honda, Ramadita & Hedionda flamingo lagoons
- →Siloli Desert crossing
- →Árbol de Piedra (Stone Tree)
- →Laguna Colorada at sunset
Geysers, thermal baths, Dalí Desert & Laguna Verde
Laguna Colorada – Laguna Verde – Uyuni
Leave at sunrise for the Sol de Mañana geyser field (4,800 m) — sulphur plumes and bubbling mud pots. Warm up in the natural hot springs nearby (~£1–2 entry) while the sun comes up over the altiplano. Continue through the Dalí Desert, with its surreal wind-sculpted rock formations, to Laguna Verde at the foot of Licancabur volcano on the Chilean border — emerald green when the wind stirs the mineral sediment. Then it's a long drive back to Uyuni (6–7 hours), arriving late afternoon/evening. From Uyuni take a night bus back to La Paz (~£15–20) or onward to Potosí (~£4) or San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (~£25–30).
🚌4x4 back to Uyuni; night bus Uyuni–La Paz ~£18
🛏Overnight bus out of Uyuni, or hostel in Uyuni if staying the night (~£10)
- →Sol de Mañana geysers
- →Polques thermal baths
- →Dalí Desert
- →Laguna Verde & Licancabur volcano views
Self-launched vs. Peru Trek 4 Good
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Peru Trek 4 Good | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£410 | £770 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £360 per person (47%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Peru Trek 4 Good-style trips? Check them out here.~£410
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does The Best of Bolivia Self-Launched: La Paz, Tiwanaku, Uyuni Salt Flats & All Lagoons - 5 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £410 per person for 5 days in Bolivia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Peru Trek 4 Good?+
Yes — Peru Trek 4 Good charges around £770 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £410 — a saving of roughly £360 (47%) per person.
How long is the Bolivia trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Bolivia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, backpacker, budget trip through Bolivia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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