Uyuni Travel Forum

Hi VTs

I am looking for a (reliable) tour operator that organises tours to Uyuni from La Paz. From what I've seen, there are plenty or operators offering tours to the salar from Uyuni itself, but given that it is a bit of a pain to get from La Paz to Uyuni (namely rough bus to Oruro, and then train to Uyuni), I was wondering if you are aware of any operators that offer to pick you up from La Paz on their own vehicles and take you straight to Uyuni and then around the flats.

My main aim is trying to find an alternative to the current transportation methods linking La Paz to Uyuni, particularly the bus link.

Let me know your thoughts please.

Thanks a lot

RV

most tour operators also will sell you the bus/train option. it's not too bad, really.
you can check with turisbus - http://www.travelperubolivia.com
i have used them commonly and they are quite good but i think they also have the bus/train option.

Roza, I have done the trip you describe with two different tour operators, i.e., they made all the arrangements and sent a guide with me from La Paz. One was Mario Nina who owns Zig-Zag Eco Tours and Treks. The other was David Fernandez with Fremen Tours. Both were excellent but Fremen Tours was much more expensive. I have more information on each of them under my Bolivia General Tips.

Oops, meant to also say that Mario organized a van from La Paz to Oruro instead of the bus. Both times I went on to Potosi from Uyuni (and eventually flew back to La Paz from Sucre), but I am sure returning to La Paz is an option with either company.

The service bus from La Paz to Oruro was quite comfortable. The bus from Oruro to Uyuni wasn't - doesn't seem to be a road, so we wallowed across the altiplano. The train would be better, but it's only two or three times a week.

Many thanks all for your suggestions. In the end we have decided to postpone the trip to Uyuni for the time being. Instead, we will just travel to Peru and visit Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa and Colca.

Happy traveling

that's unfortunate. you'll have to take a bus there too.

No, we're flying into Cusco/Arequipa so no bus for us......:)

how long are you traveling in peru, i was hopeing to see all th eplaces you listed in 10 days is this do able

we will spend 10 days traveling to Lima, the following day to Cusco, the following day to Ollanta, the following day to Machu Picchu, the following day back to Cusco, the following day to Arequipa, the following day to Colca, the following day back to Arequipa, then one more day in Arequipa and then the following day back to Lima, then the following day we return home...

I just want to give the heads up to anyone whose in Uyuni looking for a 3 or 4 day trip around the Salt Flats and South West Bolivia, don't go near Tonita Tours! I went on a 3 day tour with them last October and it was without a doubt the worst (dis)organised tour I've ever been on. It was an absolute joke from beginning to end. We went with them because the claimed that while they were a bit more expensive you would get so much more for your money. NOT the case!! They have got a Lonely Planet recommendation in there office, but I have not idea how they got that. Here's what happened, the first hotel (calling it that is a such a joke) had no electricity and no hot water, despite the fact that we were promised it. They told us the generator was broken but when we all kicked up a fuss they managed to miraculously fix it for a couple of hours....The food was horrific, I was sick for about a week afterwards. It was so bad that all I could eat was the breadrolls, several of us were suffering from very bad stomach pains. Our driver should have been retired years ago, he was a total dictator. He wouldn't allow us to open and close the windows when we need to, he locked them so that we couldn't! The driver & the 'cook' (I use that term lightly) of the other jeep on our tour didn't like our driver so they had 8 people packed into there jeep. There just wasn't room and they were all complaining of back and leg pains. On our last morning our driver went ahead without checking on the other driver, only to find out an hour later that something was wrong and had to return for him. Their jeep had broken down in the middle of the dessert at 7am because they were too mean to put antifreez in the jeep and the engine had seized up. After much time and freezing temperatures one of the guys in our group went to the nearest village and asked a local guy to drive half of our group back to Uyuni for $100, the rest of continued on the rest of the tour. When we returned at 9pm that night, very tired and very hungry we found the local guy waiting for us. He told us that he couldn't find the Manager of Tonito Tours and he had been told that he wouldn't be paid....The next morning we went to visit the Manager and he refused to accept that anything was wrong, no offer of compensation and the local guy was nowhere to be found.....Please learn from our experience and avoid this company at any cost!!