Getting to and Away from Uyuni

By Bus

The bus companies are all conveniently located together, on Avenida Arce, just north of the intersection with Cabrera. It is recommended to buy bus tickets a day or two in advance. For those who have $33 to spend, an excellent option is to take a Todo Turismo bus. These go from La Paz through Oruro to Uyuni and vice versa. The bus leaves La Paz at 9 p.m. daily, arriving at around 7 a.m. The return bus leaves Uyuni at around 8 p.m. and gets in at approximately 5 a.m. Included in your price is a meal. The buses are heated and you get a pillow and blanket. More information can be found at: www.touringbolivia.com

Regular buses can be taken to Potosí, Sucre and Tarija. There are several buses leaving throughout the day to Potosí. This trip takes six hours. Sucre is connected to via Potosí—this is a nine hour trip.

Buses to Tarija are infrequent and take 18 hours.

Buses also leave in the early morning to Avaroa, a journey that takes five hours.

By Train

Uyuni's train station is to be found on Avenida Ferroviaria, close to the intersection with Avenida Arce. There are two train companies providing service, Expreso del Sur, which is faster and a little more expensive and Wara Wara del Sur, which is slower and a bit cheaper. Trains go to Oruro (four per week, seven hour journey), Tupiza (four per week, six hour journey) and Villazón (three per week, nine hour journey).

Getting to Uyuni, there are four trains per week from Tupiza and Oruro and three from Villazón. It is also possible to take the train to Avaroa and Calama (Chile).

By Organized Tour

It is possible to travel to or from Uyuni to Tupiza on your organized tour, if you pick a tour that starts in one town and ends in another. You can also go to or from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama.

Here are some related tips to help plan your trip to Uyuni: Getting Around Uyuni,