Atacama + Uyuni in 5 or 6 days: the Altiplano tour day by day, what's included and what you pay on top (2026)

The Altiplano tour packs San Pedro de Atacama and the Uyuni salt flats into one booking: 5 days for CLP $345,000 or 6 days for CLP $395,000. What happens each day, from the 4 am Tatio pickup to the drive back to San Pedro, and the park fees and nights you pay on top.

Seasonal promotional prices, checked on 28 September 2026: the checkout has the final word. Both Altiplano tours are booked on Tuki and charged in Chilean pesos (CLP); park fees and your nights in San Pedro are paid locally and never go through the checkout.

The Altiplano tour is the way to do San Pedro de Atacama and the Salar de Uyuni in a single booking, starting and ending in San Pedro. There are two versions. The 5-day, 4-night tour costs CLP $345,000 per person: one day of San Pedro classics (the Tatio geysers at sunrise and Moon Valley at sunset) and four days crossing the Bolivian altiplano by 4x4 to the salt flats, with the 3 nights in Bolivia and every meal on that stretch. The 6-day, 5-night tour costs CLP $395,000: the same four days by jeep, but two days in San Pedro that add the Baltinache lagoons and a stargazing tour. What neither includes, and what you want clear before you pay: your nights in San Pedro (2 on the 5-day, 3 on the 6-day), the Chilean park fees (Tatio $15,000, Moon Valley $10,800, Baltinache $12,000), about 300 bolivianos in cash for the Bolivian parks, and your flight to Calama.

Short on days or budget: the 5-day. Three nights in San Pedro and CLP $50,000 to spare: the 6-day, which adds Baltinache and the night sky. Already done San Pedro on your own: the 4-day jeep alone.

Experiencia: tour-altiplanico-atacama-uyuni-1 — Desde $345.000

The two Altiplano tours, one line each

Altiplano tour 5D/4N — CLP $345,000 per person — Day 1 Tatio at 4:00 am and Moon Valley at 3:30 pm; Days 2 to 5 the crossing into Bolivia by 4x4 (max 6 per jeep) with 3 nights in shared hostels, one of them a salt hostel, every meal on the Bolivian stretch, and back in San Pedro around noon on Day 5
Altiplano tour 6D/5N — CLP $395,000 per person — Day 1 Baltinache lagoons and Moon Valley; Day 2 Tatio at 4:30 am and stargazing at 9:00 pm; Days 3 to 6 the same crossing into Bolivia, back in San Pedro mid-afternoon on Day 6
Reference if you've already done San Pedro: Uyuni salt flats tour 4D/3N — CLP $270,000 — the jeep only, none of the San Pedro tours

The Bolivian stretch is identical in both: 4x4 with a maximum of 6 passengers per jeep, a bilingual driver-guide (Spanish and English), 3 nights in Bolivia in shared rooms with shared bathrooms, 1 guaranteed night in a salt hostel, breakfast, lunch and dinner with water included (vegetarian option available), emergency oxygen, and the transfer from San Pedro to the border and back. The entire difference is the San Pedro days: one on the 5-day, two on the 6-day.

Day 0: get to San Pedro and sleep in town

Both programmes require you to be in San Pedro de Atacama the day before. It isn't a suggestion: Day 1 of the 5-day tour leaves your hotel at 4:00 am for Tatio, and on the 6-day the Baltinache departure is in the morning. Day 0 is on you: the flight to Calama, the 100 km ride to San Pedro and a night in town, and none of the three is in the tour price. The operator's one condition is that your lodging sits in the central area of San Pedro, because that's where they pick you up every morning. San Pedro is at about 2,400 m, so that night also starts your acclimatisation, and it's the day to change the bolivianos you'll need across the border.

For the ride from El Loa airport, the round-trip transfer booked on Tuki costs CLP $34,000 per person: they meet your flight, drop you at your lodging and, at the end of the trip, pick you up at the hotel at a time worked out from your departure. Times are confirmed over WhatsApp with your flight number. The other ways to cover that stretch (counter vans, the bus from Calama city, a rental car) are in <a href="https://tuki.cl/guias/how-to-get-to-san-pedro-de-atacama-from-calama-airport-2026">how to get to San Pedro from Calama airport</a>, and beds by price in <a href="https://tuki.cl/guias/donde-alojarse-san-pedro-atacama-precios-2026">where to stay in San Pedro</a> (in Spanish).

Experiencia: transfer-aeropuerto-san-pedro-atacama-ida-vuelta — Desde $34.000

Altiplano tour 5D/4N — CLP $345,000: what happens each day

Day 1 — Tatio at 4:00 am and Moon Valley at 3:30 pm

Pickup from your hotel at 4:00 am and up to the Tatio geysers, at 4,200 m, to arrive at sunrise, when the geothermal field is most active. Breakfast on site is included; the park fee is not: it's CLP $15,000 per person, paid there. You're back in San Pedro around noon. At 3:30 pm you leave again, this time from the agency rather than your hotel, for Moon Valley: salt and clay formations, dunes and sunset, with a snack included and return at 7:30 pm. The Moon Valley fee isn't included either: CLP $10,800 per person. You sleep in San Pedro again that night, on your own account, bag packed, because the next morning you cross the border. Times are the operator's listed times; on the ground they can shift a few minutes.

Day 2 — Into Bolivia: Eduardo Avaroa reserve and Laguna Colorada

Departure at 6:00 am for the Chilean and Bolivian customs posts. You switch into the Bolivian 4x4 and have breakfast at the border, around 9:00 am. From there the whole day is inside the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve: Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde with the Licancabur volcano behind them, the Dalí desert, the Polques hot springs (bring a swimsuit if you want in), the Sol de Mañana geysers and Laguna Colorada, with sunset and, if the sky cooperates, stars. The night is at Hostal Huayllajara, shared rooms and shared bathroom. It's the first night at altitude and the one you feel most. This is also where the Bolivian park fees are paid in cash: around 300 bolivianos per person for the whole route.

Day 3 — Siloli desert, flamingo lagoons and a night in the salt hostel

Departure at 8:00 am. The morning is the Siloli desert and the Stone Tree, then the Andean lagoons Cañapa, Hedionda and Honda, where the flamingos are. Lunch is a picnic on the road. In the afternoon you pass the Ollagüe volcano, which is active, cross the Chiguana salt flat and the villages of San Juan and Puerto Chuvica, and finish among the rock valleys and coloured mountains. The night is at the Salt Hostel, with walls, tables and beds made of salt blocks, again shared rooms and bathroom: the guaranteed salt-hostel night the listing mentions.

Day 4 — Sunrise on the Salar de Uyuni, Incahuasi island and altiplano villages

Optional breakfast at 5:00 am and out in the dark to watch the sun rise over the salt, with the perspective photo session. The proper breakfast is on Incahuasi island, surrounded by giant cacti, and from there the jeep crosses the whole salt flat: the Playa Blanca hotel, the Dakar monument, the flags platform, the salt mounds and the Ojos de Sal. In Colchani there's the salt museum and then the train cemetery on the edge of Uyuni, where you have lunch. The afternoon heads back south through the altiplano villages: San Cristóbal with its colonial church, Culpina, Villa Alota and Villamar. The night is in Villa Alota or Villamar, shared bathroom. It's the longest day of the programme.

Day 5 — Back in San Pedro around noon

Pre-dawn departure at 5:00 am for the Chilean border at Hito Cajón. It's a direct drive with basic stops; breakfast is at Polques or at the border itself depending on the day's route. The Bolivia–Chile border transfer leaves around 10:00 am and you reach San Pedro de Atacama close to 12:00. That leaves time for lunch in town and the afternoon transfer to Calama, or one more night and a calm flight the next day.

Altiplano tour 6D/5N — CLP $395,000: the two extra days in San Pedro

The 6-day tour doesn't stretch the Bolivian crossing: Days 3 to 6 are the same as Days 2 to 5 of the 5-day, with one difference at the end, which is that you get back to San Pedro mid-afternoon on Day 6 rather than at noon. What changes are the first two days, which spread the four San Pedro classics out instead of squeezing two into one.

Day 1 — Baltinache lagoons in the morning and Moon Valley at 3:30 pm

The morning is for the Hidden Lagoons of Baltinache: seven hypersaline lagoons in the middle of the salt flat, a short drive from town. Since 29 September 2026 swimming and floating are no longer allowed: it's a viewing visit. You're back in San Pedro for lunch. The Baltinache fee isn't included and is CLP $12,000 per person. At 3:30 pm Moon Valley leaves, with the dunes, the Salt Range and sunset at the classic viewpoints, returning close to 8:00 pm. Fee on top, $10,800. It's a gentler Day 1 than the 5-day version: no pre-dawn alarm and no climb to 4,000 m.

Day 2 — Tatio at 4:30 am and stargazing at 9:00 pm

Pickup at 4:30 am to reach Tatio at sunrise, breakfast on site and back in San Pedro at noon; the fee is the same $15,000 per person. The afternoon is free to pack for the four jeep days. At 9:00 pm the guided stargazing tour leaves for a spot outside town, transport included. One detail in the listing worth reading twice: the stargazing is scheduled on the night with the clearest sky, so it can move to Day 1 depending on the moon and conditions. If that happens, Day 1 ends close to midnight and Day 2 still starts at 4:30 am.

Days 3 to 6 are the crossing: 6:00 am departure on Day 3 for the border and the Eduardo Avaroa reserve; Day 4 Siloli, flamingo lagoons and the Salt Hostel; Day 5 sunrise on the salt flat, Incahuasi, Colchani, lunch in Uyuni and a night in Villa Alota or Villamar; Day 6 pre-dawn drive to Hito Cajón, transfer around 10:00 am and arrival in San Pedro mid-afternoon. With that arrival time, a flight out of Calama the same evening is tight: it's another 100 km, and border crossings can run late. The comfortable plan is one more night in San Pedro and a flight the next day.

Experiencia: tour-altiplanico-6d5n-san-pedro-uyuni-ventura — Desde $395.000

What you pay on top, with the listing's exact figures

Both listings say the same thing with a single difference, the Baltinache fee. This is what sits outside the tour price and comes out of your pocket, almost all of it in cash:

Tatio geysers fee — CLP $15,000 per person, cash (5- and 6-day)
Moon Valley fee — CLP $10,800 per person, cash (5- and 6-day)
Baltinache lagoons fee — CLP $12,000 per person, cash (6-day only)
Bolivian national park fees — approx. 300 bolivianos per person, cash only
Public toilets in Bolivia (and in Machuca on the 6-day) — coins in bolivianos
Lodging in San Pedro de Atacama — 2 nights on the 5-day (Day 0 and Day 1), 3 on the 6-day (arrival + 2 during the tours)
Flight to Calama and the Calama–San Pedro transfer (the CLP $34,000 round trip is booked separately)
Extra water on the road, alcoholic drinks and extra snacks
Towel at the Bolivian hostels — 20 Bs subject to availability; no heating, no Wi-Fi
Tips for the guides and travel insurance

Adding up the listing's figures, the 5-day tour is CLP $345,000 plus $25,800 in Chilean park fees: CLP $370,800 per person, plus about 300 bolivianos and 2 nights in San Pedro. The 6-day is $395,000 plus $37,800: CLP $432,800, plus the 300 bolivianos and 3 nights. The $50,000 gap buys two tours with transport and guide (Baltinache and the stargazing, which sells on its own for $25,000 on Tuki) and one more calendar day; the extra night in town is on you either way.

How much cash to carry, and in which currency

The listing is blunt: the park fees in San Pedro and Bolivia can't be paid by card. In Chilean pesos you need the fees for your San Pedro days ($25,800 on the 5-day, $37,800 on the 6-day) plus meals and your bed in town, which usually do take cards. In bolivianos, the 300 Bs for the parks, coins for toilets, 20 Bs if you rent a towel, and something for water, snacks and a tip. Bring the bolivianos from San Pedro: between the border and Uyuni town, which the jeep only reaches on Day 4 (Day 5 on the 6-day), don't count on ATMs or card payments.

Cold and altitude: what to pack for the four jeep days

The Bolivian stretch runs between 4,000 and 4,900 m and you sleep at altitude, in hostels without heating. Tatio sits at 4,200 m and is visited at sunrise, the coldest hour. With that in mind, the short list:

Passport valid for at least 6 months: it's the document for crossing into Bolivia and without it there's no tour. Check before booking whether your nationality needs a Bolivian visa; the tour doesn't arrange it
Layers: thermal base layer, fleece, windproof jacket, hat, gloves and thick socks for Tatio, Laguna Colorada and the nights
Thermal sleepwear or a light sleeping bag: the hostels have no heating
Swimsuit and your own towel for the Polques hot springs (the hostel's is 20 Bs and not always available)
Toilet paper for the whole trip, as the listing asks
Sunscreen, sunglasses and lip balm with SPF: high-altitude sun over white salt
Reusable bottle: the tour includes water at meals, road water is bought there
Power bank and a headlamp for the 5:00 am departures
Your own medication; the jeep carries emergency oxygen
Cash in Chilean pesos and bolivianos, split between two pockets

On altitude, what helps most is simple: sleep in San Pedro on Day 0, skip alcohol the first nights, drink more water than you think you need and walk slowly at Tatio and Laguna Colorada. If you have a heart or respiratory condition, ask your doctor before booking. And if you eat vegetarian, say so when you book: the option exists at every meal on the Bolivian stretch.

How to choose: 5 or 6 days by calendar and budget

The Uyuni crossing is identical in both: the choice is about calendar and how much of San Pedro you want before the jeep
Pick the 5-day if you have 7 days total including flights (Day 0 arrival, 5 tour days, departure the same Day 5 afternoon or the next day), if the budget is tight, or if Tatio and Moon Valley are all the San Pedro you need
Pick the 6-day if you have 8 days total, if you want Baltinache and the night sky without buying them separately, or if you'd rather have a gentle Day 1 with no pre-dawn alarm before the crossing
Pick the 4-day, 3-night jeep alone (CLP $270,000) if you've already been to San Pedro, if you've done the tours on your own, or if you're building your Atacama days with other plans
In all three cases, book the tour first and then the flight to Calama and the bed in San Pedro: the jeep's departure date is what orders everything else

The 4-day is the same 4x4 crossing with driver-guide, meals and 3 nights in Bolivia, none of the San Pedro tours, and pickup from your hotel on Day 1. It's a useful reference for what the Bolivian stretch alone is worth: the CLP $75,000 gap to the 5-day is Tatio, Moon Valley and their logistics. If your real question is between this jeep, the Altiplano tour or doing Uyuni from Uyuni town, that comparison is in the neighbouring guide <a href="https://tuki.cl/guias/uyuni-salt-flats-tour-options-prices">Uyuni salt flats from San Pedro: tour options and prices</a>.

Experiencia: tour-salar-de-uyuni-4d3n-desde-san-pedro-de-ata-1 — Desde $270.000

How booking works and what happens after you pay

You pick the Day 1 date in the checkout and pay per person in Chilean pesos; your card is charged in CLP and your bank converts at its own rate. Because the tour crosses a border and picks you up at a hotel, after payment you're asked for each passenger's details: name as in the passport, document number and where you're staying in San Pedro. No lodging, no pickup. The operator confirms pickup times the day before. When you confirm, ask whether the vegetarian option was noted and, on the 6-day, which night the stargazing landed on.

Building the rest of the trip

With the Altiplano tour chosen, what's left is the flight to Calama, the bed in San Pedro for the nights the tour doesn't cover, and the airport transfer. If you still haven't decided whether to start from Atacama or from Uyuni, <a href="https://tuki.cl/guias/atacama-vs-uyuni-which-side-to-start-from-2026">Atacama or Uyuni (or both)</a> lays out the logic by where you're coming from. The prices in this guide are the checkout's as of 28 September 2026; if they change, the checkout wins.

Destino: san-pedro-de-atacama

Five or six days, the jeep is the same. The difference is how much of San Pedro you do before crossing, and that gets decided with a calendar in hand, not a catalogue.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Atacama + Uyuni Altiplano tour cost, and what's the difference between 5 and 6 days?

The 5-day, 4-night Altiplano tour costs CLP $345,000 per person and the 6-day, 5-night version CLP $395,000 (Tuki checkout prices as of 28 September 2026, charged in Chilean pesos). The 4x4 crossing into Bolivia is identical in both; the 6-day adds the Baltinache lagoons and a stargazing tour in San Pedro, spread over two days instead of one. Neither includes your nights in San Pedro or the park fees.

Which entrance fees are paid separately on the Altiplano tour?

In Chile, the Tatio geysers fee (CLP $15,000 per person) and Moon Valley (CLP $10,800), plus the Baltinache lagoons (CLP $12,000) on the 6-day. In Bolivia, the national park fees add up to roughly 300 bolivianos per person and are cash only. Public toilets, the hostel towel (20 Bs), extra water, tips and travel insurance are also outside the price.

What time does each day of the Altiplano tour start and end?

On the 5-day: Day 1 leaves for Tatio at 4:00 am and for Moon Valley at 3:30 pm, back at 7:30 pm; Day 2 departs at 6:00 am with the border transfer at 9:00 am; Day 3 departs at 8:00 am; Day 4 has an optional 5:00 am breakfast for sunrise on the salt flat; Day 5 leaves at 5:00 am and reaches San Pedro close to 12:00. On the 6-day, Baltinache is Day 1 morning, Tatio leaves at 4:30 am on Day 2, stargazing at 9:00 pm, and the return to San Pedro on Day 6 is mid-afternoon.

Where do you sleep on the Altiplano tour, and is lodging in San Pedro included?

The 3 nights in Bolivia are included, in shared rooms (double, triple or matrimonial) with shared bathrooms: the first at Hostal Huayllajara, the second in a salt hostel (guaranteed night) and the third in Villa Alota or Villamar. Nights in San Pedro de Atacama are not included: 2 on the 5-day (Day 0 and Day 1) and 3 on the 6-day (arrival plus 2 nights during the tours). Your lodging must be in the central area for pickup.

How much cash should I bring on the Altiplano tour?

The park fees in San Pedro and Bolivia can't be paid by card. In Chilean pesos, CLP $25,800 in fees on the 5-day or CLP $37,800 on the 6-day, plus meals and lodging in town. In bolivianos, about 300 Bs for the parks, coins for toilets, 20 Bs if you rent a towel, and some for water, snacks and a tip. Change bolivianos in San Pedro before crossing: there are no ATMs on the route until Uyuni town.

Do I need to arrive in San Pedro the day before the Altiplano tour?

Yes. Both programmes start early on Day 1 (4:00 am for Tatio on the 5-day) and pick you up from your lodging in San Pedro, so you have to sleep in town the night before. That night, the flight to Calama and the 100 km ride to San Pedro aren't included; the round-trip airport transfer is booked separately on Tuki for CLP $34,000 per person.

How high do you sleep, and how cold does it get on the Altiplano tour?

The Bolivian stretch runs between 4,000 and 4,900 m and all three nights are at altitude, in hostels with no heating or Wi-Fi. Tatio is at 4,200 m and visited at sunrise. The jeep carries emergency oxygen. Pack layers, thermal sleepwear, toilet paper, sunscreen and a water bottle, and sleep in San Pedro on Day 0 to start acclimatising.

Should I take the Altiplano tour or the 4-day Uyuni tour if I've already been to San Pedro?

If you've already done the San Pedro tours on your own, the Uyuni 4D/3N tour from San Pedro costs CLP $270,000 and is the same 4x4 crossing with guide, meals and 3 nights in Bolivia, without Tatio or Moon Valley. The 5-day Altiplano costs CLP $75,000 more and includes those two tours with breakfast, snack and transport; the 6-day adds Baltinache and the stargazing on top.