After visiting Iguazu Falls in Argentina, do you want to see Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the “Mirror of the Sky”? What are the possible routes from Iguazu Falls to Uyuni?

March 21, 2025

Recently, someone asked Summer how to plan a route from Iguazu Falls to Chile’s Atacama Desert and then to Bolivia’s Uyuni. Here’s one possible itinerary:

Option 1: Iguazu – Salta – Atacama (Chile) – Uyuni (Bolivia)

Day 1: Fly from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, to Salta via Buenos Aires.
Day 2: Travel from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, by bus or with a guided tour (note that tours take more than a day).
Day 3: Explore Atacama – Day 1.
Day 4: Explore Atacama – Day 2.
Day 5: Depart from Atacama and head to Uyuni, Bolivia.

There are no direct flights from Puerto Iguazú to Salta. If you want to fly to Salta, you’ll need to transit through Buenos Aires.

Salta and its surroundings offer plenty of scenic attractions, which is why Summer recommends flying to Salta from Buenos Aires instead of heading to Santiago.

If you fly from Buenos Aires to Santiago, you’ll still need to take another flight to Calama, Chile, and then a 2.5-hour drive to reach San Pedro de Atacama. Plus, you’d miss out on the stunning landscapes around Salta.

More importantly, the journey from Salta to Atacama is also incredibly scenic. Once in Atacama, you can explore the area for two days at a relaxed pace, giving your body time to adjust to the high altitude.

From Atacama, you can join a classic 3-day tour to Uyuni, which takes you through Bolivia’s most famous national parks—offering breathtaking landscapes every step of the way.

You’re not interested in visiting Atacama? Wondering if you can go directly from Salta to Uyuni instead?

Of course!

Option 2: Iguazu – Salta – Tupiza – Uyuni (Bolivia)

Day 1: Fly from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, to Salta via Buenos Aires.
Day 2: Travel from Salta to the La Quiaca border, cross into Bolivia, and continue to Tupiza.
Day 3: Depart from Tupiza and head to Uyuni.

Some travelers have already visited Atacama or simply want to go straight to Uyuni. In such cases, Summer recommends Salta as a transit point.

Not only does Salta offer stunning landscapes of Argentina’s northwest highlands—including salt flats that rival Uyuni—but its lower altitude makes for a more comfortable journey compared to other routes.

A friend currently in Argentina mentioned another option—transiting through Jujuy:

Option 3: Iguazu – Jujuy – Tupiza – Uyuni (Bolivia)

Day 1: Fly from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, to Jujuy via Buenos Aires.
Day 2: Travel from Jujuy to the La Quiaca border, cross into Bolivia, and continue to Tupiza.
Day 3: Depart from Tupiza and head to Uyuni.

Jujuy, officially known as San Salvador de Jujuy, is the capital of Argentina’s Jujuy Province in the north.

Compared to Salta, Jujuy is closer to Uyuni, making the journey shorter. If border crossing at La Quiaca goes smoothly, it’s even possible to reach Uyuni from Jujuy in a single day.

Whether you choose to transit through Salta or Jujuy, there are multi-day tours available for those who prefer a hassle-free journey, allowing you to enjoy the scenic route all the way to Uyuni.

For those who haven’t been to Santiago yet or want to include it as a stop, here’s the classic route from Iguazu Falls to Atacama and Uyuni:

Option 4: Iguazu – Buenos Aires – Santiago – Atacama – Uyuni

Day 1: Fly from Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, to Santiago via Buenos Aires.
Day 2: Fly from Santiago to Calama, then take a 2.5-hour drive to San Pedro de Atacama.
Day 3: Explore Atacama – Day 1.
Day 4: Explore Atacama – Day 2.
Day 5: Depart from Atacama and head to Uyuni.

To reach Atacama by air, you must first fly to Calama, its nearest airport, followed by a 2.5-hour drive to San Pedro de Atacama. The only direct flights to Calama are from Santiago, which is why many travelers fly from Buenos Aires to Santiago and start their Chilean journey there.

Some popular Chile itineraries from Santiago include: