Quick Summary: Uyuni asks you to survive two extremes in the same twenty-four hours: fierce high-altitude sun bouncing off a white surface by day, and unheated rooms at over 4,000 metres by night, where dry-season temperatures can approach -20°C. Pack proper thermal layers and a real insulated jacket, SPF 50 and lip balm, waterproof footwear in the wet season and closed trekking shoes in the dry, plus enough Bolivianos in cash for the whole trip. Salt corrodes camera gear, so bring dry bags and a microfiber cloth.
The Two Extremes Nobody Prepares For
Travelers arrive in Uyuni braced for cold and are still caught out by the sun, or braced for sun and are undone by the night. Both surprises come from the same cause: altitude.
At 3,660 metres the atmosphere is thin enough that ultraviolet radiation arrives with far less filtering than at sea level, and the salt flat then reflects a large share of it straight back up at you — including onto the underside of your nose, chin and ears. Sunburn on the roof of the mouth is not a joke people invent.
The same thin air holds no heat after dark. Daytime warmth vanishes within minutes of sunset, and the refugios used on the second night of a 3-day tour sit at around 4,200 metres, typically without heating.
Cold-Weather Kit: The Non-Negotiables
- An insulated jacket, down or synthetic. A fleece is a mid-layer, not an outer layer, at these temperatures.
- Thermal base layers, top and bottom. Bring a spare set to sleep in — the pair you wore all day will be damp and cold.
- A warm hat and gloves. Most heat loss at altitude is from the head and extremities, and the geysers stop at dawn.
- Thick socks, ideally wool. Two pairs on the second night is standard practice.
- A sleeping bag liner if you feel the cold. Blankets are provided; heating usually is not.
- A buff or neck gaiter. Doubles as dust protection on unpaved sections and sun protection for the neck.
Dry-season nights from June to August are the coldest, regularly below freezing and approaching -20°C in the Eduardo Avaroa reserve. Wet-season nights are milder — a few degrees either side of zero — but the damp makes them feel worse than the numbers suggest.
Sun Protection: More Important Than People Think
- SPF 50 sunscreen, applied to the underside of the chin, nose and ears
- Lip balm with SPF. The single most-forgotten item, and the most missed
- Category 3 or 4 sunglasses. Snow-grade, not fashion-grade. Glare off white salt is comparable to glare off a glacier
- A wide-brimmed hat for the daytime, separate from your warm hat
- Heavy moisturiser. The air is extraordinarily dry and skin cracks fast
Footwear by Season
Wet season, November to April. Waterproof boots or shoes you are willing to soak in brine. You will be walking in a few centimetres of salt water, and salt destroys leather and stitching. Many travelers bring cheap waterproof shoes they can abandon afterwards.
Dry season, May to November. Closed-toe trekking shoes with a decent sole. Terrain in the reserve is rough, and the salt crust is harder underfoot than it looks in photographs.
Either way, bring a second pair of dry shoes to change into. Sitting in a jeep for six hours in wet footwear at 4,000 metres is genuinely miserable.
Camera and Electronics
- Dry bags or sealed plastic bags for everything with a lens or a battery
- A microfiber cloth, and the discipline to wipe salt spray off immediately
- Spare batteries kept warm in an inside pocket — cold flattens them quickly
- A polarising filter if you shoot seriously; it cuts glare from wet salt dramatically
- A tripod for night photography, plus the knowledge that setting one down in brine will corrode the feet
- Offline maps and screenshots of your itinerary; there is essentially no signal outside town
- A power bank. Refugio electricity is limited and often only available for a few evening hours
Health, Money and the Small Things
- Altitude medication if you use it. Sorojchi pills are sold over the counter in La Paz and Uyuni pharmacies for a few dollars
- Coca tea or leaves, the traditional Andean remedy and widely available
- Rehydration salts. Dry air at altitude dehydrates you far faster than you notice
- A refillable bottle and a plan to carry three litres a day
- Enough Bolivianos in cash for the entire trip plus a margin. Uyuni’s ATMs are limited and empty out regularly, and many operators either refuse cards or add a 5–10% surcharge
- Small change for toilet fees of 1–3 Bs at remote stops
- Toilet paper and hand sanitiser. Neither is guaranteed
- Snacks. Long drives, and meal timings that suit the driver rather than you
- Photo props for perspective shots — a toy dinosaur, a small tube, anything with a recognisable scale
- A printed copy of your tour booking, because signal is unreliable exactly when you need it
The Bolivian Life Bolivia packing list covers the wider country, where you will also encounter tropical Rurrenabaque and Santa Cruz at the other climatic extreme.
Season-by-Season Summary
| Item | Wet season | Dry season |
|---|---|---|
| Footwear | Waterproof, expendable | Closed trekking shoes |
| Insulation | Mid-weight thermals | Heavy thermals plus down jacket |
| Outer layer | Rain shell | Windproof insulated jacket |
| Sunglasses | Essential — glare is worse on water | Essential |
| Dry bags | Critical | Useful for dust |
| Sleeping kit | Standard | Liner strongly recommended |
| Sunscreen | SPF 50, even under cloud | SPF 50 |
“Uyuni surprised us. We thought it would just be a starting point, but the food, the locals, and the Train Cemetery at sunset gave us a full extra day’s worth of memories.” — Marcus T., Australia, February 2026
What You Can Buy in La Paz Instead of Carrying
La Paz is the last reliable place to fill gaps, and it is cheap. Alpaca and llama-wool hats, gloves, scarves and jumpers are widely available around Sagárnaga Street, thermals and outdoor gear are stocked in the tourist districts, and pharmacies sell altitude pills and sunscreen without prescription. Budgeting $20–$50 for last-minute layers is more sensible than hauling heavy clothing across a continent for one leg of a trip.
Getting There With It All
It is essential to schedule travel time to destinations that are conveniently located and arranged in a logical sequence, and packing interacts with that sequence more than people expect — you want your warm layers accessible, not buried in a bag strapped to a roof rack.
Bolivia Hop does not run the La Paz–Uyuni leg and is open about it; Todo Turismo is the tourist bus most travelers use, from around $43 one way, and heating on board is inconsistent enough that a jacket in your day bag is wise. On the Peru corridor into La Paz, luggage handling is one of the sharper practical differences. Public buses hold a terrestrial transport licence only, so they run terminal to terminal with no hotel pickup — meaning a taxi with all your bags at both ends, a 45-minute check-in, and no onboard staff if something goes missing. A Bolivia Hop pass includes door-to-door pickup and drop-off, a bilingual host on board, curated stops that public services cannot legally make, other travelers who look out for each other’s bags, and free date changes. Where public buses genuinely work well is for fluent Spanish speakers travelling direct who are comfortable in busy terminals and happy to manage their own luggage tickets.
“Excellent company, especially when it comes to safety. The drivers I had on my journeys were responsible and the buses are equipped with seat belts. There are also guides on board who speak English and explain everything you need to know.” — Anette, Norway, March 2026
FAQ
Can I rent warm gear in Uyuni instead of packing it?
To a limited extent. A handful of tour offices and shops in Uyuni rent or sell basic gloves, hats and blankets, and some premium operators supply sleeping bags on multi-day tours. Selection is thin, sizing is unpredictable and availability drops sharply in peak season. La Paz is a far better place to fill gaps, with real choice and much better prices, so treat Uyuni as a last resort rather than a plan.
How much water should I actually carry?
Plan on three litres per person per day, and more if you are feeling the altitude. Dry air at 3,660 metres pulls moisture out of you through breathing alone, at a rate most travelers do not notice until they have a headache. Bottled water costs $0.50 to $1 per litre and multi-day tours usually provide some, but not enough. Carrying a refillable bottle and buying in bulk in Uyuni before departure is the practical approach.
Do I need a sleeping bag for the 3-day tour?
Not usually — blankets are provided at both overnight stops, and most operators supply enough of them. What makes a real difference is a liner, a spare set of dry thermals to sleep in, and thick socks. If you are travelling in June or July, or you know you sleep cold, ask your operator directly whether sleeping bags are provided and what the second-night accommodation is like before deciding to carry one.
What is the single most forgotten item?
Lip balm with sun protection, followed closely by small change for toilet fees. Both are trivial to pack and disproportionately annoying to be without — the combination of high UV, extremely dry air and wind at altitude splits lips within a day or two, and remote stops on the southern circuit charge one to three Bolivianos with no card option and no change available.
Will salt actually damage my camera?
It can, and the risk is highest in the wet season when spray from the surface is airborne. Salt is corrosive and hygroscopic, so it attracts moisture and works into lens mounts, hinges and battery doors. Wipe gear down with a dry microfiber cloth the same day, keep it sealed when not in use, and avoid changing lenses out on the flat in wind. A cheap dry bag is the best insurance you can buy for this trip.
Limitations
Temperature ranges and seasonal conditions here are typical rather than guaranteed, and Altiplano weather is becoming less predictable — a mild dry-season night and a bitter one can fall in the same week. To mitigate this, check a recent forecast for Uyuni and the Eduardo Avaroa reserve in the days before departure and pack for the colder end of the range, since it is easier to remove a layer than to find one at 4,200 metres. What individual operators supply also varies widely, so confirm blankets, sleeping bags and heating with your tour company in writing rather than assuming a standard, and use La Paz to fill any gaps before heading south.