Uyuni altitude on the San Pedro route: heights by day, altitude sickness and which tour lets you acclimatise (2027)
Heights along the San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni route, what altitude sickness feels like and which tour puts more nights in San Pedro first.
Prices are not written in this text: each card shows the current checkout price per person. Payment is made online on this site. This guide is travel information, not medical advice.
On the San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni route you start at about 2,400 m, go above 4,200 m on the border day, pass near 4,800 m at the Sol de Mañana geysers (the cards put the Bolivian leg between 4,000 and 4,900 m) and finish on the salt flat at about 3,650 m. The tours that give you the most nights in San Pedro before crossing are the <strong>5-day and the 6-day</strong>; the 4-day/3-night gives you the night before only. That helps, but San Pedro is lower than the nights that follow, so it does not replace acclimatising. What the cards do not give: the heights of the Bolivian lodges, so this guide does not either.
More nights in San Pedro before the border: the 6D, then the 5D, then the 4D/3N. Coming from La Paz or Cusco: you start from heights similar to Uyuni.
Heights along the route
- San Pedro de Atacama: about 2,400 m. Where you sleep before the border.
- Tatio geysers: more than 4,300 m according to Sernatur, Chile's tourism board. A dawn outing on the 5-day and 6-day, back in San Pedro by midday, so you sleep low again.
- Eduardo Avaroa reserve: starts at about 4,200 m. Laguna Colorada is between 4,230 and 4,280 m depending on the source; the Sol de Mañana geysers are near 4,800 m.
- Bolivian leg on the cards: between 4,000 and 4,900 m, sleeping at altitude. The shared 4-day/3-night card says up to about 4,950 m.
- Salar de Uyuni and Uyuni town: about 3,650 m.
Which tour lets you acclimatise
Count the nights in San Pedro before the border, assuming you arrive the day before day 1 as the cards ask. On the 4-day/3-night you get one. On the 5-day you get two, with Tatio and Valle de la Luna in between. On the 6-day you get three, with Baltinache, Valle de la Luna, Tatio and a night astronomy tour in between. The 5-day and 6-day cards also guarantee one night in a salt hostel; on the 4-day/3-night it depends on the salar. Emergency oxygen is listed on the 4-day/3-night, the 5-day and the 6-day cards; the shared 4-day/3-night card does not list it.
Experiencia: tour-altiplanico-atacama-uyuni-1 — Desde $345.000
Experiencia: tour-altiplanico-6d5n-san-pedro-uyuni-ventura — Desde $400.000
Experiencia: tour-salar-de-uyuni-4d3n-desde-san-pedro-de-ata-1 — Desde $270.000
What the CDC says about sleeping height
The CDC Yellow Book, citing the Wilderness Medical Society, says that above 3,000 m your sleeping altitude should rise by no more than 500 m per night, with an extra night for every 1,000 m gained, and that the body is most exposed to low oxygen while asleep, which is why day trips that return lower are easier. Tatio at dawn fits that: you go up and sleep low. The border day does not: you go from about 2,400 m to Bolivian lodges at altitude in one day. A second source, the UK TravelHealthPro, gives the same 500 m limit and a rest day every three or four days.
Altitude sickness: what it looks like
- Headache plus at least one of: loss of appetite, dizziness, tiredness or nausea (CDC).
- It usually starts 2 to 12 hours after going up, often during the first night.
- It usually passes in 12 to 48 hours if you do not go higher.
- Do not go up to sleep with symptoms, even mild ones. If they get worse despite rest, descend.
- Ask your doctor before the trip about prevention. In a jeep you cannot choose to stop where you want, so tell the guide at the first symptom.
If you start from La Paz or Cusco
The CDC gives about 3,350 m for Cusco and about 3,650 m for La Paz; Uyuni town is about 3,650 m. If you have spent days at those heights, the tours that start in Uyuni town begin at a height you already know; the 3-day/2-night goes higher into the reserve. See <a href="https://uyunisalar.com/guias/uyuni-salt-flats-tours-from-uyuni-town-1-2-or-3-days">the guide to tours from Uyuni town</a> for the four options, and <a href="https://uyunisalar.com/guias/san-pedro-de-atacama-to-uyuni-jeep-tour-one-way-or-round-trip-4-to-6-days">the guide to the jeep tours from San Pedro</a> for the route covered here.
Next step: choose the card above with the number of nights in San Pedro you want before the border.
Frequently asked questions
How high is the Salar de Uyuni?
About 3,650 m, the same as Uyuni town. The higher points of the trip are in the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, which starts at about 4,200 m.
Is Uyuni higher than Cusco?
Yes. The CDC gives about 3,350 m for Cusco and about 3,650 m for La Paz and Uyuni.
How high is the San Pedro to Uyuni route?
The cards put the Bolivian leg between 4,000 and 4,900 m; the shared 4-day/3-night says up to about 4,950 m. Laguna Colorada is near 4,250 m and Sol de Mañana near 4,800 m.
Which tour is best for acclimatising?
The 6-day and the 5-day put more nights in San Pedro before the border than the 4-day/3-night. San Pedro is at about 2,400 m, so this helps but does not replace acclimatising at greater heights.
Do the tours carry oxygen?
The cards of the 4-day/3-night, the 5-day and the 6-day list emergency oxygen. The shared 4-day/3-night card does not list it.
What are the symptoms of altitude sickness?
Headache plus loss of appetite, dizziness, tiredness or nausea. It often starts during the first night and usually passes in 12 to 48 hours if you do not go higher.
What should I do if I feel unwell?
Tell the guide at once. Do not go higher to sleep with symptoms, and descend if they get worse despite rest.
How high is Tatio?
More than 4,300 m according to Sernatur. The outing starts before dawn and you are back in San Pedro around midday.