Calama to Uyuni, there and back

Calama is a city on the shores of Loa river, in the region of Antofagasta, Chile. At an altitude of 2,260 m above sea level, the city has several tourist attractions. Calama is one of the driest cities in the world with average annual precipitation of just 5 mm (0.20 in). The Loa River is Chile’s longest, and flows through the city.  Tourists who want to visit the Uyuni Salt Flat from Chile usually come from Calama due to the short distance that separates these cities and the frequency of departures between the cities.

Road to Calama

Uyuni, on the other hand, is Bolivia´s main tourist destination. It is the largest salt desert in the world and boasts an out of this world landscape that defies the senses. Visitors are not only awed by the salt flat itself, an endless desert of salt that was featured in the last Star Wars film as the planet Crait, but it also has surrounding attractions such as the red and green lagoons and the train cemetery.

If you want to travel from Calama to Uyuni or viceversa, read on.

Uyuni Salt Flat during the rainy season

From Calama to Uyuni

In order to travel from Calama to Uyuni, you have to go to the Bus Terminal of Calama, located on Granaderos Av., #3051. Before boarding the bus, you must pay a small fee called Uso de Terminal for the terminal´s maintenance. The distance between Calama and Uyuni is 425 km and the trip takes 11 hours. The bus company Cruz del Norte has semi lie-flat buses that leave every day at 5:30 am and arrive in Uyuni at 15:00.

The buses cross the border through Pisiga-Colchane, where passengers can clear customs and migration. You arrive in Uyuni at the bus terminal located on Arce Av.

If you want to book your tickets now, or to just explore the costs and payment options, just follow this link: calama to uyuni

Calama, Chile

From Uyuni to Calama

For the return trip, from Uyuni to Calama, we have normal and semi lie-flat buses that leave from the Bus Terminal in Uyuni, located on Arce Av. The bus company Expreso 11 de Julio has buses that leave at 04:00 am and arrive in Calama at 15:00  in the afternoon. Their seats are normal, meaning they recline to 120 degrees.

The bus company Cruz del Norte leaves at 5:30 from the same bus terminal and arrives in Calama at 16:00 in the afternoon. Their buses are semi lie-flat, with seats that recline to 140 degrees.

Uyuni, Bolivia

To book your tickets online for this route, and to see costs and other details, you can just click on this link: uyuni to calama

La Paz to Arica and back: all you need to know about traveling by land

Travel by land between Arica and La Paz is very common, as locals of both cities love the change of airs from the mountains and buzzing activity of La Paz, the Bolivian capital, to the quieter salty airs of the Chilean city of Arica on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The fastest, and only option to do this route is by land as there are no direct flights between these two cities.

The bus between Arica and La Paz takes about 8 hours and goes through the border of Tambo Quemado. Crossing the border is very easy, there is a new migration center built and it usually takes about 30 minutes to get accross.

Cable Car, La Paz, Bolivia

Arica is a port and coastal city 488 km from La Paz, and the 8-hour journey by bus takes you through amazing landscapes of the Bolivian altiplano, notably the Sajama National Park and Lauca National Park, near the Andes mountain range, through deserts and valleys until you reach Arica. The Chilean city offers beautiful beaches, amazing seafood and shopping experiences of all kinds and tailored to all pockets. Travelers descend around 3,900 meters, from the highest point at the border to sea level in Arica.

Laucho Beach, Arica, Chile

Buses to Arica depart from the Bus Station in La Paz, located on Peru Av. (see map in the link below).

https://ticketsbolivia.com.bo/googlemaps/terminal_la_paz.php

See the table below for information about bus companies, times of departure and prices. Hours of arrival and departure are in local time.

La Paz to Arica

To travel by bus from Arica to La Paz you have to take the bus from the Bus Station, located on Diego Portales Av. # 948. (see map below).

https://ticketsbolivia.com.bo/googlemaps/terminal_arica.php

The journey takes 8 hours through Panamericana road, passing little towns like Valle de Luta, Pukara de Copaquilla to finally arrive at the border Chungurá-Tambo Quemado between Chile and Bolivia. The bus will stop at this border to do migration and customs, and then will continue along the Bolivian highlands through breathtaking landscapes, including the Sajama mountain. See the table below for more information.

Arica to La Paz

Tickets Bolivia offers you online tickets with the best bus companies at the best prices between Bolivia and Chile. If you´re looking for bus tickets from Arica to La Paz or vice versa, feel free to visit our website. We offer high quality travel assistance services.