Calama to Uyuni is a popular route for tourists traveling from Chile to Bolivia in bus. Additionally, the fastest and easiest way to travel between the two cities is by bus. The bus from Calama to Uyuni takes about 8 hours covering a distance of 427 kilometers. The border crossing takes place in Ollague. Find here all the information you need to plan your trip.

Calama, at an altitude of 2,260 meters above sea level, is on the shores of the Loa river in the Antofagasta region. The city is located 2 hours from San Pedro de Atacama, a city famous for the nearby Atacama Desert, and numerous other tourist attractions. Calama is one of the driest cities in the world with an average annual precipitation of just 5 mm (0.20 in). Tourists who want to go to Uyuni from Chile without doing the three-day tour from San Pedro de Atacama usually travel from Calama.

Uyuni, on the other hand, is Bolivia’s most famous tourist destination. It is the largest salt flat in the world and provides amazing views. Also, this salt desert was even featured in a Star Wars film. From Uyuni tourists can visit the National Park Eduardo Abaroa.

From Calama to Uyuni

There are two bus companies doing this route and leaving from different bus terminals in Calama:

Cruz del Norte

• Departure: Every day at 5:30 am and 12:30 pm
• Arrival: Buses arrive in Uyuni at 4:30 pm and 9:00 pm
• Prices from: us$ 24.85
• Departure bus terminal: Office Cruz del Norte: Calle Antofagasta between calles Abaroa y Latorre No 2046

Trans Salvador:

• Departure: Every day at 12:00 pm
• Arrival: Buses arrive in Uyuni at 9:00 pm
• Prices from: us$ 24.10/us$ 40.15
• Departure bus terminal: Turbus terminal, Avenida Granaderos

The buses cross the border through Ollague, where passengers can clear customs and migration. You then arrive in Uyuni at the office of the bus company between Avenida Arce and Avenida Cabrera.

You will arrive in Uyuni in the afternoon/evening. If you don’t already have a tour booked it is easy to find one in Uyuni. There are also a growing choice of dining alternatives. Read everything you need to know about Uyuni and how to pick a tour in our guide.

From San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro is another popular destination in northern Chile with attractions such as the Valle de la Luna and Tatio Geysers. From there there are three day-tours to Uyuni crossing the National Park Eduardo Abaroa, however, if you want to go directly to Uyuni you can take a bus from San Pedro to Uyuni. Buses from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni will go via Calama. Moreover, the buses between the two cities are very frequent and the journey from San Pedro to Calama takes about 2,5 hours.

To book your tickets online for this route you can just click on this link: uyuni to calama.