Salta to La Paz: Self-Launched Andes Crossing

Land in Salta and drop bags at a hostel in the historic centre (Balcarce or Calle Buenos Aires area). Book a shared Cafayate day tour (roughly 09:00-19:00) either the afternoon before online or at any Salta travel agency on arrival — the route runs through the Quebrada de las Conchas (Devil's Throat, the Amphitheatre) with stops at Cafayate and a winery tasting (Torrontés is the local speciality; non-drinkers can often swap for a bodega/museum visit). Evening back in Salta: try empanadas salteñas and a locro at a Mercado San Miguel stall.

🚌Airport bus or taxi from Salta airport to centre (~£1-4); day tour transport included in tour price

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Salta centro (£10-14)

• →Cafayate & Quebrada de las Conchas shared day tour with winery tasting (~£28-35)

A long border day. Pre-book a seat on the daily Salta-San Pedro de Atacama through-bus (e.g. Andesmar/Geminis, roughly 10-11 hours including border formalities at 4,800m Paso de Jama) or, as many do, take a bus to Jujuy/Purmamarca and continue. The direct overnight/day bus is simplest and lands you in San Pedro with the border already handled. Keep passport handy, expect altitude on crossing, drink water and avoid heavy meals. Arrive San Pedro and check into a hostel on Calle Caracoles.

🚌Salta–San Pedro de Atacama international bus (~£35-45, book a few days ahead in high season)

🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama (£12-18)

• →Border crossing at Paso de Jama
• →Free evening in San Pedro's adobe town centre

San Pedro sits at 2,400m — use this day to acclimatise gently. Rent a bike (~£8/day) and cycle the sandy tracks to Valle de la Muerte for sandboarding and sunset over the dunes, or do a short self-guided walk to Pukará de Quitor. Sort out tomorrow's Valle de la Luna tour and your onward Bolivia crossing at the agencies on Caracoles — compare prices, they're heavily negotiable in low season. Book the 4-day Uyuni crossing tour (Salta/Atacama to Uyuni or the reverse) at least a day ahead.

🚌Bicycle hire (~£8)

🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama (£12-18)

• →Valle de la Muerte bike ride & sunset (~£8 + park entry ~£3)
• →Pukará de Quitor ruins walk (entry ~£2)

Morning free for a slow breakfast and the archaeological museum. Book a shared Valle de la Luna afternoon tour (GetYourGuide or local agency) covering the Amphitheatre, Tres Marías rock formations, the salt caverns and the big dune viewpoint at sunset over the Cordillera de la Sal — the light is best in the last hour. Tours usually return around 20:00. Pack and prep tonight: tomorrow's border crossing to Bolivia (Hito Cajón) is best done as part of the salt flats tour, so confirm pickup time and bring passport, cash in Bolivianos/Chilean pesos and all layers.

🚌Shared tour minibus (included in tour price)

🛏Hostel dorm, San Pedro de Atacama (£12-18)

• →Valle de la Luna shared sunset tour with park entry (~£20-25 total)

Start the classic 3-day/2-night Salar de Uyuni 4x4 crossing. Your shared Land Cruiser picks you up early, climbs to Hito Cajón border (Bolivia visa/entry fee paid here if required), then descends past Laguna Blanca and the emerald Laguna Verde beneath Volcán Licancabur, through the Dalí Desert, and to the Sol de Mañana geysers and thermal springs (4,800m — brief, bundled stops). Night at a basic refuge near Laguna Colorada, where you'll see flamingos at dusk. Nights are freezing at altitude: rent a sleeping bag if offered.

🚌Shared 4x4 with driver/guide; border crossing at Hito Cajón (tour includes transfer)

🛏Basic Altiplano refuge, shared dorm (included in 4x4 tour)

• →Laguna Verde & Laguna Blanca
• →Dalí Desert
• →Sol de Mañana geysers & thermal pools
• →Laguna Colorada flamingos

Full driving day across the high desert: Laguna Honda, Chiarcota and Cañapa lagoons (each with their own flamingo colonies and mineral colours), the Chiguana salt flat, and the Siloli Desert with the Arbol de Piedra rock formations. Long hours in the 4x4 at 4,000m+ — pace yourself, drink water, chew coca leaves if offered. Second night is typically in a salt hotel on the edge of the Salar (basic but memorable).

🚌Shared 4x4 (included)

🛏Salt hotel dorm, Salar edge (included in 4x4 tour)

• →Siloli Desert & Árbol de Piedra
• →Laguna Cañapa, Chiarcota & Honda
• →Chiguana salt flat

Up before dawn to catch sunrise on the salt flats — the classic photos. Visit Incahuasi (Fish Island) with its giant cacti, then Colchani salt-miners' village and the salt-processing co-ops. Tour ends in Uyuni town around midday. Freshen up, then take an afternoon or evening bus (or the train, a scenic alternative) toward Potosí — about 4-5 hours. If you'd rather break the journey, spend the night in Uyuni.

🚌4x4 tour ends Uyuni midday; Uyuni–Potosí bus ~£6-8 (4-5 hrs)

🛏Hostel in Potosí old town (£8-12)

• →Sunrise on Salar de Uyuni
• →Incahuasi island
• →Colchani salt village

Potosí is the highest city of its size on earth (4,090m) — take it slow. Morning at the Casa de la Moneda, Bolivia's finest colonial museum (~£5 entry, English guide optional). Afternoon: choose a responsible, community-run mine tour of Cerro Rico (companies like those recommended by local NGOs; ask your hostel which ones pay miners fairly) or skip the mine and climb the bell tower of San Lorenzo for rooftop views. Evening coffee at a Café Cultura-style spot on the plaza.

🚌On foot / local minibus (~£1)

🛏Hostel in Potosí old town (£8-12)

• →Casa de la Moneda museum (~£5)
• →Cerro Rico cooperative mine tour (~£15-20)
• →San Lorenzo church tower

Short scenic bus (2.5-3 hrs) down to Sucre, the whitewashed constitutional capital at a gentler 2,800m. Check into a guesthouse near Plaza 25 de Mayo. Spend the afternoon wandering the Recoleta monastery area and viewpoints, and book tomorrow's Sucre cooking class (GetYourGuide or direct with a local cooking school). Optional dinosaur track viewing at Cal Orcko on the cement quarry wall — cheap local bus out of town.

🚌Potosí–Sucre bus ~£3-4

🛏Guesthouse/hostel, Sucre centro (£9-14)

• →Plaza 25 de Mayo & Recoleta walk
• →Optional Cal Orcko dinosaur tracks (~£3)

Half-day interactive cooking class with a local chef — the Bamba version includes a 3-course meal (Ensalada de Yuyu, Cazuela de Maní, Singani chocolate layers) and cocktail/mocktail making with singani, with vegetarian and vegan options on request. Book directly with a Sucre cooking school a day ahead and ask for the same menu if you want, or a market-to-table version (Mercado Central shopping included is a bonus). Afternoon free: Museum of the Casa de la Libertad, textile shops, and a rooftop sunset drink.

🚌On foot

🛏Guesthouse/hostel, Sucre centro (£9-14)

• →Bolivian cooking class & cocktail making (~£28-35)
• →Casa de la Libertad museum (~£3)

Day free in Sucre — a light hike up to Mirador de la Recoleta, or a morning trip to the Sunday market at Tarabuco if your dates align. In the evening board the overnight bus to La Paz (roughly 12-13 hrs; book a cama/reclining seat with a reputable company such as Trans Copacabana or similar via your hostel). Buses arrive at La Paz's main terminal; bring a warm layer for the ride — it gets cold at altitude.

🚌Sucre–La Paz overnight bus ~£15-22

🛏Overnight sleeper bus (semi-cama/cama)

• →Recoleta viewpoint
• →Optional Tarabuco market (Sundays)

Arrive early and check in near the historic centre. Do the La Paz 'local explorer' day independently: ride the Teleférico network (Mi Teleférico, ~£0.40 per ride) from the centre up to El Alto for panoramic city views and the huge 16 de Julio market, ride the Red Line over the cemetery district with its painted street-art murals, and — if it interests you — visit a mercado de las brujas (witches' market) where a local shaman reading can be arranged for a small fee. Finish with a salteña lunch and the Witches' Market or San Pedro prison-viewpoint area. Trip ends here; onward flights or buses onward from El Alto airport.

🚌Teleférico rides (~£2 total); local minibus (~£1)

🛏Hostel, La Paz centre (£9-15, not included if departing same day)

• →Mi Teleférico cable car rides
• →El Alto & 16 de Julio market
• →Cemetery street art & shaman visit (~£5 donation)