While La Paz and Uyuni are the two most popular destinations on most Bolivian itineraries, if you are like us, you would want to spend a few days in Sucre too, the constitutional capital of Bolivia.
Walking through the beautiful, history-packed streets of Sucre, you get a peek into Bolivia’s past and insights about its rich cultural heritage, whereas Uyuni presents a shift to nature’s grandeur on an epic scale, with one of the most surreal landscapes on our planet.
But how do you make the leap from Sucre’s historic streets to the surreal landscapes of Uyuni?
In this guide, we are going to share with you the best travel options from Sucre to Uyuni. The goal is to help you pick the mode of transport that best suits your itinerary, budget, and thirst for adventure.
Traveling from La Paz to Uyuni? Read this.
Sucre to Uyuni Bus
The bus from Sucre to Uyuni provides an affordable and authentic travel experience. The journey will take you through an ever-changing landscape, offering glimpses of Bolivia’s rich topography and local lifestyles.
Why Choose Sucre to Uyuni Bus? This option is ideal for the budget-conscious travelers.
Trip Duration: The bus ride takes about 8 hours.
Bus Companies: Companies like 6 de Octubre, Autobuses Emperador and Expreso 11 De Julio run overnight direct buses from Sucre to Uyuni. Most of these are sleeper buses, that is, they have up to 160 degrees reclining seats. Some providers may offer additional amenities like WiFi and individual curtains.
Note that, the fleet of buses from Sucre to Uyuni can be simpler and possibly, less comfortable, compared to buses for the ride from La Paz to Sucre, or, from La Paz to Uyuni.
Cost: You can find a seat for 14-20 USD.
Tip: If you can accommodate more days in your Bolivia itinerary, break the journey between Sucre to Uyuni with a stopover in Potosi.
You will get to know another new Bolivian city, with an interesting history. This way, you will also need to shorter bus journeys to get to Uyuni – first, from Sucre to Potosi, and then, from Potosi to Uyuni.
Pro Tip: Carry toilet paper!
How to Book: You can book your Bolivia bus tickets on Tickets Bolivia, or browse options on Bookaway.
Tickets Bolivia and Bookaway
We have used Tickets Bolivia for our bus ticket bookings in Bolivia. It is easy to use, gives a good comparison of prices and features across bus companies, and they have a good online chat support via WhatsApp.
Bookaway is a trusted name globally for booking bus tickets, shuttle transfers, train routes, and even boat transfers and small carrier domestic flights in some countries.
Sucre to Uyuni Flight
There are flight connections from Sucre to Uyuni, however with one or more stopovers, at bigger airports like La Paz, Cochabamba or Santa Cruz.
📍Airport serving Sucre: Alcantarí International Airport
📍Airport serving Uyuni: Joya Andina Airport
Why Choose Sucre to Uyuni Flight? If you absolutely want to avoid bus travel.
Trip Duration: Given the multiple connections and layovers, it can take more than 10 hours by air route.
Airline: The national carrier in Bolivia, Boliviana de Aviación, also known as BoA, can make connections between Sucre and Uyuni. However you have to choose from one or more long layovers in other bigger cities.
Cost: At the time of writing this, the cost of flying from Sucre to Uyuni is pretty random, with prices reflecting up to a few hundred dollars for a one way passage.
Tip: Take the bus!
How to Book: Check for flight tickets online directly on BoA website.
Sucre to Uyuni Tour
If you are seeking a guided transfer from Sucre to Uyuni and further exploration of the salt flats, a tour may be your best bet.
You can find tour companies in Sucre offering packages that combine transportation with guided multi-day excursions to Uyuni that include overnight stays and the exploration of the surreal landscapes and history of the salt flats of Uyuni.
Why Choose Sucre to Uyuni Tour? Tour offers a hassle-free alternative as it typically includes pickup from your Sucre accommodation, all transportation, stay in Uyuni and meals during the guided tour.
1-Day Tour of Uyuni Salt Flats + Overnight Bus Rides
This tour starts and ends in Sucre, and takes you to all the attractions of Salar de Uyuni.
The tour price includes roundtrip tickets for public bus rides, transportation in shared 4X4 vehicle for the salt flats tour, lunch on the day of the tour, hotel pickup, the services of driver and bilingual guide, and a complimentary wine during sunset on salt flats.
This is how the tentative tour itinerary looks like:
➡️ Day 1 – Pickup from hotel in Sucre, overnight bus ride from Sucre to Uyuni.
➡️ Day 2 – Salt flats tour start after breakfast. Visit attractions like train cemetery and Incahuasi Island, and learn about salt gathering process in Colchani village. Private lunch set up with volcano view. End tour with sunset on salt flats and a toast with wine. Overnight bus from Uyuni to Sucre.
➡️ Day 3 – Morning arrival in Sucre.
What Next?
Now that you are equipped with the key insights about transferring from Sucre to Uyuni, the natural next step would be to figure out your travel plans for Uyuni. Sure, you came here for the Salt Flats, but how to go about exploring this magnificent landscape?
Here are our planning resources for traveling in Uyuni, Bolivia:
- Things to do in Uyuni, Bolivia
- How to Choose the Best Uyuni Salt Flats Tour
- Uyuni, Bolivia to Atacama, Chile: Our 3-Day Tour Experience
Plan Your Bolivia Trip:
- 2 Weeks in Bolivia Itinerary
- Bolivia and Peru Itinerary
- Chile Bolivia Peru Itinerary
- Is Bolivia Worth Visiting?
- How to Get Around in Bolivia?
- Bolivia Bucket List Experiences
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