Hi all — quick interest check for a small photo trip to Bolivia in Feb 2026. My wife and I are already flying down for Carnaval (tickets booked), but she has to return to D.C. afterward. I’ll be continuing south to shoot the Uyuni/Sud Lípez region on my own. For transparency: I do run structured, advance-planned photo tours, but this is not one of those — this is just a last-minute, cost-sharing trip I’m already taking.
Plan would be 7–10 days:
• Feb 13: Oruro Carnaval (action + color)
• Uyuni + Sud Lipez: landscapes, flamingos, lagoons, night sky
• Optional extension into Atacama
Small group (1–2 vehicles), plenty of time at each location, sunrise/sunset priority, partners welcome. Mix of off-grid areas with a few comfort stops (Luna Salada, Tayka lodge, Polques, etc.).
For context, I lived in Bolivia for over a decade and have done multiple trips through this region with the same guide.
If this sounds interesting or you just want info about the area, feel free to reply or PM.
I should note that the Carnaval part of the trip is optional. Perfectly happy to meet up in Uyuni to start the landscape/astro tour at that point and head out early on Monday morning, February 16.
This is going to be at the tail end of the rainy season, so we could see overcast skies, though they would become fewer as we move south into drier microclimates. We can also expect a relatively wet salar, ideal for photography with the popular mirrored effects, though it does present challenges when driving across the expanse.
Good news for US citizens traveling to Bolivia… the new government has just announced that visas ($160, since about 2007) will no longer be required for entry. The US, as well as several other countries, have been moved to Group 1, including South Africa, South (and North!) Korea, Israel, UAE, Bulgaria, Malta and Romania.
I’ve had several inquiries about pricing: I’m just getting some preliminary costs from the guide now. For two participants (myself and one other), it would be $2850 each. Three would come in at $2350 per person. At four, we’d need another vehicle, so that would likely start that pricing structure over again with two in each at $2850 pp, etc.
These rates are for a 7-day/6-night tour, single occupancy rates, including lodging along the tour (Villamar, Polques, and the Tayka del Desierto), meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), water, fruit, 4x4 transportation, driver–guide.
Not included are transportation to Uyuni, hotel before and after tour, alcoholic beverages at the hotels. If we decide to camp along the tour (e.g., at Lincancabur), there would be gear rental, unless you bring your own.
Please DM for more details/questions, including the working itinerary.
Thanks! I ended up just going with my wife and focused instead on following that week on a trip to Bolivia’s most remote national park, Noel Kempff Mercado, on the border with Brazil. I went with the guide I usually travel with in Uyuni who, like me, had wanted to experience this park for over two decades. We put together a pretty quick plan and ended up in the river systems of the northern sector — was absolutely amazing, exceeding expectations of every level!
I’m going back to the park at the end of July, but this time to see if I can develop an interesting photography route in the southern park which is really even more off the grid. Hoping to spend about 10 days inside; would love to stay a bit longer, but our younger son is starting university up in Toronto in September so I’ll need to return to the real world sooner…
imoretti wrote:
Thanks! I ended up just going with my wife and focused instead on following that week on a trip to Bolivia’s most remote national park, Noel Kempff Mercado, on the border with Brazil. I went with the guide I usually travel with in Uyuni who, like me, had wanted to experience this park for over two decades. We put together a pretty quick plan and ended up in the river systems of the northern sector — was absolutely amazing, exceeding expectations of every level!
I’m going back to the park at the end of July, but this time to see if I can develop an interesting photography route in the southern park which is really even more off the grid. Hoping to spend about 10 days inside; would love to stay a bit longer, but our younger son is starting university up in Toronto in September so I’ll need to return to the real world sooner…...Show more →
