EXPEDITION • UYUNI & ATACAMA • FEB 14–27, 2028
Uyuni & Atacama Expedition 2028
14 days, about 7,000 km. From Urubici (SC) to the Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama Desert.
You leave Urubici on your own bike — or on a UpSerra fleet BMW R1300GS — and don’t stop until the horizon turns white. The Salar de Uyuni spans 10,582 km² of dry salt, a perfect mirror on rainy days and absolute silence the rest of the time. And on the way back, the mountains collect their toll in altitude: Paso San Francisco, above 4,700 meters, is the highest crossing on the route and one of the expedition’s defining moments. There’s no way to prepare anyone for these landscapes. You just have to go.
From Urubici, we cross the west of Santa Catarina, enter Argentina through the Chaco, climb to the Bolivian altiplano, cross into Chile through the Atacama Desert, descend to the Pacific coast and return via Paso San Francisco — the highest crossing on the entire route. Fourteen days, about seven thousand kilometers, four countries. Along the way: the white Salar, Laguna Colorada with its pink flamingos, geysers steaming in the pre-dawn cold, and the Valle de la Luna at dusk.
It’s the most complete expedition on the UpSerra calendar in distance and landscape diversity. Those who’ve done it know. Those who are about to will understand why this route exists on the first day on the altiplano.
UYUNI & ATACAMA IN PICTURES
See how last year’s edition went
Bolivian altiplano, white Salar, red Atacama at dusk, Paso San Francisco at 4,700 meters. What UpSerra actually delivers — not in slogans, on the road.
More videos on the channel @upserra on YouTube →
THE ROUTE
Urubici → Salar de Uyuni → Atacama → Santo Tomé
Day-by-day itinerary
ARRIVAL · FEB 13
Urubici — meet-up and briefing
The group meets in Urubici, in the Serra Catarinense, home of UpSerra. Full briefing with the team: route, borders, documentation, pace, and what to expect on each stretch. Opening dinner. Tomorrow the road begins.
DAY 01 · FEB 14 · 439 KM
Lages → São Miguel do Oeste
First day on the road. We cross Santa Catarina from east to west, leaving the mountains and entering the plateau. Arrival in São Miguel do Oeste, on the far west of the state, a few kilometers from Argentina. The continent begins tomorrow.
DAY 02 · FEB 15 · 658 KM
São Miguel do Oeste → Resistencia (Argentina)
We cross the border and enter Argentina. A long day across the Chaco plains — open horizon, dry heat, straight road that never ends. Resistencia, the provincial capital, welcomes the group in the late afternoon.
DAY 03 · FEB 16 · 781 KM
Resistencia → General Güemes
The longest stretch of the outbound leg. We leave the Chaco and head toward northwestern Argentina, where the plain begins turning into mountains. General Güemes, in Salta province, is the gateway to the altiplano.
DAY 04 · FEB 17 · 282 KM
General Güemes → La Quiaca
Short on kilometers, long on altitude. The road climbs through the Quebrada de Humahuaca, between walls of colored rock, up to La Quiaca — the last Argentine town before Bolivia, above 3,400 meters.
DAY 05 · FEB 18 · 289 KM
La Quiaca → Uyuni (Bolivia)
Border crossing and the Bolivian altiplano. The thin air, the wind, and the light change everything. An altitude road all the way to Uyuni, base camp for the salt flat. A day to arrive unhurried and let the body adjust.
DAY 06 · FEB 19 · REST DAY
Salar de Uyuni — rest day
A full day on the largest salt flat in the world. A white plain of salt that dissolves the horizon line and makes the bike seem to float. No rush, no distance to cover. Just the white, the sky, and the silence.
DAY 07 · FEB 20 · 522 KM
Uyuni → San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)
Crossing the Bolivian altiplano into Chile. A high-altitude border, volcanic scenery, lagoons, and not a tree for miles. Descent into San Pedro de Atacama, in the driest desert on Earth.
DAY 08 · FEB 21 · REST DAY
San Pedro de Atacama — rest day
First free day in the Atacama. Valle de la Luna, geysers, salt flats, and the clearest sky on the planet. Everyone picks their own plan — or simply rests their spine after the altiplano.
DAY 09 · FEB 22 · REST DAY
San Pedro de Atacama — rest day
Second free day. Plenty of time for whatever got left out, to check the bike over before the descent to the Pacific, or to do nothing at all — which in the Atacama is also a plan.
DAY 10 · FEB 23 · 356 KM
San Pedro → Antofagasta (Pacific)
We descend from the high desert down to sea level. The dry landscape opens onto the blue of the Pacific and the temperature shifts for good. Antofagasta, on the Chilean coast, closes the day with the smell of sea air.
DAY 11 · FEB 24 · 575 KM
Antofagasta → Copiapó
A day along the Chilean coast, ocean on one side and desert on the other. One of the most cinematic roads on the continent. Arrival in Copiapó, in the Atacama region.
DAY 12 · FEB 25 · 482 KM
Copiapó → Paso San Francisco → Tinogasta
One of the great days of the trip. We cross the Andes via Paso San Francisco, above 4,700 meters — volcanoes, high-altitude lagoons, and one of the most impressive crossings on the continent. Descent to Tinogasta, in Catamarca province, back in Argentina.
DAY 13 · FEB 26 · 888 KM
Tinogasta → Charata
A long day crossing Argentina. We descend from Catamarca heading east, crossing the Chaco plain once again. Charata, inland in the province, is the last stop before the border.
DAY 14 · FEB 27 · 690 KM
Charata → Santo Tomé — border
Last day on the road. Argentine Chaco all the way to Santo Tomé, in Corrientes province, on the border with Brazil. End of the expedition, with about 7,000 kilometers and four countries on the odometer.
EXPEDITION MEMORIES
Uyuni & Atacama in pictures
White Salar, immense altiplano, geysers, the Pacific, Paso San Francisco. What awaits you in February.
More photos on Instagram @upserra_ →
ALTITUDE & DESERT
Thin air, harsh sun, pre-dawn cold
The Bolivian altiplano sits between 3,600 and 4,000 meters of altitude. The El Tatio Geysers sit above 4,500 meters — the highest point of the expedition. The air is 40% thinner than at sea level, and it’s felt in the riding (the bike loses power), in fatigue (the body works harder), and in sleep (lighter and more broken).
UpSerra builds the route with progressive acclimatization: we sleep at increasing altitude on the days leading up to the altiplano. Arrival at the Salar isn’t abrupt. With constant hydration, the right pace, and support from the team, the vast majority of participants have no serious problems. The required level is Intermediate/Advanced — attentiveness, endurance, and prior experience on long trips are necessary.
The Atacama, on the other hand, is extremely dry (the driest desert in the world) and hot during the day — up to 30°C — but cold at night. Layered gear is essential. In the Valle de la Luna at dusk, the colors are worth every kilometer ridden. On the Pacific coast in Antofagasta, the mild temperature and salt in the air contrast with everything that came before.
THE PACKAGE
What’s included
Included
- UpSerra guiding from start to finish
- Support and assistance throughout the trip
- Lodging in selected hotels (13 nights)
- Breakfast at the hotels
- Complete route, fuel, and logistics planning
- Pre-trip advisory (documentation, gear, preparation)
- BMW R1300GS UpSerra included — in the with-motorcycle package
Not included
- Participant’s own motorcycle (in the no-motorcycle package)
- Fuel during the tour
- Own-motorcycle documentation: CRLV + Carta Verde for AR, BO and CL
- Visas and any border fees
- Isla Incahuasi entry fee — Salar de Uyuni
- Valle de la Luna entry fee and other attractions paid separately
- Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tourist taxes and local fees — paid directly by the participant