Tupiza

Where to stay

Hostels cluster within a few blocks of Plaza Independencia, near the central market. That puts you close to the jeep-tour agencies running the southern Uyuni circuit and within easy walking distance of the train station.

Getting around

• The 4-day jeep tour to Uyuni departing from Tupiza covers the remote southern altiplano and typically has far fewer vehicles on the trail than tours starting in Uyuni town itself. Prices are roughly the same, so it is worth comparing both departure points before you commit.
• ATMs in Tupiza run dry regularly, especially on weekends. Stock up on bolivianos before arriving, either in Potosí or at the Villazón border crossing to the south.
• If you arrive on the overnight Expreso del Sur train from Villazón or Oruro, you pull in early in the morning. Use that window to walk a few hostels and compare rooms before the afternoon tour groups arrive and fill the better beds.

When to go

June through August is dry-season high season and beds near the plaza fill quickly. December through February brings the rains and the cheapest rates, though some of the canyon routes around town turn muddy and impassable on horseback.