Tour & Activity Scams in Uyuni, Bolivia
Unlicensed guides, fake tickets, bait-and-switch excursions, and ticket scalping. Below are the tour & activities scams reported in Uyuni — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Valparaíso, Mendoza, and Salvador.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
2
Tour & Activities Scams
8
Total in Uyuni
How it works
Some Uyuni tour operators run underfunded or poorly maintained jeep tours across the Salar de Uyuni and surrounding altiplano at elevations above 4,000 metres. Vehicles with mechanical faults, inadequate cold-weather gear for overnight stops, insufficient food and water, and unqualified drivers are documented hazards. Accidents, breakdowns stranding tourists in remote areas, and altitude sickness emergencies without medical support have all been reported.
How it works
The Train Cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes), 3km from Uyuni centre, attracts unofficial guides who approach tourists on foot or cycling to the site. They offer their services as guides for a fee, then demand a larger payment at the end than agreed, or claim the site entrance requires a ticket they can procure. The site has no entrance fee and requires no guide.
See all scams in Uyuni
8 total warnings across all categories