BEST OF BOLIVIA
Bolivia Highlights
Pure, off the beaten track, overwhelming. On this tailor-made travel, you will discover the variety that Bolivia has to offer. Experience the altiplano plateau of ‘Salar de Uyuni’ and drive a well-equipped jeep through this enchanting landscape for 3 days. You see white salt flats surrounded by volcanoes, turquoise coloured lagoons and bright pink flamingos, which pass into steppes with grazing vicuñas. You’re submerged in the colourful, native culture in the rough city of La Paz and enjoy the atmospheric colonial cities of Sucre and the silver mining city of Potosi. You end your trip with an overwhelming view across the Lake Titicaca.
Day 1 - La Paz
Arrival in La Paz! Transfer to your hotel.
La Paz lies in the heart of the Andes and is surrounded by snowy mountain peaks. It’s also the centre of the indigenous native culture, an Inca heritage, where you can see it in the colourful population. Tomorrow, you can fully enjoy this.
Day 2 - La Paz
La Paz is the highest capital in the world (3600 metre) and you’ll notice that the air there is thin. We’ll show you the city today, not just by foot but you’ll also enjoy the most beautiful view by cable car. You’ll also visit the bizarre ‘witches’ market’ where you can buy herbs, cocoa leaves and mountains of dried llama foetuses. Do you want to experience some history? We’ll go to the old city centre and visit the colonial street of Calle Jaen, where you can visit the Cocoa Museum, definitely worth it! Did you know that La Paz has the highest ski slope in the world? At 5200 metres, you don’t just enjoy the snow but also a fantastic view of the Lake Titicaca and La Paz.
Day 3 - Sucre
Flight to Sucre. Transfer to airport and hotel. Free day to explore the town on your own.
Sucre, the ‘white city’ is a colonial university city that exudes calmness and luxury and has a wonderful climate. The city has been pronounced a historical and cultural heritage site by UNESCO. Sucre was founded in 1538 as a refuge for traders of the silver mines in Potosi. These riches are reflected in the elegant churches. For a splendid view across the city, we recommend you watch the sunset from the Mirador. If you are there on a Sunday, then you can go to the Tarabuco market, known for its traditional handwoven clothing and crafts. A great opportunity to buy a handwoven sweater made of llama wool for the chilly Uyuni Salt Flats tour that will happen later on this trip.
Day 4 - Jatun Yampara
Today, you’ll visit Jatun Yampara, 23 kilometres from Sucre, where a project was set up to protect the old Yampara traditions. You’ll see the traditional homes, clothes and customs of the native population and visit the textile and ceramic workshop, where you can buy the splendidly woven fabric from the local artists. You’ll also get the chance to taste chicha, a local drink of fermented corn, in a Chicheria (local bar)!
At the end of the day, you’re brought back to your hotel in Sucre.
Day 5 - Potosi
A drive of around 5 hours through the rough Andes landscape to Potosi. Located at the Cerro Rico, one of the largest silver reserves in the world, Potosi used to be one of Bolivia’s richest cities which was later plundered by the Spanish. Because of the richly decorated churches and imposing architecture, Potosi had, just like Sucre, been pronounced a cultural heritage site. The mining city is at over 4000 metres, so we recommend you take your time acclimatising.
Day 6 - Potosi
In the morning, you’ll be picked up at your hotel for a splendid city tour through the historical centre. The city is not touristy; you can easily wander around the typically Bolivian streets.
In the afternoon, we trek to the mines. A former miner takes you for a tour and tells you everything about their daily life. You’ll get to wear a miner’s equipment. In the dark, narrow passageways, you can experience how hard the life of a miner is. Very impressive!
Later in the day, you’ll drive to Uyuni by bus.
Day 7 - Uyuni Salt flat tour
The spectacular Bolivian Altiplano is one of the natural wonders of the earth and without a doubt the most breathtaking phenomenon of the Andes.
With a 4×4 Landcruiser, you set off on the 3-day adventure! First, you visit the train junkyard to see the first steam locomotive of Bolivia, a fascinating sight in the desert. Then, you’ll view the salt mining process in Colchani and are taken to the largest salt flats in the world: the Salar de Uyuni. Here, there’s plenty of opportunity to take funny perspective photos, the guides are adept at this and will happily help! After lunch, you visit the Inca Wasi Island, where you walk between giant cactuses and coral rock formations that are spectacularly located, in the middle of the salt flats. After a splendid sunset on the salt flats, we drive to our first hotel, where you’re greeted with hot coffee or chocolate and a delicious dinner.
Day 8 - Uyuni Salt flat tour
Continue your trip further into the desert by jeep, surrounded by volcanoes, both dormant and actively smoking. You pass by colourful lagoons with hundreds of flamingos. Vicuñas and llamas can be spotted on the plateaus. You travel through the Siloli dessert, this plateau is covered with volcanic ash and is graced by surreal rock formations. You stop at the Stone Tree, a ‘must-see’ phenomenon formed by thousands of years of erosion. We lunch at a splendid location from the back of the jeeps. There’s also the chance to walk amongst the wild llamas on a green meadow! Later in the day, you make another stop at the splendid Red Lagoon, where the brightly coloured flamingos match the water. Afterwards, you drive to the summit of the Sol de Mañana volcano, at an altitude of 5000 metres from where you can see the crater and boiling pools of mud (100 Cº). We drive towards our accommodation, a very unique place where, after a delicious glass of wine, you can bask in the hot springs and enjoy the largest starry sky in the southern hemisphere. Can it get any better…?!
Day 9 - Uyuni Salt flat tour
After a breakfast of pancakes, yoghurt and cornflakes, we visit the Salvador Dali dessert, where magical colours flow into each other. On the horizon, vicuñas finish the painting-like picture. We drive towards the Green Lake, a large poisonous lake at the base of the imposing Licancahur volcano. Here you can take beautiful pictures before we commence the ride back to Uyuni. On the way, you won’t want to close your eyes for a minute in fear of missing yet another spectacular natural wonder as you drive through the terrain.
Day 10 - Lake Titicaca
Today, you travel to La Paz, this can be done by bus or flight.
Afterwards, you travel by bus to Lake Titicaca. In the sun-drenched town of Copacabana, you get on a boat to Isla del Sol. After arriving, you get a traditional lunch with a fantastic view across the lake. A 45 minute walk along old Inca trails will lead you to the eco lodge, where your luggage is brought to meet you. Enjoy the calmness and the fantastic views this free afternoon. You end the day with a beautiful sunset across the lake.
Day 11 - Lake Titicaca
After breakfast, you will walk to the boat and visit the Chincana ruins and Moon Island. Then the boat sails you to Copacabana, where the bus to La Paz awaits. Transfer to hotel in La Paz.
Day 12 - La Paz
End of the unforgettable tailor-made travel through Bolivia!
Included:
* All accommodations with breakfast
* Mentioned meals
* Domestic flights
* Transport like mentioned in the program
* Excursions like mentioned in the program, unless stated otherwise
Not included:
* International flights
* Not mentioned meals
* Entry fees national parks, unless mentioned differently
* Optional and not mentioned services and excursions
