Highlights Of Bolivia

Arrive La Paz and check-in at hotel.

Overnight Standard Hotel

Standing at 3636m above sea level, La Paz is cupped at the foot of the impressive Cordillera Real mountain range. In the morning we make an excursion to Tiahuanaco, Bolivia's largest archaeological site. Here a pyramid, an underground temple and the Gate of the Sun (carved from stone blocks weighing many tons) testify to the presence of a civilisation which pre-dated the Incas. It is thought this ceremonial complex stood at the heart of an empire extending over northern Bolivia, southern Peru, northern Chile and north-western Argentina. On return we enjoy a tour of the colonial architecture and the colourful street markets.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Making an early start, we leave the city behind and head south. We travel by bus to Oruro and then continue on through Challapata to Jijira. As we head south the landscape changes into a desolate wilderness of scrubby wasteland. Salt deserts add to the barrenness, but there are pockets of cultivation and settlements within this seemingly inhospitable land. We overnight in a local guesthouse in the remote village of Jijira located at the base of the Tunupa Volcano.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Situated at an altitude of 3650m and covering between 9000 – 12000 square km, the Salar de Uyuni is the largest and highest salt desert in the world. We drive across the Salt Desert and visit a salt works. Here villagers send piles of salt to be ground and iodised before being sold. The landscape is surreal. Bright blue skies contrast sharply with the blinding white salt crust and subterranean rivers flowing under the Salar form breathing holes. Meanwhile the peak of Volcan Tunupa (5400m) looms far in the distance. Later we visit Fish Island, so called because of the fish-shape that is created in its reflection in the Salar. Here we see how nature adapts to this harsh environment. We continue on to Uyuni - the largest town in southwest Bolivia which was once an important junction for the railways connecting Bolivia with Argentina and Chile.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we have a long drive to Potosi. We pass through the village of Pulacayo, one of the traditional tin mining centres. The land becomes more mountainous and we see areas of quinoa plantations and many llamas. Our route takes us past Porco Mine where the Spanish discovered silver and zinc deposits. It was this mining which made Potosi. Considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Bolivia, Potosi is a fine example of Bolivia’s colonial heritage. There are many ornate buildings and the churches have decorated interiors in a baroque style. The architecture is all the more accentuated by the bright clear light as Potosi is the highest city in the world, situated at 4090m. Potosi reached a peak in the 1600’s, producing more than half the silver found in the Americas. An outbreak of typhoid killed many of the workers and although silver production picked up in late 1700’s, the fabulous riches of Potosi are now long gone.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today is left free for personal exploration. The Casa de Moneda, the original royal mint was built in the mid-1700’s. Now a museum it houses a variety of displays from wooden colonial-era minting machines and religious art to Tiahuanaco artefacts and Bolivian war relics. It even has the country’s first locomotive. Alternatively, you could simply wander round the city admiring the different buildings or visit the thermal lakes at Tarapaya.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Sucre is also a prime example of Bolivia’s colonial era and this morning we drive to this small city, also Bolivia’s official capital. Unofficially known as ‘the city of four names’, Sucre was called La Plata, and with new territorial divisions in 1776 was changed to Chuquisaca. In the mid-1800’s its name was changed to Sucre in honour of the first president. As the central buildings including the churches are whitewashed every year, Sucre is also known as La Ciudad Blanca, the white city. The cathedral here contains the jewel encrusted ‘Virgen do Guadalupe’ by Bernardo Britti. This Italian studied under Raphael and was the first great painter of the new world. Nearby is the Museo de la Cathedral which holds a good collection of religious artefacts. Known also as the student capital of Bolivia, Sucre has a young and relaxed atmosphere and the afternoon is free for you to explore this buoyant city.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning is free in Sucre and after lunch we drive to Candelaria, close to Tarabuco. This area is renowned for the quality and intricacy of its weaving. Originally developed as a simple need for clothing, Andean textiles arose throughout the ages to play major political, social and religious roles. Woven cloth was highly prized and was used to establish and strengthen social and political relationships. Some cloth was even made to be burned as ritual offerings! Spanish chroniclers wrote of Inca soldiers leaving llamas, prisoners and gold, but burnt entire cloth warehouses rather than leave them for the conquistadors. We stay on a hacienda at Candelaria. This is a large rural landholding with the workforce usually dependent on the owner. On this hacienda the weavers work for the Asur Foundation which ensures good working conditions and fair prices for the goods. There is a chapel on the hacienda and this afternoon we meet the weavers to learn about the spinning, dying and symbolic meanings of the designs in the cloth.

Overnight Simple Hacienda Included meals: Breakfast

The Sunday market at Tarabuco Indian village is renowned throughout the area. Traditional dress, such as multi-coloured ponchos, elaborate axsus (overskirt), and conquistador-style helmets are still worn. We spend the morning at this market where we can barter for a variety of items such as ponchos and manchos or wooden carvings. Later we drive back to Sucre where we catch a flight back to La Paz.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we take an early morning flight (subject to time change) from La Paz to Rurrenbaque.  On arrival in Rurrenebeque you will have free time to look around before an afternoon briefing with your tour leader regarding your time in the lodge and possible San Miguel community trip.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We rise early to travel to the Madidi National Park. We take a boat right up the Beni River and then into Madidi by way of the Tuichi River, a smaller, more intimate body of water that allows for more animal and bird sightings.

Arriving at the lodge and after settling into your cabins your Tour Leader will take you for a guided walk through the rainforest and show you the ancient trapping methods of the Tacana.  Learn how the Tacana out foxed their prey with unique and interesting traps that helped them catch dinner.  They will show you how each trap works, as well as the medicinal plants the hunters would collect as they checked their traps.

Overnight Simple Jungle Lodge Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, we’ll had to the canyon and experience the cool and damp ecosystem. Explore a canyon 150 meters long with all the wonderful creepy crawly things that dark damp places have to offer. This unique trek will take a 3-hour trek from San Miguel del Bala along the river, which eventually runs through the canyon as a grand exit to the river. As you exit the canyon a boat will be waiting for you to take you back to the lodge.

Overnight Simple Jungle Lodge Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you will visit Caquiawara, an amazing spot for viewing the local birds in the area, in particular macaws as it is in this area that they nest in holes in the rocks.  We will spend the morning watching the birds before having lunch and transferring back by motorised canoe to Rurrenabeque.  A free afternoon gives you a last chance to take alook around the area before returning to la Paz tomorrow.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We plan to take an afternoon flight back to La Paz and drive to the small village of Puerto Perez standing on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The village is quite isolated and the locals are farmers and fishermen who still use traditional techniques in living their daily lives. The lake itself is immense (5149 square km), the second largest in South America, stretching some 193km by 80km with a maximum depth of 300m. It was from this lake that the Sun God sent forth the man and woman who founded the Inca Empire, the legendary ‘Children of the Sun’. Local people here have larger lungs, hearts and spleens, and blood that is particularly rich in red corpuscles. This has enabled them to adapt to high altitude living as Lake Titicaca is situated at 3810m.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Before returning to La Paz there is the option to take a boat trip to the tiny village of Pariti where there is a small museum displaying ceramics dating back to the Tiahuanaco era. We can also visit the cemetary on the island of Kalauta before returning to Puerto Perez and then on to La Paz.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The tour ends in La Paz this morning after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast