“The Best of Bolivia”

Morning departure to Amboro National Park, one of the most beautiful parks in Bolivia. This natural reserve covers over 6000 km2 (1.5 million acres), at an altitude between 300 and 3200 meters, and is overflowing with an exceptional variety of fauna and flora.

You will settle into the “Volcano Refuge” eco-lodge, nestled down in a deep valley. In the afternoon you will take a hike in the park. You may also take a bath in the waterfall located by the lodge.

Night at the lodge.

In the morning you will set off on a 7-hour hike, where you will be able to enjoy some superb viewpoints over some ochre rocky cliffs, the tropical forest and the waterfalls, some of which can be up to 100 meters high.

Free morning at the lodge. After lunch, departure by private vehicle to the lovely village of Samaipata, located at the foot of the bolivian Andes, at an altitude of 1650 meters and on the border with the tropical forest.

Check into the Landhous guesthouse. Night at the hotel.

In the morning, departure to the archeological site « El Fuerte ». You will visit this ancient fortress, which was constructed by the Incas to control the invasion of the Guarani Indians. Return to Samaipata. In the afternoon, return by private vehicle to Santa Cruz, the most developed Bolivian city and the driving force of its economy.

Check in to the “Puerta de Hierro” hotel, night at the hotel.

Morning transfer from your hotel to the airport, to catch your flight to Sucre. Arrival and transfer to the Capital Plaza hotel, in the heart of the city. In the afternoon, you will visit this pleasant colonial city, which is still officially the capital of Bolivia, even if the administrative capital is now La Paz.

You will also visit the Recoleta viewpoint which has beautiful views across the city. In the historical center, you will visit the textile museum which boasts a great variety of Andean fabrics and shows the different techniques used by the pre-Columbian and current population. Finally, you will visit the “Casa de la Libertad”, a museum about the history of Bolivia, located in the house where its independence was declared in 1809.

Night at the hotel.

Free day to explore this charming colonial city, undoubtedly the most beautiful in Bolivia. Night at the hotel.

If you are in Sucre on a Sunday, the tour can be adapted so you can visit the village of Tarabuco, an hour and a half away from the city, where an important indigenous market is held.

In the morning, bus departure towards Potosi (3 hours’ drive). Arrival and check-in at the Coloso Potosi hotel.

In the afternoon, you will set off towards the famous Potosi mines, where a colossal quantity of silver was found and extracted during colonial times. In Spanish, the expression “to be worth a Potosi” became a way of saying “to be worth gold”. After Bolivia’s independence, the silver mining continued, still to this day. You will enter the galleries to see how the miners work.

Night at the hotel.

Bus departure to Uyuni (4-5 hour drive). Transfer to the Tambo Aymara hotel and free end of afternoon in this little Andean village, located at 3600 meters above sea level.

Night at the hotel.

In the morning, you will take a 4×4 vehicle over to the Uyuni salt flats. Your first stop will be Colchani, on the edge of the salt flats, where the salt is still mined using traditional methods. Then, your 4×4 will set off across the white immensity of the salt flats, crossing most of it until you reach the Incahuasi island, 50 miles away. As you walk up to the top of the “island”, you will come across exceptional 360-degree views across the salt flats, one of the highlights of your Bolivian tour. You will be able to enjoy a picnic in these stunning surroundings, before continuing over to the San Juan village.

Dinner and night in a refuge (basic comfort).

Early-morning breakfast and departure to the beautiful Andean lagoons: Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarcota, Honda, and Ramadita, where you will be able to spot flamingos!

Then, you will cross the Siloli desert, making a stop at the “Stone Tree”, and then another stop for lunch. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the Laguna Colorada, and you’ll be able to see its surreal red color with your own eyes!

Night and dinner at a refuge (basic comfort).

Early-morning visit of the « Morning Sun Geysers », a magnificent natural spectacle at an altitude of 4900 meters. You will then head over to the Polques thermal baths where you will be able to take a dip in the thermal baths.

Next stop: the Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca, which both offer incredible views over the Licancabur volcano, on the border between Chile and Bolivia, after which you will continue over to the Dali desert. On the way back, you will be driven through the Valley of Rocks, which is home to some gigantic rocks of unusual shapes and sizes.

Return to Uyuni in the late afternoon.

Night at the Tambo Aymara hotel in Uyuni.

On day 13 you will fly to La Paz in the morning, where you will be taken to check into the Rosario hotel. A city tour of La Paz is then scheduled for the afternoon. The Bolivian capital stretches out over a unique setting: a steep, colorful valley between an altitude of 3200 and 4000 meters. In the bottom part of the city, the natural site of the “Valley of the Moon” is formed by hundreds of spindly pitons, cleared away over time by the erosion. You will then be taken to the Kilikili viewpoint, from which you’ll have views over the whole of La Paz, after which you’ll visit the historical center, including the Murillo square which is home to the presidential palace, and the Sagarnaga area where the famous “witches’ market” takes place.

Night at the hotel.

In the morning, departure by private vehicle for an hour’s drive over to the East of La Paz. You will trek along a pedestrian path for 2-3 hours, during which you will see some of the most beautiful rural countryside of this fertile valley, including some multi-colored rock formations, the Nevado Illimani (6480 meters high) and the canyon, which you will cross in order to reach the Palca village. This trek is definitely off the beaten path, and will show you a rural side to Bolivia that is not so well known by tourists.

Packed lunch and return to La Paz in the afternoon. Night at the hotel.

Morning departure by private vehicle to the archeological site of Tiwanaku, political and spiritual center of a civilization which preceded the Incas, and a must-see archeological site. You’ll visit the “Sun Gate”, a thousand-year old enigmatic ruin,  the Kalasasaya Temple as well as its museum.

Return to La Paz in the afternoon, and night at the hotel.

Transfer to La Paz Airport to catch your international flight. End of your “best of Bolivia” tour.

If your flight leaves from Santa Cruz rather than La Paz, your itinerary can of course be adapted.