Journey in wild and natural Bolivia.

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  France – Santa Cruz

  Arrival in Santa Cruz at a time to be determined, transfer to the hotel. End of the morning free for rest. Around 2:00 pm, departure for the Guarani Museum to discover the third Bolivian cultural ethnic group: the Guarani people. End of the afternoon free to discover the modern city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

• day 2

  Santa Cruz – Samaipata – Santa Cruz

  After breakfast, departure for Samaipata. You will be able to enjoy beautiful natural landscapes during the journey. Visit to the archaeological museum and the picturesque village, then head to the pre-Columbian archaeological site of the great Inca fortress, which was the ceremonial and administrative center of the Amazonian and Inca cultures. This fortress made it possible to fight against Guarani invasions. You will take a walk of about 2 hours through the carved rock, the largest in the world, as well as the Amazonian and Inca houses. After the meal, head to the "Cuevas" waterfalls, where you can swim under 3 waterfalls surrounded by abundant natural scenery. Return to Santa Cruz at the end of the afternoon. Overnight at the 3* hotel.

• day 3

  Santa Cruz – Sucre (2750 m) - by plane

  

  Early departure towards Santa Cruz airport to take a domestic flight to Sucre. Reception and transfer to the hotel. Day dedicated to visiting the white city and the first stage of acclimatization to the altitude. If needed, do not hesitate to ask for a coca leaf infusion. Climb (slowly!) to La Recoleta to admire the view over the whole city. On the way, you will stop at the Azur Museum of Indigenous Art to better understand the history and meaning of all the colorful fabrics you will see at the Tarabuco Sunday market. Learn to differentiate the various ethnic groups according to their traditional costumes and observe the weaving techniques. At the end of the day, enter the San Felipe Neri convent and discover the terraces under the setting sun. Night at the 3* hotel.

• day 4

  Sucre – Tarabuco – Sucre - Potosi (4 060 m)

  Tarabuco Market only on Sundays Departure by private car around 9am to the small village of Tarabuco, famous throughout South America for its traditional indigenous Sunday market. There, bartering still exists as a trading system, practiced by its inhabitants in typical clothing, making it a unique place. Tarabuco is a traditional place for textiles, each of which tells a stage of family life, the community, and important events that took place during the year. Free visit of the city Sucre: jewel of Andean America Free stroll in the city center of the white city. Go for a walk in the market and sit in front of a stall to enjoy a freshly made fruit juice before your eyes. If you prefer places steeped in history, the Casa de la Libertad, former house of the Jesuits, retraces the history of Bolivia and the creation of a free and independent South America from the Spanish crown, thanks to the two famous liberators Simón Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre. Departure for Potosi at the end of the afternoon by private car. Night 3* Hotel

• day 5

  Potosí (4060 m)

  

  Discovery of the mining city of Potosi (which means "thunder" in Quechua), which made the wealth of the Kingdom of Spain during the colonial era. Nowadays, the Cerro Rico (rich mountain) no longer has much silver to offer, but the mine is still in operation. In the morning, you will meet the Tio, the "devil", symbol of syncretism, to whom the miners ask for protection to work without accidents. You will have the opportunity to talk with the miners who currently work in conditions similar to those at the end of the colonial period. In the afternoon, visit the Santa Teresa convent, where you can see the influence of the Catholic Church in European life during the colonial era. Then, you will visit the roof of the San Francisco church. From its tower, you will have a unique view of the city and its emblematic Cerro Rico. Night at the 3* hotel

• day 6

  Potosí – Uyuni

  After breakfast, visit to the Casa de la Moneda, a very important place in the history of Humanity. The former Royal Mint (Real Casa de Moneda) of Potosí, founded in 1572 by the Viceroy of Peru, Francisco Álvarez de Toledo. It was here that the silver coins were minted, which were then sent to the old continent during colonial times and long after. In the different rooms, you will discover elements that may awaken your sensitivity to the work and life of the slaves, indigenous people, and Spaniards of the time. Around 12:30 pm, departure by scheduled bus towards Uyuni. You will be able to admire the Cordillera de los Frailes, areas of llama and alpaca breeding, and potato plantations. Magnificent mountain landscapes with various shapes and colors. Arrival in Uyuni and transfer to the hotel. Night at the 3* hotel.

• day 7

  Uyuni – Salt Desert – San Juan 3600 m by private 4x4

  Departure of the tour around 10:30 am in a private 4x4 jeep. Visit to the train cemetery, a place where steam engines that were used to transport minerals for decades can be found. You will then visit the village of Colchani, where the population works with table salt and creates artisanal works made of salt. Immediately after, you enter the Uyuni salt flat (12,000 km² in area). During the rainy season, the sky is reflected in the water and the horizon disappears. Sensations guaranteed! Discover the famous Inca Huasy island, a lost island in the middle of the salt flat with its thousand-year-old cacti. Climb to the island's viewpoint, a strategic point to observe the giant cacti and the immensity of the salt desert in the heart of the Andes mountain range. In the afternoon, you will continue the journey to the Aymara village of San Juan. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  San Juan – Laguna Colorada 4300 m, Eduardo Abaroa park by private 4x4.

  

  After breakfast, departure towards the far south of the Altiplano, a region producing quinoa, the Andean superfood. Then, you will cross the Chiguana desert and visit the chain of lagoons, making a stop in particular at the height of the Cañapa and Hedionda lagoons, where you can observe a large population of pink flamingos, vicuñas, and some predators such as the Andean fox. After the meal, you will discover the Silala desert and the iconic stone tree. This vast desert area is also called the Dali desert. Then, you will enter the Eduardo Abaroa reserve and visit the viewpoint of the Laguna Colorada. Overnight at the hotel.