The best of Bolivia, 16 days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  SANTA CRUZ

  Arrival at Santa Cruz International Airport and transfer to the Armonia hotel. Overnight at the hotel. If your flight arrives in La Paz instead of Santa Cruz, the itinerary can be adjusted.

• day 2

  SANTA CRUZ - AMBORO NATIONAL PARK

  Departure in the morning towards Amboró National Park, one of the most beautiful in Bolivia. This nature reserve covers more than 600,000 hectares, between 300 and 3,200 m in altitude, and is teeming with exceptionally diverse flora and fauna. Check-in at the eco-lodge "Le Refuge des Volcans", hidden at the bottom of a deep valley. In the afternoon, hike in the park. You can also take a bath in the waterfall located next to the lodge. Overnight at the lodge.

• day 3

  Amboro National Park

  In the morning, departure for a hike of about 7 hours, where you will enjoy superb views of the ochre rock cliffs, the subtropical forest, and the waterfalls, some of which can reach 100 m. Night at the lodge.

• day 4

  AMBORO NATIONAL PARK – SAMAIPATA

  Free morning at the lodge. After lunch, departure by private vehicle to the pretty village of Samaipata, located at the foot of the Bolivian Andes at an altitude of 1650 meters and on the edge of the tropical forest. Check-in at the Landhous guesthouse. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Samaipata – Santa Cruz

  In the morning, departure for the archaeological site "El Fuerte". You visit this ancient fortress, built by the Incas to control the invasions of the Guarani Indians. In the afternoon, return by private vehicle to Santa Cruz, the most developed city and the economic engine of Bolivia. Overnight at the Armonia hotel.

• day 6

  SANTA CRUZ – SUCRE

  In the morning, transfer from your hotel to the airport and 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visit this pleasant colonial city, which is still officially the capital of Bolivia, even though in practice it has been replaced by La Paz. You will go to the Recoleta viewpoint, which offers a beautiful view of the whole city. In the historic center, you will see the textile museum, which exhibits a variety of Andean fabrics and shows the different techniques used by pre-Columbian and current populations. Finally, you will visit the Casa de la Libertad, a museum about the history of Bolivia located in the house where the country's independence was declared in 1809. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 7

  SUGAR

  Free day to fully enjoy the charm of this colonial city, undoubtedly the most beautiful in Bolivia. Overnight at the hotel. If you are in Sucre on a Sunday, the itinerary can be adjusted to visit the village of Tarabuco, an hour and a half from the city, where an important indigenous market is held.

• day 8

  SUCRE – POTOSI

  In the morning, departure by bus to Potosi (3 hours by road). Arrival and check-in at the Coloso Potosi hotel. In the afternoon, you will set out to explore the famous Potosi mines, from which a colossal amount of silver was extracted during the colonial era. In Spanish, the expression "valer un Potosi" was the equivalent of the expression "worth its weight in gold." After Bolivia's independence, mining continued up to the present day. You will enter the galleries to see the activity of today's miners. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 9

  POTOSI - UYUNI

  Departure by bus to Uyuni (about 4-5 hours by road). Transfer to the Tambo Aymara hotel and free time at the end of the day in this small town of the Bolivian Altiplano, located at 3600 meters altitude. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 10

  UYUNI - SAN JUAN

  In the morning, you leave by 4x4 vehicle towards the Salar de Uyuni. You will first pass through Colchani, on the edge of the Salar, where salt is extracted in a traditional way. Then, your 4x4 will set off onto this vast white expanse and cross a good part of the salar up to Incahuasi Island, nearly 80 kilometers away. By climbing to the top of this "island," you will discover an exceptional 360-degree view of the salar. This is certainly the highlight of this tour in Bolivia. You will enjoy a picnic lunch in this extraordinary setting, then continue your journey to the village of San Juan. Dinner and overnight in a refuge (basic comfort).

• day 11

  SAN JUAN - LAGUNA COLORADA

  Early breakfast in the morning and departure for the tour of the altiplanic lagoons of Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarcota, Honda, Ramadita, where you can observe pink flamingos. Then, you cross the Siloli desert with a stop at the "Stone Tree" and have lunch on the way. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the Laguna Colorada, with an almost unreal red color. Night and dinner in a refuge (basic comfort).

• day 12

  LAGUNA COLORADA - UYUNI

  Very early in the morning, you start the day with a visit to the "Morning Sun Geysers," a magnificent natural spectacle at 4900 meters altitude. You then head to the Polques hot springs, where you can bathe in thermal pools. You will continue your journey to Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca, with an impressive view of the Licancabur volcano, on the border between Chile and Bolivia, then cross the Dali desert. On the way back, you will pass through the Valley of the Rocks, where you will enjoy the gigantic rocks with fantastic shapes. Return to Uyuni in the late afternoon. Overnight at the Tambo Aymara hotel in Uyuni.

• day 13

  UYUNI - LA PAZ: VALLEY OF THE MOON

  In the morning, transfer to the airport, flight to La Paz and transfer to the Rosario hotel. In the afternoon, visit of La Paz. The Bolivian capital stretches out in a valley with a unique setting and steep reliefs, between 3200 and 4000 meters of altitude. At the bottom of the city, the natural site of the Valley of the Moon is formed by hundreds of slender pinnacles shaped over time by erosion. You will then take the recent cable car that goes up to El Alto and offers an extraordinary panoramic view over the whole city of La Paz, then visit the historic center, with Murillo Square, which houses the presidential palace, as well as the area of Sagarnaga street where the famous "witches' market" is permanently held. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 14

  LA PAZ: PALCA CANYON

  In the morning, departure in a private vehicle for a journey of about an hour towards the east of La Paz. You then take a walking trail for a 2-3 hour hike, during which you can observe the rural landscapes of this fertile valley, the multicolored rock formations typical of the region, the Nevado Illimani (6480 meters), and the canyon, which you will cross to reach the village of Palca. A hike off the beaten path to discover a little-known rural aspect of Bolivia. Picnic lunch and return to La Paz in the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 15

  LA PAZ: TIWANAKU

  In the morning, departure by private vehicle to the archaeological site of Tiwanaku, the political and spiritual center of a civilization that preceded the Incas and an essential archaeological site on a tour of Bolivia. Visit of the ancient and enigmatic ruins such as the Gate of the Sun, the Kalasasaya Temple, as well as the site museum. Return to La Paz in the afternoon and overnight at the hotel.

• day 16

  LA PAZ - RETURN

  Transfer to La Paz airport for your international flight. End of your "Best of Bolivia" tour. If your flight departs from Santa Cruz instead of La Paz, the tour can be adjusted.