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Overview

Customized trip to Bolivia

This individual adventure travel with local guide in the South of Bolivia starts of with some acclimatization on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. Surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Royal Range, we explore the lake on foot and aboard a motorboat, discovering islands that were once home to the Incas.

This customized trip to Bolivia then takes you on a 4x4 ride to the south and the deserts of Lipez, the most spectacular region in the country– and maybe even in all of South America! Its total isolation has managed to keep the region’s natural wonders in pristine condition: you’ll find them in the same state they were thousands of years ago. This fascinating landscape is made up of a desert surrounded by high volcanic peaks displaying every imaginable shade of ochre. Myriad multicolored lakes and lagoons create stunning contrasts at the foot of the volcanoes where they are generally found. Flamingos, vicunas, lamas, and viscachas are more common than people in this untouched and authentic region. A fantastic adventure is waiting for you!

Taking you to the geographical extremes of the country, this customized trip to Bolivia gives visitors a chance to experience the most striking change of scenery imaginable! You’ll feel like you’re on another planet, in a completely foreign universe, witnessing some of the most shocking geographical formations created since the dawn of time!

Contact Uniktour’s Bolivia expert today for more information on this customized adventure!

Itinerary

Day 1| Arrival in La Paz - City tour
Staff welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel. City tour of La Paz, perched at an altitude of almost 4000 meters. Visit Calle Sagarnaga and its local workshops (among South America’s most famous), the witches’ market, the typical markets of San Pedro, the historical city center and the colonial district. On your way, enjoy a typical lunch in the colonial town along with your trip representative, who will fill you in on the latest details of your trip. Overnight in La Paz.
Dinner included.

Day 2| La Paz - Copacabana
Leave your hotel at 9 am aboard a private transport. Drive along Lake Titicaca and the Royal Range until you reach Copacabana (approx. 3½ h). On your way, visit the famous ruins of Tiwanau, an antique city that probably belonged to the ancestors of the Inca. These are often considered Bolivia’s most important ruins. Arrival in Copacabana. Visit Copacabana’s most interesting sites: Horca del Inca, the cathedral, the Cerro Calvario, etc. Overnight in Copacabana in a 3-Star hotel.
Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 3| Copacabana - Yumani
Easy morning breakfast, giving you time to enjoy the immensity of Lake Titicaca. Then a 90 min motorboat ride will take you to Fuente del Inca, on the island of the Sun. From there, climb to the village of Uyuni (close to 500 steps...), from where you get bird’s eye views of the lake. Cold lunch. Overnight at a villager’s home (modest comfort). Our trek starts in Yumani, progressing along the island’s crests until we reach the Inca ruins of Chincana in the North and the labyrinth of Aymara (3-4hours of walking). Return to Yumani. Dinner and overnight in Yumani.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 4| Yumani – Island of the Sun Trek – Copacabana – La Paz
Leave the Island of the sun, returning to the small port of Copacabana. Lunch in Copacabana. Departure for La Paz in a bus, accompanied by your guide. Late afternoon arrival in La Paz. Overnight in La Paz.
Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 5| La Paz - Uyuni
Private transfer from La Paz to the city of Oruro (2½ h). From Oruro, a train will take you on a great north-south journey across the Altiplano to the far West town of Uyuni, on the edge of the Salar (approx. 12-13 hours of travel).
Meet your guide at your hotel one hour before you are scheduled to leave. Trains do not run every day, so if your itinerary does not allow train transport, a first class bus will take you to Uyuni directly.
(Monday and Friday trains to Oruro leave at 10 am and arrive in Oruro around 2 pm. The Expresso del Sur train heading to Uyuni then leaves at around 3:30 pm. Arrival in Uyuni at 10 pm, where a staff member will be waiting for you).
(Alternatively, the direct bus to Uyuni leaves at 5 pm and arrives In Uyuni the next morning around 5 am)
Note 1: in order to minimize the time wasted in this transfer and for greater comfort, we recommend planning your trip so that this travel day lands on a Monday or a Friday.
Note 2: You will not be accompanied on this journey.
Note 3: for train travel, note that restaurant services are available on board.
Breakfast included.

Day 6| Uyuni – Salar - Jirira
Leave your hotel at around 9 am on a private 4x4, heading to the Salar de Uyuni (alt. 3650 m), the world’s largest salt desert. On your way, visit Colchani’s salt works and salt hotels (closed since November 2001), and then travel to the heart of the Salar on the volcanic Island of Incahuasi, also called Isla del Pescado, where you’ll marvel at the giant cacti and stromatolites. In the afternoon, cross the Salar all the way to its northern edge, at the foot of Tunupa volcano. Cold lunch. Full board. Overnight in the village of Aymara de Jirira (modest comfort).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 7| Jirira – San Pedro de Quemez
A long journey crossing the Salar from North to South. It is possible to take a stroll on this immense stretch of sand and stop on the volcanic Island of Incahuasi, also called Isla del Pescado, where you’ll marvel at the giant cacti and stromatolites. Exit via a platform to join up with the village of San Pedro de Quemez (about 45 min), our destination for the day. On your way, stopover at the “Devil’s Cave”. Cold lunch. Full board. Overnight at villager’s home (modest comfort).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 8| San Pedro de Quemez – Laguna Colorada
Once we leave San Pedro de Quemez, we cross the Salar de Chiguana. The road then climbs from 3500m to an altitude of about 4200m. We pass by the foot of Tomasamil (5900 m) and Ollague volcanoes (still active), on the border with Chile. On our way South, we take the jewel road of the Altiplano (Ruta de las Joyas): lagunas Cañapa, Hedionda, Ch’arkota, Honda, Ramaditas, and sanctuaries where 3 varieties of pink flamingos live. The road continues across the superb landscapes of the Siloli desert before reaching Colorada lagoon in the afternoon.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 9| Laguna Colorada – Laguna Verde – San Antonio de Lipez
6 am departure for an excursion to the geysers of Sol de Manana (alt. 4850 m), a volcanic crater that bellows sulfur and water clouds. We then travel along Salada laguna before crossing Dali desert (thus named because the landscape here is reminiscent of one of this great master’s famous works). We reach Laguna Verde, at the foot of Locancabur volcano (alt. 5960), mid-morning, and might be lucky enough to witness its changes of color.
Then we head East towards regions that are rarely visited by tourists. Pass by the village of Quetena, and then the ancient village of San Antonio, which was abandoned because its inhabitants thought the devil took control of the village, before reaching the new version of the village at the end of the day. Full board. Overnight in San Antonio community school (modest comfort).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 10| San Antonio de Lipez – Tupiza
Our expedition continues deeper into these wild deserted areas where condors and ostriches live, having fled the more popular areas south of Lipez. We pass through the village of San Pablo de Lipez and then descend from altiplano to reach the pleasant city of Tupiza, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ended their legendary journey (about 6-7 hours on the road)
Cold lunch included. Breakfast, cold lunch, and inner included.

Day 11| Tupiza - Potosi
Leave your hotel at 9 am aboard a private 4x4. We drive along the Frailes Range until the imperial city of Potosi, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. About 6 hours on the road through the Chichas region, known for the alcohol after which it was named, made from fermented corn.
Breakfast on the road and lunch included.

Day 12| Potosi (alt. 4100 m)
A whole day to explore this great city, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. At 9 am, meet your guide in the hotel for a visit to the Cerro Rico mines where we get to interact with miners in their work environment. In the afternoon we visit the casa de la moneda, where the Spanish produced coins for the crown until the 19th century. Overnight in Potosi.
WARNING: visiting Cerro Rico mine is a very rewarding experience, but is not recommended for those suffering from claustrophobia, as many sections are very narrow, and dark! It is possible to modify the itinerary and instead visit the thermal pools of Tarapaya.
Breakfast included.

Day 13| Potosi – Sucre
A private transfer (either a taxi or a minibus, depending on the size of the group) will pick you up at your hotel at 9 am and take you on a superb paved road all the way to Sucre (3h).
In the afternoon, enjoy an English-speaking tour of the colonial city, also classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. Among other sites, this visit will take you to the textile museum, the casa de la libertad (closed on Mondays), Recoleta Convent, and the cathedral. Breakfast included. Overnight in Sucre.
Note: The transfer from Potosi to Sucre is not accompanied by a guide.

Day 14| Sucre – La Paz
A private transfer will take you from your hotel to the airport for your flight from Sucre to La Paz (50 min, varying schedule depending on which weekday you fly). Staff welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Free time in La Paz in the afternoon. Last dinner in one of the city’s most prestigious restaurants. Overnight in La Paz.
Breakfast and dinner included.
Note: the flight from Sucre to La Paz is not accompanied by a guide.

Day 15| Departure
A private transport will take you from your hotel to the airport 3 hours before takeoff for your international flight.
Breakfast included.

Budget

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