Bolivia and its Wide Open Spaces

Reception at Viru Viru airport and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day free.

Departure in the morning to Samaipata (approx. 3 hours’ drive). Visit of “Samaipata Fort”, included on UNESCO's world heritage list, an archaeological gathering architecture of Chanes, Inca and Spanish cultures.

This huge carved rock is a unique testimony of pre-Hispanic beliefs and traditions, unmatched in the whole American continent... a must see for archaeology lovers. After the visit, we’ll need 20 km more to reach the Cuevas Waterfall Park. It is a fresh walk on an equipped trail, culminating with three gorgeous waterfalls.

Return to Samaipata by late afternoon.

Departure in the morning to the giant fern forest. This is one of the only places in the world where you can see many varieties of wild orchids and most of all 17 varieties of giant ferns. Some of them can grow up to ten meters.

We will drive again to the Refuge of the Volcanoes, in Amboro National Park.

After setting up in the refuge, we will go for a walk in the Serrania Canyon, and swim in the natural pool carved by the Quebrada Elvira

We will have a relaxed morning. You may walk around the refuge and enjoy the unique and gorgeous surroundings. After lunch, we will go back to Santa Cruz with private transport.

Departure in private transport to Santa Cruz Airport. Flight Santa Cruz - Sucre (Flight time changes according to the day of the week). Reception in Sucre airport, and transfer to your hotel.

Meeting with your guide at 14h00, at the lobby of your hotel. He will arrange your visits according to you wishes. Don’t hesitate to talk with him as soon as you meet.

Visit by foot of the « White city », which features on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, with the Recoleta Convent and the ethnographic museum of textile (ASUR) on the heights of the city, then the “25th of may” square and the “Casa de la Libertad” (House of freedom), closed on Sundays afternoon and Mondays.

Departure in private transport to Tarabuco, a « Quechua” village. Visit of the traditional market, organised the same way for centuries. You can find there a huge variety of products (fruits, vegetables, Andean cereals, etc. and ethnic weaving)

After lunch, we will go to Candelaria village, where we will be welcomed by a family of weavers. In the afternoon, we will visit the small museum of the community, and walk around the village and visit the 19th century Hacienda (Farm).

Return to Sucre by end of the day.

Departure in the morning to the village of Chataquila (Alt. 3725 m). From there, we will start walking on an ancient Inca’s trail, until arriving at Chaunaca. The surroundings are gorgeous.

We’ll go by transport to the Rio Chaunaca and enjoy a country picnic. Then we’ll go to the village of Maragua. This village is hemmed in the Frailes Cordillera, a geological gem result of a compression effect. It is not a meteorite crater. Discovery of the waterfall of the Devil’s Throat, located close to the village.

In the afternoon, we will take a walk in the crater, until the village of Irupampa. Return by car to Sucre. On the way, we will stop at the Maragua belvedere which overlooks the crater.

Departure at 8 am from the hotel, to the Imperial city of Potosi (Alt. 4090 m).

Arrival in Potosi by late morning. Free time to visit quickly the city centre, then free lunch. Departure at 02h00 pm, to Tupiza (About 3 hours’ drive).

We will go for a nice trek in the gorges, canyons and other geological curiosities in the surroundings of Tupiza: the Devil’s Door, Machos Valley, Inca’s Canyon, Quebrada Seca, Toroyoj, La Torre, Entre Rios, El Angosto...

Departure in private 4WD to the Quebrada de Palala (Alt. 4200 m), visit of the big vertical colorful walls, with a gorgeous view on the surrounding hills in the background.

Further on, we’ll stop at the “Sillar”, a magnificent canyon carved by the wind and the rain. The track goes on in the Altiplano. Then a crossroad leads us deep inside the Lipez Region. We’ll go down a valley, where seats a village with its church half buried in mud. Then we’ll go up again and arrive in a mining area with a tortuous landscape. We now go down in another valley, where the landscape changes completely with cactus... Real western-movie scenery.

The track goes on the valley side, to arrive in another valley with ochre colours tones, and a small village with houses made of red soil... it’s like being on another planet.

We now go up by the crests, and cross a village made of stones. We’ll finish this colourful day descending the gorgeous valley of Samawa.

We’ll go for a nice trek by the colourful hills in front of the village. We’ll go up following the stream bed by transport, until the starting point of the trek. The morning light will highlight the blazing colours of the canyon, which record those of North Argentina. We continue north, to the pass marking the border with Argentina. We have now a clear view over the Mountains Nevada and Bonete further away. From the pass, we have an overlooking view over all the coloured canyons. Then our guide will take us inside the geologic formations, before going down inside a valley full of giant hoodoos.

We’ll resume driving by early afternoon, going through equally coloured landscapes.

We’ll arrive at the village of Guadalupe by late afternoon.

Departure in the morning on a track following the ridges, to Ciudad Roma (Approx. 45 mn).

Ciudad Roma is undoubtedly one of the major and unknown of the Lipez region. Erosion carved rocky columns of tens of meters high, thus creating natural citadels. We’ll have a pleasant walk through this rocky maze

Further away, we’ll find Thola Mayu, a place dotted with enormous rocky sculptures, where your imagination will turn limitless. Then, we’ll drive to San Pablo de Lipez.

We’ll head west on a track in very good shape, to San Cristobal.

This village was relocated, after the installation of a mining company. Anecdote, the church has been rebuilt stone by stone, for a cost of approximately half a million dollars.

We will stop at the Rocky Valley, where erosion carved strange shapes of several meters, laid on the sandy soil, as by magic. Before reaching our destination, we’ll stop to enjoy a nice view of a canyon.

Arrival at Villamar by late afternoon.

First, the track follows Capina Salt flat, where borax is extracted from. The track then leads to the thermal springs of Polques (Alt. 4000 m). The bravest may enjoy a dip with a view upon the Chalviri lake.

Heading now toward the Chile border. On the way, we will cross the famous Dali desert, and its supernatural landscape with ochre tones dotted with isolated rocks.

Finally, we will arrive at the very end of Bolivia, at the White Lagoon, and most of all the Green Lagoon (Alt. 4300 m) with its emerald colour and the Licancabur Volcano in the background. Take care: the wind can be very strong there.

We go back by the same track. Then we’ll go through a pass at almost 5000 m of altitude, before arriving at a place called “Sol de Mañana” (Alt. 4850m), a place with an important geothermic activity, many geysers, fumaroles or mud ponds. 

We continue toward the Laguna Colorada (Red Lake). Finally, we can see it in the distance. A long break is necessary to enjoy this exceptional lagoon. It hosts many pink flamingos’ colonies, which strut around before our eyes.

The track goes through the Siloli Desert, where you can see many geomorphological structures, one of them being the famous “stone tree”. The surroundings are also stunning with multicolored mountains. After a few more kilometres, we will arrive at the Desert Hotel.

The trip continues following the track of the 1001 lagoons, a series of many beautiful lakes (Honda, Ch’arkota, Hedionda and Cañapa), some of them hosting pink flamingos’ colonies... Stunning. In the background, the surroundings are also gorgeous with multicolored mountains.

During this trip, each part will bring its specific landscape and eclectic facets. Later, we will stop to stretch our legs and contemplate Ollague and Tomasamil volcanoes. Then we’ll cross Chiguana salt flat which will conclude this marvellous day. By late afternoon, we will arrive at San Pedro de Quemez.

First, we make a small detour to visit the Galaxies Cave, a very unique place...

We take the road to Uyuni salt flat. Expected, eagerly awaited, or even seen in photos, it goes utterly beyond the bounds of anyone’s imagination, with its pristine surface, a virgin terrain for imagination. Dotted with “islands” which will turn into view points for observing, taking photos, picnic, and meditating on world’s beauty.

We will discover the Incahuasi Island, with an approximately 45mn walk on an equipped trail. There you’ll find a forest of cactus, laid there as by magic... If we have time, we may visit a small exploitation of salt in Tahua and the small museum of Chantani. Sunset on the salt flat.

Departure in the morning in private transport, to the neighbor village of Coquesa, located at the foot of Tunupa Volcano. First, we’ll visit the site of mummies dating from about 700 A.C.

It is a progressive and easy trek of about 2h going up. From the mirador, you will enjoy a gorgeous view on the Tunupa volcano crater, an amazing explosion of colours of yellow sulphur and volcanic ochre tones. Down below, lays the immensity of Uyuni salt flat. Going down, using the same path, takes about 1 hour. If we have time, we can go back on the salt flat. Back to the hotel in the afternoon.

Departure way north towards Sajama Park. First we’ll drive along the salt flat until Salinas, then Quillacas. From there, we’ll follow Lake Poopo shore until Copacabanita. We will cross Orinoca, village where Evo Morales comes from, and where there is a museum in his honour on the heights of the village. Along the way, we will see sand dunes, near Poopo Lake, which is almost dry up now. On this straight road, lamas may cross the road from time to time, and will force us to slow down and have a better look to the quinoa fields. If you visit Bolivia during the blooming, you will see an incredible patchwork of colours. Then, we will head west, toward Turco. After Turco, we will arrive at the “Chullpares de Pumiri” (Alt. 3960 m), beautiful rocky formations looking like a rocky city. You’ll love exploring the place, walking through this rocky maze, or even trying to climb some boulders. It is a nice and relaxing break. Then we will drive about 1 more hour to Sajama Park.

Departure in a 4WD vehicle in the morning to the geysers and whirlpools.

We start the trek with a progressive ascent, until the Khasiri Lagoon (Alt. 4.850m), close to the border with Chile. By the lagoon shore, we will see giant coot (Fulica gigantean or Ajoya in Aymara), which nests are like big platforms made of grass and algae. The slope gets steeper to reach the beautiful Sorapata Lagoon (Alt. 4925m), nested in a plateau. There you’ll have a very nice view on Condoriri Grande massif (Alt. 5542 m), with its sulphur yellow colours.

Then, we’ll go down to the geysers. Transfer by transport to the thermal bath. Night in the village of Tomarapi.

Departure in the morning to cross the Altiplano and go back to La Paz.

On the way, we will visit the Chullpas (Carangas sepultures) and the church of Curahuara de Carangas.

Meeting at 9h00 at your hotel lobby with your guide. He will adapt the day to your desires; don’t hesitate to talk with him as soon as you meet.

This day is dedicated to La Paz City discovery, so that you can feel the ambiance in the city. Visit of the coloured markets, the colonial district, Murillo Square or Jaen Street.

We may take the cable car (The highest in the world), and enjoy an incredible view over La Paz City.

Note: we recommend that you leave your valuables and papers at the hotel.

Transfer out to El Alto’s international airport in private vehicle. (3 hours before the international flight departure time).