Beautiful Bolivia

The landlocked country of Bolivia in west central South America is known for breathtaking sites, in particular the Salar de Uyuni (salt flats) which are the largest in the world. This 2 week itinerary takes in some of the best this fascinating country has to offer.

Day One – Lima

Arrive in Lima and head to your hotel for one night before taking your flight to Santa Cruz in Bolivia.

Stay at the Wyndham Costa de Sol, conveniently located opposite the terminal.

Day Two – Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz for 2 nights

Settle in after a night flight before enjoying a private afternoon tour of Santa Cruz, Boliviua’s largest city.

Santa Cruz is the commercial centre of the country.  As such it oozes modern charms however the city and its inhabitants remain clung to their traditions.  The architecture and culture are evident of the city’s history.  The historic core of Santa Cruz is centred around the rose-brick Metropolitan Cathedral.  Around this there is a myriad of museums, restaurants, shops and cafés to explore.  Visit the main square, the Cathedral Museum, the handicrafts expo ‘La Recoba’ and ‘Arte-Campo’ as well as the principal monuments of Santa Cruz.

Stay at the Cosmopolitano Hotel in the historic centre of Santa Cruz.

Day Three – Santa Cruz

The next morning after breakfast, head off on a private excursion to Samaipata.

The Ruins of Samaipata is about 120km from Santa Cruz. The road to the ancient Fort leads through the mountainous Andean area called ‘Volcanes’.  This archeological site was built for magic rites by a pre-Incan culture.  Visit the archaeological museum and bath between the waterfalls: Las Cuevas and el Chorro.

After a morning of exploration head back to the hotel for a relaxed afternoon.

Stay at the Cosmopolitano Hotel in the historic centre of Santa Cruz.

Day Four – Sucre

Sucre for 1 night

Today, fly to Sucre, also known as La Plata, Charcas or Ciudad Blanca (the ‘White City’).

Take a half day tour of the city.

Whatever you call Sucre, the city has a rich and varied history with a wealth of historical architecture.  The city is relatively small so a delight to discover on foot.  The older parts of the city with white colonial buildings with their distinctive red-tiled roofs and balconies offer interesting nooks and crannies to explore.

The city is home to a large indigenous population who maintain their traditional clothing and customs and sell their crafts and goods in the city’s markets and fairs.  Sucre is more than a charming colonial city – it is a major agricultural centre and supplies the mining communities of the barren altiplano.

The tour includes visits to the cathedral, churches and cloisters of La Recoleta and the San Felipe Nery.  It also takes in the House of Liberty where Simon Bolivar signed the Declaration of Independence, the ASUR museum, the second oldest university of the continent San Francisco Xavier and the colourful local market.

Stay at El Hostel De Su Merced, a beautiful colonial hotel built in the 18h century.  The hotel is well located in the centre of Sucre and renowned for its beautiful antique furniture and the roof terrace which offers the best panoramic views over the ‘White City’.

Day Four – Potosi

Potosi for 1 night

Take an early overland journey to Potosi, the famous Colonial City and source of silver during Colonial times.  The city has been declared by UNESCO ‘The Historical and Cultural Legacy of Mankind’.  The rich mountain towers over the city – according to legend, it has produced enough silver to build a solid bridge from Potosi to Madrid.  Visit the Santa Teresa Convent.  Also visit Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint) with its wooden machinery used to make the silver coins for Spain during colonial times.

Stay at Hotel Coloso.

Day Five – Uyuni

Uyuni for 2 nights

Transfer to Uyuni and on the way visit the salt mine and miner’s market before reaching the hotel.

Stay at Luna Salada.  The Luna Salada Hotel is built entirely of salt, situated on the edge of the Uyuni Salt Lake with sweeping vistas of the surreal salt desert landscape.

Day Six – Uyuni

Enjoy a full day excursion to the Uyuni Salt Lake.

Uyuni is located on the Bolivian Andean Altiplano covering 12,000sqkm, the largest salt flat on Earth.  The Bolivian Andes offers incomparable stunning scenery.  The sound of silence makes the heart beat faster and the surreal pentagons of crystalline salt, the clear sky, the coloured lagoons, the cacti and the flamingo residents make you feel like there is no other place like this on Earth.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant after which visit Isla Incawasi, an oasis of formations of algae and fossils. The area is covered by thousands of giant columnar cacti, some of which stand over 12 metres tall and many over 100 years old. The landscape against the background of the salt pans extends to the horizon making it an ideal place for keen photographers.

Stay at a local hotel in Uyuni.

Day Seven – La Paz

La Paz for 1 night

This morning, fly to La Paz.  The city has a unique and beautiful setting situated 300m below the altiplano, sprawling upwards around the steep sides of this canyon.  La Paz is an interesting architectural mix of modern and colonial styles.  The city is home to a number of good museums and some weird and wonderful traditional markets.

Enjoy a private tour of the city including a 1.5 hour ride in the longest, safest and highest cable car in the world.  This new excursion gives an unmatched panorama of the city.  Ride uphill to El Alto and take in the views before riding back downhill.

A short distance outside the city of the ‘Valley of the Moon’ where rocks have eroded into deep gulleys and fantastic shapes.

Stay at the Presidente Hotel.  Located in the heart of the city a few minutes’ walk away from colonial streets, museums and the city’s historical monuments.

Day Eight – Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca for 2 nights

Enjoy a private morning excursion to the archaeological site of Tiwanaku, what is left of one of the oldest civilisations in the Americas.  The Sun Gate, the Temple of Kalasasaya and the Pyramid of Akapana are just a sample of Tiwanaku’s glorious past.  The culture of Tiwanaku was an agrarian based economy with an estimated population of 115,000 inhabitants.  The state-controlled agriculture produced the surplus wealth to support the urban centre and administrative system.  They were outstanding in agriculture, architecture and medicine as well as in social organisation.  Due to an economic crisis caused by a long, dry season, Tiwakanu collapsed around 1,000AD.

During the afternoon, continue to Huatajata, located on the shores of Lake Titicana,  Once in Huatajata, visit the Andean Roots Eco-Village, the Altiplan Museum, the handicrafts village, the mud igloos and the mortuary towers of the Urus Chipayas.

Meet the Limachi family, builders of the RAII and Tigris for epic expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean.  Enjoy the elegant vicuñas, llamas, alpacas and the mythical Suri.  There is also an opportunity to watch an audiovisual and night experience of ‘The Mystic World of the Kallawayas’, natural healers of Bolivia.  They believe you first have to heal the soul in order to heal your body.

Stay at the Inca Utama Hotel & Spa on the shores of Lake Titicaca offering fabulous sunset views over the lake.

Day Nine – Lake Titicaca

Today, visit Lake Titicana.  Take a hydrofoil cruise to Moon Island and visit the Sun Virgins Temple, ‘Iñak Uyu’.  Continue to Sun Island.  Visit the Inca ‘Grand Stairs’ and the Sacred Fountain; taste the water believed to give eternal youth and happiness.  Enjoy lunch at the Uma Kollu archaeological restaurant followed by a visit to the handicraft market. Take a cruise to Copacabana, located on the shores of Lake Titicaca.  Once in Copacabana, visit the shrine and the Dark Indian Virgin before an overland journey back to Huatajata.  By night, visit the Native Observatory Alajpacha, learn from the Aymaras Cosmovision and watch the southern constellations.

Stay at the Inca Utama Hotel & Spa.

Day Ten – La Paz

La Paz for 1 night

Head back to La Paz, following the road running parallel to the mighty peaks of the Andes.

Enjoy an afternoon at leisure.

Stay at the Presidente Hotel.

Day Eleven – Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz for 1 night

Leave La Paz to fly back to Lima via Santa Cruz

Stay at the Wyndham Costa del Sol.

Day Twelve – Lima

Day in Lima

Leave Lima for your overnight flight back to London Heathrow

Day Thirteen – London

Arrive home

This journey is just an example of excursions and accommodation in Bolivia.  Each journey is tailor-made to ensure you get the most out of your trip in line with your budget.  As always, we love to hear from you so do get in touch if you want to chat through some options.