BOLIVIA
TOTAL (13 Days /12 Nights) Daily
Departures!
DAY 1. TRANSFER IN – P. M. City Tour
Private transportation from / to Viru Viru
International Airport to / from hotel, at
12 km/8 miles north of Santa Cruz.
In the afternoon visit the places of interest
in Santa Cruz: the 24 of September Square,
Palacio de la Cultura (a cultural center),
the Arenal Park and the Zoo with Bolivian
fauna. Overnight in hotel.
DAY
2. SANTA CRUZ / SERRANIA VOLCANES (Amboro
National Park)
Trip through the Amazon plains and enter the
last branches of the Andes range, few miles
off the main road is Serrania Volcanoes, a
beautiful red range with great depressions
and lots of vegetation. Hike down to the valley,
rest and start a trek to the forest to see
many birds before dark. Overnight in Refugio
Volcanes lodge. (B, L, D)
DAY
3. SERRANIA VOLCANES / SAMAIPATA / SANTA CRUZ
For the people interest in birdwatching in
Bolivia, you’ll have a beautiful show
before the light ends to enjoy this rich area
in birding, then trip to the Samaipata ruins
visiting on the way natural caves with great
cascades. Allow enough time to visit these
majestic and mysterious pre-Inca ruins, located
in the top of a hill with a big ceremonial
center carved in the stones. Visit of the
small town and the local museum, with a traditional
lunch. Return to Santa Cruz, overnight in
hotel. (B, L)
DAY
4. SANTA CRUZ / SUCRE
Flight to Sucre with both transfers.
Afternoon free to have a good touch of this
colonial city, declared World Heritage City
by UNESCO. Overnight in hotel. (B)
DAY
5. FULL DAY CITY TOUR INCLUDING THE DINOSAUR
STEPS IN CAL ORCKO
A full day city tour including: Casa de la
Libertad, where the Act of Independence of
Bolivia was signed in 1825; museum of the
Metropolitan Cathedral of Sucre built in the
XVII century, where the rich Virgin of Guadalupe
is. Late in the morning you’ll go to
Cal Orck’o (3 miles) of town to see
the world’s largest paleontological
site, to observe some of the over 5,000 dinosaur
tracks from the Cretacic period.
Lunch at “El Huerto”, Sucre’s
most renown spot for local beef, pork and
fish dishes, in addition to an extensive salad
bar for vegetarians, then Bolivar Park, to
see examples of the aristocratic tradition
of Sucre, with small replicas of the Eiffel
Tower and the Arc of Triumph of Paris. The
Indian Textile museum ASUR, is doing promotion
and recuperation of the rich textiles of the
Jalq'a and Tarabuco cultures and finally the
church and museum of La Recoleta, a good place
to have a full overview of the city. (B, L)
DAY
6. SUCRE / POTOSI - City Tour
Early departure in bus to Potosi, the road
follows different valleys until the Pilcomayo
River where you can see Puente Arce, an old
hanging steel bridge, nice example of the
engineering construction. Then start going
up more then 1,500 m/4,920 ft, this sloped
road is called "Cuesta del Retiro"
and is famous for its steeples. The trip continues
through the highlands until the mining city
of Potosi.
Afternoon visit of the Mint House (Casa de
la Moneda), traditional colonial streets and
the artisan market, also San Francisco and
San Lorenzo churches. San Lorenzo has one
of the best examples of stone carvings in
baroque-Indian style, and finally Santa Teresa
church and its colonial museum. (B)
DAY
7. MINE IN CERRO RICO/ UYUNI
This excursion allows visitors to experience
an unforgettable trip to a mine, that was
and still is the main legacy of the production
of silver done in colonial times in the famous
Silver Mountain of Potosi. You'll see the
living and working conditions of the Bolivian
miners (protective clothing and helmets are
provided).
In the afternoon trip to Uyuni, crossing many
branches of the Andes range and through old
mining centers, some of them still in production
of minerals like silver. The road has nice
landscapes and Indian communities until reaching
Uyuni, near the gigantic lake of salt. Overnight
in hotel Los Jardines or similar. (B, L, D)
DAY
8. UYUNI SALTFLAT / ISLA PESCADO / PALACIO
DE SAL HOTEL
Visit of the cemetery of old trains, trip
to Colchani, a village on the shores of Uyuni
saltflats, where locals produce salt, adding
iodine. Enter Uyuni saltflats is spectacular,
over 10,000 km2 of white salt welcomes you,
stay the rest of the morning in Palacio de
Sal hotel, the only in the world built of
salt bricks. In the afternoon trip to “Isla
Pescado” with its impressive gigantic
cactus and special flora. Back to spend a
the night at the Palacio de Sal hotel. (B,
L, D)
DAY
9. PALACIO DE SAL HOTEL / ORURO / LA PAZ
Private transportation to Oruro, crossing
a big portion of the Bolivian highlands (6
hours) and bus to La Paz (3 hours) . (B, L)
DAY
10. FULL DAY TIAHUANACO RUINS AND CITY TOUR
Tiahuanaco (Tiwanacu) is 72 km/45 miles from
La Paz, the tour passes through the Bolivian
highlands and stops at Laja, a small village
with a beautiful colonial church. Is one of
the oldest American cultures (1580 BC to 1150
AC), considered the cradle of the American
man and one of the most advanced cultures
in development in those days. Visit the temple
of Kalasasaya, the Gate of the Sun, monoliths
Ponce and Fraile, the Akapana pyramid and
the Semi underground temple, as well as the
local museum. Lunch near Valley of the Moon.
In the afternoon a three hour tour of La Paz,
including street markets, which are rich in
handicrafts, weavings and witchcraft artifacts.
The colonial part of the city with the baroque
San Francisco church, the Gold and Murillo
museum and the Murillo square with the Congress
and Government palaces and the Cathedral.
Then through the new part of the city to visit
the Valley of the Moon with all of its natural
geological formations due to the erosion.
(B, L)
DAY
11. LA PAZ / COPACABANA / BOAT TO SUN ISLAND
/ HIKE TO ECOLODGE LA ESTANCIA
Private transportation from La Paz to Copacabana
(3 hours), crossing the Bolivian highlands
and with great views of the Royal Andes Range
in the east. Copacabana is nice town in the
shores of Lake Titicaca, boat to the Island
of the Sun (1 hour), the Sacred spot of the
Incas, land near the Pilkokaina ruins and
have a typical aptapi (communal Andean lunch).
Hike to the Ecolodge La Estancia (1 hour).
(B, L, D)
DAY
12. LA CHINCANA / CHACAPAMPA / ISLAND OF THE
MOON / COPACABANA / LA PAZ
DON’T MISS A GREAT SUNRISE! Boat to
La Chincana, to see these great Inca ruins.
Optional one hour hike or boat to Challapampa,
visit the local museum. Boat to the Moon Island,
visit the Iñak Uyu ruins, boat to Copacabana,
visit the Dark Virgin, its church and a stroll
of town. Transportation to La Paz. (B, L)
DAY
13. TRANSFER OUT
Transfer to El Alto Airport. (B) |
