BOLIVIA: Overland 4×4 Journey: Bolivia’s Southern Altiplano – 14 Days

Arrival in La Paz – Afternoon City Tour

Arrival at El Alto International Airport in La Paz in the early morning. Transfer to hotel and free morning to rest and acclimatize. Lunch at the hotel. We have a city tour in the afternoon to see the impressive setting where La Paz sits. There is a group meeting in the early evening with trip leaders and participants to check plans and prepare for the trip. Dinner on your own. *To acclimatize better, we recommend plenty of rest, eating lightly and drinking lots of water and mate de coca (coca tea). Overnight at Hotel Oberland (3*) (L)

La Paz – Lake Titicaca – Copacabana

After breakfast we depart north to the portside town of Copacabana on the shores of mystical Lake Titicaca. As we bypass the smaller part of the lake and cross the Altiplano we drop down into the Strait of Tiquina where the vehicle will cross on a barge and you will take a motorized boat to the Peninsula of Copacabana. Once across you will continue your journey high above the lake with spectacular views of the Altiplano, Lake Titicaca and the Islands of the Moon and Sun before arriving in Copacabana. Lunch upon arrival. We will check into the hotel Rosario del Lago then head to the Cupula, high above the town to get a better sense of the relationship between the lake the mountains and this pilgrimage site. The views from this promontory are vast and you will get a chance to catch the sunset this evening and if you are an early-riser the sunrise next morning. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight at Hotel Rosario del Lago (3*). (B,L,D)

Colchani – Salar de Uyuni – Jirira – Tahua

After breakfast we enter the Salar de Uyuni where you will see the salt miners doing their work. You will have time to visit with these people and see how they gather salt and get a sense of the manual labor required to mine tons of salt on a yearly basis, most of it done with picks and shovels. Lunch en route in the middle of the world’s largest salt flat. We continue to the northern edge of the salar and exit via the village of Jirira which sits below Thunupa Volcano. We will visit the village of Coquesa and drive up the volcano to see mummies that are kept in a cave under lock and key. We continue overland to the village of Tahua where you will check into the salt hotel Tayka for the night. Dinner and rest. Overnight at Hotel Tayka de Sal (3*) (B,L,D)

San Pedro de Quemez – Ojo de Perdiz

After breakfast you will have time for a short walking tour of the area before heading south once again, crossing the Salar de Chiguana and gaining height as you head ever closer to Eduardo Avaroa National Park in the extreme southwestern corner of Bolivia. Today you will have plenty of time to stop and take pictures along the way of volcanoes and vast landscapes and have lunch en route. You will arrive at Ojo de Perdiz in the late afternoon, a location that is surrounded by a painted high-altitude desert of red, beige and rust colors surrounded by the rugged Andes mountains. Dinner and rest. Overnight at Hotel del Desierto (3*). (B,L,D)

Laguna Colorada – Laguna Verde

We depart after breakfast and head south to Laguna Verde that lies below the 6,000 meter Llicancabur Volcano that stradles the Bolivia-Chile border. Along the way there will be innumerable opportunities to shoot incredible landscapes of volcanoes, multi-colored deserts, vast lava flows, sandy washes, schizofrenic rock outcrops as well as wildlife that you will see in this moon-like landscape. You will have an opportunity to soak in some natural hot springs early on the way south so make sure you have your bathing suit handy. Lunch en route. The journey is an incredible one that covers the highlights of the Sud Lipez region like; The Red lagoon, Sol de Manana geyser field with boiling mud pits (they are dangerous – so stay away from the edges!), the Dali Desert full of archaic rock formations that are severely eroded and the amazing Laguna Verde (green lagoon) just a few kilometers from the Chilean border. This is a very high-altitude region and tends to be cold and windy so be prepared for those conditions. We will stay in a basic hotel for the night that offers warmth and shelter from the winter-like conditions outside. Dinner and overnight at a hostel in Laguna Verde. (B,L,D)

Uyuni – Potosi – Sucre

In the morning we head east to the imperial colonial city of Potosi and onwards to the capital of Bolivia, Sucre. The terrain and scenery along the way encompasses river canyons, ridges and active as well as abandoned and active mining centers. The red earth and weeping willows are a beautiful contrast to the desert-like Altiplano we just left. In the late morning we will arrive in the world’s highest major city, Potosi that sits at 3,960m/12,989′ asl. The setting is nothing short of spectacular and its height will take your breath away, literally. The drive from Uyuni is about 3 1/2 hours on a mostly paved road and very impressive. We will have lunch in Potosi upon arrival then continue to Sucre that has a much nicer climate and is much lower in elevation and sits at 2,835m/9,397′ asl’. The drive to Sucre is about 2 1/2 hours on a paved road with spectacular views of mesas, canyons and agricultural lands. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel for a shower and some rest before heading out for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at Hostal De Su Merced (4*) (B,L,D)

Sucre – Potosi – Cayara

After breakfast we head up to Potosi and you should be well acclimatized at this time so it’s appropriate to experience one of the unique opportunities available to us in Potosi – visiting the mines of Cerro Rico. Upon arrival we will have lunch. Afterwards we visit a mine cooperative that allow non-miners to enter into the heart of Cerro Rico. We will be provided with all the gear we need to enter the mine, just bring your camera, a fast lens and a flash. It gets very warm inside the mines, even though it may be quite cold outside so we will address how and what to wear. This mountain is the source of the seemingly never-ending wealth of which the Spanish monarchy eagerly exploited in order to enrich themselves. It has been said that a bridge made of silver could have been built from Potosi to Madrid based on the quantities of silver extracted from this one mountain! It will be dark, cramped, dirty and somewhat hazardous but it provides amazing photo ops! Then we visit the Casa de la Moneda (The Spanish Mint) to get a better sense of money, wealth and slavery and how it all ties to Bolivia’s convoluted history. Walking the narrow alleys and streets of Potosi is the best way to find great photos that show the character and sense of what Potosi is all about. We will spend the night in a colonial-era hacienda called Cayara which is a living museum and a great place to re-live Bolivia’s colorful history. The hacienda sits well below Potosi and is about 30-minutes away. We can enjoy the Mediterranean climate and have time to freshen-up before dinner at the hostal. Overnight at Hostal Cayara (3*) (B,L,D)

Depart La Paz – Home

We provide a complimentary shuttle service to the airport for those departing today.

End of our services.