Group tour Total Bolivia
Tour for 21 or 23 days Total Bolivia Santa Cruz, Che guevara,Tarrabuco, Sucre, Potosi, Uyuni, La Paz, Coppacabana, Coroyco
This tour is leaving only in private tour, any date from 10 persons.( look for fixed date with tourleader in dutch at dutch page)
Just send us the amount of persons and we make your tour!
You can choose the data, quality of hotels or hostals and local or private transport.
We can arrange English speaking tour-leaders
we can arrange the same tour also in individual without tour leader with some small changes
Kind of tour
This is an easy to less easy tour, but also sometimes harder, 3 days basic jeep tour to the salt lakes . Open for all ages. young minded people is what we are looking for. Leave your western look home and just enjoy the beauty of this Andean country. Accept that its different, we come to admire the country, not to change it!
We use good 3 *** hotels and hostels central located. We’re going slowly to high altitude to get used to it, together with a coca thee!
Many highlights in 1 tour
* Samaypata: the border of the jungle with the ruins of El Fuerte
* Sleeping in Amboro national parc
* The old trade route thru typical villages/from Samaypata to Sucre
* The traditional market Tarrabuco
* La Paz, the highest city
* Tihuanucu – culture
* The 3 – days amazing salt lakes jeep tour / lagunes in 4 wheel drive jeeps
* Potosi, with the silver mines
* Colonial Sucre
* Copacabana with islands on Titicaca lake
* Isla del Sol with sunset
* mountain bike tour to Coroyco
Day 1 and 2
The best connection from Europe is with air Europe, Transfer in Santa cruz to you hotel .We can relax or discover this big jungle city
Hotel in santa cruz
Day 3
After breakfast we drive to Guembe. This beautiful park have butterfly farm( entree fee excluded). We take lunch in the parc and continue to National Park Amboró, El Refugio Los Volcanes: pure silence and nature, a unique tour for nature lovers and birdwatchers and an ideal place to relax after a long journey. This tour brings you to a hidden jewel in National Park Amboró! Over 200 species of birds, 100 species of orchids and bromeliads are identified. The agouti, the armadillo, the coati, the skunk, monkeys and other mammals live here in abundance! The area in which the beautiful colonial style lodge is situated is truly unique. The lodge has six rooms with private bathroom and hammocks outside from where you can see the steep red coloured sandstone mountains of Volcanes. There are many trails you can choose from like: to waterfalls, viewpoints, a special orchids trail and more.
The hiking time varies from one to seven hours. In consultation with your guide you will make your choice where to go. After a hike you can refresh yourself in the waterfall next to the lodge or enjoy the area from a reclining chair or a hammock. In the lodge there are some books available about the flora and fauna of the area. 1st day: arrival at around 10.00 at the Refuge and the opportunity to do a short hike or have a refreshing plunge in the water of the waterfall that is located directly next to the lodge. After lunch a hike in the area of the colonial lodge.
Visit
http://www.biocentroguembe.com/
http://www.refugiovolcanes.net/html/espanol.html
Day 4
a day hike to a waterfall or viewpoint through the unique area with the guide. Relaxing is possible as well of course. After lunch you will drive to Samaipata
Hotel in Samaypata
Day 5
El Fuerte & museum, half day Excursion you will visit the impressive archaeological site of El Fuerte. Here lived in ancient times successively Mojocoyas and Chanés, Guaraníes, Incas and later the Spaniards. From those cultures you can see ruins at El Fuerte. You will need about two hours to visit the site and see everything well. Afterwards you will visit the archaeological museum in Samaipata. Here you will see ceramic that has been found at El Fuerte and in the surroundings of Samaipata. After the excursion you have some free time to explore this smallvillage of Samaypata.
Hotel in Samaypata
Day 6
Start jeeptour on the old trade route + Che guevara route. This day you will focus your attention on the legendary Ché Guevara.
In Vallegrande you will visit the well documented Ché Guevara museum and the hospital. Here you can see the laundry basin where Ché Guevara´s body was shown to the world press and his last letter to his children painted on a wall. You will also go to the mausoleum where Ché was buried for over 30 years, and the place where Tania Bunke, the only female guerrilla fighter that was killed during the combats, was buried.
Between those visits you´ll have lunch in Vallegrande.
In the afternoon you´ll drive via picturesque Pucará to the community of La Higuera. This is a beautiful part of the day where condors can be seen regularly. In Pucará you´ll make a stop to stroll through the small streets and maybe you would like to have a chat with the friendly inhabitants.
Time permitting you will take a scenic route with views to the Río Grande via Abra de Picachu to La Higuera.
In La Higuera you will have a look at the three statues in honour of Ché and you will visit the school where Ché got executed in 1967. Nowadays the school building holds a small museum.
You will spend the night in La Higuera in the quiet and romantic hostel, which used to be the telegraphists´s house in Ché´s time. There is no (good functioning) electricity in La Higuera so you will enjoy dinner by candlelight! Hostal Telegrafista
Day 7
You visit the school where Ché got executed in 1967. Nowadays the school building holds a small museum.On the small square you will have a look at the three statues in honour of Ché. Then you will make opcional a hike of about 3½ hours via de Abra de Batán to the Quebrada del Churo, the place where Ché was captured. You will have to descend and climb up quite steep during this hike.After lunch you will drive down to the Río Grande.During the drive down from La Higuera to the Río Grande you will enjoy the constantly changing landscapes and probably see many parrots, vultures and other birds. You will make a stop on the impressive bridge which crosses the river. The landscape between the Rio Grande and Nuevo Mundo is beautiful and varied; black earth, red rocks, river and mountain views. You will pass the community of El Oro with its white houses, red roofs, black earth, green banana trees, and sugarcane. You continue to the pleasant town of Villa Serrano where you will see the biggest charango in the world. This guitar-like instrument is played, only twice a year, by a group of musicians at the same time. You will be dropped off at the hostal in Villa Serrano.
Day 8
If possible we will make an appointment for you with the charango teacher to visit him in his house/workshop where he makes the charango. Here he will explain how the instrument is made, what materials he works with, etc. On the road again we will appreciate a constant changing landscape consisting of higher mountains, different style of houses and costumes.
Via Tomina where you will visit one of the oldest churches in Chuquisaca you will drive in the direction of Tarabuco. Before arriving in Zudañez you will drive up the mountain and enjoy the beautiful views over the surroundings where the freedom fighters Padilla and Juana Azurduy had their battles.
If this last day of the tour falls on a Sunday, you will pay a visit to the famous and colourful market which Tarabuco is famous for. After lunch we continue to Sucre where you will be brought to the hotel Hotel in Sucre
Day 9
The city center today is a huge living museum, full of architectural treasures from the colonial and republican eras as well as numerous 16th century churches that feature Baroque and mestizo art. Walk to Recoleta, a church and museum, a site offering you a fantastic view of the entire city. San Lazaro and Santo Domingo. You can walk to the University’s Museum; the Textile Museum Asur, Jalk’a and Tarabuco exhibitions; the Cemetery and the main historical monuments. Or visit the Historical Museum, House of Freedom; the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Historical courtyard of the San Francisco Xavier University. Enjoy he exquisite exterior of Santa Monica’s Church as well as the San Francisco Church and the Convent of San Felipe Nery. Hotel Sucre
Day 10
Today som action / opcional excursion /Inca Trail (half day); this easy hike of about three hrs starts at the chapel of Chataquila on the rim of the Cordillera de los Frailes. You walk down the Inca trail to Chaunaca while you enjoy impressive views all around. The hike is 95% downhill and very easy.
You will get some fruit served as well before the tour ends.
Hotel in Sucre
Day 11
Today we will take local ( or private ) transport for about 3 h to Potosi. Potosí is one of the three colonial cities of Bolivia. You will see the historical colonial centre of the city. You can visit La Casa de La Moneda, probably Bolivia´s best museum.
Potosi, a mining town that was originally named Villa Imperial de Potosi. The city is spread upon the foothills of the legendary Cerro Rico Mountain that did have the largest deposits of silver during the Spanish Colony. Visit two lovely churches: San Francisco and San Lorenzo. Santa Teresa Church, which is also a museum. Potosí was founded in 1546, following the discovery of silver in the nearby mountain Cerro Rico, literally “the rich mountain”, which dominates the city. During its mining heydays in the 17th century, Potosí was the biggest and wealthiest city in the Americas. Silver from Potosí was taken to Spain and used all over Europe. A simple stroll around town to admire colonial architecture is another pleasurable activity; be sure to stop by the main Cathedral and Convento de San Francisco (for lovely rooftop views).
Hotel in Potosi
Day 12
Opcional excursion Mine Tour Cerro Rico (3 hrs.); before you depart from Potosí you will put on safety clothes and take a lamp and a helmet with you. You will visit the miners market where you can buy some gifts like coca leafs, dynamite and pure alcohol for the miners (not included).It is tradition to bring the miners gifts because you are entering their working area. By car you will go to one of the many entrances of the famous silver mine. You will see miners at work, you will visit El Tío, the God of the underworld, where the miners offer to Pacha Mama, Mother Earth. You can descend to all levels you want, but normally the wider and higher shafts are chosen. You can leave the mine with an assistant-guide at any time, also if the group wants to descend further down. You are witness firsthand to the life and working conditions of Bolivian miners. Silver is what created this city, and it would be shame to leave without learning more about the work conditions of Potosí’s mineral extracting activity. After lunch we continue over the new paved road with reel nice scenery to Uyuni for about 4 h dtive. Uyuni is in many ways a bizarre and surreal place. Hot in the sun, cold in the shade, and freezing at night, the small Bolivian town could be described as climatically challenged. Hotel in Uyuni
Day 13
Around 10 Am we start our Amazing 3 days tour. The real reason people come to Uyuni is the Salar. It is a surreal sensation to stand in the middle of a vast expanse and to stare into the distance, unable to tell exactly where the land ends and the sky begins. This is the largest salt flat in the world, and definitely not to be missed. A 3-day tour continues into the surrounding highlands, an area of intense volcanic and geothermal activity, dotted with lagoons colored red, green, and white by microscopic algae and populated by pink flamingos. Strange rock formations are scattered throughout, including Incahuasi Island, a coral reef covered in groves of giant cactus and believed to be the remnants of a volcano that existed in the middle of a giant prehistoric lake.
In the mornig we first visit the train cemetery and Colchani town, as well as the process of making domestic salt. We will be able to observe the salt extraction method. In the rainy season, the salt becomes a giant mirror where the white sky is reflected perfectly and everything seems to be floating in the air. This scenario is a paradise for lovers of photography, for the visual effects that can be achieved. Then you will visit Ojos del Salar; here bubbling gases escape from underneath the salt flat, the Salt hotel and Incahuasi. After a day at the Salt Flats, you will be transferred to your accommodation where you can relax and enjoy dinner at your basic Salt hotel.
Day 14+15
Day 2 of private Uyuni Salt Flats Expedition tour.
After breakfast you will continue your way to lagoons and altiplano. You will go to Chiguana to visit the Ollagüe Volcano. On the road to the desert Andean camelids, llamas and vicunas can be seen. The journey continues with visits to: Cañapa Lagoon, Hedionda Lagoon and Chiarkota Lagoon. You will also visit the Silolí Desert and the Stone tree; a rock formation of over eight meters high.The next stop takes place at the breathtaking Colorada lagoon, which owes its color and name to the accumulation of a fine red sediment in combination with the pigmentation of a local type of algae. The lake is home to 3 species of flamingos. You will spend the night in a basic lodge
Day 3 of private Jeeptour
The departure on the third day will be very early, to watch the sunrise at Red Lagoon. You will visit the geysers, the Green Lagoon and the Licancabur Volcano and you will have the opportunity to go to the hot springs. On the way back to Uyuni you will visit the Valley of the Rocks. We will arrive in Uyuni in time to catch the night bus. We still take a shower before leaving on the night bus to La paz.
Day 16
From La Paz our private bus is waiting for us to bring us all the way to Coppacabana 3 h. Copacabana is situated on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The small lake town is a lovely place to relax and enjoy. Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and one of the most magical destinations in Latin America. Copacabana is ideal to relax after a long day of transport. You can walk around the small city. Lake Titicaca, at about 12,000 ft. The most important place to visit besides the famous sanctuary of Copacabana are the Island of the Sun, Isla del Sol. The islands are located in the province Manco Kapac in the department La Paz. Visit for sure the basilica to see the famous woodcarving of Our Lady of Copacabana.
Day Relax in coppacabana + Hotel in Coppacabana
Day 17
Isla del Sol North to South, opcional excursion ; We start from your hotel in Copacabana. You will go to the port where the shared or private boat leaves bound for Challapampa on the Northern part of the island. This trip takes roughly 1¾ hours.There you will visit the regional museum where you can see pre-colonial objects from the Inca and Tiwanokota culture. Next you will walk for some 45 minutes to the Chincana ruins. On the way you can see Las Pisadas del sol (prints of the sun) and La Roca Sagrada (the holy rock) Than we continue walking from the Noth side of the island to the south side. We walk over the top of the island. So we have nice views from both sides. It takes about 3 h. Than we return back to Coppacabana where we stay in the same hotel. You will have a spectacular view on the massive of the Illampu Mountain. Between 16,00 and 16,30 hrs. you will return to Copacabana by boat, where the tour ends between 17,00 and 18,00 hrs.Sail Lake Titicaca. Isla del Sol is 9,6 km wide and its surface is 14,3 km². It is the largest island in the lake. The original name is Isla Titicaca and therefore the lake has been named Lake Titicaca, which means “rock of the puma”.The island contains a relief with many terraces on which the Incas grew crops. Hotel in Coppacabana
Day 18
We drive in about 3 h to the Capital La Paz . You can visit the Indian Markets and Witches market, as well as the beautiful San Francisco Basilica and Murillo Square. Or the Government palace, National Congress, Metropolitan Cathedral.
Big 30 floor skyscrapers and modern shopping centers where traditional Indians and office personnel are making this city really colorful. As you continue to travel further down to the south you will begin to notice that the climate also changes as it becomes warmer and greener. The difference between central La Paz and the South can be sometimes 1000 meters which is part of the reason that the rich live in this part and the poorer population lives in the colder, higher suburbs of El Alto. Founded in 1548 by the Spanish colonizer Alonso de Mendoza, La Paz has been the stage for some of the most important moments in the history of Bolivia. Although Sucre is Bolivia’s official constitutional capital, La Paz is the seat of the executive and administrative branches of government.Today, the modern city of La Paz has more than 2 million inhabitants, over half of whom can claim indigenous ancestry. Hotel in La Paz
Day 19
Today you can visit in Excursion, la paz in a city tour, or you walk by yourself in this amazing city full of markets. Its also possible to do as Excursion, a tout to Chacaltaya and Moon Valley. The highest ski area in the world, Chacaltaya, is situated 35 Km from La Paz. You will have an amazing bus ride over narrow roads and with deep drop offs up to a spot at 5.352 M. During a small hike you can reach the top (5.395 M). Walking at this altitude is quite demanding, but it is a good work out.
From this height you can enjoy the beauty of the Cordillera Real (Andean mountain range) and of the extraordinary landscape of the Altiplano. In the distance you can see the city of La Paz and Lake Titicaca. Than we drive to the other part of the city. The moon valley: Due to wind and water erosion over thousands of years the Valley of the Moon was formed. At a distance of only 10 km. from the centre of La Paz the sand and rock formations here remind of a moonscape. Moon Valley at an altitude of 3.400 M. In the Moon Valley you will make a hike of about half an hour. The tour ends in your hotel.
Hotel in La Paz
OR From La Paz you can make an other excursion ” Tihuanacu”
Tiwanaku Ruins is the most important pre-Columbian archaeological site in Bolivia, maybe even in South-America. It is considered one of the oldest civilizations of the Andes region (1300 BC-1200 AD). The fascinating culture, the religion and the brilliant architectural and astronomical knowledge existed for some 3.000 years.Tiwanaku was the biggest city in its time; according to assumes it had a population of between 20.000 to 120.000 people.The ruins of Tiwanaku are located at a distance of 72 KM from the city of La Paz. As cultural inheritage of humanity the ruins are protected by UNESCO. The most important highlights are the Kalasasaya Temple, the Akapana Pyramid, the Sun Gate Intipunku and the semi underground temple. The visits of the museums and the ruins will take some 3 hrs.
Day 20
Start of our next adventure. This is opcional excursion. People who don,t like the mountain bike, go by local bus to Coroyco.
The World´s Most Dangerous Road; the car takes you from La Paz to La Cumbre at an altitude of 4,700 m. Here you will start downhill biking, on a good quality mountain bike, over The World´s Most Dangerous Road to Yolosa. You descend more than 3,600 m. in 64 km! There are only a few small uphills and a couple of flat bits.
The road changes from wide pavement to narrow and rocky. You bike from the cold and dry Altiplano landscape into the tropical Yungas where it is warm and humid.
By the time you arrive at the bottom in Yolosa you will be tired and hot. Just below the village there´s the place where you will get a late lunch and where you can spend a couple of hours relaxing by the pool. You will have your transportation to Coroyco where we wil have a charming hotel.
Hotel in Coroyco
Opcional you can fly day 19 to the jungle of Rurrenabaque, where you can do a 3 days Jungle tour
Day 21
During the day, after relaxing in this lay back village we return to la Paz, where we have our last meal and night in Bolivia.
Hotel in la paz
Day 22
This morning, transfer to the airport of El Alto, where we take a flight to Santa cruz in connection international Home.
Day 23
Arrive back home
