Ultimate Bolivia

Legend has it that the infamous American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed their last bank in Bolivia, a colorful country in the heart of South America graced with spectacular natural landscapes. The people living here are warm, welcoming and eager to share their flavorful local dishes and indigenous culture. From its charming cities to its arid highlands, humid jungles and temperate valleys, Bolivia is a trending travel gem. Upon arrival, settle into your hotel and receive a short briefing on Bolivian history from a historian. Then head out on a city tour, starting in the main square, Plaza 24 de Septiembre, where you view of the Cathedral “Basílica Menor de San Lorenzo” and visit Arte Campo, a fascinating crafts shop located in a traditional house. Continue to the “El Abasto” Indian Market and finish by taking in key residential neighborhoods and their monuments.

Enjoy a morning drive to Samaipata along a scenic highway to “El Fuerte,” the Fort, a UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Eastern Bolivia. Discover how this archeological monument, built on a hill, features sculptured figures by ancient cultures, emphasizing snakes and pumas, as well as waterways and wells, triangular and rectangular seats and vaulted niches. Afterward, visit the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum to view important pieces from excavations made in El Fuerte and the surrounding area. Then stop at a boutique vineyard for a tasting of wines made on site, selected from their many high-altitude vintages. This afternoon, return to Santa Cruz, with time to relax or explore on your own.

Fly to Sucre, the official capital of Bolivia. Dubbed the White City for the motif of its many well-preserved colonial-era structures, Sucre is considered by many the most beautiful city in the country. Settle into your hotel and tour colonial buildings, visiting the Recoleta point view, the House of Liberty where Simón Bolívar signed the Bolivian Declaration of Independence. Also explore ASUR, the Museum of Indigenous Art, to discover Bolivia’s rich tradition of weaving and handcrafts. Tonight, take in the Origenes folkloric show over dinner, watching expert dancers utilize music, dance, masks and clothing to portray the history of the Bolivian people on an imaginary journey through the highlands, valleys and plains.

Head out into the countryside to Puka Puka, an indigenous Quechuan community where you meet local residents and admire their culture, including music performed on handmade instruments, ceremonial clothing and traditional activities. Learn how inhabitants make their living by raising barley, wheat and potatoes as well as from small traditional crafts, particularly weaving. This afternoon, return to Sucre. Later, gather for dinner at your hotel’s authentic Colonial Taberna.

Journey overland into Bolivia’s highlands to explore Potosí, a city renowned for its colonial architecture and history of silver mining. See the mountain that towers over the city, from which miners have extracted, so it’s claimed, enough silver to build a solid silver bridge from Potosí to Madrid. Absorb the rich heritage on display in this city honored by UNESCO as a Historical and Cultural Legacy of Mankind. Later, check into your hotel, where you have dinner tonight.

Continue exploring Potosi with a visit to the miner’s market and a mine entrance. Visit the Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint), with its wooden machinery once used to make silver coins for Spain and stroll through the town’s Colonial Centre. Then drive first to Uyuni, and then onward to Jirira, site of vast and starkly beautiful salt flats set at the base of a volcano. Eat lunch before heading out to visit the salt flats, driving and walking through an austere high-altitude wonderland. Gather tonight for a sunset cocktail before dinner at your hotel, which is built from blocks of salt. Before bed you may wish to step outside for a staggering glimpse at the stars.

Drive to nearby Uyuni Salt Flat, the largest salt flat on earth, covering almost 4,000 square miles, to witness how it mirrors the sky, providing amazing photo opportunities. Continue to Incawasi Island, an oasis with formations of algae and fossils to see its distinctive flora: thousands of giant columnar cacti, some of them over a hundred years old, growing to a height of over 35 feet. Take in other vistas unique to the Bolivian Andes, including surreal pentagons of crystalline salt, and experience the profound sound of silence in this remote locale. After lunch at the salt flats, journey to Pukara de Ayque; an archaeological site that presents ruins (Pukaras) and remains of human fossils and “mummies” (Chullpas) as well as ceramics, outfits and utensils from different ancient civilizations. Also visit Chiquini Cave, an impressive geomorphic formation located near Tahua. This is a sub-aquatic cave formed prior to the formation of the glaciers through volcanic eruptions when the lake that used to cover the salt flats still existed. Inside it is possible to see calcified shapes of magma which solidified as it hit the water. Toast your experience with a cocktail and dinner on site, before returning to your hotel.

Today, discover the mining city of El Alto, founded in 1988. See the palaces built there, in a style called Cholets. Visit a neighborhood painted by the famed artist Mamani-Mamani, a symphony of colors and movement. Board a cable car to view La Paz from above. Eat lunch at a local restaurant before touring the city and its surroundings and perhaps gain an insight into its mysterious past. Here, any corner, any street, is a hidden treasure where adventure begins; a living history that echoes pre-Hispanic times with all their traditions and magic rites on its streets. The indigenous, colonial and modern areas, Indian Market, Witches Market and breathtaking panoramas are all framed by the majestic mountain named Illimani.

Journey to Huatajata, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Once here, visit the Andean Roots Eco Village: The Altiplano Museum; Handicrafts village, the Mud Igloos and the mortuary towers of the Urus Chipayas. Meet the Limachi family, builders of the RA II and Tigris for epic expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean. Then drive to nearby Cocotoni Bay for a thrilling hydrofoil cruise to Moon Island. Visit the Sun Virgins Temple “Iñak Uyu”, an important sacred place on Lake Titicaca. Admire the temple’s forward vaulting technique and its trapezoidal and stepped elements. Continue to the mythical Sun Island for a short visit to the Pilcocaina Ruins before proceeding to Yumani Harbor. Here you visit the Inca Grand Stairs and the Sacred Fountain, tasting the water believed to give eternal youth and happiness. Have lunch before travelling by hydrofoil back to Cocotoni and return to your hotel in La Paz. Cap off your journey with a farewell dinner at one of the best local restaurants.

After breakfast, take your private transfer to the airport for your departing flight.