TRIP 6- GLIMPSE AROUND BOLIVIA
Bolivia 11 days
The Highlights
- Santa Cruz
- Jesuit Missions
- Sucre
- Potosí
- Uyuni Salt Lake
- La Paz
- Titikaka Lake
Itinerary Route Map
Day By Day
| 1 | Arrival to Santa Cruz. Pm city tour |
| 2 | Jesuit Missions San Javier and Concepción |
| 3 | In the afternoon return to Santa Cruz |
| 4 | Flight Santa Cruz – Sucre. Pm visit the city |
| 5 | Tarabuco (Sundays) or Jatun Yampara. Bus Sucre-Potosí |
| 6 | Morning excursion to the mines. Trip Potosí-Uyuni |
| 7 | Full day excursion to the Uyuni Salt Lake. |
| 8 | Flight to La Paz. Pm city tour |
| 9 | Excursion to Tiwanaku |
| 10 | La Paz – Copacabana-Sun Island |
| 11 | Return to Copacabana. Bus connection to Puno |
DAY 1 – Santa Cruz
Arrival to Santa Cruz, reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel . In the afternoon City tour- Visiting the main city attractions: Plaza 24 de Septiembre, Cathedral, Museums Etnofolkloric and Natural History. The tour culminates visiting the Camp of Arts, where native women of different communities expose their most delicate and sophisticated handcraft. Overnight in Santa Cruz.
DAY 2 – Santa Cruz – Jesuit Missions
In two days you will have the opportunity to appreciate part of the group of Jesuit Missions located east of Santa Cruz, composed by the missions of San Javier and Concepción,. Founded between 1696 and 1760, the missions were declared ” World Heritage Sites” by the UNESCO in 1990.
Passing by savannas and areas of jungle will reach the beautiful town of Concepcion, the largest center of the Missions, with an amazing Jesuit church, a special treasure of the baroque from the XVIII century. Overnight in Concepción.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Church in Concepción – San Javier
DAY 3 – San Javier – Santa Cruz
After breakfast we continue to San Javier. The edification invites to enjoy the artistic beauty of its architecture with carved ornaments in the columns and drawings in wood with yellow brown and black colors.
The Jesuit Missions constitutes a real colonial jewelry built by the Missioners in the XVIII century middle in the jungle. They used native manpower to create architectonic native mixed baroque buildings. There are paintings, murals and wood sculptures. Return to Santa Cruz . Overnight.
Meals: breakfast, lunch.
San Javier de Chiquitos
DAY 4 – Santa Cruz – Sucre
Morning flight to Sucre. Sucre is the historical capital of Bolivia declared as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Also receives the name of White City due to that most of the colonial buildings in the city center are whitewashed. Our tour includes visits to the House of Liberty, the museum of La Recoleta, San Lázaro church, the courtyard of the Universidad Mayor de San Francisco Xavier and the Convent of San Felipe Nery from its terraces you can observe the city and more. Overnight in Sucre.
Meals: breakfast
SUCRE
DAY 5 – TARABUCO OR JATUN YAMPARA – Sucre – Potosi
This is a 6 hours excursion. The village of Tarabuco located 64 kms from Sucre, is popular due to the country market on Sundays. This little town is the most colorful Sucre’s neighborhood. You will find quality textiles as well as medicinal plants. The dressing style of the native people, multicolor ponchos and their hats (imitation to the colonial helmets) are typical of the area preserving their identity.
The community of Jatun Yampara can be visited any day. It’s one of the oldest cultures in the continent, they are dedicated to produce ceramics and arts from their Yampara culture. The textiles are also surprisingly beautiful and very much appreciated. We visit their typical homes, customs and learn their traditions.
In the afternoon trip by bus Sucre – Potosí. After a 3 hours drive through a paved road we arrive to Potosí a city full of past splendors, including monument colonial architecture, also declared a UNESCO World Heritage. Overnight in Potosí.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
DAY 6 – Potosí – Uyuni
Morning city tour including de famous MINT HOUSE, which is the Potosi’s star attraction. A walk through the streets offers and interesting glimpse back to the city’s golden age.
In the afternoon we travel from Potosí to Uyuni. The 200 kms goes imperceptibly and presents magnificent landscapes. Overnight in the town Potosí.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Salar de Uyuni
DAY 7 – Uyuni Salt Lake
Unmistakably the Uyuni Salt Lake is one of the most surreal landscape, the largest salt flat in the world than can even be seen from the space. Exploring the amazing empty white landscape is an incredible experience and a must-do while in Bolivia.
In our FULL DAY excursion to the Uyuni Salt Lake, Colchani is the first stop. Here is observed the factories and the rustic way of table salt production.
We are also going to see the pyramids of salt, the eyes of salt, big holes in the salt flat. We visit the old salt hotel. Enjoy taking funny pictures. Visit the Inca Huasi island which have a lot of caves and gigantic cactus about 8 to 10 meters. Overnight in the Salt Hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Inca Huasi Island
DAY 8 – Flight Uyuni – La Paz
Transfer to the airport for our early flight back to La Paz. Reception and transfer to your hotel.
On our half day tour in La Paz city, we will see the most important and interesting attractions. We visit the main square where is located the government palace, the National Congress, San Francisco Church the Killi Killi viewpoint admiring the incredible panoramic views of the whole city. Heading to the south we’ll see the residential areas in our way to the well-known Moon Valley, a fascinating geology place of astonishing stony formations, that offers a sensation of being in the Moon, besides the amazing views of the Andes Mountains.
We end our tour in the popular Witches’Market located in the center of the city. You can explore this open-air market where the vendors offer medicinal dried herbs, seeds, llama fetuses and many others used in rituals.
OPTIONAL: Teleferico: experience this new attraction, an incredibly ride by first-class cable car system called teleferico, that gets you to the top of the city for fabulous views.
Meals: breakfast
“Mi Teleferico” red line
DAY 9 – Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku is located only 20km from Lake Titicaca and 2 hours from La Paz. This pre-Incan archeological site is one of the most important civilizations in the Americas prior to the Inca, Tiwanaku dates back to around 200 BC and was a political and spiritual center. In our 6 hour excursion to Tiwanaku we will admire the Kalasasaya Temple, the Akapana Pyramid, the Sun’s Gate and the impressive giant litho sculptures plus a visit to the museum. Return to La Paz where we arrive approximately at 14:30. Overnight in La Paz.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
DAY 10 – La Paz – Copacabana (Titikaka Lake)
The trip from La Paz to Copacabana takes 3 hours. The Titikaka Lake is located between Bolivia and Peru and is one of the most fascinating lakes in the world. It’s considered a Sacred place for the Inca civilization, the scenery is incredible and the waters are a beautiful blue, reflecting the hills, mirroring the sky and changing color when it’s cloudy.
As soon as we arrive to the town we board our private typical boat for the excursion to the Sun Island, where we arrive after one hour drive. A native delicious lunch is waiting for us. Trekking in the Island visiting some of the remaining Inca’s ruins like the Pilkokaina Palace, the Inca’s Fountain, and the 200 stairs of Yumani. Enjoy the wonderful views of the sunset. Overnight in the Sun Island.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Lake Titikaka panoramic view
DAY 11- Copacabana – Puno
Enjoy a magnificent sunrise from the comfort of your own bed. After breakfast return by boat to the town of Copacabana well-known as the main Bolivian town on the shore of Titikaka Lake. It’s also famous because of it’s shrine Basilica where is found the Lady of Copacabana (Dark Madonna). We visit the town and learn about the mystical spiritualism and religion traditions that take place.
After lunch we continue by bus to Puno (Perú). END OF SERVICES.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Includes:
- Arrival and departure transfers in each city
- Transport by bus between cities
- Hotels with breakfast in each city
- Meals mentioned in the program
- Excursions + entry fees in private services in Bolivia
- Local english speaking guides in each city
Does not include internal flights