Magical Bolivia

Pick-up from Desaguadero at 11 am, heading towards Tiwanaku (approximately 1 hour).

After lunch in Tiwanaku, you’ll have a couple of hours to visit and explore the archaeological site of Tiwanaku/Tiahuanaco, a place filled with massive stone structures dating back as far as 4,500 years. There’s the Temple of Kalasasaya, the legendary Gate of the Sun, a complex of semi-subterranean temples, the Pyramid of Akapana, the ceremonial center of Puma Punku, and museums displaying tons of fascinating objects from the Tiwanaku civilization. At the end, we take you to the hotel in La Paz.

Half-Day Tour of La Paz and Valle de la Luna(optional):

On the second day, we visit some of the most popular places in La Paz. We’ll start at the sprawling artisan market on Sagárnaga Street and the Witches’ Market, where you can find medicinal herbs, home remedies, and other fascinating ingredients used in Aymara rituals. The tour will continue to the Basilica of San Francisco (museum fee not included) and Plaza Murillo, home to the Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, the Government Palace, and the National Congress building. You’ll also visit Jaén Street, where you’ll find many museums, bars, restaurants, and shops selling a variety of items. Next, we’ll take you to Plaza España, where you can board the cable car to the southern end of the city and appreciate its beauty from the sky with stunning views of Obrajes, Calacoto, and La Florida, some of La Paz’s most beautiful neighborhoods.

Finally, we’ll optionally visit Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) and pass by the home of the famous Bolivian potter Mario Sarabia. This tour should take approximately 4 hours, after which we’ll return you to your hotel and later provide transportation to the bus terminal. The overnight bus to Uyuni departs at 9 pm and takes ~10 hours.

Dinner and breakfast the following day will be served on the bus.

In the morning, we’ll pick you up at Uyuni Bus Terminal (or the airport if you fly), before we head to a restaurant where you’ll have a brief break until the tour starts at 10 am. Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, covering an area of over 12,000 square kilometers (7,455 square miles). One of the many astonishing sights in Uyuni is the Train Cemetery, a place filled with abandoned locomotives from the 19th and 20th centuries. You’ll have time to explore here. We’ll also visit the town of Colchani, where you’ll have the opportunity to see an artisanal salt processing plant.

On the way to Incahuasi Island, you’ll pass by Playa Blanca, a former hotel made entirely of salt. You can stop to look around and take photos with the numerous flags left by visitors from around the world, or with the Dakar Monument left by the Dakar off-road racing organization. Lunch will be served on the salt flat, where you’ll have time for photography.

NOTE: Incahuasi Island cannot be visited during the rainy season.

After lunch, we’ll head north towards the slopes of Tunupa, a nearby volcano, to visit Pucara Ayque, a pre-Columbian fort containing mummies. You’ll also have the opportunity to admire the sunset over the plains before returning to your hotel in Colchani.

Pick-up from your hotel to El Alto International Airport in La Paz according to your flight time.