Day 01 (Fri) LA PAZ
Accommodation »
Airport pickup and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and acclimatize to the altitude (12,000 ft.). If you arrive early, we can arrange optional tours to museums or to visit the city and surroundings sites.
Day 02 (Sat) LA PAZ - SUCRE
Fly to the beautiful town of Sucre, often called "La Cuidad Blanca" the white city, due to the white color of the colonial buildings in the city center. Sucre sits at 8,500 feet above sea level and enjoys the a springtime climate year round. Here we will have a chance to visit the Asur textile museum, markets and churches. You can also relax in the beautiful central park and observe the mix of university students and indigenous people as they talk under the Andean sun. (B)
Day 03 (Sun) SUCRE - TARABUCO MARKET - HACIENDA CANDELARIA
After breakfast we take a local bus ride to the lively Sunday market in Tarabuco. This is a very colorful and festive market, where farmers and weavers gather from the countryside to trade their goods and fine weavings. We will spend a good part of the day exploring this extraordinary market. After bargaining for fine weavings with the locals, we travel back through the Andes to the family run Hacienda Candelaria. (B,D)
Day 04 (Mon) HACIENDA CANDELARIA - SUCRE
Enjoy a traditional breakfast and spend the morning exploring the hacienda and surroundings. Then its off to visit a nearby village where our Andean hosts from the Hacienda Candelaria will accompany us to meet their friends who are masters in the local art form of weaving. We will have a chance to visit several houses and meet many of the most experienced and well-known weavers in the area. In the afternoon we return to the Hacienda and enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. In the late afternoon we will return to Sucre where we will enjoy a textile exhibition displaying one of the best collections of weavings in Bolivia. (B,L)
Day 05 / 06 (Tue / Wed) SUCRE - POTOSI
Today we travel by local bus to the town of Potosi. Potosi was the silver mining capital of South America. The Cerro Rico (Rich Hill) was thought to have contained so much silver, that it was said a bridge from South America to Madrid, Spain, could have been made from this desirable metal. At over 13,000 feet above sea level, Potosi is the highest city of its size in the world. The city's rich colonial architecture and tragic history as a colonial mining town has earned recognition from UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Here you will have free time to visit the working mines of Cerro Rico (Rich Hill). The mines are interesting due to their history and the fact that the methods of mining have not changed much over the past centuries. Other attractions are the Santa Teresa Convent and the impressive Royal Mint House that preserves 400 years of Bolivian history. Overnight in Potosi hotel. (B)
Day 07 (Thu) POTOSI - UYUNI
Today we will have time for last minute exploring in Potosi before boarding our local bus that takes us to Uyuni (12,000 ft). This journey takes about 7 hours and is filled with impressive Andean scenery and a chance to observe llamas, alpacas, vicunas, the Andean rhea (ostrich), Andean flamingos and other wildlife. We will arrive late in Uyuni and prepare for the start of our exploration of the largest salt flats on earth. (B)
Day 08 (Fri) UYUNI SALT FLATS - JIRIRA
Today we hop in our 4x4 vehicles and will travel across the great salt flats to see locals extract salt and how it is processed. Also, we will observe the "Ojos de Sal", which are small windows through the salt where we will observe the underground river that flows from Tunupa Volcano. By mid-day, you will visit Isla Pescado "Fish Island", where you can enjoy an island full of cactus in a sea of white salt. Overnight in the village of Jirira, located in the shadow of Volcano Tunupa. (B,L,D)
Day 09 (Sat) JIRIRA - LA PAZ (Overnight Bus)
Get up early in the morning and enjoy a breath-taking sunrise. We will take a morning excursion to the Tunupa Volcano, an ancient sacred mountain venerated by early pre-Columbian cultures, the Incas and even today. Its surroundings are home to the Andean flamingo, rhea, fox, waterfowl and unique flora that can survive in this rare and extreme environment. After lunch, it's back across the salt flats to the town of Uyuni, where you'll have time for a shower and a pleasant meal. We then board the night train to Oruro and transfer to the overnight bus to La Paz. (B,L,D)
Day 10 (Sun) LA PAZ
Accommodation »
Early morning arrival to La Paz. Free afternoon to relax, last minute shopping, visit museums or take an optional tour of La Paz or Tiawanaco, Bolivia's most famous pre Inca ruines. Farwell dinner. (B,D)
Day 11 (Mon) LA PAZ
Morning transfer to the airport for your connecting international flight (End of Services). Trip Extensions to other regions or Extra Days in La Paz can also be arranged.
Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
Physical Requirements:
The majority of this adventure involves travel by bus (1 overnight), train and 4X4 Land Cruisers (2 days). The majority of this adventure involves easy to moderate walking at high elevations (above 10,000 ft.) and in varying temperature conditions. Good walking/aerobic fitness is required.
Note: Any physical activity at high altitude can be a challenge. It is the traveler's responsibility to best evaluate their physical ability to meet the stated Physical Requirements.
TRIP DATES
2009 (contact us for 2010 dates & prices)
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March
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13-23-24
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August
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7-17
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April
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10-20
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September
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11-21
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May
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8-18
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October
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9-19
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June
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5-15
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November
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6-16
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July
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10-20
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Scheduled Departures:
Friday - For the above dates, 2 person minimum (12 maximum).
Private Depatures: Already have your own group?
Groups of 2 or more can have their own private group and departure dates.
TRIP EXTENSIONS
Island of the Sun (4D) »
Salar Adventure (7D) »
EXTRA DAYS
Contact us for price and availability
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