What’s included in the trip

• Airport pickup – at the beginning of trip and drop off at end of the trip
• Southern Crossings bilingual guides
• All internal transport – (excluding transport to optional restaurants, bars, sights and excursions)
• Ten nights of hotel accommodation
• Breakfast – included each morning
• All meals on Uyuni excursion
• Domestic Flight, Uyuni – La Paz
• Private Full-day Island of the Sun/Lake Titicaca excursion including bilingual guide, round-trip boat to/from the island, all entrances, guided tour of Inca ruins and south side of island, round-trip private transport from La Paz
• Private Half-day Tiwanaku excursion including entrance fees, private vehicle, driver and professional guide
• Four-day, three-night Uyuni Salt Lakes excursion including bilingual guide, round-trip transport, all entrances, guided tour of the salt flats and surrounding lakes and scenery.
• Private Half-day Potosi mine tour with entrance fees, private vehicle, driver and professional guide
• Private La Paz, Sucre and Potosi city tours including entrance fees, private vehicle, driver and professional guide
• 24-hour customer support line while on tour

What’s not included

International flight to/from La Paz, pre- & post- tour accommodation, visas, vaccinations, personal insurance, meals except where specified above, drinks, laundry, souvenirs, tips while on optional excursions and other items of a personal nature. Medical travel insurance is not included through Southern Crossings, cancellation insurance is advisable.

Detailed trip itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in La Paz the highest international airport in the world, anytime today and private transfer to your hotel. You´ll have a private city tour in the afternoon if there is time, visiting the Witches’ Market, colonial La Paz, downtown La Paz and the presidential plaza. Later you will visit the Valley of the Moon which gives the eerie sensation of being on the moon or another planet because of its strange rock formations. You will also have a chance to ascend the majestic Illimani Mountain on the highest urban cable car in the world. If there is not time for a city tour today, we will include one before your departing flight on day 11.

Day 2

This morning we head out of La Paz to the ancient ruins of Tiwanaku on a private tour. The Tiwanaku culture thrived from around 200 to 800 AD and controlled a large area of Bolivia and southern Peru. The ruins are fascinating with strange sculpted faces set in the walls of a sunken temple, and a huge carved archway called the Gate of the Sun. We will return to La Paz in the afternoon.

Day 3

This morning we are off early by private transport to Lake Titicaca where we’ll board a boat to the Island of the Sun. The Island of the Sun is the mythical, and perhaps actual, origin place of the Incas. This morning we visit some fascinating maze-like proto-Inca ruins and then head by boat to the south side of the island for more sightseeing and lunch with spectacular views of the lake. Afternoon return by boat to Copacabana then by private vehicle to La Paz.

Day 4

This morning we fly to Sucre, Bolivia’s actual capital and a beautiful colonial city in its own right. We’ll visit the Casa de la Libertad, Bolivia’s site of independence from Spain, the Cathedral with its accompanying museum, the scenic bell tower of the San Felipe Monastery, as well as some well-preserved dinosaur tracks just outside of town!

Day 5

We’re off on a beautiful journey by private transport this morning to Potosi, once one of the wealthiest cities in the Americas and still one of the highest, at 13,340 ft. This afternoon, we’ll visit the “National House of Money” with its accompanying museum, as well as the colonial center and some historic churches.

Day 6

This morning’s tour is not for the claustrophobic! After purchasing some traditional gifts for the miners such as coca, alcohol, cigarettes and (that’s right!) dynamite, we’ll descend deep into the mines of Potosí. The various processes of the mines will be explained as well as the traditions and belief systems of the miners, before we return to the surface before the afternoon’s detonations. Back up on the surface you can even set off a stick of dynamite yourself (optional)! In the afternoon we continue on by private vehicle to Uyuni, on the edge of the salt lake.

Day 7-10

Our four-day journey across the vast, stunning expanse of southeast Bolivia begins this morning. The salt flats of Uyuni are considered by many to be one of the most remarkable sites in all of South America. We’ll visit the immense salt lake with its cactus islands, get great views of several massive volcanoes, visit lakes of many colors (some teeming with flamingos), soak in hot springs, view sulphur geysers and visit the famous and surreal “Dali rock”, pictured at the top of this page. A visit to the “railroad graveyard” is also included. This is a great tour for photographers. On the evening of day 10, we fly to La Paz. Overnight in La Paz.

Day 11

Departure day. City tour today if you have not had one already, then an included private transfer to the international airport anytime today.

Extra accommodation

We will gladly arrange additional accommodation for you in La Paz, Sucre, Potosi or Uyuni before or after your trip, just ask.

Is this trip for me?

Best of Bolivia is an 11-day tour which includes walking in various ruins and on city tours. This tour includes some of the highlights of Bolivia. As always, a certain amount of patience is required for the inconsistencies and delays of developing-world travel.

Joining the tour

On all best of Bolivia tours, you are met at the La Paz airport by one of our representatives (holding a Southern Crossings placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel. No bargaining or being swindled by airport taxis. Pick ups from hotels can be arrange if you will already be in Bolivia before the start of your tour.

Single Person Supplement

A single person supplement will be added to your quote if you plan to travel alone.

Pre-trip planner

Required documents

All travelers to Bolivia are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for E.U., U.S., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders. U.S. citizens can visit the U.S. state department website and Canadian citizens can visit the government of Canada travel advisory page. For other nationalities, please consult the nearest Bolivian embassy or consulate. An onward ticket and proof of funds may also be required at entry and should be available to show to immigration.

Required immunizations

No immunizations are required of travelers to these areas of Bolivia, except for U.S. citizens, who are required to show a yellow fever international certificate as part of the visa requirement. Travelers may wish to receive hepatitis vaccinations and should be current on all other standard vaccinations. No areas visited on this trip are malaria or yellow fever zones. Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.

Climate

Rain is possible at any time of year, especially in high mountains and on the Bolivian altiplano, and one should always be prepared. The climate in sites we will visit is as follows: La Paz, Lake Titicaca, Tiwanaku, Potosi and Salar de Uyuni: days are warm if sunny, chilly if cloudy. Nights are cold in La Paz and can be extremely cold in Uyuni and Potosi. Sucre: warm days, cool evenings.

Money guide

The unit of currency in Bolivia is the boliviano. Automatic cash points are available in La Paz. Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards. Traveler’s checks are difficult to cash (American Express is best, but you may be charged 5-8% to cash) or a Visa or MasterCard for cash advances are also options. Do not bring Money Grams or International Money Orders, as they are extremely difficult to exchange. Banks and exchange houses are available in La Paz, and exchange houses are available in Copacabana. For currency, U.S. dollars are recommended and most easily exchanged. Please note that cash must be untorn. It can be older looking, but even the slightest tear on an edge will make it unchangeable. Acceptable bills come out of the ATMs in country. Expect to spend about US$5-11 on a meal, US$1 on a beer, water or soft drink in Bolivia. Artisan market prices are usually lower than people expect. Beautiful Alpaca sweaters for example can cost between $5 and $30. Currency Converter