- ✓ Stroll La Paz’s colonial streets, markets, and colourful highland plazas
- ✓ Cross surreal Uyuni Salt Flats with endless white horizons and blue skies
- ✓ Cruise jungle rivers near Rurrenabaque, spotting caimans, monkeys, and capybaras
With this express itinerary you will pack Bolivia’s highlights into 11 days. During this quick trip you will take in the sights and sounds of La Paz and it’s lively markets, explore the Salt Flats stretching out into the distance and stay in the middle of the Amazon jungle in an eco-lodge, the perfect base to explore the diverse wildlife of the rainforest. You’ll travel by plane, night bus and private transfer to really make the most of your time.
Days 1 & 2 – Wandering through the lanes of La Paz
When you arrive into La Paz our representative will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in the centre of La Paz. La Paz is unlike anywhere else, sprawling through a deep Andean valley at around 4,000 metres above sea level, with snow-capped peaks rising around it. You’ll stay in a cosy hotel in the city centre, within walking distance of sights including San Francisco Cathedral and the famous Witch’s Market. Take it easy at first while you adjust to the altitude, then head out to explore the city’s colourful markets, lively plazas and winding streets at your own pace.
There’s no set itinerary here, giving you the freedom to decide how you spend your time. Browse stalls selling colourful textiles and llama-wool goods, stop for a coffee and watch the city go by, or simply soak up the atmosphere of one of Bolivia’s most distinctive cities. After a couple of days exploring La Paz, you’ll have a leisurely breakfast before continuing on to your next destination.
Days 3-5 – A pinch of salt
Today you will be collected from your hotel in La Paz and transferred to the bus station to catch the 11 to 12 hour night bus to Uyuni, the gateway to the Salt Flats. After you arrive in Uyuni, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore this dusty little town – it isn’t much to look at, but there are a few restaurants and bars to keep you occupied.
Early the following morning, you’ll set off by jeep across the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, travelling with a small group and English-speaking guide. First, you’ll stop at Uyuni’s eerie train cemetery, where rusting steam engines and old carriages are slowly being reclaimed by the elements, before continuing to the salt-mining village of Colchani to see how the salt is collected and used. Out on the vast white plains, the landscape is dazzlingly bright in the dry season, while between December and March, a thin layer of water can transform the salt flats into a giant natural mirror. You’ll stop for lunch on Isla de Pescadores, a rocky island covered in towering cacti, before continuing across the Salar in search of wildlife such as flamingos, llamas, Andean foxes and, if you’re very lucky, pumas. You’ll return to Uyuni in the late afternoon, with time for a well-earned hot shower.
Please note that weather conditions can affect the route, so some flexibility may be needed.
Day 6 - Return to La Paz for the night
At the end of your time on the Salt Flats you will make your own way to the airport for your short one hour flight back to La Paz where you will spend another night.
Days 7-9 - Into the Amazon
Today you’ll return to the airport for the short flight to the laid-back jungle town of Rurrenabaque - gateway to the mighty Amazon Rainforest. You’ll spend a night here.
The following morning, you’ll travel by boat deep into Madidi National Park, one of Bolivia’s most biodiverse rainforest areas. Your home for two nights is a simple, community-run eco-lodge, reached on foot through the jungle after your boat journey. With a local guide, you’ll explore the rainforest on foot and by canoe, looking out for monkeys, colourful macaws, turtles and plenty of other wildlife. As evening falls, the forest comes alive, making a sunset canoe trip a great time to spot animals along the riverbanks.
The following day, you’ll head deeper into the rainforest on a guided trek, learning about the plants and trees that local communities use in everyday life. After dark, you’ll take to the water again, this time in search of caimans. With only a torch to light the way, you’ll scan the black water for the tell-tale red glow of their eyes. After your final night in the jungle, you’ll walk back to the river and cruise downstream to Rurrenabaque, where your Amazon experience comes to an end.
Days 10 & 11 - Return to La Paz and depart Bolivia
After your Amazon adventure you will head back to La Paz by plane for a final night in the city. The next day you will be transferred back to the airport for your international flight home.
Accommodation
