EXPLORE BOLIVIA & CHILE (3 weeks)

We believe this is the Ideal combination to step into other cultures in the Andean countryside. It also gives you a great variety of natural beauties like: Titikaka, the desert of salt at Uyuni, the high snowy mountains, the rain forest and the crater of volcanoes. Your gradual acclimatization has been a main factor in the itinerary of this package. Our activities are related mainly to trekking but also to an exchange of roles with the locals for an interactivity and ecotourism. We also climb to a summit at 6000 m high with no specialized climb equipment and do a very basic rafting.

Day 1: Arrival in La Paz. We pick you up from the airport and take to you to your hotel.

Tiwanaku

Day 2: Half day to visit the immense temples and palaces of the ancient culture Tiwanaku that existed between 1500 b.C. until 1200 a.C. The constructions of Kalasasaya, Half subterranean temple, Akapana, Puma Punku, reveal the splendour of the Imperial Tiwanaku in Andean America. The engravings on the stones are still undecipherable. After midday we return to La Paz.

Lake Titikaka and Sun & Moon Island

Day 3: Sightseeing tour combined with short walks. Archaeology and Indian traditions demonstration near the Lake Titikaka at 3850 m. high (highest navigable lake in the world). We drive across a high plateau to arrive in the little town of Copacabana on the shores of Titikaka; it is a popular resort and pilgrimage area with lots to see and nearby hills offering views over the lake and towards Cordillera Real. Hotel.

Day 4: 2 hour on motor boat to reach the Sun Island to visit Inka ruins like Chincana and Pilkokaina. We walk (3 hours) along the back-bone of the island as far as Yumani. Hotel.

Day 5: On Moon Island, visit the ruins of Iņak Uyu, superb example of architecture with unbelievably precise hand-cut stone work. Return to Copacabana at lunch time and return to La Paz .Hotel

Trek from the high Andes to the Amazon rain forest

A spectacular traverse walking among the glaciers of Huayna Potosi massif, followed by deep canyons to enter the rain forest of the Amazon using a pre-Inka trail called “El Choro”. We end our walk in a natural wild reserve in the rain forest and interact with the natives so that we understand some of their traditions. Our adventure will finish with an hour and a half of easy rafting.

Day 6: Drive from La Paz 2 hours to reach the base of 6100 m Huayna Potosi,  at  4.700 m. high. Huge glaciers cover the high peaks nearby. 3 hours of trekking around glaciers before going down into the valley to our campsite at 4.400 m. high.

Day 7: 2 hours up to the Telata pass (4.950 m high). 3 hours down to the valley of Sanja. Camp at 4.000 m high.

Day 8: One hour smooth climb to the Wakakunka pass (4.300 m high). 2 hour descent to the village of Chukura to find the pre-inka trail of the Aymaras. This paved path was extensively used in the boom epoch of Tiwanaku civilization to transport produce and material on llama back from the Amazon to the Andes. 2 hours downhill to reach Challapampa, a grassy flat to camp at 2.800 m high.

Day 9: Long day by hillside of the hilly rain forest. 7 hours to the  San Francisco campsite (2.200 m. high).

Day 10: 5 hours on a narrow path on hillsides with ups and downs to reach the village of Chairo (1.500 m high) with plenty of plantations (banana, coffee, orange and so on). Transfer (one hour) in car to the hamlet of  Charobamba hamlet where we walk 20 minutes to reach up the Ecolodge El Jiri at 1.500 m high (available bungalows with plenty of comforts). 

Day 11: We start our 5 hour exploration walk in order to understand the area with our specialized guides. In our way back to El Jiri we visit Charobamba to recognize agricultural plants. In the afternoon we participate in a local party assisting in the preparation of exotic drinks and country barbecue.                                                                                   

Day 12: Lazy wake up to prepare some fresh baked bread for breakfast along with some hot chocolate and so on. We walk down 1 hour to the river Huarinilla to get our Zodiac boats and raft for an hour and a half down to the village Santa Barbara where our car waits for us to return to La Paz stopping in the famous town of Coroico (1720 m high) to have lunch. 3 hour drive to La Paz.    

Day 13: Free day

High Deserts of Bolivia and Chile

Day 14: Transfer to the airport for your flight  (an hour and a half) to the colonial city (16th century) of Sucre. 2 hour visit to Kala Orcko dinosaur track ways and a little exploration (included lunch) of the city. Finally we take a trip of 3 hours up to the old colonial city of Potosi. Hotel.

Day 15: In the morning we visit (4 hour tour) a colonial mine still at work in the “silver mountain” Potosi. Afternoon to visit the museum Casa de la Moneda.

Day 16: 6 hour drive to reach the village of Uyuni located near the salt desert of Uyuni. Hotel. Afternoon to explore the open air museum “cemetery of trains”.

Day 17: In our 4WD we traverse (2 and a half hours) the impressive salt desert of Uyuni to reach the hamlet of Coquesa located in the salt field. After driving up to 3900 m high we climb up for 3 hours to the crater of the Tunupa volcano at 4560 m high. In our return we visit Pre Inka tombs with mummies. We visit  “Fish island” where we learn to recognize the typical vegetation such as: giant cactus (12 meter tall). Driving south westerly we arrive in the hamlet of Chuvica. Lodging.

Day 18: Near Chuvica we discover prehistoric remains and karst formations in “Cuevas del Diablo”. 5 hours driving along diverse lagoons, the desert of Siloli , Aeolian formations like “arbol de piedra” (stone tree) and finally the Colorada lagoon and its great concentration of flamingos. Lodging.

Day 19: We pass by Sol de Maņana with boiling sulphur and geysers in its giant crater, the desert of Salvador Dali with its giant surrealist geoglyphs, the lagoons Celeste and Verde and bathing in hot spring. Finally we cross the border (Hito Cajones) from Bolivia to Chile and descend 2 hours to reach an altitude of 2500 m high in the little town San Pedro de Atacama. Available hotels, restaurants, pubs, discotheques, markets. It’s an oasis.

Tour Fortress of Tibor and Moon valley

Day 20. Morning to visit the archaeological museum Le Paige. In the afternoon, we visit the Inka fortress of Tibor, the Valley of Dinosaurs with sandy giant formations, the Valley of Deaths and the Moon valley formed by solid natural salt.

Day 21. Early morning for a 2 hour transfer by car to the airport of Calama to catch the flight to Santiago. In Santiago we assist you to catch finally your flight home.  End of services.

TECHNICAL INFO: This program starts in La Paz and ends up in Santiago but it can be vice versa.