Handpicked Bolivia

This morning depart on an overland journey from Puno, the capital of Peruvian folklore, to Copacabana, located at the shores of Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is one of the most fascinating lakes in the world and situated at 3,800m above sea level. Once in Copacabana board your catamaran and sail to Sun Island, the legendary birthplace of the Inca Empire, and home to over 180 Incan ruins. In Incan mythology, Lake Titicaca is the place from which the world was created from, when the god Viracocha came out of the lake and created the sun, the stars and the first people. Explore Challapampa Village, where you will have the opportunity to learn about one of the local indigenous communities. Visit the museum, some of their houses, the chapel and school. Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner on board the catamaran, where you will spend the night. (L)(D)

Continue sailing across Lake Titicaca, enjoying the stunning views. En-route visit the Inca garden covered with Pachamama Terraces, authentic agricultural Inca terraces that contain a wide variety of Andes crops and medicinal herbs. Travel to the Inti Wata Cultural Complex which includes a unique sailing experience to the Pilkokaina Inca Palace aboard a traditional Titicaca vessel. The only large reed vessel that plies the entire lake, it is an unforgettable experience that uses almost extinct Titicaca navigational techniques to cruise the lake. While at the cultural complex, participate in agricultural work and learn about Andean agricultural technology, traditional medicine and ancient healing rituals. Visit Ekako, a unique underground museum that contains the largest collection of Sun Island’s archaeological items and Andean mummies. Disembark the catamaran after lunch for your overland transfer to La Paz. (B)(L)

This morning there is an early flight to Uyuni. En-route, explore Colchani, the town where salt is produced, and shop for unique salt handicrafts. Continue to Thunupa Volcano and visit Chantani village and the extraordinary Coquesa mummies. Enjoy a unique overnight stay at a hotel built out of salt blocks with rooms overlooking the Uyuni salt mine. (B)(L)(D)

At an altitude of about 3,600m the Salt Desert of Uyuni is part of the Bolivian Altiplano and the largest salt flat in the world. This part of the Bolivian Andes offers amazing views and experiences that you won’t see anywhere else on earth. During the dry season you can drive across it admiring its vastness, but for a few months of the year, when there is some water in the lake, it turns into a huge mirror. Discover the salt lake, visit the Galaxy Cave and its extraordinary stalagmites and stalactites, the Devil’s Cave, with sacred burial chambers and the Incahuasi Island, famous for its gigantic cacti. With the salt flats, lagoons, clear sky, giant cacti and colourful flamingos dotting the landscape, this desert is a photographer’s dream. (B)(L)(D)

This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to La Paz, where you will stay for the next two nights. This afternoon at your leisure to discover this fascinating city. (B)

La Paz and its surrounds will transport you to an enigmatic past. Every corner and every street is a hidden treasure. Explore the famous Witch Doctor’s market, San Francisco Church and the traditional Sagarnaga street market with its exquisite handicrafts. Your trip continues to Plaza Murillo where you will appreciate the fine colonial architecture of the Cathedral, the Government Plaza and the National Congress building. Conclude you exploration with a visit to the unique Moon Valley, just outside La Paz, a clay formation resembling the face of the Moon that has been eroded over years by the dry winds of southern Bolivia. It is also an important site for the famous Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). (B)

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)