Bolivia Star Wars & Dinosaurs

After arriving at La Paz Airport you’ll be warmly greeted by your awaiting bilingual guide and private transportation for the half-hour journey downtown to your chosen hotel. Along the way, your guide will provide their passionate insight into this breathtaking Bolivian city, the highest de facto capital city in the world at 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level.

This afternoon you’ll enjoy a half-day tour of the city’s highlights, including a visit to Moon Valley and chance to take the Teleferico. Beneath the majestic Illimani mountain, La Paz is a chaotic carnival of color and noise, where indigenous, colonial and modern worlds meet and new adventures lurk around every street corner. Explore the local landmarks of its historic center, taking in the bustling squares, palaces and cathedrals, not to mention the mysterious Witches’ Market.

Later, visit the lunar landscape of the nearby Moon Valley – a nickname given by Neil Armstrong himself in 1969 when he came to La Paz after the region reminded him of his famous moonwalk – and admire its colossal clay spires steeped in legend. For the finale, you’ll hop aboard the city’s towering Teleferico for a sky-ride between the depths of Zona Sur to the heights of El Alto, and enjoy the incredible views that only the world’s longest and highest cable-car can afford.

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What’s better than exploring the Bolivian countryside by train? On your second day, if it coincides with the second Sunday of the month, you’ll board the Andes Railway from La Paz and head West to the archeological site of Tiwakanu, passing through picturesque villages of the Altiplano along the way. If the train is not available, alternative transportation will be provided.

Tiwanaku is one of the most important sites for Incan heritage, and you’ll get to explore various ruins and ancient buildings. This city thrived from about 1,500 B.C. to 1,000 B.C., when an extended drought caused the citizens to leave. This archeological site also connects with Lake Titicaca, with a sun and moon temple that mirror those on the Sun and Moon Islands in the lake.

After your guided tour of Tiwanaku, you’ll journey by car to Huatajata, on the eastern side of the lake. This town also has multiple cultural heritage sites, such as the Andean Roots Eco Village and the Altiplano Museum. You can also see structures made by the Urus Chipayas, the ancient indigenous people who still live in the region. You’ll spend the night in Huatajata after an encounter with Bolivia’s mysterious natural healers, the Kallawaya. Dinner will also be served in Huatajata.

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After seeing Lake Titicaca from the shore, day three allows you to experience the magic of the lake firsthand. After a hearty breakfast in Huatajata, you’ll go to Cocotoni bay, where a boat waits to take you to La Isla de la Luna (Moon Island). On the island, you’ll visit Inaq Uyu, a religious palace of the Virgen de la Candelaria. This palace is well-preserved, and it’s where the gods controlled the moon.

From Moon Island, you’ll take a boat out to La Isla Del Sol (Sun Island), the largest island in the lake. Your guides will take you around the island, showing you important cultural sites and various places where you can buy gorgeous handcrafted souvenirs. Some highlights of Sun Island include the Inca Great Staircase and the Sacred Fountain, which is believed to offer eternal youth and vitality.

You’ll spend the night on the Island, where you’ll be able to see how the moonlight reflects of the water, illustrating how the ancient people came up with their gods and goddesses.

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After having breakfast on Sun Island and watching the sunrise, you’ll get to explore more of the island and its inhabitants. For lunch, you’ll stop at the Uma Kollu Archealogical Restaurant, which offers incredible waterfront dining.

After lunch, you’ll take a boat to the city of Copacabana, which is the site of a famous Basilica. This church took over two hundred years to build, and it’s a magnificent sight to behold. You’ll also be able to explore much of the city, including its markets and stalls, including those that sell a unique popcorn treat that you can’t find anywhere else.

Once you’re finished in Copacabana, you’ll drive back to La Paz and spend the night. Along the way, you’re sure to see some of Bolivia’s colorful birds and wildlife, and experience the fun crossing of the Tiquina Strait, where small motorboats will pull you by barge some 800 meters to the other side.

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On day five, after breakfast you’ll head to the airport, where you’ll take a flight to Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia. Yes, this country has two capitals – La Paz and Sucre. Sucre is also called the White City, thanks to its abundance of whitewashed colonial buildings. On a bright day, these structures can be quite blinding.

Once you arrive in Sucre, you’ll take a half-day tour of the city, including an unmissable historical visit to the “House of Freedom” – where Simon Bolivar declared Bolivia’s independence and gave his name to this country – and an even more historical visit to the Cretaceous Park, which is just north of the city. There, you’ll see replicas of massive dinosaurs, as well as paleontological exhibits that show where these beasts roamed millions of years ago. In this park alone, scientists have identified over 5,000 unique footprints from eight different dinosaur species.

After the park, you’ll return to explore Sucre and its exciting nightlife. Be sure to sample some chocolate while you’re here, since Bolivian chocolate is some of the finest in the world. Then, you’ll go to your hotel to spend the night.

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Today is going to include vast riches beyond your imagination! After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you’ll head south to the mining town of Potosi. This city sits at the base of Cerro Rico (the Rich Mountain), which houses the second-largest silver mine in the world. In fact, so much silver has been mined from Potosi that locals say that they could have built a solid-silver bridge from there to Madrid, Spain.

Potosi has plenty of sites to offer, including the Royal Mint, where you can see how workers turned raw silver into precious Spanish coins. Some of the original wooden machinery is still on display to help you see what life what like back then.

After getting your fill of silver, you’ll head further south to Uyuni, which sits next to the largest salt flat in the world. You’ll get to see the reflection of the night sky in the salt as you enjoy your dinner at the hotel. Get plenty of rest, as you’ll be venturing into the salt in the morning.

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Star Wars lovers – or those just interested in geology and archaeology – are in for a treat today as you explore the setting for Star Wars’ planet Crait. With their unearthly uninhabited landscapes, its easy to see why George Lucas chose the Uyuni Salt Flats as a planet in a far-off galaxy, specifically the site of an abandoned rebel base to which the Resistance flees was the final battle between Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca and the rest of the Rebels in Crait against the forces of the Empire commanded by Sergeant Kreel member of the elite force of the Scar Squad.

During the dry season (May-Nov) you’ll be able to walk around the “Planet Crait”, and during wet season (Dec-Apr) you’ll likely be able to appreciate its miraculous flooded, mirror-like form from a hilltop. You’ll also be able to go biking and pay a visit to the Chiquini Cave, an interesting subaquatic cave formed prior the formation of the glaciers. You can also marvel at the Ayke mummies and Alcaya archaelogycal ruins, a pre-hispanic citadel. By night, enjoy star-gazing under the clear southern skies.

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Today you’ll drive over the salt flats on an excursion to the small village of Tahua, at the foot of Thunupa Volcano, the so-called Guardian of the Salt Flats.  The landscape against the background of the salt pans extending to the horizon makes it an ideal place for photography hunters. Your guide will help you take surrealistic photos due to the optical effect of the Salt Flats before returning to your hotel.

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Although La Paz has been your base for much of your tour, you haven’t had much time to explore the city. At least, not until today. After breakfast in Uyuni, you’ll go to the airport to catch a flight to La Paz. Once you arrive, you’ll have the rest of the day to see what Bolivia’s second capital has to offer.

Highlights in La Paz include the La Paz Cathedral, the Witches Market (where you can buy all kinds of occult items), and La Plaza Murillo, where all the government buildings sit.

There are also tons of boutiques and shopping centers in the city, just in case you’re missing any souvenirs from your trip. Dining options are also plentiful, and you can sample local Bolivian cuisine or something a bit closer to home.

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Today we bid a fond farewell to Bolivia. After breakfast you’ll be transferred from your hotel to La Paz Airport, approximately half an hour from downtown, in good time for your international flight home.

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