Best of Bolivia!

11 days: US$2890 per person with domestic flights included

(What’s Included)

It’s literally high adventure in Bolivia, mostly over 10,000 ft., on this incredible 11-day tour. We’ll visit La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, the ruins of Tiwanaku, and Lake Titicaca before heading to the southern altiplano by plane. There, we’ll descend deep into an active silver mine at Potosi, tour the colonial city of Bolivia’s other capital city, Sucre, and then take a multi-day excursion to the Salar de Uyuni, site of some of the most stunning scenery on the planet. And as on all Southern Crossings tours, domestic flights and transfers are included!

Depart any day and customize your tour at no extra charge!

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BEST OF BOLIVIA! TRIP ITINERARY

Day	Activity/Location
1	Arrive in La Paz and transfer to our hotel. We’ll take a city tour in the afternoon if there is time, visiting the Witches’ Market, downtown La Paz, the presidential plaza and the eerie Valley of the Moon. If there is not time for a city tour today we will include one before your departing flight on day 11.
2	This morning we head out of La Paz to the ancient ruins of Tiwanaku. 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.
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.
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!
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.
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 Potosi. 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! In the afternoon we continue on by private vehicle to Uyuni, on the edge of the salt lake.
7-10	Our four-day journey across the vast and stunning expanse of southeast Bolivia begins this morning. 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. On the evening of day 10, we return by evening train then private transport to La Paz.
11	Departure Day. City tour today if you have not had one already, then an included airport transfer.

TRIP DETAILS

11 days: US$2890 per person with domestic flight
(What’s Included)

Is this trip for me?

Best of Bolivia! is an 11-day tour which includes walking in various ruins and on city tours, as well as a bit of “roughing it” on the Uyuni section of the trip. As with all of our tours any section is optional and can be removed or changed. As always, a certain amount of patience is required for the inconsistencies and delays of developing-world travel.

Please note: Southern Crossings has many relaxed tours, this tour however is for the more adventurous traveler. Please ask your client services assistant for more information on transport and accommodation for your specific tour.

Joining the tour

On all Southern Crossings tours, you are met at the airport by one of our representatives (holding a Southern Crossings placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel. No bargaining or being ripped off by airport taxis!

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)

· Seven nights of hotel accommodation, three nights basic accommodation at Uyuni

· Breakfast – included each morning

All food on Uyuni excursion

· 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

· Half-day Tiwanaku excursion

·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.

·Half-day Potosi mine tour

· La Paz, Sucre and Potosi city tours

· Southern Crossings T-shirt

What’s not included

International flight to/from La Paz, airport taxes (approx. US$30), 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 though we do require that you have a policy. Check www.travelguard.com to purchase a policy for your trip.

Extra Accommodation

We will gladly arrange additional accommodation for you in La Paz, Sucre, Potosi or Uyuni before or after your trip for $110 double/$90 single

Single Person Supplement: $1250

Please add this to your total payment if you will be travelling alone or wish to have private accommodation.

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., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders.

A visa IS required for U.S. citizens, which costs US$135.00 and can be obtained at point of entry. Please visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1069.html for what you will need to present to obtain your visa. A visa can also be obtained in advance through any Bolivian consulate.

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. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, are sufficient for proof of funds.

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 malarial or yellow fever zones. Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.

Things to bring

One should come well prepared for outdoor activity at temperatures ranging from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and for extremes of sun and the possibility of rain. A list of things to bring would include:

· Passport and, if necessary, visa

· Traveler’s checks and/or cash card

· Airline ticket and Travel Insurance Policy

· Photocopies of airline ticket and documents

· Wearable pouch for documents and money

· Large, sturdy backpack or suitcase

· Smaller, comfortable day pack

· Trekking/walking boots or shoes, comfortable and worn-in

· Sandals or flip-flops

· Rain poncho or jacket

· Waterproof pants

· Sun hat

· Hat for cold weather

· Good, warm clothing for cold weather (think layers!)

· Scarf and gloves

· T-shirts

· Socks (thin wool or biking socks are best), undergarments

· Camelback or Nalgene bottle (optional)

· Flashlight (head lamps are very handy)

· Sunscreen

· Lip balm

· Earplugs

· Alarm clock or watch

· Sanitizing hand wipes or gel

· Camera and film/digital memory cards

· Camera batteries

· Playing cards, games, reading material

· Prescription medications

· Toiletries

Note that common clothing, batteries, film, medications, and such toiletries as

toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, deodorant and feminine hygiene items are

available in Bolivia.

It is best to bring from home such items as prescription meds, eyewear and care, extra

large clothing, shoes, unusual film and camera batteries. Also note that most digital

camera memory cards can be downloaded and burned onto a CD in internet cafes in

La Paz.

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. Current currency conversion:

Currency Converter

Automatic cash points are available in La Paz. Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and

Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards. Traveler’s checks (American Express is best!) 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, Sucre and Potosi, 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 un-changeable. Acceptable bills come out of the ATMs in country.

Expect to spend about US$3-10 on a meal, US$1 on a beer, water or soft drink in Bolivia. Shopping prices are usually lower than people expect. Alpaca sweaters, for example, run between $5 and $30.