Bolivian Encounters tour

Upon arrival our staff will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in La Paz for the start of your trip.

The trip begins this morning with a half day tour of La Paz. Situated high up in the Andes and surrounded by 6,000m peaks the capital of Bolivia is a bright bustling city unlike any other. Winding through the narrow streets we will visit Murillo Square & Cathedral, Government Palace, the Incan Gold Museum and the infamous Witches Market before ending the tour with a trip to the lookout point at Killi Killi for panoramic views over the city. The rest of the day is free to enjoy at your leisure.

The morning is free to explore La Paz before we take a bus ride to the mining town of Oruro from where we will board the train for the journey into the Salar (salt flats) arriving into Uyuni this evening.

After breakfast we head out in 4WD vehicles to explore the vast Salt Flats full of stunning lakes, deserts and volcanoes. We start at the eerie Train Cemetery - a remnant of Bolivia's gold boom before travelling on to Colchani village for a brief stop before heading into the Salar proper. Our guide will explain how the unique area formed geologically as we make our way to Huasi Island in the shadow of the beautiful Tunupa Volcano to stop for lunch. The day ends as we arrive into San Juan village.

Climbing back into our 4WD vehicles this morning we continue south along the Salt Flats passing further volcanoes until we reach Canapa Lagoon situated at a height of 4,130m. Look out for pink Flamingoes and other birdlife here at the lagoon. We also stop briefly at Hedionda (Stinky!) Lagoon, which certainly lives up to its name, due to the high sulphur content, as we travel on towards the Siloli Desert home to incredible natural rock formations eroded by years of wind. This afternoon we arrive at the Red Lagoon, a breathtaking 40 square kilometre Wildlife Sanctuary home to 3 species of Andean Flamingo. We spend the night close to the shores of the lagoon in Wayllajara Village.

We leave early this morning in order to catch first light over the Sol de Manana Volcano Crater as we venture up it. At almost 5,000m the dramatic landscape here is dotted with steaming geysers and brightly boiling volcanic mud pools. We stop for breakfast on the banks of Challviri Lagoon where those who want to can enjoy a hot spring! After breakfast we head down through the barren Dali's Desert which offers unrivalled views out over the southwestern tip of Bolivia. Look out for Licancabur Volcano cradling the beautiful Green Lagoon in the distance. Returning to Red Lagoon we travel through Rock Valley on our way back to Uyuni.

Leaving the spectacular Salt Flats and our 4WD vehicles behind, we travel by mountain road to Potosi. Upon arrival the day is free for you to explore the town including its many churches or join us on an optional tour to the nearby Silver Mines.

This morning is free before we board the bus to one of Bolivia's most beautiful cities, Sucre. Known as 'The 4 Names City' because of its long and varied history it previously went by Charkas (its Indian name), La plata (The Silver), Ciudad Blanca (White City) before becoming Sucre. Home to charming streets full of whitewashed buildings and pretty patios it is a very pleasant place to wander around. Sucre is sometimes referred to as the heartbeat of Bolivia. It was here at Liberty House where Bolivia declared itself a free Republic in 1825.

Become a trainee palaeontologist this morning when we visit Cretaceous Park, home to thousands of remarkable dinosaur footprints including the biggest ever found. The afternoon is free to enjoy Sucre once more although many people choose to visit Asur, Bolivia's best Textile Museum, where some of the most precious and colourful pre-Incan textiles are kept with some over 1,500 years old. This afternoon we board the overnight sleeper bus for the trip back to La Paz.

Arriving back into La Paz we transfer to our hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city at leisure.

We begin this morning with a transfer to the airport for our short flight to the jungle town of Rurrenabaque. We then head to the Beni River and board our boat to Madidi National Park. After lunch we take our first trip into the jungle, following the trails while our guides describe the local flora including various medicinal plants. Keep an eye out for beautifully coloured macaws, parrots and parakeets. In the evening we have the chance to see the jungle in a different light as we enjoy another slightly noisier jungle walk.

We are able to enjoy the jungle this morning before we climb into our 4WD vehicles for the journey towards Yacuma River, passing by the picturesque towns of Reyes and Santa Rosa. Carrying on by boat towards our lodge we may well see alligators, turtles, squirrel monkeys and capybaras along the river bank.

Today we continue navigating the Yacuma River until finding an entrance to the Pampas. On the way we'll see more wild fauna, The pampas is another Amazonian Ecosystem well known as grasslands. Here we are going to walk in search of more wildlife, such as birds, alligators, and the famous Amazonian Anaconda. Later, we get back to the boat to continue exploring the river, and looking for a good spot for fishing piranhas and swimming with the extraordinary Pink Dolphins; known as Bufeo.

We have the chance to take one more trip into the jungle this morning but this time looking for the various kinds of monkeys found in the area including howler monkeys, spider monkeys and squirrel monkeys. In the afternoon we travel back to Rurrenabaque to catch our flight back to La Paz.

Your time is free today for some last minute sightseeing or shopping until we transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.