La Paz

La Paz, the highest capital in the world, is called the "City of Contrasts" because of its unique blending of Indian and European cultures. At 11,922 feet, La Paz is surrounded by the beautiful Andes Mountains. It is also the cultural center of Bolivia and has a population of 1.4 million. Bolivia’s living culture can be appreciated by simply walking along a major city thoroughfare, as colorful markets are interspersed through this cosmopolitan city. During your stay, you should take an excursion to the fascinating pre-Columbian ruins at Tiahuamaco, dating back to 600 B.C.

Recommended Hotels

Radisson Plaza Hotel

A contemporary 15-story hotel situated at the city center. Considered the best hotel in La Paz, it offers all the internation amenities.

Hotel Presidente

This attractive first class hotel overlooks the city center and offers a business center and health club.

La Paz 3 Days / 2 Nights Daily Departures

Day 1 - Arrive La Paz - Meeting upon arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Day 2 - La Paz - Included is a morning guided tour of La Paz. La Paz ranks as one of the highest cities in the world at 12,500 feet. This morning’s tour includes the Tiwanaco Museum; Casa de Murillo, with its collections of colonial furniture and religious art, the 16th century San Francisco Church, Indian Markets and the geological wonder of Moon Valley.

Day 3 - Depart La Paz - Transfer from the hotel to the airport.

Half Day Excursions

City Tour of La Paz

Colorful market in La Paz

A sightseeing tour of La Paz features the colorful Indian Market, where shrewd matriarchal women, wearing bowler hats, offer a vast array of products, including apaca cloth, ponchos, blankets and silver goods. Then see the Prado thoroughfare, old narrow streets, the modern residential areas and the San Francisco Church.

Tiahuanaku Ruins

Morning or afternoon drive to Tiahuanaco, an extensive pre-Colombian archaelogical site believed to date from 600 B.C. You can see the ruins of aquaducts, monolithic pillars, great staircases and statuary, subterranean temples and the "Gateway of the Sun," which is carved with symmetric figures.

Pre-hispanic ruins of Tiahuanaku.

Huatajata Excursion

Drive to Huatajata, a picturesque harbor on the shore of Lake Titicaca. See pre-hispanic reed boats and enjoy a cruise on the highest (12, 580 feet) navigable lake in the world.

La Paz, Bolivia

Full Day Excursions

Lake Titicaca

This full day excursion visits the world’s highest navigable lake. Drive through the Andes foothills to Huatajata, a picturesque harbor village on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Continue along the lake to the Tiquina Strait. Visit the picturesque Indian villages of San Pedro and San Pablo (where natives may be seen making the ingeniously designed little reed fishing boats), and neat farmhouse of the Indians, whose dress and way of life has hardly changed over the centuries. Included is a ride in a native reed boat on the lake.

Yungas Indians Valleys

An excursion to the Yungas subtropical valleys threads Bolivia’s high mountains down to the tropical lowlands. From La Paz, the road climbs a mountain pass, through pastures alive with llamas and alpacas. Descend rapidly into a warmer world full of lush plantations of cocoa, bananas, fruit, and coffee, which make the Yungas valleys the breadbasket of Bolivia.

Crossing Lake Titicaca from La Paz to Puno via Tiahuanaco Ruins- 2 Days

Day 1 - La Paz/ Huatajata - Tavel by road to Huatajata, a native community located on the panoramic shore of the lake. En route, stop for a guided tour of Tiahuanaco, one of Bolivia’s main attractions.

Inca Utama Hotel, Huatajata (Lake Titicaca)

Day 2 - Huatajat/ Puno - Take a hydrofoil cruise across Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, to Copacabana then travel by road to Puno.

Note: This program can be operated from Puno or La Paz.

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Lake Titicaca Expedition

Lake Titicaca Expedition - 5 days

Northwest of the sacred Lake Titicaca, live the Kallawayas or healers and masters of natural medicine. Kallawaya legend says that their healing powers come from Achachila, the sould of one of the snow-capped Andes peaks. The Kallawayas were among the first to use penicillin, streptomycin, quinine and more than 200 plants used in healing. The Kallawayas were alson among the first to adopt preventive medicine techniques focusing on spiritual health and strength.

Titicaca, the "sacred lake of the Incas."

Day 1 - Lake Titicaca - Travel to Copacabana on the shores of the sacred Lake. Arrive from Puno of La Paz. After lunch, visist the cathedral of the Indian Virgin "La Mamita del Lago" (Mother of the Lake). Continue on a walking tour and visit a private home to receive a Christian blessing.

Day 2 - Lake Titicaca - Take a boat ride to Sun Island. It is here, according to legend tha Manko Kapak and Mama Ojillo (son and daughter of the Sun God Inti) came down to earth in order to improve the life of the Andean people and founded the Incan Empire. Take a motor boat to the north shore of the island and visit the Chincana ruins and the Sacred Stone. Dinner adn overnight at a colonial hacienda. La Posada del Inca.

Day 3 - Lake Titicaca - After breakfast, walk to Pilcocana (Inca Palace), a temple dedicated to the sun. Stop at the pre-Inca staircase and the Fountain of the Sacred Water, reputed to be the source of eternal youth and happiness. Board a native boat and cross to the Island dedicated to the Sun Virgins. After lunch, board a hyrdrofoil and proceed to the Strait of Tiquina and Hualajata. Dinner and overnight at the Inca Untana Hotel & Spa.

Lake Titicaca Map

Day 4 - Huatajata - After breakfast, board a hydrofoil and cruise to the Island of Kalauta, where you will walk through a pre-Columbian village. Admire the Chullpas (mortuary towers). Enjoy a picnic with the natives before returning to Huatajata and the Inca Uutanua Hotel & Spa.

Day 5- Huatajata/ La Paz - Transfer to La Paz in time for the departure flight.

See the price for this trip

Note: This program can be operated from Puno or La Paz.

Reading the future with the "sacred coca leaves."

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Colonial Gems of Bolivia

The Colonial Gems of Bolivia Sucre & Potosi- 4 days

Day 1 - La Paz/ Sucre - Fly to Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia, and a living expression of both colonial and modern times. An afternoon city tour features the cathedral, churches and cloisters of La Recoleta, San Felipe and Guadalupe, the House of Liberty, where Simon Bolivar signed the Declaration of Independence, adn the Bell of Freedom at San Francisco Cloister. San Francisco Xavier, the second oldest university in South America as well as the University’s museum offer fine examples of anthropological research, as well as colonial and modern art. Stay at the best availabe hotel in Sucre.

Day 2 - Sucre/ Potosi - As you drive past the Pichmayo River, the contrast from valley to highlands is spectacular. Potosi is the famous colonial city that was the source of silver during colonial times. According to legend, it has produced enough silver to build a solid silver bridge from Potosi to Madrid. During an afternoon tour, visit the cathedral, the church of San Francisco and the Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint), iwth its wooden machinery used to make the silver coins for the Kingdom of Spain. Overnight at the best available hotel in Potosi.

Chimes in Potosi; Cerro Rico in the background.

Day 3 - Potosi/Sucre - This excursion gives you an opportunity to enter the world of the miners, as you visit a private mine on the "Cerro Rico." This mine is managed by the minders and the rudimentary work is much the same as during the colonial times. The "Rich Mountain" that overlooks Potosi was the main source of silver in the area. You can learn about the customs and traditions of the miners, their mystical relationship with the coca leaf, the Earth Goddess Pachanuama and Tio, the God of the Underworld. This afternoon return to your hotel in Sucre.

Claustro de San Felipe Neri in Sucre.

Day 4 - Sucre/ La Paz - Transfer to the airport in time for your departure flight.

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Reina de Enin Amazon Expedition Cruises

Welcome to the Mamore River, the longest river tributary in the world! The cruise focus is on the exploration of the remote Amazon Rainforest, white sand beaches, pristine rivers, lagoons and savannahs near the Bolivia and Brazilian border! The final itineraries vary based upon seasonal water level fluctuations and wildlife concentrations. The cruise on the Flotel Reina de Enin is comfortable. The cabins have private bathrooms and the cuisine is creative and good. Nature activities are part of environmental conservation programs, and cultural activities are focused on experiencing the way of life of the Indian communities of the Mojena and Yurakare tribes. All of these activities revolve around walks through the jungle, horseback riding, motorboat excursions, canoe excursions with native guides, visits to the Mocovi Wildlife Reserve, and leisure activities such as swimming, kayaking, fishing, star gazing or just relaxing under the sun.

Imagine waking to the sound of parrots and monkeys... Look out of the window and seeing early morning dolphins... hundreds of animals and plants await you in the Rainforest!

A cruise aboard the REINA DE ENIN is above all an adventure!

Fishing in the Bolivian Amazon Basin 4 Nights

Fly into remote Lake Guatunas and Lake Largo, 70 miles north of Trinidad. Fish for arawana, pacu, piranha, peacock bass and other amazon wonders. The lodging is spartan but safe. You will transfer to the boats each morning to fish. All equipment and a private local English speaking guide will assist you. This program operates from May through December.

Note: You may spend Tuesday night aboard the Flotel Reina de Emin, near Trinidad.

Day 1, Wednesday - Lake Guatanas and Lake Largo - After breakfast, early morning flight by light plane to area near Lake Guatanas and Lake Largo. Spend the day fishing Lake Largo for piranha, arawana, pacu, peacock bass and others. One night at the Los Lagos Hotel.

Day 2, Thursday - Fishing Remote Lakes and Waters - Rise in the early morning after breakfast, to motor across small, remote area lakes to sample new waters. Sandwiches and a thermos will be packed for lunch on the water. Afternoon hauling in various Amazon lunkers. One night at the Los Lagos Hotel.

Day 3, Friday - More Fishing in the Amazon - Rise in the early morning after breakfast, to test a new large lake area, enjoying the remote scenery as we navigate. Sandwiches and a thermos will be packed for lunch on the water. Afternoon return to the Los Lagos Hotel.

Day 4, Saturday - Fly to La Paz - After breakfast, take aerial photos of the Amazon rainforest and rivers during a light plane flight back to Trinidad for connecting flight to La Paz. La Paz markets in the evening. Spend one night at the Hotel El Presidente.

Day 5, Sunday - Depart La Paz - Sunday morning transfer for your departure flight.

Typical Itinerary

The Flotel Reina de Enin - 4 Nights

Day 1 (Sat) - La Paz / Flotel Reina de Enin - Arrival in La Paz. Your local guide will meet and assist you in connecting to a short flight to Trinidad, Bolivia. You will be met on arrival and transferred to board the Reina de Enin by lunchtime. Afternoon, navigate the Ibare & Mamore rivers, bird-watch, explore the beaches and the lagoons, and then enjoy nighttime caiman capture.

Day 2 (Sun) - Flotel Reina de Enin - After breakfast this morning, take an early morning launch to photograph dolphins and birds in the lagoon, hike in the jungle alongside the river edge and visit a small village. Lunch onboard before afternoon horseback riding & fishing and a nighttime jungle hike.

Day 3 (Mon) - Amazon Cruising on the Flotel Reina de Enin - After breakfast, explore Reina Beach on a mile-long sandbar for walks and swimming; explore a Rainforest footpath which leads to a small populated village. Afternoon canoe ride in the lagoon to spot macaws & monkeys and stargaze on the beach.

Day 4 (Tue) - Amazon Cruising on the Flotel Reina de Enin / La Paz - After breakfast, observe birds, caimans and capybaras on the riverbanks before hiking to the area of the blue morpho butterflies & pottery shards near the lagoon. Navigate the Ibare River on the return to Trinidad. Transfer to the airport for a quick flight to La Paz for an afternoon city and museum tour, Valley of the Moon and market visits. One night. One room, including breakfast.

Day 5 (Wed) - Amazon Cruising on the Flotel Reina de Enin / La Paz - Wednesday morning transfer to the airport for departure flight.

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