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El Alto Airport – La Paz
AM: AM: El Alto International Airport — located 14 kilometers southwest of La Paz and situated at 4,061 meters above sea level — is one of the world's highest airports. Although it serves as the main air terminal in the city of La Paz, it is located in the neighboring city of El Alto. Once you land, a private driver will pick you up at El Alto and drive you to your hotel in La Paz to check in and unpack.
PM: PM: Our guide will pick us up at the hotel lobby to spend half-a-day on a city tour learning more about the history and culture of Bolivia. A highlight for today will be the National Museum of Ethnology and Folklore (MUSEF), which is housed in the palace of the Villarverde marquises, itself a beautiful colonial mansion built in 1730 and declared a national monument in 1930. The museum presents a wide and extensive collection of articles that tell the story of the many cultures of Bolivia – from the pre-Inca times to the present. Our guide will explain the significance and symbolism of the textiles, masks, ceramics and feather art that you will admire. You will also be able to view a vast collection of coins and banknotes from colonial times. (Duration: 3 hours)
Full Day in La Paz
AM: The highest capital in the world, situated at an altitude of over 3,200 meters, La Paz is a city that will take you breath away in all senses. While the city is a prominent center of government, assemblies, culture, and religion, as a traveler you will see how the ancient contrasts with the modern, and the occidental diverges from the indigenous. From its colorful, bustling mercados (markets), which are among the most picturesque in South America, it’s a short walk to the center of the business district, located in the colonial heart of the city.
AM: Our driver will pick us up at 9:00 a.m. in the lobby of your boutique hotel. The plan for the day will be to discover the most traditional side of the city, experiencing the day-to-day life of typical paceños (inhabitants of La Paz). We will first visit the indoor market (Mercado Lanza) at Plaza San Francisco, where many workers have breakfast. We will then take the cable car up to the El Alto district to enjoy a splendid view of the city and the mountains that surround it. We will travel through various neighborhoods and the general cemetery, where you will discover the Andean post-mortem tradition of families leaving offerings on the graves. Walking from the cemetery down to the historic district, we will encounter the various types of dress – including cholitas, the traditional clothing of Andean women. On Los Andes Street, you will undoubtedly feel the festive mood, as every shop is filled with colorful costumes and masks.
PM: PM: After lunch, we will end our tour in the Mercado de las Brujas (“Witches Market”), where local people buy all the items needed for ceremonial offerings to the Pachamama (“Mother Earth”). Later that evening, you can enjoy a true Bolivian cultural extravaganza! We will have dinner at the Peña Huari (in Bolivia, “peñas” are clubs and restaurants where only traditional music is played). At this dinner club, professional performers will present numerous folkloric dances of the region and the country. In every dance, the entertainers wear different colorful costumes and recount specific stories, such as love rituals, the struggle between good and evil, conflicts between villages, and homages to Pachamama.
La Paz – Lake Titicaca (Yumani)
AM: AM: Today we will head out for Lake Titicaca... a name that evokes our childhood dreams and is a true symbol of South America. Crossroads of the most ancient Amerindian civilizations, a site of enormous historical significance, Lake Titicaca has fascinated explorers and conquerors alike through the ages. At 6:00 a.m., we will meet you at your hotel and drive to the village of Huatajata, stopping at the Inca Utama Hotel for an amazing view of Lake Titicaca. Then, on board a hydrofoil, we will travel to the city of Copacabana to visit the basilica at the port. We will return to the hydrofoil to travel to the south part of Sun Island, where we will visit the Pilcocaina Temple. We will later head to the village of Yumani for lunch.
PM: PM: In Yumani, you can enjoy the fabulous view of Moon Island across the lake. During your free time this afternoon, you can also enjoy the bucolic landscapes before we travel to your hotel on Sun Island.
Titicaca (Yumani) – La Paz
AM: AM: You will have free time this morning. This will give you a chance to meet with a local family, who will share with you their way of life on the island. At the end of the morning, we will go down the Gran escalinata Inca (“the long Inca staircase”) to a sacred fountain. According to legend, the water from this fountain provides eternal youth.
PM: PM: We will have lunch at the Uma Kollu Restaurant, from which the view of the lake is outstanding. Then, we will head to Moon Island, where we will visit the Iñak Uyu sun virgin temple. Returning to the village of Huatajata by hydrofoil, we will visit the “Raices Andina” eco-village, the Altiplano museum and get a good look at ancient Urus architecture. Later in the afternoon, we will head back to La Paz.
La Paz – Copacabana – Lake Titicaca – La Paz
AM: AM: After breakfast, we will depart from the hotel in our private vehicle on a trip to the Tiwanaku archaeological site, arriving around 1:30 p.m.
PM: PM: After lunch, you will go on a guided tour of these pre-Colombian ruins, considered the most important on the continent. We will then drive along the shores of Lake Titicaca and the foothills of the Cordillera Real mountain range to the city of Copacabana.
La Paz – El Alto Airport – Flight Home
AM: AM: This morning, a private driver will pick you up at your hotel, take you to the airport, and wish you a fond farewell.
Price per person
6 Days
USD$ 3382
Included in the price
- Accommodations (based on double-room occupancy)
- Meals, as indicated in the itinerary
- Private ground transportation
- Services of an English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees
Not included in the price
- International and domestic flights
- Airport taxes (international and national)
- Meals not listed as “included” in the itinerary (allow $20 to $30 per meal/person)
- Visa fees
- Repatriation assistance/insurance (often included if payment made by credit card or by your insurance company)
- Alcoholic and bottled drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips and gratuities
