Discover the mystical beauty and inspiring geology of the High Deserts of Bolivia and Chile. Travel from Bolivia's capital city, La Paz, to Sun and Moon Islands on Lake Titicaca. Explore Lake Titicaca, South America's largest and the world's highest navigable lake. Then journey through an extreme geography of deserts, mountains, canyons, and lagoons from Bolivia into Chile. Visit the largest salt desert in the world, Salar de Uyuni. Travel over the border to witness the fantastic colorful display of the Valley of the Moon at sunset. Visit the altiplanic lagoons Mescanti & Meñiques and spend a day visiting the Tatio Geysers. The opportunities to explore this region are endless.
Highlights
Explore Sun and Moon Islands on Lake Titicaca
Tour the world's largest salt flat, Solar de Uyuni
Visit the altiplanic lagoons Mescanti & Meñiques
Discover the mystical beauty of the Uyuni and Atacama
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive to La Paz where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy your first day free to explore the city on your own. You can also arrange for a guided day tour today!
La Paz is set within an awe-inspiring frame of snowcapped mountains which gives this city the honor as the highest capital in the world. La Paz is a city of contrasts with ancient and modern structures protected by the "Guardian of La Paz", Mount Illimani.
This afternoon with your guide you visit the Plaza Murillo, where the cathedral and the Government Palace are located. Continue to the famous San Francisco Church founded in 1549 and a great area for traditional handicrafts and artwork. You will also visit the Mirador Killi Killi, one of La Paz’s most impressive viewpoints featuring dramatic panoramic views of the city.
The tour continues to Obrajes, Calacoto, and La Florida residential areas in the south and the well-known Moon Valley, where erosion has given place to the most exotic and curious surface forms. Later you will take the Cable Car system known as Mi Teleférico, a public transit system that will takes us to new heights. Operating at 4000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level, the world’s highest cable car ride has revolutionized the way locals travel between La Paz and neighbor city El Alto.
End your tour in the popular Witches’ Market located in the center of the city. You can explore this open-air market where the vendors offer medicinal dried herbs, seeds, llama fetuses and many others used in rituals.
Early morning transfer by private vehicle with your guide to Copacabana (approximately 3 hours). From here, board a boat and head toward Sun Island (1 hour ride). The Sun Island is worshipped as the birthplace of Manco Kápac and Mama Ocllo, the first founders of the Inca Empire. With your guide, tour the Pilkokaina Palace, the Inca’s Fountain, and the 200 stairs of Yumani. Savor a traditional athapi lunch (a picnic with local cuisine) followed by about an hour long uphill walk to the La Estancia Lodge, your home for the evening. Enjoy dinner and the sunset on Lake Titicaca.
This morning return by boat to Copacabana. Visit this picturesque town situated between two mountains on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Explore the Inca sites outside of the city as well as the cathedral with its dark Virgin of Candelaria statue and museum of European and local religious art. Travelers interested in a workout can climb El Calvario and enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Titicaca and Copacabana. Return to La Paz in the afternoon.
Take an early flight to Uyuni, a village on the edge of the world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni. You have a full day of touring this unique landscape. On the way out of town you can explore the Uyuni train cemetery and learn about the production of salt bricks in the village of Colchani. Visit Huasi Island, a bizarre island surrounded by salt and studded caves cacti, some standing almost 30 feet tall.
After breakfast, head out in a 4-wheel drive vehicle to explore the Lakes Canapa, Hedionda, Chaircota and the infamous Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon). The lake has a deep orange – red hue from red algae and other microorganisms that thrive in the water. Surrounding the lake are large white deposits of borax, rolling grasslands, and purple mountains. With luck you can see Puna Flamingos (also known as James’ Flamingo), a rare bird, native to the Andes and Altiplano.
Today is an early morning, to make the drive over the border into Chile. On the way you can explore the sunrise geysers, and the Valle de Dali, named after the famous surrealist artist, Salvador Dali because of its unusual landscape. Then on to Laguna Verde, just on the Chilean border with great views of Licancabur Volcano rising above. From there arrive to the border of Bolivia and Chile at Hito Cajón. Your guide helps you present your immigration papers and connect you with the bus to San Pedro de Atacama. Once you arrive in San Pedro de Atacama you are met by a local representative and taken to your lodge or hotel. Once you are settled into your room, you set off to explore. Afterwards, visit the giant sand dunes and polychromatic rock formations of the Valley of the Moon.
Over the next two days explore the beautiful blue waters of the altiplanic lagoons Mescanti and Meñiques. A typical day has you departing after breakfast and returning in the mid-afternoon, leaving plenty of time to enjoy a good book, relax in the shade of the garden, or take a dip in the lodge's swimming pool. Be prepared though to rise early for the excursion to El Tatio Geysers! Here you can watch the sunrise over the world's highest geyser field. As the dawn breaks, you are treated to a stunning sight of steaming geysers set against the azure-colored antiplano backdrop. A short hike around the geothermal field brings you to the thermal pools - take care where you tread so as to avoid falling through the thin crust!
Depart from the lodge and return to Calama airport to fly on to your next adventure or return to Santiago to fly home. With extra time in Atacama, you can visit a stone craftsmen village, Atacama's salt flats, volcanoes, lagoons, and other wonderful and otherworldly landscapes.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $500, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.