This 9-day trip combines a trip to Oruro with visits to Tihuanaco and Lake Titicaca. Oruro’s Carnaval celebrations have made this mining town a colorful destination at the beginning of Lent for Bolivians and international travelers who come here for a pilgrimmage of dance, music, and storytelling. The folklore festival’s roots in Christian traditions and indigenous myths and deities makes this a unique cultural experience. Spend two nights in Oruro during the weekend prior to Ash Wednesday to witness the triumph of good over evil displayed in the form of dances and music. Each costume, each gesture, each character, color, and movement have a symbolism and meaning in this carnival.
Highlights
Explore ruins of the ancient towns and islands on Lake Titicaca
Enjoy the Parade of Dancers along the main route
Visit the working silver mine in San Jose
Climb El Calvario for great views of Lake Titicaca and Copacabana
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
The trips starts early with a one-hour transfer from La Paz to Tihuanaco (also spelled Tiwanaku), ruins of an ancient city near the south shore of Lake Titicaca. Tihuanaco is believed to be the ceremonial center for a pre-Inca civilization settled in 600 BC and represents one of the greatest architectural achievements of pre-Inca South America. Little is known about this culture as it mysteriously disappeared around 1200 AD. Visit the archaeological site and the museum, and lunch is provided at a restaurant here.
In the afternoon, return to La Paz. Visit the Plaza Murillo, where the cathedral and the Government Palace are located. Then, continue to the famous colonial street “Calle Jaén” where interesting museums are clustered together. Following this, visit the typical “Mercado de las Brujas” or the Witches’ Market, located along narrow streets near the San Francisco Church, founded in 1549. This is a great area for traditional handicrafts and artwork.
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. Return to your hotel in the evening.
Early this morning, depart by private vehicle for a 4-hour drive to Oruro. Upon arriving, transfer to your hotel and check-in. With your private guide, explore Oruro, a mining town whose name means “where the sun is born”. Visit the church where you can see the Santuario de la Virgen del Socavon, the site believed to be the inspiration for one of the main stories told during the Oruro Carnival. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary’s image appeared before miners in a mine shaft. The mine is know as the Socavon de la Virgen (Grotto of the Virgin), and the church has been built on this site with the Virgin of Socavon becoming the patron saint of Oruro’s miners.
Today is the main parade with dance groups coming from all over the country and regaled in colorful, ornate costumes that compete in splendor with those found in Rio’s Carnaval. These costumes, the rhythm of the music, and the choreography all tell stories based on Christian symbols and stories as well as Uru and Inca legends from the pre-Columbian times. The most famous is La Diablada, or Dance of the Devils, a story of the underworld that originated among Bolivian miners and is now quite famous throughout the world.
The day is spent with your private guide to witness this spectacle and to learn the stories, both traditional and modern, involved with a festival described by UNESCO as “a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” You have a reserved seat along the main parade route as you watch the procession of an estimated 30,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians over the course of a twenty-hour celebration. Travelers have the flexibility to go back to the hotel at any point to relax and return energized to the parade.
To take into consideration a long night of watching the parade, breakfast is late, followed by a visit to the San Jose silver mine that has been working since 1589. Walk around the mine property, hear about its history, and witness the continued cultural and economic importance of this active mine. Travelers have the chance to enter the mine and “visit” Tio Supay, the deity who owns the mines and rules the underworld. The miners seek to pacify him through offerings in order to prevent accidents from occurring underground.
This afternoon, say goodbye to Oruro and return by bus to La Paz to overnight.
Early this morning, transfer by private vehicle with your guide to Copacabana. From here, board a boat and head toward Sun Island (1 hour ride). 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. Have a traditional atapi lunch (a picnic with local dishes) and then an hour walk to the Estancia EcoLodge, your home for the evening. Enjoy dinner and the sunset on Lake Titicaca.
After breakfast, travel by boat to Moon Island where you will tour the Inca ruins of Inak Uyu on the northeast shore, which are believed to be the convent for the Virgins of the Sun. Return to Copacabana by boat and in the afternoon visit La Horca del Inca. Travelers interested in a workout can climb El Calvario and enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Titicaca and Copacabana.
This morning explore the picturesque town of Copacabana situated between two mountains on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Explore the cathedral with its dark Virgin of Candelaria statue and museum of European and local religious art, learning about the mystical spiritualism and religion traditions that take place here.
Return to La Paz in the mid-morning. Overnight in La Paz.
Day 9: Return home
1 Breakfast
With more time, extend your trip to the Madidi National Park in the Amazon or visit Santa Cruz and the Jesuit Missions.
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.
$2,5422-3 travelers
Notes
Select a Date
Trip starts one week before Ash Wednesday to correspond with Oruro Carnaval
Initial deposit is $400, 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
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
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2 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
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1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.