Photo Tour: Bolivia’s Andean Highlands – 9 Days

July 22 – 30, 2012

Photographic tours are custom trips that we design based on your requirements. They may share similar locations as many of our varied trips, but they are specifically designed to be at the right place and the right time when the light is the best – usually early morning and late afternoon until sunset or later as the location and situation demands. This sample encompasses various regions that offer fabulous photographic possibilities like La Paz, the canyons of Rio Abajo, Tiwanaku, lake Titicaca’s islands and peninsula of Copacabana, the Cordillera Real of the Andes and finishing with the semi-tropical Yungas valleys. The possibilities are endless, so if you are interested in something specific please let us know. Be sure to bring a backup camera body, lenses from very wide angle to extreme telephoto, a solid tripod  and twice as many or high capacity compact flash cards (or film) as you think you may shoot!  Don’t forget at least an extra portable external hard drive or digital asset wallet (like the Epson’s or other brands)

The following day-by-day itinerary is focused on photography so please keep that in mind when you are reading it and know that we are actively searching for photo opportunities as we get a lay of the land and go from region to region.  Believe us, the photo opportunities never end!  There is so much to see and do that covers geography, people, daily life and what we call the “unexpected spectacle of the Bolivian way of life”.

Prices are in US$ and include all services as per the itinerary. Please contact us with any questions.

Included are: all airport transfers, accommodations, meals as noted (B,L,D) , bi-lingual guides, private 4×4 vehicles, our years of experience and local knowledge.

2-3 people     3,825.00/per person

4-6 people     3,375.00/per person

7-9 people     2,925.00/per person

- ITINERARY -

Day 1: La Paz – City Tour – La Paz
Arrival in La Paz at 6:15 AM.  Pick-up and transfer in from the airport to Oberland Hotel (3*) in Mallasa located in the Valley of the Moon district. The rest of the morning is free for you to rest and relax and acclimatize. Lunch on your own (we suggest the restaurant at the hotel). At 2:00 PM we depart on a city tour of La Paz’s canyon, visiting different neighborhoods, scenic points of view and open-air markets as well as nearby outskirts for scenic views of this city. Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Oberland in La Paz.

Day 2: La Paz – Rio Abajo – La Paz
After breakfast we depart in the morning and head south along the canyons that lead south and east out of La Paz into the Rio Abajo region.  The geographical ruggedness of this region is stunning and you will see a great deal of canyons, cliffs, a wide river valley and never-ending stacks of mountains.  This is an agricultural area that produces flowers, potatoes, corn, fruits and a host of other vegetables. Great photographic opportunities abound of people working the fields with stunning backgrounds. The sentinel of La Paz, the glacier-covered gigantic peak called Mt. Illimani, will be in the background as we travel through the higher altitudes of this Andean landscape.  We will have lunch at a local restaurant while en route. We return to the Hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Oberland. (B,L)

Day 3: La Paz – Tiwanaku – La Paz
After breakfast we depart at 8:00 AM to the ancient port city of Tiwanaku (The Cradle of the Andean Civilizations) with a professional bi-lingual guide that will share insights as to the reason why this civilization vanished and its importance in the middle Andean region. Tiwanaku will provide a glimpse into the strong indigenous culture that is part of the Bolivian social fabric.  We will have lunch at a local restaurant afterwards.  In the afternoon we will begin our journey back into La Paz and will visit an open-air Indian market as well as the old quarter where you can photograph the truly colonial part of La Paz.  We will return to you hotel in the late afternoon so you can rest or head out into La Paz and explore it at your own pace.  Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Oberland in La Paz. (B,L)

Day 4: La Paz – Lake Titicaca – Isla Cohani – La Paz
An early departure out of La Paz will ensure we have plenty of time to get to this island. The drive is about two hours from La Paz. This island is connected by a man-made stone bridge to the mainland and has wonderful views of the Cordillera Real and the sapphire-blue waters of Lake Titicaca mixed in with extensive totora-reed beds.  We will visit the local Aymara fishermen and see how they harvest fish for market and the totora reeds used as fodder for their domesticated animals. Picnic-style lunch en route.  The route circumnavigates the island and we will return to La Paz in the late afternoon.  Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Europa (5*). (B,L)

Day 5: La Paz – Copacabana – Isla del Sol
After breakfast we depart La Paz’s canyon and onto the Altiplano once again.  The road will head north to the Peninsula de Copacabana and across the Strait of Tiquina where the vehicle will cross on a barge and you will take a motorized boat to the Peninsula of Copacabana.  Once across you will continue your journey high above the lake with spectacular views of the Altiplano, Lake Titicaca and the Islands of the Moon and Sun before arriving in the lakeside town of Copacabana.  Lunch upon arrival.  Afterwards it will be time to board the boat to the Island of the Sun.  The trip is approximately 1 hour long and you will land on a dock on the southern edge of the Island.  A breath-taking hike to the top of the Island will get you to your hotel for the night.  The views from this promontory are nothing short of stunning and you will get a chance to catch the sunset this evening and the sunrise next morning.  Dinner at the main lodge building. Overnight at Estancia Eco-Lodge (3*).  (B,L,D)

Day 6: Isla del Sol – Copacabana
It is necessary to get up early this morning.  For those that like sunrises don’t miss this one in the morning – as the views south to Illimani and the Cordillera Real are stunning!  We have experienced some of the most amazing sunrises from this location and we always come back for more!  After a leisurely breakfast we will have time to do a trek north to the Chincana Inca ruins and get to see people doing their daily chores of farming, tending to their animals and living at 13,000′ above sea level.  We will have a picnic-style lunch en route.  In the afternoon we begin our journey back to the mainland which heads down the Stairs of the Inca and the Sacred Water Fountain before boarding the boat back to Yampupata where our vehicles will be waiting to continue overland to Copacabana via a spectacular road high above the lake where we will check into a Hotel Rosario del Lago for the night.  We recommend heading to the Cupula, high above the town of Copacabana for views of the sunset on the lake.  We will have dinner together at the hotel.  Overnight at Hotel Rosario del Lago (3*).  (B,L,D)

Day 7: Copacabana – Cordillera Real – La Paz
After breakfast we depart Copacabana, cross the Strait of Tiquina and head east – directly towards the glacier-covered peaks of the Cordillera that we have been looking at these past few days to see them up close and personal!  We will go to a village named Tuni Condoriri – a typical Andean village at the foot of the mountains and a large reservoir where much of La Paz’s water comes from. Lunch en route. Afterwards we head south through the backroads of the Cordillera Real to the base of Mt. Huayna Potosi – one of Bolivia’s highest and most beautiful peaks that rises close to 20,000 ft asl. This magnificent peak is only one and a half hours from downtown La Paz!  We will stay until sunset and hope that mother nature cooperates as the views of this massive peak are stunning at sunset. We return to La Paz in the early evening. Dinner on your own. Overnight at Hotel Europa (5*). (B,L)

Day 8: La Paz – Coroico
We depart in the morning by crossing the city of La Paz winding our way through the canyon where La Paz sits.  The main highway to the Yungas crosses a pass at 14,500’ where we will stop and take a look at the engineering marvel that this highway is as it winds it’s way across the high pass and down into deep u-shaped valleys that connect with the Amazon basin many thousands of feet below.  Have some warm clothes handy for this section.  The paved highway drops down very quickly and after traveling less than an hour you will connect to the dirt road that heads into the “north yungas” region – this is the cloud forest and chances are that you will be in clouds at least part of the time.  The road winds along the green jungle-covered slopes as it makes its’ way down into the sub-tropical yungas region. This is a two-way road and the vehicles heading down into the Yungas yield to the vehicles going up into the Andes.  Along the way you will see beautiful mountains, pass under tall and active waterfalls and see plenty of birds along the way.  This is the main artery to the Amazon and it’s a popular and busy road.  As you go lower the mountains are not as steep and the road gets wider and the temperatures get much warmer quickly.  The town of Coroico is located high on the shoulder of a green mountain and you will drive up to Coroico from the junction at Yolosa.  Upon arrival into the plaza you can relax and see the town before heading off to Hostal Sol y Luna located above the town.  This hostal has the best views of the region with private cabins, healthy food and incredible gardens full of exotic flowers!  The owner is a German lady who has lived in Bolivia for decades and has made Hostal Sol y Luna a paradise within a paradise.  Lunch will be in town and you will have time to visit the region by foot afterwards.  We will have dinner at a local restaurant in Coroico this evening.  Overnight at Hostal Sol y Luna.  (B,L,D)

Day 9: Coroico – Mururata – La Paz
After breakfast at Hostal Sol y Luna we head down to Coroico and take a backroad to the main highway and cross the Coroico River to the other side of the valley to visit some farmers that we know who grow coca.  We are headed to the town of Mururata where the Afro-Bolivian people live, who are descendants of the former slaves that toiled in the mines of Potosi centuries ago.  The purpose of this visit is to learn about the coca plant and to experience what the farmers of this native plant do on a daily basis to tend, harvest and dry the leaves before sending them to market in La Paz.  After visiting them we return to Coroico to have lunch and then begin the journey back to the highlands and La Paz.  We should arrive in the late afternoon in time for one more sunset and check into Hotel Europa for the night.  We will have a final group dinner together at a local restaurant.  Overnight at Hotel Europa (5*). (B,L,D)

Day 10: La Paz – Home
A very early departure for those departing to the US on American Airlines.  The hotel will provide a transfer to the airport at 4 AM.