Bolivia

Bolivia Train Journey

11 days | 10 nights
Private tour
From On request per person
Sorry, there are no prices defined for this date. Please contact us by clicking on "Free quote"

Close

Tour Description

From the world’s largest salt flats to the archaeological treasures of the lost Tiwanaku civilization, touring the best of Bolivia by train makes this 11-day tour a unique experience. Get the hang of Bolivian life by exploring the country’s commercial hub of Santa Cruz — a sprawling metropolis at the foothills of the Andes that combines small-town feels with laidback tropical vibes. Journey to Sucre, and marvel at a panoramic view of the city from atop the Recoleta Lookout. Walk in the footsteps of the Chasquis when you trek on an ancient Inca trail from Chataquila to the sleepy village of Potolo, and admire views of red dunes and colorful mountains along the way. See Potosi, a city founded in 1545 by the Spanish for its rich silver deposits, then travel to Uyuni by train and visit the haunting Train Graveyard, a cemetery for train cars of days gone by — an excursion train lovers will appreciate. Explore the Uyuni Salt Flats by 4x4 and see the towering clay spires of Valley of the Moon. End your journey to this underrated region of South America by enjoying a train ride to the port of Guaqui on the shores of glittering Lake Titicaca.

Destinations

Bolivia

Trip at a glance

Visits

TRAINS: Tupiz to Uyuni, Uyuni Train Cemetery, La Paz to Tiwanaku/Guaqui Round Trip

SANTA CRUZ: Botanical Garden

SUCRE: City Tour, House of Liberty, Potolo

POTOSI: City Tour, House of Mint, Mineral Processing Plant

TUPIZA: City Tour

UYUNI: Salt Flats, Incahuasi Island

LA PAZ: City-Tour, Moon Valley

View other "Train Journeys" tours

Trip details

Itinerary

Day 1 SANTA CRUZ: Free morning, Botanical Garden

Morning

Arrival in Santa Cruz international airport, meet and greet with your private guide, transfer to the city.

Free morning to acclimatize yourself.

Afternoon

Discover the Botanical Garden of the city.

The Botanical Garden of Santa Cruz is renowned for having two large plant formations that can be found within the impressive 187 hectares of the Park that represent the great diversity of eastern Bolivia. With an average temperature of 24.3 ° C and an average rainfall of 1,330 mm, the area experiences a wet season that starts from November to April and a dry season, from May to October.

Within the Jardin Botanico there are different attractions, such as the panoramic view that allows a pleasant view of the lush garden that radiates life, trails that allow bike rides along the serene garden, Orchidarium or ecological trails.

Evening

Free evening 

Overnight at the hotel in Santa Cruz.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel (early check in)

Day 2 FLIGHT TO SUCRE: City Tour, House of Liberty

Morning

Transfer to Santa Cruz airport for your flight to Sucre (1 hour).

Arrival and accommodation at the hotel.

Afternoon

Arrive to Sucre, the capital of the department of Chuquisaca. Situated at almost 2,800 meters above sea level, Sucre is revered by Bolivians as the origin of the independence of their country. Due to its unique colonial aesthetic and historical significance, Sucre is now on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Departure to Recoleta Lookout. This lookout is located in the Plaza Pedro de Anzures, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city that will leave you in awe as you witness the Andes mountains overseeing the city of Sucre.

Visit Museum of Indigenous Textile Art. The ASUR (Anthropologists of the Southern Andes) Museum of Indigenous Art was created with the intention to organize and promote the confounding and graceful textiles of the Jalq’a and Tarabuco people. Enter this museum, a dark and warm ambiance that permits the exposition of intricate Andean textiles to flourish in the gallery. This museum’s primary objective is to create opportunities for the disenfranchised indigenous communities to not only integrate into the urban class, but to expound these timeless pre-Columbian artistic traditions into the contemporary era of Sucre.

Visit the Convent of San Felipe Neri. Built in the 17th century as a symbol of the encompassing power of an influence of the Catholic Church. Enjoy a walk on top of these colossal structures for a finer view of the blissful white city.

Enjoy a calming walk in the greenery of the main plaza where the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the City Hall and the Liberty House are located.

Visit the Liberty House: Built in 1700 by a Jesuit mission, this structure once served as a university that was attended by many of the protagonists that would eventually liberate Bolivia from Spain. It was here that the revolutionary spirit was fostered and invoked when Antonio Jose de Sucre and others would promote their independence in this hall on the 9th of February, 1825.

Visit and walk in the Bolivar Park, which has a man-made lake where you can enjoy pedaling on the calming waters, as well as admire the beautiful monuments and statues that are surrounded by a rich abundance of trees and walkways.

Note: The convent of San Felipe Néri is closed on Sundays.

Note:  The Museum of the foundation ASUR is closed on Sundays (all day).

Note:  The Museum of Casa de la Libertad is closed on Sundays in the afternoon and Mondays (all day)

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at your hotel in Sucre.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 3 SUCRE: Hiking and tourism in Potolo

Morning

Departure in a private vehicle to Chataquila from Sucre (24 km).

Arrive and begin the mountainous trek on the Ancient Inca trail that was used by Chasquis; messengers of the Inca Empire who would traverse this trail to deliver messages. During this trail you will be able to have a breathtaking 360 view of the Andes mountains and its unfathomable expanse. The trail takes about 2h30min to complete with plenty of rests in between to reenergize.

Afternoon

After ending the trail, enjoy a picnic lunch in this blissful environment.

Private transportation in vehicle to continue onto the region of Potolo. This region is located in a vast open space within the calming and colorful mountains. You can observe the massive hills while also appreciating the wildlife and native flora whose overseers are the Jalq’a indigenous community. Renowned for their incredible intricate textiles that display sacred geometric shapes, the Jalq’a people are a Quechua community that have sincerely been able to preserve their culture throughout the hundreds of years that have passed.

Return to Sucre in private vehicle.

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in Sucre.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Picnic lunch included

Day 4 ROAD TO POTOSI: City tour, House of Mint

Morning

Departure in a private vehicle to Potosi (155 km).

Afternoon

Arrive in Potosi. Situated at 4070 meters above sea level, Potosi, also called the Imperial City of Charles V, is a colonial city with extremely rich history. In one moment it was a city that was internationally revered after having a larger population than Paris or London. Considered the second city that has the highest altitude in Bolivia, after El Alto (4150m), Potosi offers visitors a different perspective on colonial history and legacy, making it the first Bolivian city to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visit the “Real Casa de Moneda” (Mint of Potosi). Build between 1753 and 1773, this institution was instrumental in the development and sustainability of the Spanish Crown. At one point, the entire empire was sustained by the silver that was exploited from Potosi. Afterwards, it was used as a prison as well as the headquarters of the Bolivian Army during the Chaco war with Paraguay that ended in 1935. Inside visitors can enjoy a museum that has different galleries dedicated to paint, art, history, and machinery used to fabricate coins.

Enjoy the main plaza, Plaza 10 de Noviembre, where you can have a great view of the Cerro Rico, mountain situated at 4,8000m above sea level and the historical institutions and church in its surroundings.

Note: La Real Casa de Moneda is closed on Sunday afternoon and on Monday (all day).

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in Potosi.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 5 POTOSI: mineral processing plant, road to TUPIZA

Morning

Enjoy an energizing breakfast in the hotel to prepare you for another day in the heights of Potosi

Visit mineral treatment plant in Potosi to learn about the centuries old practice that Potosi is nationally recognized for and what provides the economic sustenance for the mining laborers of the region.

Participate in the demonstration of the treatment process for rocks out of the silver mine, where you can observe the entire process from the rock’s extraction from the mine and the process of flotation, which is the use of chemicals to separate rock from precious metals and minerals.

Afternoon

Departure for Tupiza in private vehicle.

Arrival and transfer to your accomodation.

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in Tupiza.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 6 TUPIZA town, train to UYUNI

Morning

Visit of the town of Tupiza and its lookout.

Afternoon

Arrive at the train station, where you will journey on a train to Uyuni.

Arrival and transfer to your accomodation.

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in Uyuni.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 7 UYUNI: Salt Flats, Train Cemetery, Incahuasi Island

Morning

Meet and greet with your local guide.

Departure to the Train Graveyard. This graveyard is the remnants of a hope that the government in Bolivia once had to industrialize the region through silver mining. However, these train tracks would prove futile due to the indigenous Aymara community that would prevent its adequate function and transportation because they believed it was invasive and destructive to their way of life.

Transfer to the small town of Colchani.

Learn about the Colchani salt cooperative and how it extracts and processes 25,000 tonnes of Uyuni salt every year.

Afternoon

Free time to tour the souvenir market.

Lunch included during the excursion

Your 4x4 tour will take you to the Uyuni salar, the world's largest salt flat covering 4,086 square miles (10,582 square km) with several stops for photo opportunities along the way.

Drive on the salar on your way to Incahuasi Island.

Enjoy some free time to climb to the top of the hill and explore this strange mound covered in cactuses.

Note: Incahuasi Island may not be accessible during the wet season.

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in Uyuni.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Picnic lunch in the Salt Flats

Day 8 FLIGHT TO LA PAZ: City tour, Moon Valley

Morning

Transfer to Uyuni airport (10 min) for your flight to La Paz (1 hour).

Follow the Republican colonial circuit on foot, starting at Murillo Square, the city's original central square.

Pass by the Government Palace, the Legislative Assembly and the city's Cathedral.

Continue to the witches market, the craft market and the Church of San Francisco, whose unique facade is decorated with indigenous patterns (about 3 hours).

Afternoon

Afternoon transfer to the Moon Valley (30 min South of La Paz).

Discover a unique place, a real lunar landscape adorned with eroded sedimentary formations, fairy chimneys and high spires (2 hours).

Transfer back to your hotel in La Paz (30 min).

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in La Paz.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 9 LA PAZ: Free day

Free day. Keep exploring the busy city or visit the fascinating National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (MUSEF) (not included).

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in La Paz.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 10 TRAIN TO TIWANAKU: museum and archaelogical site, GUAQUI

Morning

Early morning departure in a private vehicle towards the city of El Alto.

Arrive at the train station, where you will journey on a train to the historical archaeological complex of Tiwanaku.

Recognized as one of the 754 World Heritage Sites and considered the Stonehenge of the Americas, Tiwanaku is one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire.

Arrival in Tiwanaku, followed by a subsequent visit of the museum and complex (about a 1hr30m tour).

Afternoon

Board the train once more to travel towards the port of Guaqui, located on the coast of Lake Titicaca.

During the 20th century, Lake Titicaca was the primary region to transport and export products between the countries of Bolivia and Peru. In particular, all of the produce and food that was sold and bought as a result of their trade was loaded on the trains that would travel from Guaqui to Oruro and then to other departments. Due to the construction of roads and routes that have expanded commerce within the 9 departments of Bolivia, this old route is no longer used.

Guaqui is home to a substantial amount of history due to the many Chulpares (ancient burial ground) that remain from the Tiwanaku era in the region and the many museums that showcase different aspects of its history. Among these is the Train Museum, which displays the machines preserved timelessly as if they were about to be used for the first time.

Arrival in Guaqui for a 2 hour walk throughout the town.

After the tour, return to the city of El Alto by train.

Arrive at the train station, where you will travel to the city of La Paz in a private vehicle.

Evening

Free evening

Overnight at the hotel in La Paz.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 11 DEPARTURE

At the indicated time, transfer to La Paz airport (30-45 min).

Check-in and assistance.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Services

What's included

Accommodation

Nights
10 nights in 3* premium hotels

Meals

Bed & Breakfast plan
10 breakfasts + 2 lunches
Full board plan
10 breakfasts + 10 lunches + 10 dinners

Transportation

Train
Train Journeys: Tupiza to Uyuni, La Paz to Tiwanaku/Guaqui, Guaqui to La Paz
Boat
Private motor boat during the excursion at Lake Titicaca
Vehicule
Private vehicle and driver during all transfers and excursions

Orientation

Guide
Private English-speaking guide during all transfers and excursions

Entrance Fees

All entrance fees included

What's not included

  • Domestic Flights:
    • Santa Cruz to Sucre
    • Uyuni to La Paz
  • International Flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Extra Meals
  • Drinks
  • Tips

Prices


Send inquiry VIEW OTHER TOURS
Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Marketing
Set of techniques which have for object the commercial strategy and in particular the market study.
Active Campaign
Accept
Decline
Google
Accept
Decline
Facebook
Accept
Decline
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline
Travel Updates
Active campaign
Accept
Decline
Functional
Tools used to give you more features when navigating on the website, this can include social sharing.
AddThis
Accept
Decline