Touching down in the capital, you soon realize this is no ordinary city. The airport is a staggering 4,080 meters above sea level and the sight of the modern metropolis, at the bottom of a steep canyon ringed by snowcapped peaks, will take your breath away – quite literally. A private Flash Pack transfer will be waiting to take you to your hotel where you’ll have time to freshen up before meeting your Pack Leader and group. Tonight’s welcome dinner will be at a local restaurant where you’ll break the ice over a menu of traditional dishes. Salud!

Your first day is dedicated to exploring La Paz, and it’s sure to be an assault on the senses. From the bustling Witches’ Market – selling everything from colorful textiles to medicinal herbs – to colonial San Francisco Church, this is your chance to catch a glimpse of daily life in the capital. You’ll visit the open-air Museum of Tiwanaku and explore the eerie eroded landscapes of Moon Valley before riding the cable car to El Alto for beautiful city views. Tonight’s outlandish entertainment is a cholitas wrestling match, where stalwart indigenous women (in Aymara skirts, shawls and bowler hats) do battle in the ring – and will even teach you a few moves. 

Today you’ll head north through the highlands to the red-roofed town of Copacabana. Located at the edge of shimmering Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world – you’ll visit the Moorish-style church and famous Virgen Morena, before boarding a boat to the Isla del Sol. This was the site of the Inca creation myth and the rugged island is a place of exceptional natural beauty. After a typical Atapi lunch, you’ll explore the ruined temple of Pilko Kaina before hiking up to La Estancia – a remote ecolodge overlooking the island’s southern tip. Visit the organic greenhouse to harvest vegetables for dinner before unwinding with a drink as the sun sets over the Cordillera Real mountains. 

We recommend waking up early to witness the sunrise over Lake Titicaca – watching the orange glow spreading over the still waters is an experience you won’t want to miss. After breakfast, you’ll be invited to take part in a Pachamama (Mother Nature) ceremony with the local weavers, considered of great physical, emotional and spiritual importance to the indigenous Aymara people. You’ll spend the rest of the morning exploring the island’s sacred sights, from the ancient Inca steps to the village of Yumani (home to a sacred fountain believed to hold the key to everlasting youth). After lunch, you’ll begin your return to civilization, sailing back across the deep lake waters to Copacabana and onward to La Paz.  

It’s time for a complete change of scenery and this morning you’ll take a flight south to the desert town of Uyuni. Once an important hub for trains carrying minerals to the Pacific Ocean, this small, dusty settlement is now a jumping-off point for adventures into Bolivia’s remote Altiplano: a stark high-altitude plateau of endless horizons, hardy wildlife and out-of-this-world sunsets. Transferring to a 4×4, you’ll begin your adventure out into the wilderness, stopping off at local towns, such as San Cristobal with its pretty 17th-century church. Look out for an area of striking wind-eroded rocks as you traverse the Alota Valley, before finishing your day at the village of Villamar. 

Rising early to make the most of this otherworldly region, you’ll bump across rugged tracks towards the Chilean border. Your first stop will be Reserva Nacional Eduardo Avaroa and the beautiful Laguna Colorada, where over 30,000 flamingos feed on the plankton-rich rust-colored water. Then, it’s on to the geothermal geysers of Sol de Mañana – stopping for a dip in the hot springs at Polques – and across the surreal, boulder-strewn landscape of Pampas de Dali. Reaching the emerald Laugna Verde in the foothills of the Licancabur Mountains, you’ll traverse the high deserts of Siloli before reaching your hotel in the small community of Ojos de Perdiz. 

Expect more spectacular scenery as you continue through the highlands, keeping your eyes peeled for vicuñas and the ostrich-like ñandu. Soon, you’ll reach the edge of the legendary Salar de Uyuni. Left behind by a prehistoric lake that evaporated long ago, the shimmering white salt flats stretch out towards the horizon, creating a vast dreamlike landscape. You’ll navigate to the bizarre outcrop of Isla Incahuasi, covered with giant cacti. Then, to round off your surreal experience, tonight you’ll sleep in a hotel made entirely of salt. If it’s clear, the unpolluted dark skies will make for some of the best stargazing on earth. 

Keep your camera handy because today’s full-day excursion is full of extraordinary sights. Starting with sunrise in the salar, you’ll visit Uyuni’s ‘train cemetery’ and see how locals harvest salt from the lake, piling it up in pyramids to dry. You’ll see a staircase made of salt by Bolivian artist Gaston Ugalde and check out the ‘eyes’ of the salt flats, where subterranean rivers bubble to the surface. Enjoy a slap-up picnic surrounded by vast nothingness, and learn how to play with perspective and depth of field to create some entertaining ‘trick’ photos. Finally, drive north to the dormant Tunupa volcano where a fascinating cave preserves six pre-Columbian mummies.

This morning, you’ll bid farewell to the salt flats and fly back to the capital. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and explore. We recommend checking out the impressive National Art Gallery or the Andean Textiles Museum with its not-for-profit shop. Tonight, you’ll gather with your group for a farewell dinner at one of South America’s top restaurants. Starting with a cocktail prepared with the local spirit Singani, you’ll enjoy an eight-course tasting menu of traditional Quechuan dishes, produced solely with native products. A great way to end your trip! Raise a toast with your fellow Flashpackers to the incredible adventure you’ve shared. 

After a final breakfast at the hotel, it’s over to you to make your own way to the airport for your flight home. Your guide can help you arrange a local taxi. If you’re looking to extend your South American adventure, why not combine this trip with our Chile, Peru or Ecuador adventures? Our team of Trip Experts is ready and waiting for your call.