La Paz Tours in Summer

This tour operator organized a cultural, spiritual and community immersion for me, my husband, my adult daughter and her boyfriend for 16 days in late February/early March of 2023. It was the most exciting trip I’ve taken. This is saying a lot considering I have spent a lifetime of travel, both personal and professional, focusing on Latin America. Everything ran smoothly, even with chaotic settings and complex logistics. A big part of this was by providing us with amazing guides, starting with Jahel Amaru, who met us at the La Paz airport to whisk us across the altiplano to Oruro for its truly spectacular Carnival. Jahel is knowledgeable, patient, down-to-earth, smart patient, funny, and an extremely enjoyable person to spend time with. She guided us through the hectic Oruro Carnaval during its culminating weekend - with boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm. We had the time of our lives cheering on the colorful characters as they paraded and danced thanks to Jahel knowing exactly where to go, when, and providing invaluable context. Community tourism (where visitors are connected with everyday Bolivians to learn about their lives) - has started to blossom in Bolivia, and this company is one of its pioneers. We got to experience it in Potosi, where we had another excellent guide, Marlene Quispe. She took us through Cerro Rico mine, which was the world’s leading supplier of silver. Marlene has close ties to mining: her brothers, parents and even she has worked there. As we ventured deeper into the earth, we learned from her about the mining process and cooperatives involved with it. She also introduced us to one of the mine's “tios” (“uncles” who are believed to protect miners), to whom she made an offering as she explained his importance. Marlene took us to the Quechua community of Phuto Phuto, one of several in the rural district Cabanias that welcomes visitors as part of its community tourism program. Families take turns showing visitors their homes and traditions, including cooking huts with steaming pots, whose contents you later share for lunch. Marlene and one of the family members we met then led us on a beautiful hike to a spot where they invited us to participate in a ritual offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). It was an incredible day I will always remember. Another wonderful community tourism experience was in the majestic Cordillera Real (Central Andean range), where we appreciated both the nature and culture of the region by staying near the town of Tuni with the multi-generational Quispe family (not related to Marlene). Family members share with guests Aymara traditions like placing fishing nets, spinning yarn, making quinoa flour, and shearing alpaca fleece. Patriarch Jaime is a charismatic host and a certified mountain guide who along with his adult son Denys, also a certified mountain guide, have expertise leading visitors of different ages and abilities. We loved staying with them! There are a few other places that stood out on our trip: Hostal Las Olas in Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca with gorgeous, artistic “cabins” and lovely views Templo del Retiro Espiritual Cruz Andina (the Andean Cross Spiritual Retreat Center), in Tiwanaku steps from the ruins and owned by spiritual and cultural guide Rosse Mary Vargas Vilela. It’s filled with cats and crystals and offers delicious vegetarian meals. This is not a stop for everyone, but worth visiting or staying in if you are interested in mindfulness, ancient healing, and/or new age spirituality.

It was so interesting and beautiful to see the land - the llamas, vicunas, emus, flamingos, the Salt Flats, the woman wearing traditional clothing in their normal day to day activities, the dogs wearing little coats, the friendliness of the Bolivians we encountered. Thanks for a good experience.

Great experience with a diverse group of people. Lots of great memories that will last a lifetime. I definitely learned and experienced a lot in a short time. I hope to be lucky enough to return to some of the places we visited

The National Geographic Journeys with G-Adventures Highlights of Bolivia tour is something anyone with a curiosity of Bolivian history, cultures, peoples and geography should experience. You will be immersed in an adventure that will help answer your questions about Bolivia while having a look how this country became what it is today. National Geographic Journeys are more than just tours. These small group journeys let you explore the true background and history of a country and this one was no exception.

This Bolivia tour includes a fantastic variety of landscapes and experiences but for all of us on the tour the highlight was the desert scenery in particular the salt flats. Go before too many other tourists discover it! There is a lot of travelling and some long days but it is worth it. Julia our guide was quite simply one of the best tour guides I've had in around 40 group tours. Bolivia is a poor country but the people are friendly and we had no problems with strikes or roadblocks. Don't be put off by the trip note warnings about altitude sickness, perhaps we were lucky but in our group no-one had anything worse than a short-lasting slight headache.

Explored an active mine at more than 4000 meters above sea level, a breathtaking salt dessert at more than 3000 meters above sea level. Then decended to sea level to understand more about the complicated history of the continent, to be astonished one of the 7 nature wonders and see the jungle colide with the Ocean.