" THE ULTIMATE TOUR "
ANDES, YUNGAS, LIPEZ, SALAR

20 jours – 4 000 km

CALENDAR 2023

  • Arrive in La Paz the 31st July 2023
    End of Trip the 19th July 2023

  • Contact us for personalized circuits
  • Difficulty 60% 60%
  • Off-road 70% 70%

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

  • The motorcycle rental of a Suzuki DR 650, equipped with GPS, in perfect condition and maintenance for the whole duration of the trip.
  • Insurance covering damages caused to the motorcycle (GPS excluded) up to total destruction, with a 350$ deductible at the client's expense.
  • Civil Liability insurance limited to the equivalent of 3000$.
  • Mechanic assistance
  • Gas
  • Lodging with double rooms in cities, in dorms or triple rooms in isolated locations.
  • Food (excluded are meals in free days as designated in program of the circuit).
  • Refreshments during the length of each stage.
  • Accompanying personnel: I motorcycle guide, 1 mechanic, 1 driver per 4x4 support vehicle.
  • 1 support vehicle to follow the group for the whole length of the trip and will carry client luggages.
  • Entry into parks and reserves planned in the program.
  • Guided visits and museums as planned in the program.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

  • Plane ticket to and from Bolivia.
  • Cancellation insurance.
  • Insurance covering loss of plane ticket if late to La Paz (due to accident, weather, etc.).
  • Personal insurance.
  • Civil liability insurance past the mentioned sum above.
  • Deductible for damages caused to the motorcycle.
  • Damages to GPS
  • Potential sanitary repatriation and its organization.
  • Additional costs for single room when possible.
  • Unplanned additional nights.
  • All tips, personal consumption, alcohol, souvenirs.
  • All excursions, visits (guided or not) of sites and museums not previously planned.

AN EXTRAORDINARY TRIP

The Ultimate Tour allows for the discovery of some different aspects of the immense variety of landscapes and climates that Bolivia has to offer.

It begins towards the north of La Paz snaking through the canyons that nourish the city. The route continues by a plunge into the Amazonian basin to reach a relatively low altitude of only a few hundred meters. It is just at the edge of the jungle. After that stage, the trip continues in the tropical valleys around the 1000m of elevation that will take two days to travel through. The climb will then continue until Inquisivi (3000m) to finally reach the Altiplano. An altitude of 5000m will be reached in the southern deserts during this trip.

This itinerary is the result of the years of experience of Moto Trails Bolivia and their most recent findings. It goes through cities, villages as well as completely isolated locations. Entirely different geologic, climatic and topographic varieties will be traversed during this tour. You will see fantastic landscapes. The entire team has worked so that your stay is at the height of your expectations and that Bolivia earns a spot in your lifetime of memories.

If you arrive in Bolivia before D1, we will of course welcome you at the airport. It is a good idea to have at least one day to get acclimated (altitude, jetlag) before the start of the tour. Moto Trails Bolivia will handle hotel reservations and can propose many different activities such as visits of the city, bicycle trips up and down the road of death, a fly over of the Titicaca lake, etc. It is also possible to include an extra day in La Paz at the end of the raid. Please contact us for these options.
See you very soon!

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IS THIS A TRIP FOR ME?

This long trip was created for rider searching for an authentic adventure in the most beautiful places in Bolivia. The majority of the trip will be on large gravel roads with some technical sections with ruts and rolling rocks. It will never be truly difficult, but Bolivia is not for beginners.

Ride at your own pace. Your rental DR 650 is equipped with a GPS prepared with the entire trip. With this tool and the help of the guide, you make your own decision depending on weather, your physical condition, and the difficulties of the day...

The weather should be pleasant, but it is best to be prepared for large temperature changes. It can be cold and rainy in the mountains but be very hot in the jungle. Remember that we cannot control the climate!

It is important to not forget that we ride in very isolated locations where help may take hours to arrive. Safety is our main concern over speed and risks.

Despite the formidable length of the trip, it is still perfectly adapted for any rider in good physical condition with the willpower to finish what is truly the adventure of a lifetime.

ROAD-BOOK

DAY 1:
Reception at the airport. Go to Mitru hotel in the southern side of La Paz. Tour presentation and, depending on flight arrival time, city visit.

DAY 2:
La Paz - Chuma - Escoma: (280km: 150km of pavement, 130km of off-road).
Departure at 08h00 for a first stage to throw us directly into the heart of it! After exiting La Paz, its small streets and traffic jams, we will go through El Alto.
We will leave the pavement to take an almost abandoned off-road trail on the edge of a mountain. There will be rocks, small torrents, maybe even some mud... A first plunge into the valleys of La Paz. We are awaited at Chuma for a lunch prepared by the community. We will return to the trail to climb back towards Escoma, village on the northern shore of the Titicaca lake at 3800m. We will lodge with a group of wood workers, constituting of a large part of the youth of the region. Their work and their results are amazing. The meal and lodging will not be the most comfortable, the same than for them.

DAY 3:
Escoma - Apolo (255 of dirt/gravel road).
Departure at 09h00 for a long day of riding! There will be steep downhills, deserted places, valleys and more. We will descend the Andes towards the Amazonian plains. Either a picnic on the side of the road, or fried chicken in some very...local road houses! The climatr will get continually warmer. You will feel the jungle close by. We will lodge in a nunnery that is partially a hotel to finance the orphanage the nuns run.

DAY4:
Apolo
We will spend the day in Apolo. Today's activities are the result of recent exploration. Natural pools at the foot of a waterfall, sugar cane pressing, local coffee tasting...

DAY 5:
Apolo - Guanay (220km of off-road).
Departure at 08h00 for a new stage full of winding, rocky, muddy and dusty trails. A succession of descents and climbs on Andes mountains will go through many rivers that feed into the Amazon river. As we get closer to Guanay, the traffic will increase. Arrival is planned for early evening.

DAY 6:
Guanay - Chulumani: (200km of trails).
Departure at 08h00, a relatively simple day, the main problem being the road traffic. We will slowly elevate ourselves towards the Yungas valley, a main center for the harvest of coca. Most of these places are legal, some less... The temperature is moderate and pleasant. The hotel we will stay at has the charm of an establishment which was probably considered luxury half a century ago.

DAY 7:
Chulumani – Inquisivi : (190 km de piste).
Départ à 9h00, en suivant les vallées andines nous passerons derrière l’Illimani qui surplombe La Paz. Cette montagne est d’ailleurs le symbole de la ville. Les paysages sont toujours aussi surprenants et la route très sinueuse. Il y a encore beaucoup de cultures de coca par ici. Nous quitterons le bassin amazonien pour progressivement remonter vers les Andes, Inquisivi se trouve à 3000 mètres d’altitude. Arrivée en fin d’après-midi. Logement très correct dans un hôtel à l’architecture… Surprenante !

DAY 8:
Inquisivi – Sucre : (520 km goudron essentiellement).
Départ à 8h00, c’est une des étapes de liaison pour rejoindre le sud du pays. La Bolivie a fait beaucoup d’efforts ces dernières années pour améliorer son infrastructure routière. Cette très belle route en est un des résultats. Un hôtel pur style colonial et particulièrement charmant nous hébergera deux nuits à Sucre.

DAY 9:
Sucre.
Free day. Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, it still holds the colonial style like few other cities on the continent. The elevation being slightly under 3000m makes the climate easier to deal with. there are many museums and opportunities to do some shopping locally!

DAY 10:
Potosi - Tupiza: (420km of pavement).
Before leaving Potosi, Johnny will make you visit a mine. If hell exists, it is here! The work conditions are awful with a very reduced life expectancy for the minors who, despite their fate, do not complain and are proud of their work. In the colonial period, Potosi was one of the most important cities in the Western world, and their silver exports financed a major part of the European industrial revolution.
After this visit, we will take the road up to Tupiza to spend the night after arriving in the early parts of the evening.

DAY 11:
Tupiza.
This city with a warm climate during the day is situated at the end of majestic canyons. Excursions via foot or horse will enable you to discover such a canyon.
This is the time mechanics will use to service and maintain your bikes. Tomorrow is the beginning of the tougher part of the trip.

DAY 12:
Tupiza - Rio Seco (165km of dirt/gravel road).
Departure at 08h00, this stage is one of the latest excursions of Moto Trails Bolivia in December of 2021. We will leave Tupiza through one of the many canyons. We'll then head south to follow the Argentinian border until Rio Seco. The path there is very winding, very rarely used, some rocks and sand (not too much either...). We will reach our destination halfway through the afternoon. We will need to get there early to get set up before nightfall. Without electricity, no service, a single sink, it makes for a quite bare lodging, but at least between four walls and under a roof! Dinner by the bonfire if conditions allow, or inside with handheld lamps.

DAY 13:
Rio Seco - Guadalupe (100km of off-road).
This stage contains even more of our recent discoveries. Before leaving on our bikes, we'll take a walk through the small canyons. We will then depart towards "Ciudad Roma". A site difficult to describe, needing to be experienced. Its name will take meaning when associated with the landscape.

JOUR 14 :
Guadalupe – Quetena Chico (200 km de piste).
Départ à 8h00, étape assez dure, beaucoup de pierres, un peu plus de sable… Beaucoup de surprises aussi. Visite des ruines d’un centre de tri minier de l’époque coloniale. Ces ruines ont été découvertes par les habitants d’une communauté proche. Nous sommes loin de tous les circuits touristiques traditionnels, il n’est pas simple d’arriver ici. Mais le site mérite amplement ce détour. Les habitants du lieu nous attendrons avec un déjeuner à base de lama. Nous poursuivrons ensuite vers les déserts du Lipez et les premières lagunes… Par endroits les pistes sont à peine marquées, peu importe si nous arrivons tard à Quetena Chico car il y a des chambres confortables avec douches chaudes et repas chaud !

JOUR 15 :
Quetena Chico – Villa mar (270 km de piste).
Départ à 8h00, aujourd’hui nous grimperons à presque 5000m à plusieurs reprises. Laguna Verde au pied du Llicancahur, Vallée de Dali, geyser, Laguna Colorada… Les joyaux du Sud Lipez sont un passage obligé ! Cette étape nous réservera encore beaucoup de surprises, des paysages exceptionnels, des portions rapides, d’autres sinueuses, peut-être de la neige… Nous déjeunerons au bord des eaux thermales de « Sol de Mañana ». Arrivée à Villa Mar en toute fin d’après-midi. Nous logerons chez Nicolas, l’infirmier du village. L’endroit est confortable.

JOUR 16 :
Villa Mar – Jirira (340 km de piste et de Salar).
Départ à 8h00, nous quitterons Villa Mar par la Laguna Pastos Grandes. Encore des paysages exceptionnels, des roches, des concrétions, des montagnes… Nous emprunterons ensuite un axe routier très fréquenté pour quitter cette zone par le salar de Chiguana. Un autre désert… Nous arriverons au bord du Salar d’Uyuni pour les 80 derniers kilomètres en fin d’après-midi. Le coucher de soleil est magique ici. Il nous faudra ajouter une couche, lorsque le soleil disparaît, la température chute très brutalement. Il est possible que nous arrivions à Jirira de nuit. Carlos et Lupe nous attendront avec une bonne soupe de quinoa bien chaude et des chambres confortables !

JOUR 17 :
Alcaya et Salar (Environ 200 km de piste et de Salar).
Après le petit déjeuner, nous partirons pour visiter un site près du village de Salinas de Garci Mendoza. Il s’agit d’un village Chullpa, une des civilisations les plus anciennes des Andes, partiellement restauré. Il se situe à environ trois quarts d’heure de Jirira et la visite, à pieds, dure à peu près deux heures. Nous reviendrons ensuite sur nos traces pour passer le reste de la journée sur le Salar. Il n’y a rien à voir, simplement une étendue immense plate et blanche, la sensation est magique ! Nous piqueniquerons sur l’Ile du Poisson. Retour à Jirira avec le coucher du soleil.

DAY 18:
Jirira - La Paz (540km of pavement).
Departure at 09h00 for the return at La Paz through the long straight line of the Altiplano. We will reach the hotel towards the end of the afternoon with a dinner of despedida.

DAY 19:
La Paz.
Guided visit of the city, souvenir purchases.
Despedida dinner.

DAY 20: End of the trip with Moto Trails Bolivia.

Photo Gallery " THE ULTIMATE TOUR "
Bolivia in 20 Days

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