" THE ROAD OF JEWELS "
Lipez – Lagunes – Salar
13 jours – 2 800 km

THE ROAD OF JEWELS

13 DAYS IN BOLIVIA

€5 900/ 11 days of riding

Price in euros
On a bike: 5900€ (4900€ + 1000€ deposit)
Passenger in the 4x4: 1900€ (900€ + 1000€ deposit)
7 participants maximum

Calendar 2022

Arrive in La Paz the 15th August 2022
End of Trip the 27th August 2022

Calendar 2023

Arrive in La Paz the 1st May 2023
End of Trip the 13th May 2023

Arrive in La Paz the 3rd November 2023
End of Trip the 15th November 2023

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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.

THE JEWELS OF BOLIVIA

This itinerary is the fruit of years of experience of Moto Trails Bolivia, and of their latest discoveries.

It includes the jewels of Sud Lipez and of course the Uyuni Salar. It goes through cities, villages and touristic locations, but also completely isolated places with otherworldly landscapes.

The whole team has worked so that your stay is at the height of your expectations and hope that Bolivia will end up with its place 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!

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: Arrive at La Paz
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 - Llallagua: (310km of pavement).
Departure at 08h00 for a crossing of the Altiplano towards the south of the country. The 230 first kilometers are a simple straight line to reach Oruro where we will have lunch.

Arrival at the destination in the end of the afternoon. This region used to be one of the biggest mining and economic center of Bolivia until the 80s. After a very long difficult period, Llallagua is starting to flourish and now a priority area for the government. Being so far from the typical tourist path, you will most likely be the curiosity! Modest lodging for the night.

DAY 3: Llallagua - Sucre: (245km including 230km of off-road).
Departure at 08h00 for this stage which is only a recent discovery. A succession of passes and valleys leads us to the heart of the day. We will use old paths taken by miners back in the day. They are very rarely frequented nowadays and even less maintained. A harsh but beautiful day!

Arrival at Sucre in the beginning of the evening. A very good dinner will be waiting for us in a hotel full of colonial charm. One of the prettiest buildings in town.

DAY 4: Sucre - Potosi: (150km of pavement).
Departure at 09h00. After 150km of a beautiful winding road , we will arrive at Potosi in the early afternoon. We will use the rest of the day to get a guided tour of the city with Johnny, an old miner from this very town.

JOUR 5 : Potosi – Tupiza : (260 km de goudron).
Avant de quitter Potosi, Johnny vous fera visiter une mine. Si l’enfer existe il est ici ! Les conditions de travail sont terribles et l’espérance de vie réduite pour ces mineurs qui pourtant, pour la majorité d’entre eux, ne se plaignent pas de leur sort et sont fiers de leur métier. A l’époque de la Colonie, Potosi était une des villes les plus importantes du monde occidental et l’argent extrait a financé en grande partie la révolution industrielle européenne.

After this visit, we will take the road for Tupiza, where we will most likely arrive towards the very end of the afternoon.

DAY 6: 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 7: 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.

Arrival in Guadalupe in the late afternoon. Here, there is at least a generator, allowing for some electricity. However, the conditions here are harsher than the previous night, being colder and higher...

DAY 8: 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 9 : 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 obligatoire ! 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 10 : 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 11 : 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 12: 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 13: End of the trip with Moto Trails Bolivia.