This post is also available in:
Italiano (Italian)
The tour to Bolivia was one of the most complex to plan and I must say, my organizational gem. It went really smoothly, almost. Let’s say the organization achieved its goals, but then I messed up a few things of my own. I went in August 2024, and it was an 18-day solo trip. I almost always used public transportation, except for a couple of almost mandatory English tours.
The goal was essentially one, to see those places I had identified as must-see; to experience a little bit of the everyday life of the country while avoiding getting sick as I did last time in the Andes, but also possible problems in a country that is not super organized and not too safe.
For those who don’t know, gringo is an appellation used in South America to identify Westerners, particularly Americans, which is not always positive. If in Asia they think I am a German or an Englishman, in Bolivia several times I have been thought to be an American and called that, though except once, never with negativity.
Itinerary and tour map for Bolivia
In the itinerary I also indicate the altitude of the various cities, something to take into consideration when you go there.
- Arrival in Santa Cruzde la Sierra (2 nights) 417 m.
- Domestic flight to Sucre (2 nights) 2720 meters
- Domestic flight to Cochabamba (1 night) 2550 meters
- Daytime bus to La Paz (3 nights) 3660 meters, arrived in the afternoon
- Night bus, departure 21:00
- Arrival at 7:00 a.m. in Uyuni (1 night) 3670 meters
- Salar de Uyuni tour (2 nights), reached 5000 meters
- Return to Uyuni (1 night)
- Morning bus to Potosi (1 night) 4070 meters
- Sucre (1 night)
- Domestic flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1 night)
On my google maps the map.
As you can see there are no less than 3 internal flights, the country is very large and I had my days numbered. To make some money I had chosen to do a night on the bus as well, partly because there was no alternative and despite the fact that some sources advise against being out and about after dark. To visit the Salar de Uyuni one has to join an organized tour.
Why Lone Gringo
In Peru I chose to go with an organized group. Mainly because, suffering from high blood pressure problems, I was afraid that thealtitude would give me trouble. I thought being in a group would be useful for me. I was actually sick and spent a night with the oxygen tank. The coordinator helped me, and the agency took care of the tedious part related to medical care insurance.
This time I decided to go alone, because I could choose a route with a more gradual ascent and thus a chance to acclimatize better. In addition, I knew that I would have to cope with any sickness by staying in bed and changing the itinerary. I believed that I could accomplish this better on my own, without the worry of having to be waited on, followed, or necessarily join a group.
Studying possible stops and transportation well, I chose to avoid some of the destinations offered by organized agencies and stopped at a few places where I was probably the only foreigner. In particular, I was not interested in Lake Titicaca, half in Peru, which I had already seen. At all I was not planning to go on what is called the road of death that is done downhill on bikes. But neither was I going to ride around where Che Guevara went. Having never done that, it didn’t seem right to start in Bolivia of all places. In the Amazon rainforest, on the other hand, I would have gone there, but it would have taken me a long time; I will see it on another occasion.
But do you know what you have done?
This was the phrase spoken to me over the phone, a brother a week before departure. The other big concern about the trip was related to crime. If there is one area of the world where special attention needs to be paid, it is certainly South America. In particular, Bolivia is the poorest country in the area, and as a neighbor who has traveled the length and breadth of it says: sooner or later everyone gets a gun pointed in their face.
In addition, a few weeks before my departure, there had even been a coup d’état, or perhaps a mock coup d’état, in any case, the situation in the country was uneasy.
Well, with all these concerns, and working on various arrangements, I left the house armed with care and organization to avoid unpleasant situations.
As usual, I had left my relatives in charge of watering the plants in my apartment. They went after a week because it rained on those days. I had left the living room window open. Apart from possible thieves, after the week of rain with more wind, I would have found my sofa soaked and to be thrown away.
Next stop Public transportation in Bolivia
In this article, a spectacular selection of Videos from Bolivia
Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Countries visited in my travel stories
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.