Explore La Paz & Lake Titicaca - 7 Days

Day 1: Arrive in La Paz & Get Oriented in Bolivia

Welcome to Bolivia! Today you'll have your breath taken away (literally!) at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) above sea level in La Paz. A colorful jumble of tradition and modernity where cholitas (Bolivian women in typical dress) travel in the world’s most modern urban gondola system, this one-of-a-kind city is a travelers' favorite. You'll have time to explore the popular Witches' Market, where you can purchase medicinal herbs, and visit the San Francisco Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in the city.

You’ll see the main square, Plaza Murillo, continuing onward to the southern neighborhoods and a fascinating geological anomaly called Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) because of its bizarre, moon-like surface. End with a cable car ride, taking in panoramic views of La Paz.

Day 2: Experience the Local Food Scene & Cholita Wrestling

Today you'll go on a culinary tour of La Paz, sampling unique Andean ingredients and cooking styles. You might sample a sanduíche de chola (pork sandwich), cuñapé (cheesy bread), or if you're feeling especially adventurous, anticucho (a skewer of beef heart with potatoes). Later in the day, head over to El Alto, the epicenter of the Aymara community (and of social change) in Bolivia. At night, you can catch a popular show featuring a wrestling match between cholitas—think native Andean culture meets the WWF.

Day 3: Explore Isla de la Luna

Today you'll move on to the glimmering shores of Lake Titicaca. After navigating the adventurous crossing over the Taquina Straights, you'll take a boat to the serene Island of the Moon in the middle of the lake. Here you will share a traditional meal with members of the Aymara community, and you'll have the chance to see the landscape and archaeology of the island. You'll also learn about the island's llama herders. If you like, you can try your hand at the locals' ancient reed-net fishing practice. At night, enjoy the stars shining brightly over the waters of the lake and the darkness of the island.

Day 4: Learn About Llamas & Quinoa in the Andes

Wake up early on the tranquil island to participate in one of two local experiences: you could help take the llamas out to pasture, or you can go out onto the lake with the fishermen. Later in the morning, you'll learn about how the islanders harvest quinoa. Then you'll take a boat back across the lake to the town of Copacabana and then continue onward to La Paz.

Day 5: Visit the Ruins of Tiwanaku

Today you'll explore the ancient city of Tiwanaku, the center of an empire that flourished long before the Inca (from 400 to 1000 CE). Cryptic designs are engraved into the stones of the palaces and temples in this metropolis, once the seat of power for the lands stretching from present-day northern Argentina and Chile to southern Peru. The Tiwanaku culture practiced sophisticated farming methods, farming on raised beds along the marshy shoreline of Lake Titicaca, and its power reached down into the temperate valleys and tropical regions of Bolivia.