17 Day The Sky's The Limit Plus Guided Motorcycle Adventure Tour in Bolivia

Overview

Get things started by taking the "old" less traveled road to the city of Cochabamba, known for being the culinary capital of Bolivia. From there, the real climb begins and the air gets thin, with landscapes of snowcapped mountains in nearly every direction, before descending into the quaint village of Quime.

Highlights

• Starts and ends in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
• Discover Cochabamba and follow the Dakar route to Isla Incahuasi
• See Jardin de las Delicias, a waterfall on the edge of Amboró National Park
• Stop at the imperial city of Potosí, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
• Admire what the town boasts as the world´s largest charango in Villa Serrano
• View the memorial room at the schoolhouse where El Che was executed
• Embark onto the exciting and infamous “Death Road”
• 16 nights accommodation

Itinerary

1. Day 1 (Sunday) - Arrival: Welcome to Bolivia

   Bolivia Motorcycle Tours will personally pick everyone up at the airport and settle you into a hotel in Santa Cruz. After dinner, you will have an informal orientation and prep session and a good night’s sleep.

2. Day 2 (Monday) - To The Garden of Eden (185 kilometers / 115 miles)

   You will take the bikes on a 70-kilometer (43-mile) roundtrip practice run up to the “Jardin de las Delicias,” where you’ll encounter a series of breathtaking waterfalls on the edge of Amboró National Park. A hanging bridge, dirt roads, stream crossings, hiking, swimming, and a picnic lunch will just be part of this day's adventure. You’ll cap off the riding portion of the day with a ride up some curvy new slab to the mountain village of Samaipata where you’ll spend the night.

3. Day 3 (Tuesday) - Jumping off day: Samaipata to Cochabamba (360 kilometers / 224 miles)

   You will leave your quaint hotel in Samaipata and take the 360-kilometer (224 miles) mountain route up to Cochabamba, Central Bolivia’s green farming valley. You’ll maneuver your way up a picturesque older highway with a mix of dirt and pavement riding.

4. Day 4 (Wednesday) - The big climb begins: Cochabamba to La Paz (380 kilometers / 236 miles)

   The big climb begins from Cochabamba to Quime (320 kilometers / 198 miles). Leaving the city, you’ll be back out on the highway again this morning. The first of many passes that you will traverse this day sits at 4,000 meters above sea level, with the highest being over 4,700 meters. As you ride, you’ll get to take in the majestic beauty of the snow-capped Andes Mountains. You will then descend into Quime through a steep glacial valley.

5. Day 5 (Thursday) - Quime to Chulumani (190 kilometers / 118 miles)

   Pick up where you left off yesterday as you continue your descent this day. There’ll be no pavement on this day though as you head towards the Amazon Basin. Your journey will be a roller coaster of sorts as you ascend and descend through several valleys with steep drop-offs.

6. Day 6 (Friday) - The road less traveled: Chulumani to Coroico (80 kilometers / 50 miles)

   You will continue traversing the mountain roads throughout the morning. Just past the midday hour, you’ll arrive at your lodge nestled in the outskirts of the picturesque village of Coroico. After you freshen up, you’ll have a bite to eat, take a dip in the pool, and maybe even a hike around town or one of the local trails. This will be your last night in the tropics until you arrive back in Santa Cruz, so you’ll soak up the rays before temps begin to drop tomorrow.

7. Day 7 (Saturday) - Death road and beyond: Coroico to La Paz (180 kilometers / 112 miles)

   This day will be one of several highlight days of the tour. Departing Coroico, you will descend to where the road intersects with the infamous “Death Road." From there, it’ll be all uphill as you take on what was once known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world, with its many twists, sheer drop-offs, and spectacular views. You will keep climbing after you reach the highway. The summit pass (La Cumbre) sits at an elevation of over 4,700 meters (15,500 feet). From there, you will descend into the city of La Paz, one of Bolivia’s capital cities, with its vibrant mix of Aymara, Quechua,

8. Day 9 (Monday) - Oruro to Uyuni (320 kilometers / 199 miles)

   Leaving Oruro, you will head straight south. Along the way, expect to see plenty of wildlife, namely llama, alpaca, and the occasional vicuña. It’ll be a long(ish) day on the saddle but the roads will be in good shape, so you’ll make good time. As you near your destination, you’ll get your first glimpse of the world's largest salt flats and visit the old train cemetery.

9. Day 10 (Tuesday) - The Flats: El Salar De Uyuni (195 kilometers / 121 miles)

   It’s often cold in Uyuni, so you’ll sleep in a bit before heading out. This day, you will ride the salt flats, following the Dakar route to Isla Incahuasi, the only island in the salt lake with ancient cactus plants, some over 500 years old. There will be lots of photo ops, as well as lunch at the Salt Hotel.

10. Day 11 (Wednesday) - To the Silver City: Uyuni to Potosi (205 kilometers / 127 miles)

    Leaving the salt plains, you will climb higher to the imperial city of Potosí, capital of 17th century Spanish America. The whole city is an architectural treasure listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. At over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet), it sits in the shadow of El Cerro Rico, the huge dome holding the richest silver mines in the history of the New World.

11. Day 12 (Thursday) - El Cerro Rico

    You will explore the city of Potosi and the historic silver mines of Cerro Rico. There will be photo ops everywhere - from expansive mountain scapes to claustrophobic mine shafts!

12. Day 13 (Friday) - Potosi to Sucre (155 kilometers / 96 miles)

    You'll have an invigorating cruise over the mountain highway before descending to the city of Sucre, Bolivia’s judicial capital. It’s also known as “La Ciudad Blanca” (the white city) for the whitewashed walls of its pristine old city center. Its many churches and mansions from the 17th and 18th centuries still adorn the downtown streets. You’ll arrive with plenty of time to explore the downtown area as you’ll take a tour of the “Casa de la Libertad.”

13. Day 14 (Saturday) - Charango and Che: Sucre to La Higuera (285 kilometers / 177 miles)

    This day, you will take the back roads to La Higuera, the lonely village where revolutionary Che Guevara was executed in 1967. The road to La Higuera is a pilgrimage of sorts for the admirers of El Che. On the way, you’ll stop to check out the market in Tarabuco and then again for lunch in the town of Villa Serrano to admire what the town boasts as the world´s largest charango. Reaching La Higuera in the evening, you will stay at the rustic Casa del Telegrafista, once home to the telegraph operator who informed the authorities of El Che’s presence.

14. Day 15 (Sunday) - Che’s Memorial: La Higuera to Santa Cruz (285 kilometers / 177 miles)

    After a wonderful breakfast, you will visit the memorial room in the schoolhouse where El Che was executed. The day's route will take you through the mountains of Vallegrande and down the old highway. By late afternoon, you’ll arrive once again at your hotel in Santa Cruz where your journey began.

15. Day 16 (Monday) - City streets of Santa Cruz

    It’ll be a day to decompress before returning to life as usual, so you can relax the pace. You’ll spend the day exploring the city. It’ll be a day of sightseeing - last-minute souvenir shopping, open markets, and good food are a few of the options. To cap the day and the tour off, you’ll celebrate with a “farewell” dinner in the evening.

16. Day 17 (Tuesday) - Departure day

    Bolivia Motorcycle Tours will take you from the hotel to catch your flight home at the airport. You’ll want to stretch out your sore backside before you board your flight and flip through your pics as you grin (and groan), thinking of all the fun that was had. From there, it’ll be time to start planning your next adventure!

Ride Details

Terrain

20 - 30% off-road

Bike

Rental bike (Kawasaki KLR650)

Mileage

2,870 kilometers / 1,780 miles​​

Daily rides

80 - 380 kilometers / 50 - 236 miles

Riding gear

Not included - Helmet, gloves, boots (minimum)

Meals

All meals are included (except snacks and alcoholic drinks)

Accommodation

You will be accommodated in various places along the route. Lodging is typically based on double occupancy. Participants who will come alone will usually need to share a room with someone else. There is also the option for single occupancy for an additional cost.

Food

All meals are included, except snacks and alcoholic drinks.

Getting There

You'll see your fair share of dirt roads, including riding the infamous "Death Road" from the bottom to the top, then climb some more until you reach the "La Cumbre" which sits at an elevation of 4,700 meters / 15,500 feet, before dropping down into an expansive valley, home to the city of La Paz, where you’ll spend the night just a few blocks from the Presidential Palace. After riding through the