Motorcycle Journey: Wild West Bolivia

We will pick you up at the Santa Cruz/Bolivia airport and drive to the city of Samaipata (120 km, 2.5 hours). In Samaipata, we check into a comfortable hotel and use the rest of the day for relaxation and exploration. If your flight arrives late, you will spend the night in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In this case, the following day counts as Day 1.

Early in the morning, we set off and stop in Vallegrande to visit the hospital building where the revolutionary hero Ernesto Che Guevara was shown to the world in 1967. After lunch, we continue to the tiny mountain village of La Higuera, where Che was captured and executed. Along the way, we can observe condors, the largest birds in the world. Before arriving at the hotel in La Higuera, we have the opportunity to take a small detour to a fantastic viewpoint. In the evening, we listen by the campfire in the courtyard of our hotel to Don Juan's stories from the time of the guerrilla war.

We leave Villa Serrano early in the morning to visit the Tarabuco Sunday market. This is the only place in Bolivia where we can take photos of traditionally dressed Indigenous people without them turning away. After lunch, we continue to Sucre, the capital of Bolivia. The rest of the afternoon and evening is available to explore this beautiful colonial city. The entire city center is painted white and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Driving through breathtaking landscape, we pass a spectacular gorge. Along the way, we keep an eye out for Vicuñas (camel species), emus, and thousands of llamas. We reach the small mining village of Pulacayo, where we visit the old train station, walk by the entrance to the mine, and can board the train cars. These cars are the same ones that American bandits Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid rode to Bolivia 110 years ago. The next stop is Uyuni, where we visit the "Train Graveyard," a fantastic collection of old railroad machinery from the 19th century, including at least a dozen steam locomotives. Perfect for photos.

In the morning we leave Uyuni on a new asphalt road. To our surprise, we find a huge espresso machine in a small village where we have lunch. We hope to see a few emus along the way, and visit some dinosaur tracks and a ghost town. Before we reach Tupiza, we drive through the Bolivian Monument Valley, where the notorious bandits Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid "operated" and were ultimately killed. Don't forget the hotel pool amidst all the spectacular rock formations!

Serpentine-like mountain roads lead us from the gentle hills of Tarija to the dry Chaco region. The last part of this route is considered one of the most dangerous bus rides in the country. On the motorcycle, where we have control, it is much less risky. Photographers beware… and if you miss the section, no problem, we'll ride it again!

The road to Samaipata takes us along paved roads beside the Grande and Piraí rivers and over the eastern Cordillera to Samaipata, our starting point. Just before lunch, we pass one last highlight: a very narrow suspension bridge… Watch out, it sways! In Samaipata, we leave the motorcycles behind and hurriedly jump into the hotel pool.

A sad moment every time when we say goodbye. But who knows? You wouldn't be the first to come back!!