We disembark in La Paz via El Alto. The change of scenery and immersion are immediate! We jump into a cab to cross this giant market and stop at the first cable car station. We take height, to realize what La Paz looks like, for real, this city extended in a kind of immense crater. A city nestled at the foot of the Andes, with the snowy peaks of Huayna Potosi and Illimani (emblematic glaciers of Bolivia of more than 6000m of altitude) as a backdrop. On the other side of the peaks, the Amazon basin extends. As for the conquistadores, "only" the summits at 6000 meters of the sublime and imposing Royal Cordillera, separate us from the Amazon, from the quest of the Eldorado.

Today you will discover the most traditional side of the city, walking into the day- to-day life of the “paceños” (inhabitants of La Paz). You will first enter the indoor market of the Plaza San Francisco (Mercado Lanza) where many workers have breakfast. You will then take the cable car going up to El Alto and enjoy an unexpected view over the city and the mountains that surround it. You will fly over different neighborhoods and the general cemetery, in which you will then enter to discover the Andean post-mortem traditions: here the families leave elaborated offerings on the graves. Walking from the cemetery down to the historical center, you will walk through the traditions of clothing and traditional celebrations of the city. In Los Andes Street you will feel like a carnival is coming. It is the tailor’s street and every shop is filled with colorful costumes and masks. You will end our tour in the Witches Market (“Mercado de las Brujas”) where the locals buy all the necessary artifacts for ceremonial offering to the Pachamama (Mother Earth): coca leaves and other medicinal plants, miniature figurines in sugar.

We meet at the general cemetery; instead of private transportation, we suggest you take a collective bus to Copacabana. The journey takes on another dimension; the journey itself is an excursion. After the traffic jams at the exit of La Paz and El Alto, we are on a bumpy road, Andean music in our ears, and the strong smell of coca leaves on the bus. We arrive in Tiquina, where we get off the bus to cross the mouth by boat. On the quay, we let ourselves be tempted by small fried "ispis" from the lake, spiced with Aji (spicy sauce). Be careful not to lose sight of our bus which crosses on its side, if we let ourselves go, it could leave without us. An hour left before arriving at Copacabana. On the main square, we can choose for lunch, between the trout from the lake with butter, garlic, tomato, or llajwa - a spicy sauce that is a must in the Andes... or a fresh fish ceviche with tiger's milk and sautéed corn. We then board a lancha to the village of Yampupata. From there, we hike to the village of Sampaia (3-4h top), by the ridge, crossing small villages and with a breathtaking view of the lake, the mainland, the Andes, and Peru. Then we reach Sun Island. It is the most extended island of the lake. It is also the one that shelters the most temples and sacred places. It is finally a place impregnated with legends, still very present in the spirit of its inhabitants.

We set sail aboard a catamaran, built by young people from the local community of Santiago de Huata, on the other side of the lake. The crossing of the lake is peaceful, at the rhythm of the wind, leaving us time to admire the Moon Island and the Royal Cordillera in the background. We spend the evening in Chuquiñapi, a small, quiet village, far from the crowds. We leave Chuquinapi in the direction of Huatajata where we discover the famous Totora reed boats. We hit the road to La Paz.

We descend from our heights to the pre-tropical Yungas. We find there the heat and green and luxuriant vegetation. We start from La Paz and climb to almost 4,600 meters above sea level in La Cumbre. This is where the descent by mountain bike begins. From here we leave the Altiplano and enter the Amazon basin. From now on, we will lose 100 meters of altitude and gain 1.6 degrees every 10 minutes. We leave the llamas, the snow, the rock, to reach Yolossa, water, mangoes, coffee, parrots, monkeys, at 1,200 meters of altitude. The green replaces the grey, it is an explosion of colors, smells, oxygen. This road is the only one that links the Andean capital to the producers of Amazonia, in case of social conflict, blocking it with a few trucks means stopping the transport of goods (meat, citrus fruits, cocoa, coffee) to the capital. The control of this route is essential.

We follow the Rio Coroico, soon joined by the Rio Zongo, to arrive in Guanay, the village of the gold fever. If history places the beginnings of the Eldorado's research towards Colombia, the whole Amazon in the field of exploration of the gold city's researchers. The Incas would have hidden their wealth in Moxos, under the name of Paiti, at the border between Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. Beyond this myth of the big Eldorado, the gold diggers continue to survey the Rio in search of some nuggets.

We embark on a gold-seekers pirogue for 3 days of forest crossing following the course of the Kaka River which winds between the last "serranías", small mountain ranges of a few hundred meters high, the last traces of the Andes Cordillera. We sleep on the banks of the river, in communities that take us to discover the riches of the territory that make up their daily lives. We cross waterfalls with crystalline water, monkeys, and thousands of birds.

The river is now joined by the waters of the Río La Paz, which bypassed the entire Illmani massif before plunging in turn into the Amazon basin. On the right bank is the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve, while on the left bank is the Upper Madidi National Park. We are well in the heart of a virgin and perfectly preserved nature. A jewel of our Planet. Every day we imitate ourselves in the heart of the forest, meeting the communities and discovering the exuberant Amazonian flora and its more than surprising fauna: Capibaras, monkeys, birds by the thousands with strange cries...

We continue our navigation. We fish in the river for our lunch of the day. We enter Madidi park. A mixture of wonder in front of this virgin tropical forest, a concentrate of biodiversity, and mystery in front of this cradle of many legends about the researchers of Eldorado. It feels like the end of the world when crossing the park by pirogue. We arrive at the end of the day in Rurrenabaque, a small town at the foot of the jungle-covered mountains, with a peaceful atmosphere. We walk there on foot or by motorcycle cab to have a break on the mainland.

We reach the village of Chalalan by the Beni and Tuichi rivers in the heart of the Madidi park. We embark on 3 days of immersion in this Amazonian community. We live our daily life, learn to live in the jungle, with what surrounds us, and develop our habitat in respect of biodiversity and the environment. Staying there for a few days allows us to create links and share moments such as a festive evening with a few dance steps at the end.

We hike to discover what surrounds us and learn to understand nature. From the Mirador of Chalalan Lake, we realize the extent of the tropical forest that unfolds before us. A night outing in a dugout canoe may allow us to observe the sparkling eyes of the caimans. We share evenings with our guests, sharing their traditions and rituals still present in the Uchupiamonas culture.

The varieties of birds are very numerous, we learn patience and observation to have the chance to observe them. We take the boat back to return peacefully to Rurrenabaque.

Domestic flight Rurrenabaque-Trinidad We dig for Eldorado and penetrate even further into the jungle, flying to Trinidad, that Jesuit religious mission in Moxos territory. The Mojeño people set an example with their pre-colonial land works, including a sophisticated hydraulic control system that regulated seasonal flooding and managed the nutrient poverty of the soil. Expeditions for the conquest of the Mojos and the search for the region's riches led the Spaniards to this remote civilization.

We board the Flotel "Reina De Enín", which we have just for us. We imagine a boat from the beginning of the century, made of wood, English Empire atmosphere. It looks like a cruise on the Nile, a book of Agatha Christie in the hands, but with the The amazonian forest as far as the eye can see, just like pyramids.

We sail north on the waters of the Rio Mamoré and its tributary, the Rio Ibarré, at the crossroads of several ecosystems: riparian forests, Moxos pampas, and palm savannas interspersed with swamps and islands of humid forests. Our itinerary varies according to the season and the course of the rivers. As the days go by, we go deep into one of the most difficult areas to access of the planet. The forest is less and less affected by human activity, the territory is intact.

We sail through Moxos territory, meeting its people, discovering their ancestral know-how and their way of life as a source of inspiration.

Going up these rivers is also going back in time. You will then return to Trinidad.

Domestic flight Trinidad - La Paz. Your driver will pick you up at the international airport of El Alto.

Today you enjoy a free day in La Paz. You can take the opportunity to walk around the historical center, do some shopping in the Sagárnaga street known for its many local handicraft shops, discover the objects needed to make offerings to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) in the "witches market", or visit one of the many museums in the city... And why not take a ride on a cable car?

Your driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport.