Discover Bolivia & Chile — Self-Launched
8 days · Bolivia & Chile
G Adventures charges £2,530
No-markup version: ~£890 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Discover Bolivia & Chile" — La Paz by cable car, quinoa cooking class, sunrise on the Salar de Uyuni, two days of 4x4 desert crossing past Laguna Colorada and geysers, a border hop into San Pedro de Atacama, sunset in Valle de la Luna, then on to Santiago. You book your own hostels, join shared day tours and the standard 4x4 altiplano crossing, and use local flights and buses. All costs are approximate per person in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive La Paz — acclimatise at 3,600m
La Paz, Bolivia
Land at El Alto International Airport (LPZ) and take a licensed taxi or shared minibus down into the bowl of La Paz (~£3-5). Check into a hostel in the Sopocachi or San Pedro area. Do almost nothing today — altitude is real, and the smart move is water, coca tea and an early night. Pick up a local SIM (Entel or Tigo, ~£3-5) and withdraw bolivianos (note: foreign ATM fees are high, so take out a larger amount once). In the evening take the Mi Teleférico cable car (tickets ~£0.30 each) up to a viewpoint for your first look at the valley lights.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4; cable car ~£1
🛏Hostel private room or dorm, Sopocachi/San Pedro, ~£14
- →Mi Teleférico cable car ride at dusk
- →Sopocachi café and market wander
La Paz on foot, by cable car and a quinoa cooking class
La Paz, Bolivia
Join a small-group walking tour of La Paz (GetYourGuide or GuruWalk free-tour format, ~£10-18 for a paid small group, tip-based free option available) covering Plaza Murillo, the Witches' Market (Mercado de las Brujas) and the cable car network. Afternoon is yours: the Museo Nacional de Arte, the Coca Museum or a coffee in Sopocachi. In the evening book a hands-on Bolivian cooking class or chef-led tasting (Airbnb Experiences / GetYourGuide, ~£25-35) — quinoa, ají and Andean grains turned into modern dishes, much like the tour's culinary highlight.
🚌Walking + cable car ~£1.50
🛏Hostel, La Paz, ~£14
- →Small-group La Paz walking tour
- →Witches' Market
- →Bolivian cooking class / tasting menu
Fly to Uyuni — Salar de Uyuni and sunset on the salt
Uyuni, Bolivia
Take an early morning flight La Paz–Uyuni with Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) or Amaszonas (~£60-90 booked ahead; the bus is ~10 hours overnight for ~£10 if you're saving). Pre-book a shared full-day salt flat tour from Uyuni town (many operators, ~£20-30) covering the train cemetery, Colchani salt-harvesting village, the salt hotels and Incahuasi Island. Ask your driver about a sunset add-on out on the flats (~£8-12) — the light at dusk is the whole point. Eat lunch out on the white expanse with your group rather than at a restaurant.
🚌Domestic flight ~£75; 4x4 tour vehicle included
🛏Hostel in Uyuni town, ~£12
- →Salar de Uyuni shared day tour
- →Colchani salt harvesting
- →Incahuasi Island
- →Sunset on the salt flats
4x4 across the altiplano — lagoons and flamingos
Laguna Hedionda, Bolivia
Start the classic two-day shared 4x4 crossing to San Pedro de Atacama (book in Uyuni town or ahead via a Uyuni agency, ~£80-110 per person including driver, basic lodge and meals). The route passes San Juan, the Chiguana salt flat, the Ollagüe volcano viewpoint and Laguna Cañapa, with plenty of flamingos and vicuñas. Stop for lunch at a small community along the way — buy from local families where you can. Overnight in a very basic altiplano lodge by Laguna Hedionda (no heating, bring layers; -5°C nights are normal).
🚌Shared 4x4
🛏Basic shared lodge at Laguna Hedionda (included in 4x4 package)
- →Chiguana salt flat
- →Ollagüe volcano viewpoint
- →Laguna Cañapa flamingos
- →Community lunch stop
Valley of the Rocks, Laguna Colorada and into Chile
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Second day of the 4x4 crossing: Árbol de Piedra (the stone tree), the red waters of Laguna Colorada, the Sol de Mañana geyser field and optional hot springs (~£5 entry). Finish at Laguna Verde beneath Licancabur volcano, clear Bolivian exit and Chilean immigration at Hito Cajón (bring your passport and some cash for the Chilean entry formalities), then descend to San Pedro de Atacama. The 4x4 drops you in town; check into your hostel and eat well — San Pedro is pricey, so the set-menu 'menú del día' places on Caracoles street are your friend.
🚌Shared 4x4 across the border (included)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, San Pedro de Atacama, ~£16
- →Árbol de Piedra
- →Laguna Colorada
- →Sol de Mañana geysers
- →Termas de Polques hot springs
- →Laguna Verde
- →Border crossing at Hito Cajón
San Pedro free day and Valle de la Luna sunset
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Rent a bike (~£6-8/day) and ride to the Pukará de Quitor ruins, or join a small-group archaeological tour (~£20). Alternatively pre-book the El Tatio geysers early-morning tour (~£30) or a sandboarding trip. Late afternoon, take a shared Valle de la Luna tour (book locally or on GetYourGuide, ~£15-20) for the dunes, salt caves and Tres Marías formations, timed to sunset over the Andes. Return to town for dinner.
🚌Bike hire ~£7; Valle de la Luna minibus included in tour
🛏Hostel, San Pedro de Atacama, ~£16
- →Bike ride to Pukará de Quitor
- →Valle de la Luna sunset tour
- →Optional El Tatio geysers
Fly to Santiago via Calama
Santiago, Chile
Take the hourly shared transfer or local bus from San Pedro to Calama airport (~£8-12, 1.5h), then a domestic flight Calama–Santiago with LATAM or Sky (~£55-85 booked ahead). In Santiago, take the airport bus Turbus/Centropuerto to the city (~£3) and stay in Bellavista, Lastarria or Barrio Brasil. Do a free walking tour of the historic centre if you have energy, ride the funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal (~£4) for the Andes panorama, and toast the trip with a pisco sour and a completo in a neighbourhood bar.
🚌Bus to Calama ~£10; flight ~£70; airport bus ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Bellavista/Lastarria, ~£20
- →Cerro San Cristóbal funicular
- →Free walking tour of Santiago centro
- →Bellavista night out
Santiago — depart
Santiago, Chile
Depending on your flight, squeeze in Mercado Central for a seafood lunch, the Museo de la Memoria, or a wander through Parque Forestal before heading back to the airport on the Centropuerto bus (~£3). Depart at any time.
🚌Airport bus ~£3
🛏—
- →Mercado Central
- →Optional museum visit
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£890 | £2,530 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,640 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£890
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Discover Bolivia & Chile — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £890 per person for 8 days in Bolivia & Chile. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,530 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £890 — a saving of roughly £1,640 (65%) per person.
How long is the Bolivia & Chile trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Bolivia & Chile.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Bolivia & Chile, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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