Itinerary

This high altitude section begins in La Paz, Bolivia’s frenzied capital city. Hopefully, sectional cyclists beginning their ride here will have arrived a few days early in order to acclimatize. The tour enters and departs on the Mi Teleférico, the world’s largest aerial cable car system. At 30 km and expanding, the network gives riders a chance to experience some unique and incredible views of La Paz. Once out of the city, the cyclists pedal south through the wild and barren southern altiplano. During the day the treeless plains are back-dropped by breathtaking volcanic peaks while at night the empty skies allow for some astonishing stargazing.

The route passes through the gritty mining town of Oruro, known throughout South America for its musical traditions that culminate in the city’s annual Carnaval celebrations. Although the tour will miss the wild celebration, riders may still be tempted to buy a locally designed Diablada (dance of the devil) mask. The cyclists continue south, camping one night on the rim of an ancient meteor crater before arriving in the tiny village of Conqueza. Sitting at the foot of Volcan Tunupa this spot marks the start of the cyclist’s trek across the stunning Salar de Uyuni.

Situated at almost 3700m and covering over 12,000 sq km, the Salar is the world’s largest salt flat. The riders will make the crossing in one day, covering 135 km. Along the way they will experience surreal views – a seemingly endless expanse of white beneath a perfectly blue sky – occasionally broken up by cacti-studded islands, strange rock formations and pink flamingos. Salt is still extracted from the Salar for both human and animal consumption but underneath the flat lies a real treasure, the world’s largest lithium deposit.

After a well-deserved rest day in the tourist town of Uyuni, the route takes the riders south towards the border with Argentina. Along the way they will spin through some rugged countryside. Dry ravines, crooked cacti and rust colored slopes are sprinkled with packs of llamas and colorful adobe houses. After crossing the border, the route continues through a harsh but magical landscape. Sculpted by centuries of wind and water, rock formations have been carved into strange and mysterious shapes and shift through a wide spectrum of colors. A final climb takes the riders into the city of Salta, brimming with colonial charm and sophisticated dining options.

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

5 Nights in hotels
9 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear
Note:
We advise booking at least 1 additional night at tour accommodation before the tour, to be able to attend rider briefing and have assistance from tour bike mechanic in setting up your bike.

Included:

• Accommodation the night before first cycling day and the night of last cycling day are included in entry fee.
• 5 nights hotels
• 9 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear
• Most dinners, Most breakfasts, All roadside lunches, Afternoon soup on riding days
• Experienced chef
• Vehicle to carry your bags
• Experienced tour leader
• Sweep rider
• Security as needed
• Bike mechanic
• Medic
• Local support

Not included:

• Airfare to and from the tour
• Gratuity guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2024: $ 3950.- pp Single fee, double occupancy rooms on hotel nights, we pair each rider with others of same gender.
Tour date 2024:
26 September – 8 October
Limited space available

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Challenging
Longer days, harsher environments (temperature, winds) and terrain (rough dirt, gravel roads at times, more significant climbing) become a larger factor. More surprises await you.