Andes to the Atlantic: Self-Launched Bolivia to Brazil

Land at El Alto (3,600m+), take a taxi or shared minibus down into the bowl of La Paz (~BOB 70-100 / £8-11). Book a bed in a Sopocachi or Central hostel and do almost nothing: coca tea, water, early night. Altitude is the real boss of day one — the group tour gives you a free day here too, so use it. If you feel strong by evening, ride the Mi Teleférico cable cars (BOB 3 per line, ~£0.35) for a sunset over the city.

🚌Airport taxi or shared minibus from El Alto (~£9)

🛏Hostel dorm, Sopocachi or city centre (~£11)

• →Mi Teleférico cable car ride
• →Witches' Market wander

Daytime in La Paz: Valley of the Moon tour (BOB 100 / ~£11 with transport) or Tiahuanaco ruins (BOB 150 / ~£16) if altitude feels fine. Book your 3-day salt flats tour direct with a Uyuni agency — the classic La Paz–Uyuni route. Skip the operator's train+bus combo and take a full-cama overnight bus from La Paz's Terminal de Buses (Todo Turismo or Trans Omar, ~BOB 250-300 / £27-33), leaving around 20:00 and arriving Uyuni ~06:30.

🚌La Paz–Uyuni overnight bus (~£30)

🛏Overnight bus (reclining seat)

• →Valley of the Moon
• →Book Uyuni 4x4 tour direct
• →Overnight bus booking

Join a shared 3-day/2-night 4x4 loop (agency-booked in Uyuni the day before, ~BOB 900-1,200 / £95-130 per person including food and basic lodging). Day one: Train Cemetery, Colchani salt works, the endless white hexagons of the Salar, Isla Incahuasi with its cactus forest, and sunset on the flats. Bring cash — there are no ATMs beyond Uyuni — plus a warm sleeping bag; nights on the altiplano hit -10°C.

🚌Shared 4x4 (all day)

🛏Basic salt hotel / multi-share lodge on the Salar (~included in tour)

• →Salar de Uyuni 4x4 tour
• →Isla Incahuasi cactus island
• →Train Cemetery
• →Salt flat sunset

Continue south by 4x4 through the altiplano: Laguna Cañapa, Hedionda and Chiarkota where flamingos feed, the rock formations of the Siloli Desert, and the Arbol de Piedra. Wild llamas, vicuñas and alpacas the whole way. Note there is no wifi or phone signal out here and the lodges are unheated multi-share with shared bathrooms — same setup as the operator's community lodge nights, minus the markup.

🚌Shared 4x4 (all day)

🛏Basic multi-share refuge near Laguna Colorada (included)

• →Laguna Hedionda flamingos
• →Árbol de Piedra
• →Siloli Desert drive

Early start for Sol de Mañana geysers and steaming fumaroles, a soak in the Polques hot springs, and the turquoise Laguna Verde beneath Licancabur volcano. The 4x4 returns you to Uyuni by late afternoon. Note: many operators here continue into San Pedro de Atacama in Chile — if you'd rather keep the Chilean extension, swap days 6-9 accordingly; otherwise head back to Uyuni town for the night. Cheap dinner at a local salteña joint (~£4).

🚌Shared 4x4 back to Uyuni (included)

🛏Hostel dorm in Uyuni (~£10)

• →Sol de Mañana geysers
• →Polques hot springs
• →Laguna Verde

Morning bus to Potosí (~4-5 hrs, BOB 40-60 / £5-7). Spend the afternoon wandering the colonial streets with Cerro Rico looming over everything. Book a silver mine tour for tomorrow (BOB 150 / ~£16, direct with a cooperative-run agency) and visit the Casa de la Moneda (BOB 40 / ~£4.50), the old Spanish mint. Potosí is high — 4,090m — so take it slow and drink plenty of water.

🚌Uyuni–Potosí local bus (~£6)

🛏Guesthouse private room or dorm, Potosí (~£11)

• →Casa de la Moneda
• →Cerro Rico viewpoints
• →Book mine tour

Morning cooperative silver mine tour — confronting, unforgettable, and best done with a locally run agency that supports the miners directly. Afterwards take the afternoon bus down to Sucre (~3 hrs, BOB 30-40 / £4-5), dropping 1,300m in altitude to a much gentler 2,800m. Sucre is Bolivia's beautiful whitewashed former capital and your base for the next two days.

🚌Potosí–Sucre local bus (~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm, Sucre centro (~£10)

• →Silver mine tour
• →Evening plaza stroll

Explore the Plaza 25 de Mayo, the Casa de la Libertad, and the Convento de San Felipe de Neri rooftop (BOB 30). Afternoon trip to Cal Orck'o, the world's largest dinosaur footprint wall, at the cement works (BOB 30 entry plus ~BOB 20 taxi, ~£5 total). Dinner in the Mercado Central for ~£3-4.

🚌Local taxi / micro (trufi)

🛏Hostel dorm, Sucre (~£10)

• →Cal Orck'o dinosaur tracks
• →Casa de la Libertad
• →San Felipe de Neri rooftop

Full free day, mirroring the tour's 'Discover Moment' in Sucre. Options: the 7 Cascadas waterfall hike just outside town (BOB 20 entry), a mountain bike descent with a local outfitter (~BOB 300 / £32), or the Sunday Tarabuco market (BOB 200 / £21 return with agency). Book your onward flight to Santa Cruz tonight for tomorrow morning — Amaszonas or Boliviana de Aviación, ~£55-75 one way.

🚌Local micro/taxi

🛏Hostel dorm, Sucre (~£10)

• →7 Cascadas hike
• →Mountain biking
• →Tarabuco market (Sundays)

Morning flight down to Santa Cruz (~1 hr, ~£65). The lowland heat and humidity hit instantly. Afternoon exploring the Plaza 24 de Septiembre and the Biocentro Güembé if you have energy. Buy your overnight train ticket to Puerto Suárez for tomorrow — the Ferroviaria Oriental sleeper runs roughly twice weekly, so check dates early and buy direct at the station or online.

🚌Domestic flight Sucre–Santa Cruz (~£65)

🛏Hostel dorm, Santa Cruz (~£12)

• →Plaza 24 de Septiembre
• →Book overnight train

Explore Santa Cruz's markets and Mercado Los Pozos for lunch, then board the overnight train to Puerto Suárez via Roboré (~16-18 hrs, BOB 250-400 / £27-43 depending on class). Book a cabin or reclining seat early. The train is one of the few genuine public-transport highlights of this route — the same one the group tour uses.

🚌Ferroviaria Oriental overnight train (~£35)

🛏Overnight train (sleeper or reclining seat)

• →Mercado Los Pozos
• →Overnight train

Arrive early, take a shared taxi or local bus to the border at Arroyo Concepción, walk through immigration (have your yellow fever certificate — it may be checked), then another bus/taxi to Corumbá (~£5-8 total). In Corumbá, book a 2-night Pantanal package direct with a local pousada (~R$1,200-1,600 / £165-220 all-in with meals, guides and transfers). Most leave that same afternoon — transfer by 4x4 into the wetlands and an evening boat ride or night safari.

🚌Shared taxi + local bus to Corumbá, then 4x4 into Pantanal (~£8)

🛏Pantanal pousada, hammock room or dorm (~included in package)

• →Border crossing
• →Book Pantanal package
• →Evening wildlife boat ride

Full day in the wetlands: sunrise hike or horseback ride, piranha fishing, caiman spotting, and boat safaris on the Rio Paraguai. Expect monkeys (howlers and capuchins), hyacinth macaws, toucans, giant otters, capybara and caiman in absurd numbers. Meals are usually included at the pousada — this is the cheapest, easiest place on the route to see serious wildlife.

🚌Guided 4x4 and boat

🛏Pantanal pousada (included)

• →Sunrise hike
• →Piranha fishing
• →Caiman and macaw spotting
• →Horseback ride

Morning safari, then transfer back to Corumbá by midday and bus to Bonito (~4-5 hrs via Miranda, R$90-130 / ~£13-18). Bonito is Brazil's ecotourism capital — crystal-clear rivers, caves and snorkelling. Book tomorrow's activities tonight at the town's central booking office; numbers are capped daily so book at least a day ahead.

🚌Corumbá–Bonito bus (~£16)

🛏Hostel dorm, Bonito (~£14)

• →Morning safari
• →Bus to Bonito
• →Book snorkelling

The signature Bonito experience: float down the Rio da Prata or Rio Sucuri among hundreds of fish in water so clear it looks fake (R$280-340 / ~£39-47 including equipment and transport). Afternoon at the Gruta Azul (R$100 / £14) or the Balneário Municipal for a cheap swim (R$60 / £8). This replaces the operator's Bonito 'Discover Moment' with the same activities — booked through the same licensed operators, at the same prices.

🚌Activity transfers included

🛏Hostel dorm, Bonito (~£14)

• →Rio da Prata snorkelling
• →Gruta Azul
• →Balneário Municipal

Daytime relaxing or a canopy/zipline tour (R$160 / £22) if you want one more activity. Evening overnight bus to Foz do Iguaçu (~12-14 hrs via Dourados/Campo Grande, R$180-260 / £25-36, reclining seats). Book with a company like Eucatur or Expresso Maringá through ClickBus or the local rodoviária.

🚌Bonito–Foz do Iguaçu overnight bus (~£30)

🛏Overnight bus

• →Optional canopy tour
• →Overnight bus

Arrive early and check into a hostel near the park. Spend the day on the Brazilian side of the falls — the panoramic side, with the walkway out over the Devil's Throat. Park entry R$100 (~£14); take the local Line 120 bus from the terminal (~R$5 each way). Optional helicopter flight (US$130 / ~£100) is available at the park heliport. Do this side first for the overview, then the Argentine side next day for the immersive trails.

🚌Local city bus line 120 (~£1.50)

🛏Hostel dorm, Foz do Iguaçu (~£12)

• →Iguassu Falls Brazil side
• →Devil's Throat walkway
• →Optional helicopter flight

Cross the border to Argentina (local bus ~R$15 to Puerto Iguazú, immigration on the bus is straightforward — bring your passport). Full day in Parque Nacional Iguazú: the Upper and Lower Circuits and the Tren Ecológico out to the Garganta del Diablo catwalk. Entry ~ARS 45,000 (roughly £28 at current rates — check before you go, prices move fast). Return to Foz in the evening or stay in Puerto Iguazú and fly out from there tomorrow.

🚌Cross-border local bus (~£4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Foz do Iguaçu or Puerto Iguazú (~£12)

• →Garganta del Diablo
• →Upper and Lower Circuits
• →Tren Ecológico

Fly Foz do Iguaçu to São Paulo (GRU/CGH) then bus down the Costa Verde to Paraty (~6 hrs from São Paulo, R$120-160 / £17-22) — or fly directly to Rio and take the 4-hour Costa Verde bus from Rio's Novo Rio terminal (~R$90 / £13). Either way you land in a cobbled colonial town wedged between mountains and sea. Book accommodation in the historic centre early; Paraty is popular and fills up.

🚌Domestic flight (~£90) + Costa Verde bus (~£18)

🛏Hostel dorm, Paraty centro (~£15)

• →Colonial centre walk
• →Cachaça tasting

Classic Paraty day: a schooner boat tour around the bay's islands and beaches with snorkel stops (R$150 / £21 including lunch), or a kayak through the mangroves (R$90 / £12). Evening walking tour with cachaça tasting (R$160 / £22) if you want the culture hit. All bookable on the spot at the pier or through your hostel.

🚌Walk / local

🛏Hostel dorm, Paraty (~£15)

• →Schooner bay tour
• →Kayaking
• →Cachaça tasting

Bus to Angra dos Reis (~1.5-2 hrs, R$40 / £6) then the ferry or fast boat to Vila do Abraão on car-free Ilha Grande (R$20-60 / £3-8). Same day: walk the beaches near the village, swim at Praia Preta, and buy a boat-trip ticket for tomorrow. No cars, no ATMs that work reliably — bring cash.

🚌Bus + ferry/boat (~£12)

🛏Hostel dorm, Vila do Abraão (~£14)

• →Beach walk
• →Book boat excursion

Hike the trail from Abraão to Lopes Mendes — around 2.5-3 hours each way through Atlantic rainforest, ending on one of Brazil's best beaches. Alternatively take the schooner boat excursion (R$130 / £18) that loops the island's beaches and snorkel spots. Optional: surf lesson (R$80-160 / £11-22) or the steep Pico do Papagaio hike (R$150 / £21 with guide).

🚌Walk / boat

🛏Hostel dorm, Vila do Abraão (~£14)

• →Lopes Mendes hike
• →Schooner boat excursion
• →Surf lesson

Morning boat back to Angra dos Reis, then the Costa Verde bus to Rio's Novo Rio terminal (~3 hrs, R$70-90 / £10-13) — or the direct ferry-and-bus combo through Conceição de Jacareí. Check into a hostel in Botafogo, Santa Teresa or Ipanema. Afternoon at Ipanema or Copacabana to mark the end of the overland route, sunset from Arpoador rock with the crowd.

🚌Ferry + Costa Verde bus (~£14)

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo or Santa Teresa (~£16)

• →Ipanema sunset
• →Arpoador
• →Botafogo food scene

Ride the cable car up Pão de Açúcar (R$185 / £26) in the morning before the crowds, then wander Santa Teresa's streets and the Escadaria Selarón in Lapa. Sunset from Mirante Dona Marta if the weather's clear. Evening: samba in Lapa's street bars — free to wander, drinks are cheap.

🚌Metro and local buses (~£4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Rio (~£16)

• →Sugarloaf cable car
• →Santa Teresa
• →Selarón Steps
• →Lapa samba

Morning up to Christ the Redeemer via the Corcovado cog train or van (R$120-140 / £17-19 — book timed tickets online in advance, they sell out), or swap it for the Rio city tour (R$470 / £65) or a hang-glide off Pedra Bonita (R$1,300 / £180) if you're feeling brave. Head to Galeão (GIG) for your international flight.

🚌Metro / bus to airport (~£3)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Corcovado / Christ the Redeemer
• →Optional hang gliding
• →Optional city tour