Wild Wild West: Bolivia by Motorcycle

A guided Bolivian motorcycle tour of about 2,300 km, on a supplied Suzuki DR650SE, from Samaipata through Sucre, Potosi and the Salar de Uyuni to Tupiza and Tarija.

Wild Wild West is aimed at riders who are not afraid to leave the tarmac. The operator rates it Medium, with 30 percent dirt road and some challenging sections that are described as neither long nor difficult. The highest point is 4,400 metres, so altitude advice from the guides is part of the programme. The pitch is a western in the Andes: the route passes the places where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are said to have operated.

It opens on the Ruta del Che, then crosses the mountains to colonial Sucre and the market at Tarabuco. Potosi follows at 4,100 metres, with a visit to a 500 year old silver mine, then the train graveyard at Uyuni and a day ride across the Salar de Uyuni to Inca Huasi and the Dakar monument. The route continues to Tupiza and its rock landscape, then Tarija, the wine capital, and returns through the Chaco to Samaipata by way of a narrow suspension bridge and an abandoned railway bridge.

Each price is per rider and covers the Suzuki DR650SE, tourist-class hotels, three meals a day, entrances, local guides, road tolls and fuel, with airport pickup at Viru-Viru in Santa Cruz and a 4WD support vehicle following the group. Scheduled groups are capped at six. Riders bring their own helmet and riding gear, book their own flights, and need travel insurance with adrenaline cover. The tour page lists 14 days, while the dates table lists the April 2027 departure as 16 days at the price shown here, so the length should be confirmed with the operator before booking.