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Bolivia in 12 days: Amboró, Santa Cruz and Chiquitos, day by day

Twelve days in the eastern lowlands: the red cliffs of Refugio Los Volcanes, Plaza 24 de Septiembre and the cathedral of Santa Cruz, the South American wildlife zoo, the Biocentro Güembé, the dunes of Lomas de Arena, three days in the forest on the northern side of Amboró and six churches of the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos.

Compiled by Kylian, updated on Oct 25, 2026

The Jesuit mission church of San José de Chiquitos
  • 12 days
  • 24 places
  • 12 nights
  • moderate pace
Start
Refugio Los Volcanes, Amboró park
End
San José de Chiquitos
Main transport
Private transfers, 4x4 with a guide for Lomas de Arena and the northern side of Amboró, and a vehicle with a driver for the four days on the mission road, partly on dirt tracks
Recommended season
Dry season, ideally May to July: it makes the mission tracks easier, but forest fires, frequent from August to October, can blanket Chiquitania in smoke; from November to March the rains can make some tracks impassable

What you get

  • The complete itinerary: 12 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
  • The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
  • Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
  • The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
  • A PDF file of 16 pages

What the price does not include

  • Flights
  • Hotel nights
  • Tickets and admission fees
  • Travel insurance
  • On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The itinerary preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 11

San Miguel and San Rafael de Velasco

Full day

Iglesia misional de San Miguel de Velasco

Built around 1760, its church is famous for its gilded altarpieces and painted façades. The village has wood-carving workshops that are still active.

Iglesia misional de San Rafael de Velasco

Completed around 1749 under the direction of Martin Schmid, the church of San Rafael keeps a pulpit and original interior decoration, including elements inlaid with mica.

Good to know

The three Velasco missions follow one another on dirt tracks: set off early, with water and snacks in the vehicle.

Hotel · Night 11

Hotel La Villa Chiquitana

A boutique hotel run by a Frenchman, in a house inspired by Chiquitano homes. Large tree-filled grounds with hammocks, a pool with hydromassage and a restaurant that mixes Bolivian and French cooking.

Address
· Calle 9 de Abril s/n, barrio Santa María, San José de Chiquitos
Website
· hotellavillachiquitana.com (new tab)
Book this hotel (new tab)

Buy this itinerary

€39 incl. tax

that is €3.25 per day of travel

Billed in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts at its own rate.

  • Secure payment through Stripe, bank card, Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Available immediately in your customer account: online reading with clickable booking links, downloadable PDF for offline use
  • Method: what is checked, and when

A hotel in the itinerary closed or impossible to find, a place to visit permanently closed?

Within 12 months of purchase, email contact@etaperia.com

Itinerary corrected within 7 days, or refunded in full. Terms in article 12 of the terms of sale, on top of the legal warranty (new tab)

€39 incl. tax · 12 days

Buy

A question before buying? Email Kylian, reply within 2 business days.

The day-by-day rundown

10 stops, 750 km as the crow flies

  1. Day 1 Last trails in Amboró, drive to Santa Cruz Trails of Refugio Los Volcanes Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  2. Day 2 Santa Cruz, from the museum to the zoo Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  3. Day 3 Biocentro Güembé Biocentro Güembé Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  4. Day 4 Lomas de Arena dunes and botanical garden Parque Regional Lomas de Arena Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  5. Day 5 Buena Vista, northern slope of Amboró Buena Vista Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  6. Day 6 Forest hike, Amboró Guided forest hike Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  7. Day 7 Last hikes, return to Santa Cruz Last guided hikes Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  8. Day 8 La Rinconada and free time La Rinconada Ecoparque y Restaurante Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  9. Day 9 San Javier and Concepción, the first missions Iglesia misional de San Javier Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  10. Day 10 San Ignacio and Santa Ana de Velasco San Ignacio de Velasco Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  11. Day 11 San Miguel and San Rafael de Velasco Iglesia misional de San Miguel de Velasco Free
  12. Day 12 San José de Chiquitos and the Torre de Chochís Conjunto misional de San José de Chiquitos Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

1 day is free to read above. The other 11 unlock when you buy. Buy the itinerary, €39

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Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

  • A hot tropical climate all year, 25 to 35 °C (77 to 95 °F). The dry season makes the mission tracks easier; it sometimes brings surazos, cold winds from the south that send temperatures plunging. From November to March the rains can make some tracks impassable.
  • Forest fires, frequent from August to October, can blanket Chiquitania in smoke: that is why the full circuit recommends leaving in early May rather than late July.
  • Lomas de Arena, on day 37: strong heat on the sand, so set off early with a hat and 2 liters of water. On the northern side of Amboró, lower and more humid than the south, bring boots, long clothing and insect repellent.

Transport and permits

  • From Refugio Los Volcanes to Santa Cruz, 2 hrs 30 by road on day 34. Santa Cruz is the base for six nights at the TRYP by Wyndham, in the Equipetrol district: the center is walkable, and taxis are taken by app or radio taxi.
  • Lomas de Arena is reached by 4x4 with a Ruta Verde Bolivia guide (day 37). For Amboró, 1 hr 30 by road to Buena Vista, then 40 min to 1 hr 30 by 4x4 to the park, with Amboro Tours, from day 38 to day 40.
  • The mission road, from day 42 to day 45, is done in a vehicle with a driver: 4 hrs to San Javier, 1 hr to Concepción, 3 hrs 30 to San Ignacio, 2 hrs 30 to 4 hrs to San José de Chiquitos, partly on unsealed stretches. Drive in daylight and fill up in every town.

Formalities and safety

  • US and UK citizens need no visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days per 12-month period (US citizens since December 2025). Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with two blank pages. Form 250 on entry and exit, and compulsory registration within 48 hours with the Dirección General de Migración (SIGEMIG portal), or a fine of about 300 Bs. Other nationalities should check with their foreign ministry.
  • Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for the Santa Cruz lowlands. Dengue is common, especially in the rainy season: protect yourself from daytime bites. Measles: a health alert covers the Santa Cruz region, so check your vaccination status. Hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies depending on medical advice.
  • Bookings to make: the three-day excursion on the northern side of Amboró with Amboro Tours (days 38 to 40), the Lomas de Arena 4x4 trip with Ruta Verde Bolivia (day 37), and the vehicle with a driver for days 42 to 46, for the mission loop and the return to Viru Viru airport.

Budget and meals

  • Boliviano (Bs), cash essential outside the big hotels: markets, taxis, site entry fees, villages. The currency market has been unstable in recent years: check rates and exchange conditions before you leave.
  • Allow 20 to 40 Bs for a neighborhood almuerzo and 60 to 150 Bs in a restaurant.
  • The mission churches are free to visit outside services. The museums, the zoo, the Biocentro Güembé and the parks charge entry and are not included in the circuit. At Santa Ana de Velasco the church is sometimes locked: ask a local for the key or arrange the visit through the hotel.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening and says where you spend the night, with the address and booking link for each place to stay. Timed-entry tickets are flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Module, classic or complete itinerary: which one should I choose?

A classic is a short trip built to stand on its own, designed for a first visit to the country. A module covers one region in depth. The complete itinerary crosses the whole country, and buying it also unlocks each of its modules in your customer account.

Can I get a refund if the itinerary doesn't suit me?

No. It is digital content delivered right away, and you waive your right of withdrawal at checkout. To judge before you pay, every product page gives one full day for free and the list of every stop. After purchase, the guarantee applies: a closed hotel or a permanently closed place is corrected within 7 days, otherwise you get a refund.

Who is selling you this itinerary

  • Consumer mediator: ANM Consommation
  • Payment handled by Stripe: Étaperia never sees your card number
  • Publisher, not a travel agency: you book flights, hotels and tickets yourself

In the same country

This module is one leg of the full itinerary: Complete Bolivia itinerary: 69 days, hotels and bookings

The complete itinerary

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