Compare Washington’s San Juan Islands at a Slower Pace by Road Scholar vs Bolivia: See & Experience Almost it ALL in 10 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours by Charlie The Traveler

Day 1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Seattle D Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport
Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration & Orientation: After you have your room assignment, head to the conference room at 5:00 p.m. to register with the Road Scholar program staff, which is also where our Orientation session will take place. You’ll receive a welcome packet with your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, and other important information. If you will arrive later than 8:00 p.m., please ask for your packet when you check in. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: In the Conference Dining Room, we’ll enjoy a catered buffet meal featuring green salad, an entrée, sides, and a choice of dessert, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Day 2
Seafarer's Memorial Park, Ferry to San Juan Island
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island B,L,D Earthbox Inn & Spa
Activity note: Walking approx. 1/2 mile throughout the day; mostly paved trails and paths; periods of standing for less than 1/2 hour. Getting on/off motorcoach; driving approximately 100 miles from Seattle to Anacortes; about 2.5 hours. Getting on/off ferry; ride is approx. 20 miles from Anacortes to Friday Harbor; about 1.5 hours. Short shuttle ride from ferry to Friday Harbor hotel.

Breakfast: In the Conference Room, the extensive breakfast buffet features a variety of choices, including an egg dish, breakfast meats and breads, fresh fruit, yogurt, hot and cold cereals, plus milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: On our way to San Juan Island via motorcoach after checking out of the hotel, we’ll stop at the Seafarer's Memorial Park in Anacortes, WA. At Seafarer's Park, we'll learn from a local resident expert about the evolution and importance of Anacortes' maritime industries.

Lunch: At Seafarer's Park in Anacortes, WA, we’ll have a catered picnic lunch served buffet-style, with soft drinks, juice, water.

Afternoon: We'll then board the Washington State ferry bound for San Juan Island. You may wish to enjoy the view of the National Scenic Byway through a tapestry of Islands from the inside passenger cabins or from the outside decks as we take our 1.5 hour journey through the archipelago to Friday Harbor. Upon arrival at the dock in the late afternoon, we’ll make a quick transfer via shuttle check into the hotel.

Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a tasty buffet meal featuring salad, a main entrée, sides, vegetables, and dessert, plus coffee, hot and iced tea, milk, water. You may bring other beverages of your own with you.

Evening: We’ll then be joined in the hotel conference room by a local resident expert who will offer an insider’s look at contemporary life in the Islands and explores issues affecting island life.

Day 3
San Juan Island History, Inter-Island Ferry Trip
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island B,L,D Earthbox Inn & Spa
Activity note: Walking approx. 1/2 mile to/from ferry; mostly paved walkways and sidewalks. Getting on/off a ferry; ride is approximately 3 hours; some stairs aboard.

Breakfast: At the hotel, we’ll have a breakfast buffet with choices including an egg dish, hot and cold cereals, breakfast breads and spreads, and a variety of fresh fruits, plus juice, milk, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: Through a visit from a local wildlife expert, we’ll settle into the hotel conference room to learn about the natural history of the San Juan Islands. After a short break, we’ll walk to the San Juan Island Historical Museum to view artifacts from days gone by, learn more from the executive director of the museum about the industries of San Juan Island, and visit historic buildings on the grounds.

Lunch: At the hotel, we’ll have a buffet meal featuring a soup of the day, salad, and dessert, topped off with coffee, tea, water. You may bring other beverages of your own with you.

Afternoon: We’ll then set out from the hotel and walk approx. 5 blocks to the dock where we will board the inter-island ferry for a field trip as it chugs through the islands. On-deck narration will be provided by a naturalist who will be happy to answer any questions you may have while also helping to spot marine and wildlife as we cruise the islands.

Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a tasty buffet meal featuring salad, an entrée, sides, and dessert, plus coffee, hot and iced tea, water. You may bring other beverages of your own with you.

Evening: Gathering in the conference room with a local resident expert associated with the Port of Friday Harbor, we’ll engage in a presentation on the history of the water trade in the San Juan Islands. We’ll focus on some legitimate business trade and some smuggling, both of which had significant impacts on the archipelago.

Day 4
San Juan Island Excursion, Musical Farewell Program
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island B,L,D Earthbox Inn & Spa
Activity note: Walking up to 1.5 miles throughout the day; some paved, some uneven pathways, dirt trails with exposed rock and tree roots. Getting on/off mini-buses; driving approx. 55 miles total; 5 ride segments of about 1/2 hour each between stops.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Then, we’ll set out via mini-buses for a field trip with our Group Leader around the south end of San Juan Island to American Camp National Park where we will stop at the Visitor’s Center for an overview of the Pig War, during which both American and British troops occupied the island. Afterwards, we’ll walk to the redoubt area and view the remaining American Camp structures. Next, we’ll head to Pelindaba Lavender Farm where we will hear first-hand from the owner/operator about how this Lavender Farm came to be, why the farm fills an unserved niche, and how it sustains the local community. Additionally, we learn how the lavender is grown, harvested and how it is used in final products. As we cross the island toward Limekiln Lighthouse, we’ll keep an eye out for wildlife along the scenic west coast of the island.

Lunch: At the Limekiln Lighthouse, we’ll have sack lunches featuring a sandwich, fruit, chips, bakery treat, and bottled water.

Afternoon: Our field trip will continue with our Group Leader at Limekiln Point State Park, one of the best places in the world to view whales from land, and home to Orca research outpost and lighthouse. Keeping an eye out for the whales as they search for their main food source, salmon, we’ll make our way with our Group Leader to the lighthouse research center to see the studies being done on Orcas. Continuing, we'll travel to the northern tip of San Juan Island to explore the National Historical Park at English Camp with our Group Leader. While here, we’ll see the parade grounds, formal garden, historical buildings, and the blockhouse, all of which remain from the times of British occupation. As we look around, we’ll take note of contrasts with the American encampment we saw earlier on the south end of the island. We'll then return to Friday Harbor where the remainder of the afternoon will be free for independent exploration. You may wish to visit the Whale Museum, explore the town, or just relax.

Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll have a tasty buffet meal for our farewell dinner, with, coffee, tea, water. You may bring other beverages of your own with you. Share some of your favorite experiences from the program with new Road Scholar friends.

Evening: Joined by a beloved local musician in the hotel conference room, we’ll be treated to an exclusive musical performance to round out our program. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.

Day 5
Program Concludes
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island B
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 7:15 a.m. Ferry transfer to Anacortes, WA, is approx. 20 miles; about 1.5 hours. Driving approx. 100 miles from Anacortes to Seattle; about 2.5 hours. Drop-offs at SeaTac International Airport and the starting hotel will be at approximately 12:30 p.m. and 12:45 p.m., respectively. Scheduling outbound flights after 2:30 p.m. is advised.

Breakfast: Early hotel buffet.

Morning: Once checked-out of the hotel, we’ll depart Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, via the Washington State Ferry. Upon docking in Anacortes, we’ll transfer to a chartered motorcoach and ride to Seattle with drop-offs at SeaTac International Airport and the starting hotel. This concludes our program. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Day 1: Grand Monuments, City Sightseeing & Surreal-Looking Rock Formations

Our tour of Bolivia starts in the colonial city of La Paz. It attracts visitors due to its surrounding nature and its Old Town, featuring buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Below is a list of highlights for today in and around the city. Also, note the cable car rides are attractions onto themselves, offering an experience found almost nowhere else on Earth.

1. Valle de la Luna (a.k.a. Moon Valley): surreal-looking rock formations

2. Green cable car ride

3. Yellow cable car ride

4. Plaza Murillo: home to Plurinational Legislative Assembly (a.k.a. the parliament, which can be visited on the outside only) and the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

5. Red cable car ride

6. Blue cable car ride

7. Plaza San Francisco: home to San Francisco Cathedral (the views from atop are great, but it isn’t always open to the public)

Most of our international customers first arrive later-evening into the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra before reaching La Paz. If this is the case for you, then you can sleep at a hotel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra the night before our tour begins. The following morning, you could take a flight to La Paz. This tour starts the morning you have arrived into La Paz. We can arrange all of this for you. Don't worry!

Also worth mentioning, if you are required to obtain a visa for Bolivia, we recommend you do so before entering the country. While it can also be done upon arrival, the process is quite lengthy and bureaucratic.

Start point

Transportation will be arranged for you from the airport in La Paz., La Paz, Bolivia

Day 2: Immersing in Culture & Who in the Heck Named This Lake ‘Titicaca’?

We make a daytrip from La Paz to a village called Copacabana. There we visit a famous cathedral. Afterwards, we take a boat to Lake Titicaca’s Sun Island. There we are provided with a guided walking tour first to the Inca palace and then to the Inca stairway. Archaeologists have discovered evidence that people lived on this island as far back as the third millennium BC. Many hills on this island contain agricultural terraces, which adapt steep and rocky terrain to agriculture. There are approximately 800 families living on this island. This is the place to be if you want to immerse yourself in Bolivian culture.

Day 3: A Bicycling Adventure & is it Really ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Road’?

Today we make a daytrip from La Paz to a very scenic mountain pass called La Cumbre. There we start a car cruise along Yungas Road, a.k.a. “The World’s Most Dangerous Road.” It was once considered just that because of its steep slopes and narrow single track. A new alternative route was built during a 20-year period, ending in 2006. The modernization included enlarging the carriageway from one to two lanes, asphalt paving, bridges, drainage, guardrails and the building of a new section between Chusquipata and Yolosa, bypassing the most dangerous sections of the original road.

Later on in the day, we take a biking tour in the same area, but further down the mountain. Photos and short video clips of our journey are provided to us complimentary and via email. Lunch is included on today’s tour and is served at a hotel. There we can also go swimming.

Day 4: Welcome to the Wildlife-Rich Wetlands

Today we fly from La Paz to the town of Rurrenabaque and then drive to a village called Santa Rosa. There we take a wonderful boat ride along a river called Yacuma, with the destination being our ecolodge. Welcome to Bolivia’s wetlands, where the river cruises never cease to amaze. Note that all meals are included by our ecolodge during our stay.

Day 5: Cruising Alongside Pink Dolphins & Going on River Cruises

The highlights during our stay in the wetlands are fishing, cruising alongside pink dolphins, river cruises, searching for anacondas and seeing lots of beautiful wildlife. Many of these activities are done today.

Day 6: Witnessing Bolivia’s Animal Kingdom

Before returning to the city of La Paz, we spend much of the day on river cruises searching for caimans, monkeys, a unique-looking rodent called capybaras and numerous species of birds.

Day 7: Jeep Safari on Salt Flats, Salt Hotel, Train Cemetery, Salt Factory & More

Today we relocate early morning from the city of La Paz to the town of Uyuni. There we immediately start the 3-day Jeep safari tour. The first stop is the Train Cemetery. There we are provided with a guided tour. Next is a guided tour of the salt factory in the village of Colchani. Following this is lunch, which is included on today’s tour. After our meal, we are taken to the salt flats. They are called Salar de Uyuni. It is the largest salt flat on earth. It was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. We are first provided with a guided tour of some wells, getting an idea as to how they work geologically. We then see salt piles which resemble cones.

Following the salt piles is a visit to the old Salt Hotel. There we have a quick look as to what is now a museum. Next is a site called Isla Incahuasi Island. There we have enough time to take postcard-perfect photos of the salt flats. Lastly for today is the village of San Juan, where we lodge for the evening. Dinner is included on today’s tour, around 8:30pm.

*Note that today's itinerary changes a bit during wet season, which is January through March.

Day 8: Extinct Volcanoes, a Red Lagoon, Llamas & Flamingos

The destinations for today are Cañapa Lagoon, then Hedionda Lagoon, then Honda Lagoon, then Siloli Desert and finally Laguna Colorada (a.k.a. Red Lagoon). Laguna Hedionda is notable for various migratory species of pink and white flamingos. Llamas and alpacas are also seen grazing in the area. Home to flamingos, Laguna Colorada is a shallow salt lake whose white color contrasts with the reddish color of its waters. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and lodging are all included on today's tour.

Day 9: Bathing in Hot Springs & Checking Out Sulfur Springs & a Rock Valley

The destinations for today are the geothermal field at Sol de Mañana, then Termas de Polques hot springs (bring swimming attire and a towel!), then Salvador Dalí Desert, then Laguna Verde (a.k.a. Green Lagoon) and then the village of Villa Mar. Sol de Mañana is a geothermal field characterized by intense volcanic activity. The sulfur springs field is full of lakes and steam pools filled with boiling mud. Known for its spectacular scenery, hot springs (where we go bathing) and flamingos, Laguna Verde is a salt lake home to minerals that render the color seen in the water.

Breakfast is included on today’s tour, around 7:30am. Lunch is also included on today’s tour, around 1:00pm, specifically in Villa Mar. Following lunch is a visit to the Valley of the Rocks. Our last destination for today before flying to Santa Cruz de la Sierra is again, Uyuni.

Day 10: Our Tour Ends Today

Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra or La Paz.

Worth noting, not included in our tour of Bolivia are (1) the city of Sucre, (2) the mines of Potosi, (3) Amboró National Park and (4) Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. However, upon request, CharlieTheTraveler can fully arrange a visit to any of these destinations. The two parks, especially Noel Kempff Mercado, are difficult-and expensive-to reach. As for Sucre, while there are only a handful of worthwhile historic monuments to check out, a track site called Cal Orcko is arguably the city’s main draw. Nine different morphotypes of REAL dinosaur tracks have been documented there.

Not least is Potosi. This town was founded in 1546 after the discovery of the rich silver deposits in the Cerro Rico Mountains. It soon became one of the wealthiest and largest cities in the Americas. Some of the city’s wealth from silver mining was used to build magnificent baroque churches and monasteries. The history of Potosí is still reflected in the narrow streets, colonial mansions and the many churches. Potosi is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nevertheless, the town itself isn’t charming by any means. The real reason to visit Potosi is for its silver mining tour. The mines of the Cerro Rico mountain are the richest in all of world history Red Lagoomay have produced 60,000 tons of silver back in the day. Some tourists enjoy this tour. Others get a bit sad after observing the miners’ working conditions. These mines are more of a ‘special interest’ type of attraction.