Sergio Photo Tours
Sergio Photo Tours
4.5
Paint & Pottery StudiosMulti-day Tours4WD, ATV & Off-Road ToursAdrenaline & Extreme ToursTaxis & ShuttlesBike ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife ToursPhotography ToursDay Trips
Full view
About
Global Photo Tours to Breathtaking Lands Led by Expert Photographers I am Sergio Ballivian, a professional photographer who has been guiding in Bolivia for over 25 years. I was born in La Paz, Bolivia and I split my time between the Andes and Colorado (20 of them in Boulder). I lead customized photo tours and workshops throughout Bolivia and Chile year-round. I have published photography books on the Altiplano and Madidi National Park; the next one about the Bolivian Andes. Please get in touch so we can discuss your private photo tour with me as your guide.
La Paz, Bolivia
Similar Experiences
Sergio Photo Tours
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsContribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
27 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Isabel H
Geneva, Switzerland17 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Sergio Ballivian arranged for me and my husband a two-week private photo tour of Bolivia whereby we visited some amazing landscapes close to Pa Laz as well as several regions of the Altiplano. From the first contact he was very responsive and gave us excellent advice as to the itinerary and especially places to visit that were a bit off the beaten track. The entire trip was perfectly organized, save drivers, best possible accommodation and an experienced photographer and guide who knew the country inside out and, on top, was very knowledgeable about light conditions/best places for photo opportunities and all the items photographers are interested in. I am not a very good photographer (yet) and Sergio helped me to improve my more basic photo skills with lots of good advice which I appreciated a lot. He is a very sociable person with a great sense of humor and we utterly enjoyed travelling with him. We travel a lot and this trip was certainly one of the best we ever experienced. Our itinerary was full of highlights and it actually exceeded our expectations, both in terms of services rendered as well as in terms of places visited. Muchissimas gracias Sergio!
Written 21 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Celinne_21
New York City, NY14 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
Sergio KNOWS what he’s doing, period. He mapped out an itinerary tailored exactly to our liking and did everything he could to make sure we were happy and having fun the whole way. He showed us where the best photos were, told us stories about Bolivia, and always accommodated is when we needed to make changes.
I don’t have any complaints about him. If you’re thinking about hiring him as your guide, DO IT!!! There’s no cooler way to explore Bolivia.
I don’t have any complaints about him. If you’re thinking about hiring him as your guide, DO IT!!! There’s no cooler way to explore Bolivia.
Written 6 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Natallia
3 contributions
Feb 2019 • Solo
I did this tour with Sergio in February. It was the perfect time to go to the salt flats. Logistically, Sergio made everything easy from the moment I contacted him via email to when he dropped me off at the airport to head back home. He was prompt in returning emails, answered all my questions, and was knowledgeable not just about the tour, but about what was needed to travel to Bolivia, etc. During the tour, he made sure I had everything I needed and took care of everything.
As far as the photo "tour" (it was more of a workshop than a tour - which I greatly appreciated), I could not have asked for more. It was definitely more than I expected. Aside from being a great photographer himself, he is also a great teacher (being good at something or having knowledge of a subject doesn't always mean you are able to teach it to someone else - he can). I felt the workshop improved my knowledge and technique in so many area - camera/lenses, composition, lighting, editing, workflow, the business side of photography.
Sergio is very personable as well. He is 100% professional, patient, and puts in a lot of effort to make sure you learn as much as possible and enjoy Bolivia. Definitely would recommend this tour.
As far as the photo "tour" (it was more of a workshop than a tour - which I greatly appreciated), I could not have asked for more. It was definitely more than I expected. Aside from being a great photographer himself, he is also a great teacher (being good at something or having knowledge of a subject doesn't always mean you are able to teach it to someone else - he can). I felt the workshop improved my knowledge and technique in so many area - camera/lenses, composition, lighting, editing, workflow, the business side of photography.
Sergio is very personable as well. He is 100% professional, patient, and puts in a lot of effort to make sure you learn as much as possible and enjoy Bolivia. Definitely would recommend this tour.
Written 6 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mr T
Atlanta, GA13 contributions
Aug 2022 • Friends
Worthless trip. Sergio does not care about his clients he shoots for himself without regard to his clients. Long 8 plus hour days in a dirty old car on dusty dirt roads. Cheap hotels and lousy choice of food. He trip was worthless. I do not recommend
Written 24 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arizonagirl2014
Flagstaff, AZ18 contributions
Feb 2020
He is an okay guide if that is all you are looking for. Two out of the three mornings he did not even show up, he sent us with his driver. As far as teaching, he brings you to a place and then runs off by himself with his arsenal of cameras and drone to capture his own images to use for his personal publications. I would not recommend a workshop with him but maybe just a guided tour to certain places. He does not ask you if you might need assistance so just know that you are on your own.
Written 10 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlos E
Washington, United States14 contributions
Jun 2019 • Solo
There are no words to describe the beauty of Bolivia and the trip that Sergio arranged for my recent college graduate daughter and me. This trip was a dream for both of us and Sergio made the dream come true. His personal attention to detail, his knowledge of everything we saw and visited was more than what we could have ever asked for. Like any “bucket list” trip it take awhile to get there and being with a person like Sergio made the trip more enjoyable and worth every minute. When we got to the Uyuni Salt Flats it was magical and beautiful sun presented us with a light show like no other. The picture to Uyuni and the Salt Flats themselves were incredible. Just let Sergio lead you through this land of beauty and remember it through the pictures you take and in your memory forever! Thanks Sergio for all your amazing tour and friendship! I encourage those thinking about a trip like this to contact Sergio and he will take care of the rest. Salud!
Written 25 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hayley
1 contribution
Aug 2018 • Friends
The Tuichi was one of the most incredible adventures of my life, and we could not have done this trip without Sergio. His knowledge of the region, its people, river, history, and logistics- are unparalleled.Transportation across Bolivia with the amount of river equipment and people we had on our trip demanded intricate planning and foresight- especially since the level of the river could alter the way we travelled. Sergio was a key part of our trip's success and I look forward to the next adventure with him!
Written 11 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guy Bryant
Valdosta, GA12 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
My girlfriend and I were researching photography trips to the Uyuni Salt Flats and kept coming up disappointed. Each trip we looked at was not totally photo oriented, they all had a few hours on the salt flats and nothing dedicated to them. I kept searching and finally came across Sergio's trip. I was impressed with his itinerary as well as the price. It seemed to good to be true compared to other trips. So, I did some research and found out that Joe Sartori (National Geographic Photographer) had used Sergio as a guide in Bolivia. I contacted Joe and he said Sergio was a great guide. He was born in Bolivia and a photographer himself, so he knew where to go and what to shoot. Joe was absolutely correct, Sergio did a magnificent job guiding us and making the trip wonderful. If you are a photographer and looking for a truly photography oriented trip, then this is the trip for you!
Written 9 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arne Fuglvog
5 contributions
Feb 2019 • Solo
Sergio knows the Salar better than anyone and we were able to find and photograph the flooded salar in the best light. What was surprising was the other amazing sights such as Sajama National Park where we photographed llama's under snow capped volcanoes. Wonderful!
Written 9 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shauna C
Logan, Utah14 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
My husband and I went on this adventure to see parts of Bolivia we hadn't seen before. Sergio took excellent care to make sure we experienced things that were of interest to us and would appreciate. I could see the adjustments he made to the itinerary or accommodation based on what he learned about us as the trip went on. His knowledge and eye for amazing photography opportunities was fabulous and his interesting in caring for the people and locations was appreciated. You won't regret going with him! Oscar who often accompanies is a gem as well.
Written 8 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sergio it's me again. I want to travel with my sister, so is the price mentioned here $3,495.00 per person? Thank you in advance. Best regards, Gina
Written 18 December 2019
Sergio Ballivian
Lafayette, Colorado
When you go to Sergio Photo Tours website (which is the main website and where you should see real time info) you will see the tiered pricing schedule. The price for 1 person is $ 3,495.00, the price for 2-3 people is US $ 2,975.00/per person, the price for 4-6 people is $ 2,450.00/per person, the price for 7-10 people is $ 2,100.00/per person
Written 18 December 2019
Hello Sergio and Team,
My name is Gina and I wanted to know how long in advance I have to book a tour to the flooded Salar de Uyuni for Feb. or Mar 2021. Thanks in advance Gina
Written 25 October 2019
Sergio Ballivian
Lafayette, Colorado
Hola Gina,
We tend to sell out of the Flooded Salar de Uyuni tour like 6 months before departure. So, that should be the latest you book some spots to guarantee a spot(s). Kindly let me know how else I can help you.
Muchas gracias,
Sergio Ballivian
Written 27 October 2019
Showing results 1-2 of 2
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.