There are many reasons why Ruta Verde Bolivia is my top choice tour operator in Bolivia. First of all, they share my vision and drive to ensure visitors learn about the many gorgeous tourist destinations Eastern Bolivia has to offer. For decades nearly all publicity about Bolivia promoted Western Bolivian destinations such as La Paz, Potosí, Uyuni, Oruro, Lake Titicaca and others, to the nearly complete exclusion of the beautiful "Oriente". Now, I grew up in La Paz so I love the Andean region too (read about all my favorite tourist attractions in Bolivia here) but ever since I was a kid I spent my holidays with family in Santa Cruz and nearby areas and I never understood why these beautiful, culturally fascinating, environmentally exotic places never appeared in guide books.

When I began to create and build BoliviaBella.com for you I contacted Ruta Verde and asked them to help me build what is now our large and ever-growing section on Ecotourism in Bolivia. Owners Gijs and Maria Eugenia didn't hesitate for an instant to send me information on all the Bolivia tourism and ecotourism options they could. They contributed the text and photos for nearly all the places to visit in Santa Cruz and other nearby regions that you'll see in this ecotourism section. They also offer tours to many other regions of Bolivia and over the past few years, we've worked together to promote both the traditional Bolivian destinations and new destinations. Others are beginning to pick up on this and I'm happy to see that the sections on Tarija, Beni and Santa Cruz in many of the well-known travel guides are gradually growing too, as tourists take notice.

Ruta Verde Bolivia is a tour operator that specializes in culturally and environmentally conscious tourism, providing both pre-planned and custom tours and eco-tours throughout the country. Although they don't limit themselves to offering only ecotourism or adventure tourism, they do love Bolivia and it's beautiful natural habitats and do everything possible to ensure visitors take care of all Bolivia tourist attractions. Gijs Dijkshoorn is from Holland, and his wife Maria Eugenia Oliva is Bolivian.

Ruta Verde uses local guides for Bolivia tourism to ensure all excursions are culturally authentic and because this ensures local inhabitants will benefit from tourism. You'll see their logo on all our tour destination pages (clicking on it will bring you to this page). They are also really concerned about safety. If you participate in the many online travel forums on well-known websites, you'll have seen the serious concerns tourists have posted about many of Bolivia's tour operators. Ruta Verde has an excellent safety record.

Because Gijs is Dutch and Maria Eugenia has also lived in Holland for many years, this sets Ruta Verde apart from other tour operators as each thoughtfully planned tour contains one element only a foreigner could provide: a foreigner’s point of view. Quite simply, details that may seem insignificant or unimpressive to a local, may be deeply touching to a wide-eyed tourist. Only someone who's lived overseas could ensure this kind of magical detail is included in the planning of every trip.

Ruta Verde emphasizes “leave-no-trace” touring, the preservation of wildlife habitats, conservation of endangered species, respect for local customs and traditions and other environmentally and socially responsible behaviors while touring.

Ruta Verde’s pre-planned tours include boat trips on the Amazon; trekking, birdwatching and wildlife observation tours in several of the nation’s beautiful national parks; visits to UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity sites like the Jesuit Missions circuit or the pre-Colombian Fort of Samaipata; hiking the Ruta del Che (Che Guevara Trail); amazing tours of the Pantanal (wetlands) and even city tours in Bolivia's largest city: Santa Cruz.

Although their offices are located in Santa Cruz, they also offer tours to La Paz, Oruro, Lake Titicaca, the Uyuni Salt Beds, Sucre, Potosí, and other Bolivia tourist attractions. Ruta Verde sometimes works with other travel agencies to provide Bolivia tours and chooses only the most experienced, always keeping your safety in mind.

In addition any time BoliviaBella gets specific requests for information about tours that aren't offered, we pass the information on to Ruta Verde Bolivia. This ensures their Bolivia tourism offerings fit what BoliviaBella visitors want and are asking for too! Conversely BoliviaBella continually adds new information to this site, also based on what you're asking for and Ruta Verde continues to help with that. It's about what YOU want.

Ruta Verde Bolivia has been featured in various travel guides like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Footprint Bolivia, and Footprint South America.

Are you more adventurous, unafraid, like to do things your own way? Don’t hesitate to contact Gijs or Maria Eugenia. They can help you plan a custom tour that is tailor-made just for you. In addition to Spanish, both of them also speak English and Dutch.

Pay them a visit online and learn about the Tours in Bolivia they provide, then tell them what you prefer. They’ll do all they can to accommodate you and integrate your special interests to ensure your trip is unforgettable.

If you take a tour with Ruta Verde, please take a moment to come back to this page and tell us how you rate them! There's always room for improvement so tell Ruta Verde what you thought of their services and tour offerings. This will also be useful for future readers of this page. Want to know what others think of Ruta Verde Bolivia? Scroll down to see what other visitors have posted below this form.