Travel package 16 days
Join us for an incredible tour adventure. From the podium start through deserts and over the Andes we follow this amazing race. Get ready for some big days of riding. We witness the action like no other tour. From the start to the finish we get you where the action is. We offer you a unique 14-day tour, which begins in Asuncion, passing through Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and ends in Buenos Aires. In 2017 the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion, was honored to be the starting point for many participants. You will have the opportunity to drive on the same road, which will host the race, look at the breathtaking moments of the competition and experience the pride of the drivers, admire the fantastically beautiful landscape of mountains and deserts and feel the flavor of South America.
Arrival to Asuncion on December the 28th or 29th. On December the 31st – we will be celebrating New Year 2017 in the most amazing Dakar party!
ASUNCION – FORMOSA. On the January the 1st our group depart from Asuncion on the specially imported jeep Toyota Land Cruiser towards the border with Argentina. Overnight in Formosa.
FORMOSA – RESISTENCIA (ARGENTINA). Rally Dakar 2017 is almost ready to start! It is the last chance for the checkups and getting ready for the battle with tough Argentinean roads.
RESISTENCIA – SAN MUIGEL DE TUCUMAN (ARGENTINA). Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucumen. The flat fast unforgiving Argentinean roads and sandy tracks will test man and machinery. There are some vast distances to be covered today by both competitors, service crews and ourselves to finish near SM de Tucumen.
SAN MUIGEL DE TUCUMAN - VALLASON. We will see a stage in the Jujury area this morning before heading to the Bolivian border to cross at Villazon. It’s imperative that we cross into Bolivia today so that we stay ahead of the Dakar circus.
VILLAZON - POTOSI. Villazon to Potosi. No hurry to move this morning as the Dakar competitors cross the border this morning en route to Tupiza. We will set ourselves up on stage to witness their first play in Bolivia, probably at speed in a local river bed.
POTOSI – ORURO (BOLIVIA). Again we have a head start on the Dakar competitors and will intersect them at a point between Potosi, located at 4090m above sea level and our planned overnight stop, Oruro. The terrain in this part of the world is both spectacular and mountainous which makes spectating the event an adventure.
ORURO – LA PAZ (BOLIVIA). This is the Dakar events 4th visit to Bolivia but the first to La Paz situated at 3750m above sea level.
REST DAY – LA PAZ (BOLIVIA). Is the first official rest stop for the competitors and it will be most welcome. We will likely need a rest day too and will take this day to try and arrange a bivouac (service park visit) to get the inside running on how this mammoth event runs and a chance to chat with the organisers and competitors, whom by now we may have had close contact with on the stages.
LA PAZ – UYUNI (BOLIVIA). The Rally has a fresh start as of today with lots of rebuilding and rest having taken place on the rest day in La Paz. Today the Dakar heads into familiar Bolivian territory, the Uyuni salt flats which are a legendary part of this event and inject yet another amazing dimension into the race. If the flats are water logged it poses all sorts of problems especially for the motor cycle riders. Our night stop tonight will be back in Potosi high in the mountains.
UYUNI – SALTA (ARGENTINA). It’s a long days drive back into Argentina today and we may not see any competition rallying as such. However the drive to the Berjemo border crossing is nothing less than spectacular. We will also be travelling with the Dakar service entourage all the way to Salta located in the northern part of Argentina.
SALTA – LA RIOJA. Meanwhile back in the foot hills of the Velasco mountains, wet weather traditionally plays an important role in the condition of the roads and can affect overall results dramatically. It’s not such a long driving day for us today.
LA RIOJA – SAN JUAN (ARGENTINA). The Dakar may be nearing the end but the conditions are no less challenging. We are back in sandy and dusty conditions on a combination of desert tracks, fast dusty roads and long stage distances to cover. Man and machines will start to fail. The popularity of the Dakar event in Argentina will be obvious as huge crowds gather to witness this spectacle that is the “Dakar”.
SAN JUAN - RIO CUARTO (ARGENTINA). Fast, open and dusty roads are the order of today. Maximum speeds will be achieved today and the probable overall results for the classes will start to become evident and the leaders will either be pushing hard to hold lead positions or be driving conservatively to finish.
RIA CUARTO – BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA). There will be a short stage early morning just to let competitors know that this mammoth event is not over yet. The event is not over until the finish line has been crossed. The pain and the elation is no more evident that when we follow the leaders (as we did last year following motorcycle class winner Toby Price) 200km on the final touring stage to the finish and then being there to congratulate him and all other winners and finishers over the podium. We also feel a sense of achievement having been part of this amazing motorsport spectacle !! We didn’t compete in the Dakar but were part of the 2017 edition ….congratulations, you will never forget the experience for all the right reasons !!
BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA). Rally Tours service finishes as of this morning. However the capital of Argentina is worth spending some time in. Once you have recovered from the night before consider a relaxed lunch at the Marina, close to the hotel and perhaps a city tour in the afternoon. Most flights depart BA late evening and if staying over for another day, experience a traditional Tango and dinner show. Rally Tours can assist you with additional accommodation, airport transfers and tours in Buenos Aires.
Price starts from 14 700 EUR per person, including air tickets, all transfers, accommodation, full board meal.
*** PRICE AND PROGRAM IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE DAKAR SCHEDULE AND REAL TIME UPDATES