Sergio Photo Tours

He marveled at the magnificent, raw, and unique variety of Bolivia’s stunning geography spanning the Altiplano, Andes, Amazon, high-altitude deserts, Chaco lowlands, the Pantanal, and tropical rainforests. His passion has taken him to all corners of Bolivia on personal and professional expeditions for magazines, TV and documentary film crews, NGO’s, outdoor equipment manufacturers and thrill-seeking adventurers.

His first formal training began at the University of Calgary’s Outdoor Pursuits Program where Sergio added a robust layer of outdoor skills in outdoor leadership, guiding, ice climbing, mountaineering, geology, nature-based learning, and conservation. In 1991, the journey led him to embark on a professional job in the Photo Department at National Geographic Society (NGS) that lasted 5 years. There, Sergio performed a liaison role between technicians and photographers that traveled the world doing assignments for National Geographic. Those experiences added significant technical craftsmanship to his love of capturing the natural world on film and launched his career to developing his expertise as a world-class landscape photographer.
By 1994 Sergio was ready to put theory into business practice and launched his first adventure tourism company, Explore Bolivia. He quickly developed “firsts” in mountain biking across the Andes, rafting class-4 Amazon rivers and the only one offering sea kayaking on Lake Titicaca.

By 1996 he launched another tour service, Sergio Photo Tours, specializing in photo tours to all corners of Bolivia, as well as Peru and Chile. Between 2015-2017 Sergio Ballivian spotted an opportunity to publish two books about the Bolivian regions close to his heart, leveraging his vast knowledge of the regions, their peoples and culture digging deep into his enormous portfolio of photographs. There was only one challenge, Sergio did not know anything about book publishing, nor did he have the funds to pay the industry to publish for him. In classic Sergio DIY style, he dove into learning about and acquiring all the skills to self-publish two coffee-table hardcover photography books, Altiplano: Where Earth and Sky Embrace and Madidi: An Uncertain Future.
His love of adventure and exploration grows further every time he sees a place he does not know on a map. He has traveled far and wide in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Chile and to Spain, Nepal, and New Zealand. The love he has for his native territory that encompasses the Andes and drops into the Amazon basin allows him to travel with clients for photography workshops, shooting documentaries and organizing expeditions to all corners of South America. His photography work can be seen at www.sergiophoto.com

Sergio Ballivian, is the founder and CEO of Sergio Photo Tours, based in Boulder, Colorado, USA, and part of the year in La Paz, Bolivia. His 30-year background as an expert adventure travel guide and photo tour leader gives him unique qualifications to head an adventure and photo tour operation to South America’s breathtaking landscapes – from the Andes to the Amazon. Currently Sergio Photo Tours has customized guided tours to Bolivia, Peru and Chile’s Atacama and Patagonia regions. Scouting trips to expand across the Andes and Amazon region started in early 2023 to include Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina.

When you embark on a journey with Sergio Photo Tours our team will design and optimize your services from the time you first speak to us until we agree on a final customized itinerary. By the time you land at the airport of your destination and until you board your plane back home, we take care of everything. Most trips are 98% all-inclusive (apart from a few meals and personal expenses) so you can concentrate on having fun and making beautiful photographs while we take care of the minutia of the logistics. Your overland transportation will be in private 4×4 vehicles and vans, your hotel stays will be curated for the best value-to-price in the regions we operate in, food and beverages will be selected to provide delicious and healthy options. You’ll rest assured that every detail of the tour is vetted and put together by multilingual guides, photographers and drivers that have been hand selected to provide you with an adventure or photo tour experience of a lifetime.

We are focused on designing new tours for travelers interested in discovering the varied landscapes, wildlife, and cultures of the South American melting pot. We are from South America and other parts of the world, and we speak fluent English and Spanish. Our guides speak fluent Spanish, English, Italian, German, and French.

Photography is supposed to be fun! We love the ART of photography. Sure, everyone needs to know the technical parts too. We get it. We’re here to help and are happy to share our passion and knowledge.
At Sergio Photo Tours, it all starts with your photographic goals…while we take care of the rest. The transport, lodging, food, and everything else is what we have been organizing for three decades, with your safety and security as our top priorities. Our team works seamlessly in the background while our expert guides lead you to those impressive places you’ve dreamed about. It’s your opportunity to make your photos come alive. We’re here to make sure that happens.

We’ve been ‘chasing the light’ with guests from around the world, so we know where to go, the best seasons to be there and the optimal times of day to put you in front of those picturesque scenes. All itineraries are designed by Sergio Ballivian from 40+ years of personal explorations and hard-won experiences, so you get the best prospects to capture South America’s most stunning natural wonders – from the Andes to the Amazon. Our destinations include Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia.
We strive to make sure every guest experience is an impactful journey with unlimited chances to capture landscapes, wildlife, and people…or whatever you desire. Customizing itineraries is our specialty. Designing your dream photo tour is our goal. Please have a look at the base tours and if you want to transform one to your specs, please write us!

Sergio Photo Tours was designed to guide adventurous photographers, friends, and family to photograph South America’s breathtaking landscapes!