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Bolivia 🇧🇴

backpacking South America Bolivia 🇧🇴High, raw and rough: salt flats, a sacred island and mining tunnels.

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Backpacking Bolivia in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
The big picture before you go

Backpacking Bolivia
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 20, 2026

La Paz’s finest viewpoint is a commuter ride. Mi Teleférico, the city’s cable car network, runs ten color-coded lines over roughly 30 kilometers, swinging you from the canyon floor up to El Alto at about 4,000 meters, with the whole city tumbling below your boots and the snowy bulk of Illimani filling the skyline.

Bolivia packs extreme contrasts into one trip. You cross the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat on Earth, wander Lake Titicaca’s reed-fringed shores, haggle in Aymara markets where women in bowler hats sell dried llama fetuses beside phone chargers, then drop off the Andes into Amazon lowlands loud with macaws. At dawn on the salt flat, I stamped my frozen feet and heard the crust crack like sugar glass while the sky turned pink over a horizon with nothing on it. The hard parts are plain: altitude that flattens you for the first days, long bus rides on rough roads, road blockades during protests, and a visa requirement for some nationalities.

Next to Peru, Bolivia is rougher and noticeably cheaper, with far fewer people on its trails and viewpoints. Compared with Chile, dorms and meals cost a fraction of the price, though the roads are slower and the infrastructure thinner. The country suits travelers who keep plans flexible and love raw, high landscapes. If you need punctual transport and polished hotels, you will spend more time frustrated than amazed.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Bolivia

La Paz and Lake Titicaca (La Paz, Copacabana, Isla del Sol)

Backpacking Bolivia usually starts in La Paz, a city that spills down a canyon from El Alto at 4,000 meters, with Mi Teleférico cable cars gliding over brick rooftops and cholitas selling dried llama fetuses at the Witches’ Market. Buses reach Copacabana in about 3.5 hours, crossing the Strait of Tiquina on a wooden barge. It suits first-timers acclimatizing. Hike Isla del Sol from Challapampa south to Yumani and the snowy Cordillera Real lights up across the water.

Sucre and Potosí (Sucre, Potosí, Cerro Rico)

Sucre is where the pace drops: whitewashed colonial blocks, cheap Spanish schools, students crowding Mercado Central for fruit salads, and dinosaur footprints climbing a quarry wall at Cal Orck’o. From La Paz it’s a short flight or an overnight bus of about 12 hours. Potosí sits three hours away at roughly 4,000 meters, and a cooperative mine tour inside Cerro Rico is hot, cramped and sobering. Stay a week to study and you walk away bargaining in confident market Spanish.

Salar de Uyuni and the Southwest (Uyuni, Salar de Uyuni, Laguna Colorada)

Uyuni town is a windy grid of tour offices and pizza joints; the point is leaving it. Overnight buses from La Paz take 9 to 11 hours, or ride about four hours from Potosí. Most travelers squeeze six to a Land Cruiser for a three-day loop: the train cemetery, the blinding salt flat, freezing dorm refugios above 4,000 meters, flamingos on blood-red Laguna Colorada, steaming geysers at dawn. Hardy, social travelers thrive here, and the payoff is a sunrise soak in the Polques hot springs.

The Amazon (Rurrenabaque, Madidi National Park, Pampas)

Drop off the Andes and Rurrenabaque hits you with humid air, motorbike taxis and hammocks swinging above the Río Beni. Flights from La Paz take under an hour; the bus grinds through 12 to 16 hours of mountain road. Trek into Madidi from a community-run lodge such as Chalalán, or ride a pampas boat past caimans, capybaras and pink river dolphins. Nature lovers who shrug off mosquitoes get howler monkeys as their wake-up call.

Santa Cruz and the Eastern Lowlands (Santa Cruz, Samaipata, Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos)

Santa Cruz is the country’s hot, flat business engine, laid out in ring roads, with late dinners and a nightlife the highlands can’t match. It’s about an hour’s flight from La Paz. Shared taxis climb to Samaipata in roughly three hours, a laid-back village near the carved hilltop rock of El Fuerte and the cloud-forest trails of Amboró. Altitude-weary travelers recharge here, then reach the painted wooden mission churches of Chiquitos, where baroque music still fills the naves.
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Why go?What makes this country worth the trip

Scenery

Bolivia stacks its landscapes vertically, so a single day can drag you from glaciers to banana groves. … read more 👉
Bolivia stacks its landscapes vertically, so a single day can drag you from glaciers to banana groves. The North Yungas Road, better known as the Death Road, drops from about 4,650 meters at La Cumbre to roughly 1,200 meters in the Yungas over some 60 kilometers, swapping snow and bare rock for dripping cloud forest and waterfalls that spray across the track. Up on the Altiplano, the light turns everything razor sharp: ochre plains, volcanoes streaked with snow, lagoons tinted green and red by minerals. Then the land collapses east into the Amazon, flat and green to the horizon. I would ride the Death Road with an operator running well-maintained full-suspension bikes, and I would pack a rain shell, because the cloud forest section soaks you even on a sunny morning.

Mountains

The Cordillera Real rears up right behind La Paz, a wall of glaciated peaks you can reach from your … read more 👉
The Cordillera Real rears up right behind La Paz, a wall of glaciated peaks you can reach from your hostel in a couple of hours. That access is what makes Bolivia so exciting for mountain lovers. Huayna Potosí, at 6,088 meters, is one of the most accessible 6,000-meter peaks anywhere, usually climbed on a guided two or three day trip with a dawn summit push up a snow ridge. Trekkers can follow the Choro Trail, an old pre-Hispanic route descending from La Cumbre into the Yungas, or circle the jagged Condoriri massif past turquoise lakes. Further west, Sajama, the country’s highest peak at 6,542 meters, rises alone above the plateau. Aim for the dry season, roughly May to September, and choose an agency whose guides hold formal mountain certification.

Backpackers

Backpacking Bolivia plugs you straight into the overland trail that loops through Peru, Bolivia and … read more 👉
Backpacking Bolivia plugs you straight into the overland trail that loops through Peru, Bolivia and Chile, so you keep bumping into the same faces from Cusco to San Pedro de Atacama. La Paz runs the loudest hostel scene, with rooftop bars, pub crawls and a steady churn of travelers swapping tips on climbs and jungle trips. The shared jeep tours out of Uyuni throw six strangers together for three days in the cold, and most groups leave as friends. Samaipata draws a slower, long-stay crowd of hikers and yoga fans. For something deeper than parties, sign up for Spanish lessons in Sucre: one-on-one classes there are among the cheapest in South America, and many schools arrange homestays that put you at a family dinner table every night.

Low cost

Most backpackers in Bolivia spend around US$25 to 40 a day, covering a dorm bed, three meals, local … read more 👉
Most backpackers in Bolivia spend around US$25 to 40 a day, covering a dorm bed, three meals, local transport and the odd museum or entry fee. That makes it one of the cheapest countries in South America, clearly below Peru and far below Chile. The big savers are the almuerzo, a set lunch of soup and a main course served in market halls and small comedores, and long-distance buses that cost little even on overnight routes. Guided trips such as the Uyuni jeep tour or a pampas tour are the main budget spikes, so plan those first and keep the rest simple. Bolivia runs heavily on cash in bolivianos, and clean, untorn US dollar bills are easy to change in cities, which helps when card payments are refused.

⭐ HighlightsWhat not to miss along the way

  • Salar de Uyuni: Roughly 10,000 square kilometers of white, cracked into hexagons and so flat that distance stops making sense, which is why every photo here turns into a perspective trick. Midway across, Isla Incahuasi rises out of the salt like a stranded reef, bristling with giant cardón cacti several meters tall. Push south on a multi-day tour and the Sol de Mañana geysers, at around 4,900 meters, hiss and belch sulfur-smelling steam into air so thin that a slow stroll leaves you gasping.
  • Isla del Sol: Step off the boat from Copacabana at Yumani and the Inca stairway climbs straight up past terraced fields and a stone fountain trickling cold water. There are no cars, only donkeys and footpaths. Lake Titicaca, at about 3,800 meters, glows a deep and almost unreal blue against the snowcaps of the Cordillera Real. Stay the night: once the day boats leave, the island falls silent and the stars come out thick enough to light the trail.
  • Cerro Rico, Potosí: The mountain that bankrolled the Spanish
… read more 👉
  • Salar de Uyuni: Roughly 10,000 square kilometers of white, cracked into hexagons and so flat that distance stops making sense, which is why every photo here turns into a perspective trick. Midway across, Isla Incahuasi rises out of the salt like a stranded reef, bristling with giant cardón cacti several meters tall. Push south on a multi-day tour and the Sol de Mañana geysers, at around 4,900 meters, hiss and belch sulfur-smelling steam into air so thin that a slow stroll leaves you gasping.
  • Isla del Sol: Step off the boat from Copacabana at Yumani and the Inca stairway climbs straight up past terraced fields and a stone fountain trickling cold water. There are no cars, only donkeys and footpaths. Lake Titicaca, at about 3,800 meters, glows a deep and almost unreal blue against the snowcaps of the Cordillera Real. Stay the night: once the day boats leave, the island falls silent and the stars come out thick enough to light the trail.
  • Cerro Rico, Potosí: The mountain that bankrolled the Spanish Empire is still being dug out by cooperative miners working with little machinery. Tours led by former miners take you down narrow shafts where the air is hot, gritty and heavy, and you arrive carrying gifts of coca leaves and soft drinks for the workers. Deep inside sits El Tío, a horned clay figure who rules the underground, his lap littered with cigarettes and coca. It is cramped and confronting, and it explains Potosí better than any museum.
  • Madidi National Park: A long motorized canoe from Rurrenabaque pushes up the Beni and Tuichi rivers into one of the most biodiverse protected areas on the planet. Nights at a community-run lodge such as Chalalán come with a chorus of frogs and insects so loud it hums in your chest. For easier wildlife, the pampas tours along the Yacuma River put you among caimans, capybaras and pink river dolphins that surface with a wet puff right beside the boat.
  • Torotoro National Park: This small park in the hills south of Cochabamba hides dinosaur footprints pressed into tilted slabs of rock, some right beside the village paths. Hike down into the canyon, around 250 meters deep, to a waterfall pool at the bottom. Then squeeze, crawl and slide through Umajalanta Cave to an underground pool where blind, ghost-pale fish drift in your headlamp beam.
Beyond these, the red rock canyons around Tupiza and the Jesuit mission churches of Chiquitos see a fraction of the visitors, and I would head to Tupiza first, ideally on horseback.
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🧭 RoutesLogical itineraries covering the highlights

The 7-Day Lake Titicaca and Altiplano Route


A tight week in Bolivia’s high country, built around the steep, cable-car-laced streets of La Paz and the deep blue water of the world’s highest navigable lake. Expect thin air, cold nights, and ancient stonework that predates the Inca by centuries.
  • La Paz and its Teleférico views over the canyon
  • The carved gateways of Tiwanaku
  • Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca
  • Walking the Inca trails of Isla del Sol

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day Silver, Salt and Desert Route


Two weeks heading south through Bolivia’s colonial heartland and into its most surreal landscapes, from whitewashed plazas to a salt flat you can see to the horizon in every direction. The pace is steady, with a few long bus rides offset by unhurried days in the cities.
  • The white colonial center of Sucre and Casa de la Libertad
  • Potosí and the mines of Cerro Rico
  • A multi-day jeep crossing of the Salar de Uyuni
  • Flamingos on the red waters of Laguna Colorada

👉 explore this 14-day route
… read more 👉

The 7-Day Lake Titicaca and Altiplano Route


A tight week in Bolivia’s high country, built around the steep, cable-car-laced streets of La Paz and the deep blue water of the world’s highest navigable lake. Expect thin air, cold nights, and ancient stonework that predates the Inca by centuries.
  • La Paz and its Teleférico views over the canyon
  • The carved gateways of Tiwanaku
  • Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca
  • Walking the Inca trails of Isla del Sol

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day Silver, Salt and Desert Route


Two weeks heading south through Bolivia’s colonial heartland and into its most surreal landscapes, from whitewashed plazas to a salt flat you can see to the horizon in every direction. The pace is steady, with a few long bus rides offset by unhurried days in the cities.
  • The white colonial center of Sucre and Casa de la Libertad
  • Potosí and the mines of Cerro Rico
  • A multi-day jeep crossing of the Salar de Uyuni
  • Flamingos on the red waters of Laguna Colorada

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Andes to Amazon Route


Three weeks that drop from glaciers and high plateau into cloud forest, rainforest and the warm eastern lowlands, covering the full range of Bolivia’s altitude and climate. It mixes the classic highlights with slower stops in small towns where few travelers stay more than a night.
  • Jungle and wildlife around Rurrenabaque and Parque Nacional Madidi
  • Dinosaur tracks and canyons in Torotoro National Park
  • The pre-Inca carved rock of El Fuerte de Samaipata
  • The Jesuit mission churches of the Chiquitos lowlands

👉 explore this 21-day route

🌤️ When to go?Best time to visit Bolivia

The best time for backpacking Bolivia is May to October, the dry winter, when Altiplano skies stay clear, roads to the salt flats and the Amazon are passable and trekking routes are open, though July and August bring the biggest crowds and the least room to bargain. Altitude changes the experience: La Paz, Potosí and Uyuni are sunny but freezing at night in these months, while Santa Cruz and the lowland Amazon stay warm all year and swing between dusty dry months and soaking, flooded summers.
  • Peak dry season (June to August): Cloudless days around 15°C in La Paz, hard frosts on the Altiplano and nights down to about -20°C on multi-day Uyuni tours. Northern Hemisphere summer holidays and Bolivia’s own winter school break fill jeeps, dorms and jungle lodges, so discounts are rare. Best for climbing in the Cordillera Real and for pampas wildlife near Rurrenabaque.
  • Shoulder dry season (May, September and October): The same dependable weather with fewer people, milder nights by September and more willingness from agencies to cut a deal. By late October heat builds in the lowlands and the first afternoon storms can appear.
  • Transition months (April and November): Rain is either tapering off or building up. Valleys turn green, prices sit low and crowds are thin, but lowland roads can still be muddy and plans need slack.
  • Rainy season (December to March): Daily afternoon downpours in the highlands, floods in the Amazon and landslides on Yungas roads. Few foreign travelers, with two exceptions: Carnaval and the flooded Salar de Uyuni, which turns into a giant mirror. Some jungle trips get cut back and the southern lagoon route from Uyuni can close.
I’d pack a proper down jacket and a sleeping bag liner for any month you plan to cross the Altiplano, then buy cheap alpaca hats and gloves in La Paz instead of carrying them from home.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: excellent for travelingAUGAugust: excellent for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
!pixabay-bolivia-flamingos-4919079

💰 Costs (as of 2026)What things cost day to day

Backpacking Bolivia on a budget costs about US$25 to 40 a day, which makes it the cheapest country in the Andes. Peru usually runs US$35 to 50 and Chile US$50 to 70 for the same style of travel. Travelers pay in bolivianos, and since the currency began floating, most prices in dollar terms have stayed close to these ranges.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$7 to 15 per nightA dorm bed at a big party hostel in La Paz such as Wild Rover or Loki runs about US$10 to 15. Quieter guesthouses in Sucre charge US$7 to 10, and Uyuni dorms cost US$7 to 12. Book directly or at the front desk to pay less, because walk-in rates are often a dollar or two under the booking-site price. In Peru, the equivalent bed in Cusco usually costs US$10 to 18.
MealsUS$5 to 12 per dayA market almuerzo (soup, a main and a juice) costs US$2 to 4 in La Paz or Sucre, and a salteña from a street stall is US$0.70 to 1.20. If you self-cater, buying bread, cheese, fruit and pasta at Hipermaxi or Ketal comes to about US$4 to 7 a day. Hostel kitchens make the most sense in Uyuni, where restaurant prices are higher. I’d skip the supermarket for lunch, because the market set lunch is cheaper than cooking
… read more 👉
Backpacking Bolivia on a budget costs about US$25 to 40 a day, which makes it the cheapest country in the Andes. Peru usually runs US$35 to 50 and Chile US$50 to 70 for the same style of travel. Travelers pay in bolivianos, and since the currency began floating, most prices in dollar terms have stayed close to these ranges.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$7 to 15 per nightA dorm bed at a big party hostel in La Paz such as Wild Rover or Loki runs about US$10 to 15. Quieter guesthouses in Sucre charge US$7 to 10, and Uyuni dorms cost US$7 to 12. Book directly or at the front desk to pay less, because walk-in rates are often a dollar or two under the booking-site price. In Peru, the equivalent bed in Cusco usually costs US$10 to 18.
MealsUS$5 to 12 per dayA market almuerzo (soup, a main and a juice) costs US$2 to 4 in La Paz or Sucre, and a salteña from a street stall is US$0.70 to 1.20. If you self-cater, buying bread, cheese, fruit and pasta at Hipermaxi or Ketal comes to about US$4 to 7 a day. Hostel kitchens make the most sense in Uyuni, where restaurant prices are higher. I’d skip the supermarket for lunch, because the market set lunch is cheaper than cooking and better food.
Local transportUS$2 to 15 per day (averaged)Long-distance buses are the cheapest way to cover the country. La Paz to Copacabana costs US$4 to 6, and the overnight La Paz to Uyuni bus runs US$12 to 25 depending on whether you take a semi-cama or a full cama seat. A Mi Teleférico cable car ride in La Paz is about US$0.40. Similar distances in Chile cost two to three times as much.
ActivitiesUS$0 to 60 per day (averaged)The 3-day Salar de Uyuni jeep tour is the biggest expense at US$150 to 250, plus around US$20 to 25 for entry to Eduardo Avaroa reserve. Mountain biking the Death Road costs US$70 to 120. Free walking tours in La Paz and Sucre run on tips of US$3 to 5, and the Isla del Sol community fees add only US$1 to 3 per section.
MiscellaneousUS$2 to 5 per dayBus terminal departure taxes cost US$0.30 to 0.50, public toilets US$0.15 to 0.30, and an Entel SIM card with a data package US$5 to 10. Bottled water is US$0.70 to 1.20 for 2 liters, and coca tea or laundry at US$1 to 1.50 per kilo adds up over a week.
Total Daily BudgetUS$25 to 40Stick to dorms, market lunches and overnight buses and US$25 to 30 is realistic. The Uyuni tour or the Death Road pushes your weekly average toward US$40. That is still about a third less than a comparable route through Peru, and around half the cost of northern Argentina or Chile.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutBolivia Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (262 pages) contains:
✅ 76 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 7, 14 & 21-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
✅ Works completely offline
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🛏️ Where to stay?Areas travelers tend to prefer

Budget accommodation in Bolivia is plentiful, with dorm beds and simple private rooms in every city on the backpacker circuit. In La Paz, the streets around Calle Sagárnaga and the Rosario district put you steps from the Witches’ Market, tour agencies and party hostels but stay noisy and pickpocket-prone after dark, while Sopocachi is leafier, safer and quieter with better bars and cafés, at the cost of a steeper walk to the old town. In Sucre, the blocks around the Plaza 25 de Mayo combine colonial buildings, cheap Spanish schools and calm nights, and in Uyuni and Copacabana most budget beds … read more 👉
Budget accommodation in Bolivia is plentiful, with dorm beds and simple private rooms in every city on the backpacker circuit. In La Paz, the streets around Calle Sagárnaga and the Rosario district put you steps from the Witches’ Market, tour agencies and party hostels but stay noisy and pickpocket-prone after dark, while Sopocachi is leafier, safer and quieter with better bars and cafés, at the cost of a steeper walk to the old town. In Sucre, the blocks around the Plaza 25 de Mayo combine colonial buildings, cheap Spanish schools and calm nights, and in Uyuni and Copacabana most budget beds cluster within a few blocks of the tour offices and the lakefront, handy for early departures but basic and often cold.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Bolivia


Best quality hotels in Bolivia

🚌 Getting aroundPublic transport and other ways to get around

Crossing Bolivia comes down to cheap overnight buses at roughly Bs 80 to 250 versus domestic flights at Bs 500 to 1,000 (US$40 to 85) that shrink a 10-hour Altiplano haul into an hour in the air. Buses win on price and keep you on the ground, while flights win when a road blockade, a rainy-season washout or a tight schedule makes every day count.
  • Long-distance buses (flotas): La Paz to Uyuni takes 9 to 11 hours and La Paz to Sucre 12 to 14 hours, with standard seats from about Bs 80 and reclining
… read more 👉
Crossing Bolivia comes down to cheap overnight buses at roughly Bs 80 to 250 versus domestic flights at Bs 500 to 1,000 (US$40 to 85) that shrink a 10-hour Altiplano haul into an hour in the air. Buses win on price and keep you on the ground, while flights win when a road blockade, a rainy-season washout or a tight schedule makes every day count.
  • Long-distance buses (flotas): La Paz to Uyuni takes 9 to 11 hours and La Paz to Sucre 12 to 14 hours, with standard seats from about Bs 80 and reclining “cama” seats at Bs 150 to 250. Tourist-focused companies charge Bs 250 to 350 for heating, toilets and a meal. Buy at the terminal ticket windows or online through Ticketsbolivia, and pay the small terminal fee (Bs 2 to 5) before boarding. Night buses across the Altiplano get properly cold, so bring a fleece and hat even in a cama seat. You trade a night’s sleep for waking up to pink dawn light over the high plains.
  • Domestic flights: BoA and EcoJet connect La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Sucre, Uyuni and Rurrenabaque. La Paz to Rurrenabaque is a 40 to 50 minute hop that replaces 15 or more hours on a rough lowland road. Book on the airlines’ websites with a card, and expect tighter baggage limits on the small jungle routes. You get to watch the Andes collapse into green Amazon canopy from your window.
  • Trains: Ferroviaria Andina runs the Oruro to Uyuni line (about 7 hours) and on toward Tupiza and Villazón a few times a week, at roughly Bs 60 to 130 depending on class. Buy at the station or on the company’s website, and confirm the timetable a few days ahead because schedules shift. You get a smoother ride than the bus and open Altiplano views of llama herds and shallow lagoons.
  • Minibuses and trufis: city rides cost Bs 1.50 to 3, and intercity runs like La Paz to Copacabana (3.5 to 4 hours) cost about Bs 25 to 40, leaving from the Cementerio area. At the Tiquina strait everyone climbs off and pays about Bs 2 for a passenger boat while the vehicle crosses on a barge. The road runs along Lake Titicaca’s deep blue shoreline.
  • Mi Teleférico: La Paz and El Alto’s cable car network costs Bs 3 per line, with cheaper transfers, paid at the station booths. It beats gridlocked traffic and gives you the best free-floating view of the city spilling down the canyon under snowy Illimani.
I’d ride the scenic legs by bus in daylight, fly the long lowland hauls, and check local news for bloqueos the night before any big travel day.
La Paz is served by El Alto International Airport (LPB), about 14 km (9 miles) from the center of Bolivia’s seat of government, and the cheapest reliable way down is the airport minibus to the Prado.
  • Airport minibus (line 212) (45 to 60 minutes, Bs 4 to 6): catch it on the road just outside the arrivals hall and pay the driver in small coins or notes; it runs down the Prado to Plaza Isabel la Católica and stops running in the late evening.
  • Minibus to La Ceja plus Mi Teleférico (40 to 60 minutes, Bs 2 to 3 for the minibus plus Bs 3 per cable car line): take any minibus marked La Ceja, then ride the Línea Roja down to Estación Central or the Línea Morada toward the Obelisco, buying cable car tickets in cash at the station; the cable cars close around 10 to 11 pm.
  • Official airport taxi (30 to 45 minutes, Bs 70 to 100): use the registered taxis at the rank outside arrivals and agree on the fare before you load your bags, since there are no meters.
  • Ride-hailing apps (Uber and local apps) (30 to 45 minutes, Bs 50 to 80): request a pickup from the arrivals curb with mobile data or airport Wi-Fi and pay in cash or by card depending on the app.
If you land late at night, skip the minibus, take a registered taxi straight to your hostel’s door, and go slowly on the stairs, because at 4,060 meters even your backpack feels twice as heavy.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: medium)Safety considerations for travelers

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Bolivia is generally safe for solo travelers who take standard precautions, with petty theft the most common issue in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz bus terminals and markets. The main specific risks are fake police and unofficial taxis linked to express kidnappings, so use radio taxis, ride-hailing apps or hostel-arranged rides, especially at night. Solo women should expect some catcalling, avoid walking alone late, and pick well-reviewed tour operators for Uyuni, the Amazon and the Death Road rather than the cheapest ones. LGBTQ+ travelers rarely face trouble in tourist areas, but society is conservative, so discretion with public affection outside La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz is wise.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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source: www.gov.uk

✈️ VisaVisa requirements for Bolivia

Citizens of the US, most EU countries, the UK, Canada, Australia and many Latin American countries do not need a visa for Bolivia and receive a free entry stamp, usually for 30 days, extendable at the immigration office (Dirección General de Migración) up to 90 days per calendar year. Some other nationalities still need to obtain a tourist visa in advance at a Bolivian consulate or, for certain countries, on arrival with a passport valid for six months, proof of onward travel, accommodation details and the visa fee. Confirm the current rules for your passport with Bolivian immigration or the nearest Bolivian consulate before booking.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?Packing essentials for the trip

Packing for Bolivia means preparing for altitude: La Paz sits around 3,600 meters and the salt flats drop below freezing at night, so warm layers, a hat and gloves matter even in summer. The high-altitude sun is fierce, so sun protection and lip balm earn their space in your bag. If you head down to the Amazon or Santa Cruz, you’ll swap that cold for heat, humidity and mosquitoes, so light, quick-dry clothing and repellent are key. The rainy season (roughly November to March) brings muddy roads and downpours, making a rain jacket and sturdy shoes smart. Bolivians dress fairly modestly, especially in highland towns and churches, so pack a few covered-up outfits alongside your hiking gear.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

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🙋 FAQCommon questions before visiting

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Bolivia can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Bolivia itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are mandatory for most travelers entering Bolivia, but yellow fever is strongly recommended if you visit the Amazon lowlands (Beni, Pando, parts of Santa Cruz and the Yungas), and a certificate is required if you arrive from a yellow fever risk country. Make sure routine shots (MMR, tetanus) are current and consider Hepatitis A and typhoid for food and water risks, plus Hepatitis B and rabies for longer or rural trips. Malaria prevention is advised for some lowland areas, so see a travel clinic 4 to 8 weeks before departure.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Bolivia, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

In Bolivia, always ask before photographing people, especially cholitas and rural Aymara and Quechua communities, and expect that some will request a small payment or say no. Do respect Pachamama traditions: locals may sprinkle alcohol on the ground (ch’alla) before drinking, and joining in politely is welcome. Do dress modestly in churches and rural villages, bargain gently and with a smile in markets, and accept coca tea or leaves as a normal part of highland life. Don’t take coca leaves out of the country, don’t joke about Bolivia’s lost coastline with Chile, and don’t lose your temper over delays or road blockades. Women may encounter machismo and unwanted comments, so firm, calm boundaries work best, while same-sex couples will find public affection draws stares outside city nightlife areas.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Bolivia.
  1. Salteña: a baked, slightly sweet pastry filled with a juicy stew of beef or chicken, potato, peas, olive and egg. Bolivians eat them as a mid-morning snack, and biting in without spilling the broth is a local skill.
  2. Silpancho: a thin breaded beef cutlet over rice and potatoes, topped with a fried egg and a tomato-onion salsa. It comes from Cochabamba, the country’s food capital, and is a cheap, filling lunch staple.
  3. Pique a lo macho: a heaping platter of chopped beef, sausage, fries, onions, locoto chili, tomato and boiled egg built for sharing. It’s a late-night favorite and a Cochabamba classic.
  4. Sopa de maní: a creamy peanut soup with pasta or potatoes and a crispy fries topping. It often opens the set lunch (almuerzo) and shows how central peanuts are in Bolivian cooking.
  5. Anticuchos: grilled skewers of marinated beef heart served with potato and spicy peanut sauce. Street vendors fire them up at night, and they are a cheap way to eat like a local.
  6. Sajta de pollo: chicken in a yellow aji chili sauce with chuño (freeze-dried potato) and a tomato-onion salad. It’s a traditional La Paz dish linked to festivals and Andean food heritage.
  7. Api con pastel: a hot, thick purple corn drink spiced with cinnamon and clove, paired with a fried cheese pastry dusted in sugar. It’s the classic cold-morning breakfast in highland markets.
Tap water in Bolivia is not considered safe for travelers to drink, and many locals boil or filter it rather than drinking it straight from the tap. Stick to bottled water, which is cheap and sold everywhere, or use a filter bottle or purification tablets to cut plastic waste. Brushing your teeth with tap water is usually fine in cities, but skip ice and raw salads washed in tap water at cheap stalls.
The main language in Bolivia is Spanish. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Spanish skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Bolivia includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

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English is limited in Bolivia: you’ll find some in La Paz, Sucre and tourist hubs like Uyuni and Copacabana, mainly at hostels, tour agencies and travel cafes. Younger, university-educated Bolivians often speak a little, but bus terminals, markets and taxis run almost entirely in Spanish. In rural areas, especially on the Altiplano, many people speak Aymara or Quechua first and Spanish second, so English is rare. Spanish is the language that helps most, and learning numbers, directions and food words plus downloading Google Translate’s offline Spanish pack will carry you a long way.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Bolivia is BOB (Bs).
ATMs are easy to find in Bolivia’s cities and larger towns, such as La Paz, Sucre, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Uyuni, but scarce in places like Rurrenabaque and on the Altiplano, so withdraw before heading out. Banks such as BNB, Banco Unión and BCP are the most reliable, and while local fees are usually low, your home bank may charge, and daily limits can be as low as Bs 1,000 to 2,000 per withdrawal. Cards work in upscale hotels, supermarkets and some restaurants and agencies in major cities, but buses, markets, hostels and most small businesses are cash only. Since mid-2026 the boliviano floats freely, so casas de cambio, banks and cards now use similar rates. Crisp, undamaged US dollar bills remain the easiest foreign cash to change, while euros are harder to change outside La Paz and Santa Cruz. Exchange at official casas de cambio or banks, such as those around Avenida Camacho in La Paz, and avoid street changers.
Tipping in Bolivia is appreciated but modest: in sit-down restaurants leave about 10% if service is not already included, while cheap market stalls and set-lunch spots don’t expect anything beyond rounding up. Taxi drivers aren’t usually tipped, but guides, drivers and cooks on multi-day tours like the Uyuni salt flats commonly receive about Bs 50 to 100 per traveler for the whole team. Hotel porters and helpful hostel staff are happy with Bs 5 to 10.

🧩 Nearby countriesOther countries to combine with Bolivia

📸 PhotosWhat it looks like on the ground

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

Memorable moments from the road

Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 1/14

Bolivia | I’ve only been awake for 3 hours in Bolivia, but I feel like I can already ramble on for 3 pages. What have I experienced so far? The journey On paper, it seems so simple: Schiphol - La Paz. But in reality, you first fly to Madrid. The plane was delayed by 2 hours, so we missed our connection, and they dropped us on the last flight to South...
Read more

Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 2/14

Bolivia | I actually want to write to you every day because I keep experiencing strange things here. However, I promised you, after seeing the fearful faces when you heard that you were also on Johan’s-in-Bolivia email list, that I wouldn’t bombard you with daily emails full of uninteresting and then-and-then-and-then stories. But hey, I’m the author here, s...
Read more

Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 3/14

Bolivia | First off, let me explain why there are no tall Bolivians. The water here is heated electrically, and the showers are kinda low. Anyone over 1.75 meters (that’s me) risks getting electrocuted while showering. I’ve had about three shocks so far, but hey, I’m still kicking. Spent 10 days in Tupiza, basically the Costa del Sol without the Costa but w...
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Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 4/14

Bolivia | Thought I’d have a nice extra hour to write this post, turned out Bolivia doesn’t do daylight saving time. So, unfortunately, this had to be a quick one. Since my last post, I’ve been through some stuff. I can finally check off the “armed robbery” from my list. But let me start with the laundry. In Cochabamba, it was time to take my entire wardro...
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Six month backpacking trip through Bolivia, Peru and central America: update 5/14

Bolivia | I’M STILL ALIVE!!! I believe I ended the last post by mentioning that I was going downhill mountain biking on the world’s most dangerous road. Even back on the bus, I survived. After the mountain biking tour and three days chilling in a mountain village (Coroico), I took the bus to Rurrenabaque. Even though Rurrenabaque sounds like a first-class m...
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We 💚 feedbackIs Bolivia worth visiting?

Bolivia hands you the high Andes at their rawest, with salt flats and Amazon rainforest inside one border, for a fraction of what its neighbors charge. That combination of scale and value is the reason to come.

The realistic drawback is unpredictability. Road blockades can shut highways for a day or several with little warning, and the altitude knocks most people sideways for the first couple of days in La Paz or on the Altiplano.

The strategy that fixes both: start low and climb. Begin in Santa Cruz or Sucre, work upward toward Potosí and Uyuni, and leave La Paz for later, when your lungs have adjusted. Then pad your route with two spare days so a blockade costs you patience instead of a flight.

✈️ When did I visit Bolivia?
Bolivia I visited during my half year trip through South and Central America back in 2003 Since then, this guide is regularly updated based on feedback from locals and recent backpackers (last update: 20 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Bolivia, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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