Explore La Paz's Witches' Market
Stalls selling traditional Aymara remedies, dried llama fetuses, and ritual items used in Andean spiritual practices still followed today.
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South America
Things to do in Bolivia
The world's largest salt flat turned surreal mirror to the sky, a former colonial silver-mining capital at extreme altitude, and Indigenous culture that remains a genuine majority presence rather than a minority.
Explore Bolivia on the map →Budget$
Best for10-14 days
CapitalLa Paz
VisaVisa-free entry for up to 90 days for UK, EU, and most Latin American passport holders; US citizens require a visa obtainable online or on arrival for a fee.
CurrencyBolivian boliviano (BOB)
LanguagesSpanish (official); Quechua, Aymara, and dozens of other Indigenous languages also official
InternetGood in cities, limited in remote highland and Amazon regions
Typical lodging$15–$35/night
Driving sideRight
Power & voltage230V / 50Hz (Type A/C plug)
Time zoneUTC-4
Emergency number110 (police) / 118 (ambulance)
Dialing code+591
★★★★★ Photography★★★★★ Adventure★★★★★ Culture
Visa rules and emergency numbers can change without notice. Confirm the specifics for your nationality and dates before you travel.
Travel smart
Bottled or filtered water recommended. 10% at restaurants is common.
The Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia's vast salt flat, is the largest in the world and turns into a near-perfect mirror during the wet season, reflecting the sky so precisely that photos become almost impossible to interpret as ground or air. Bolivia also has one of the highest proportions of Indigenous population of any country in the Americas, and its capital function is uniquely split between La Paz (administrative) and Sucre (constitutional), a rare arrangement among world capitals.
When to go
Dry seasonMay–October
The most popular window, with clear skies for the Andes and the Salar de Uyuni's classic cracked-white surface, though nights are bitterly cold at altitude.
Wet season (mirror effect)December–April
Rain creates the Salar de Uyuni's famous mirror reflection, though the flats become impassable to standard routes in the wettest weeks.
Transition periodNovember, late April
Shoulder months balancing drier roads with a chance of catching some mirror effect on the salt flats.
Amazon lowlands (year-round contrast)Varies by region
Bolivia's lowland Amazon basin runs on a different, more tropical seasonal pattern than the Andean highlands.
20 things to do
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Culture & history
10Ride the Mi Teleférico cable car network over La Paz
The world's highest and longest urban cable car system, offering sweeping views over the city's dramatic canyon setting and surrounding peaks.
Visit the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca
Uros communities have built and maintained artificial islands from totora reeds for centuries on the world's highest navigable lake.
Wander Sucre's whitewashed colonial old town
Bolivia's constitutional capital, a UNESCO-listed city of uniformly white colonial buildings, considered one of South America's best-preserved colonial centers.
Visit the Cerro Rico silver mines in Potosí
A former colonial silver-mining city at over 4,000 metres, where working miners still lead tours through active tunnels under harsh conditions.
Watch cholita wrestling in El Alto
Indigenous Aymara women in traditional dress perform lucha libre-style wrestling matches, a genuinely unique blend of sport and cultural identity.
Visit the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku
A UNESCO-listed archaeological site predating the Inca Empire, with monumental stone gateways and terraced pyramid structures.
Explore La Paz's San Pedro Prison neighborhood from outside
A notorious former prison that once operated almost as its own self-run town, now closed to informal tours but still a point of local historical interest.
Visit a traditional Aymara market in El Alto
One of the largest Indigenous markets in South America, sprawling across the high-altitude city above La Paz, selling everything from livestock to electronics.
Swim or relax at Lake Titicaca's Isla del Sol
According to Inca mythology, the birthplace of the sun, with terraced hillsides, ancient ruins, and a slower island pace above the world's highest navigable lake.
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Adventure & outdoors
3Trek through the multicolored Rainbow Mountain region
Bolivia's high Andes hold striated mineral formations comparable to Peru's more famous Rainbow Mountain, with far fewer crowds.
Bike the Death Road (Camino de la Muerte)
A former main highway descending thousands of metres from the Andes into the Yungas jungle, now a popular mountain biking route.
Hike in the Cordillera Real near La Paz
A dramatic Andean mountain range visible from the city itself, with trekking routes ranging from day hikes to serious multi-day mountaineering.
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Nature & scenery
4Drive across the Salar de Uyuni salt flat$150–300
The largest salt flat in the world, turning into a near-perfect sky mirror during the wet season and a stark white expanse the rest of the year.
Explore the Uyuni salt flat's cactus-covered Incahuasi Island$150–300
A rocky outcrop rising from the salt flat covered in centuries-old giant cacti, a strange and striking mid-tour stop.
Explore the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve's colored lagoons
High-altitude lakes tinted red, green, and white by mineral deposits and algae, home to flocks of flamingos in a starkly beautiful Andean desert.
Camp overnight on the Uyuni salt flat under the stars$150–300
Salt-block hotels near the flat's edge offer overnight stays, with minimal light pollution making for exceptional high-altitude stargazing.
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Food & drink
2Eat salteñas, Bolivia's savory baked pastry
A juicy, slightly sweet empanada-like pastry filled with meat or vegetables, traditionally eaten as a mid-morning snack rather than a meal.
Try Bolivian singani, a grape-based spirit
A clear brandy distilled from Muscat grapes grown at high altitude, considered Bolivia's national spirit and often mixed into a chuflay cocktail.
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Wildlife
1Explore Madidi National Park's Amazon rainforest
One of the most biodiverse protected areas on Earth, reached from Rurrenabaque, with jungle lodges offering wildlife spotting on foot and by river.
Common questions
▾Do I need a visa for Bolivia?
UK, EU, and most Latin American passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 90 days. US citizens need a visa, obtainable online in advance or on arrival for a fee. Check current requirements for your specific nationality before booking.
▾Do I need to worry about altitude sickness in Bolivia?
Yes, seriously: La Paz sits at roughly 3,640 metres and Uyuni's salt flat tours often exceed 4,000 metres, so build in acclimatization time, stay hydrated, and consider medication if you're prone to altitude effects.
▾When's the best time to see the Salar de Uyuni's mirror effect?
December through April, when a thin layer of rainwater transforms the salt flat into a reflective mirror: the classic dry, cracked-white surface is better seen May through October instead.
▾Is Bolivia safe to travel around?
The main tourist circuits, La Paz, Uyuni, Sucre, and Lake Titicaca, see regular safe tourism with normal city precautions; road conditions in remote areas can be more of a practical risk than crime specifically.
▾Why does Bolivia have two capitals?
La Paz is the seat of government and de facto administrative capital, while Sucre remains the constitutional and judicial capital, a historical split dating to a 1899 civil conflict.
▾How much does it cost to visit the Salar de Uyuni salt flats?
There's no single government entrance fee: most visitors book a multi-day guided jeep tour, typically running $150-300 USD depending on length and season, which is where the real cost lies. A small community fee (a few dollars) is sometimes collected at specific stops like Incahuasi Island.
