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Planning a Bolivia itinerary? As one of the two only landlocked countries in South America (the other being Paraguay), Bolivia is sandwiched between Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Most people know Bolivia because of the Uyuni Salt Flat, but its capital La Paz is also the highest capital of the world and also shares the world’s highest navigable lake Lake Titicaca with Peru.
We had very limited time on visiting Bolivia so we made sure to do our homework on this country, and I’m excited to share it all with you!
> This is often combined with Peru – see my 10 day Peru itinerary here
Table of Contents
Essential Information on Bolivia
Language in Bolivia
The main language for Bolivia is Spanish, but you can also find people who speak Quechua and Aymara.
While you can still get by with just English, it would be far easier to navigate and immerse yourself if you know some Spanish!
Currency of Bolivia
The currency for Bolivia is the Bolivian boliviano (BOB), also sometimes written as Bs.
Exchange rates for Bob is about 1 BOB = 0.15 USD = 1.14 HKD
While supermarkets and bigger restaurants in La Paz take cards, most vendors and places only take cash.
We exchanged our money in the airport as the rates were not too bad. ATM fees is dependent on your card and bank, so our advise is to bring USD in cash to exchange.
For tours, expect them to ask you to pay in cash as well.
Altitude Sickness in Bolivia
If you are flying directly to La Paz, the highest capital in the world, it’s very likely that you will get altitude sickness at the elevation of 3640m above sea level.
Here are some tips on dealing with altitude sickness:
- Walk slowly and do not do strenuous exercises
- Drink lots of water and coca tea
- Get altitude medication if needed
- Stay at the same altitude until acclimatise
- Go to a lower elevation if needed
Sim Card in Bolivia
Bolivia isn’t covered in a lot of roaming plans for those with an existing plan, but you can get E-sims that would provide coverage.
The cheapest option for those who have time to spare would be visiting a telecom store personally to get your sim card! But that requires you to visit during working hour and budget 30 minutes, and might be difficult if you have limited Spanish.
Here are the two most common and popular telecom companies in Bolivia:
- Entel – this is the one we picked as it has the best coverage in rural areas as well
- Tigo – also very popular and a good choice if you are looking for competitive pricing
Frequently Asked Questions on planning an itinerary to Bolivia
Is Bolivia worth visiting
Absolutely! Many people from across the world come to see the Uyuni Salt Flat! But there are other attractions like serene Lake Titicaca, vibrant La Paz, silver capital of the world Potosi, notorious Death Valley, and many more charming small town.
How many days do you need in Bolivia?
The minimum time you need in Bolivia is 5 days. Trust us, because that’s how long we spent there and we did our best to squeeze in the highlights.
7 days would be better and if you can, most people opt to spend 2 weeks in this country!
Is 2 weeks enough for Bolivia?
Yes, 2 weeks would give you good time to see the whole of Bolivia. You still do need to be on the move though!
What is the best time to travel to Bolivia?
The best time to travel to Bolivia depends on what you want to see in the salt flat (because why else are you here?).
The rainy season is best for catching the salt flat with water collecting on it to form a reflection pool. In the dry season, you might only get to see the salt flat in its hexagonal, gleaming salty perfection.
The shoulder season between the two is popular since you might get a bit of water left but the condition isn’t as rainy.
Ultimate 5 days in Bolivia itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival at La Paz
We were in Cusco, Peru before Bolivia and we took one of the few direct flights available per week. It’s a short flight and we landed in La Paz in the late afternoon.
While Uber is said to be working in La Paz, but in practice, it didn’t work. We exchanged some cash at the currency exchange in the airport and negotiated a taxi for the same price outside the airport to our hotel.
La Gusta Dinner
La Gusta is one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and arguably that makes it the best restaurant in Bolivia. Their 10 course tasting menu is great value! I booked our dinner reservation a week before and we took an Uber from our hotel to the restaurant.
La Gusta is in a nice neighbourhood in the south of the city and it’s a standalone villa with a kitchen you can peek into and nicely decorated. They also have a la carte menu and a good cocktail list.
Here’s what we had on the tasting menu:
- Hibiscus scooby, smoked fish & corn
- Heart of palm hear, banana balsamic vinegar
- Mocolo bread with cultured butter and corn ash
- Melon, Alligator & Amazonian nuts
- Watermelon seed, Watermelon granita, and Watermelon skin vinegar
- Tomato, Palqui & Llajua
- Amazonian fish, Yucca & Orange
- Pork & Fruits from the Valley
- Tumbo Sorbet & Curcubits Tumbo
- Chamomile Ice Cream & Kiswaras Flowers
Overall, a fantastic meal!
Where to stay in La Paz
La Paz city center is not very large, we were able to walk everywhere or take the cable car or Uber. Here are some suggestions on where to stay:
Selina La Paz
We stayed at Selina La Paz and the rooms are nicely designed, and it’s in a university neighbourhood near supermarkets and convenience stalls. It’s about 20-30 minute walk to most major attractions and has nightly social activities.
There’s a yoga room on top that guests can use for free, too!
Budget hotels in La Paz
For a boutique homestay, Hostal Iskanwaya is a home away from home but amenities are more basic.
Midrange hotels in La Paz
La Casona Boutique Hotel is a great option if you want to be in the center of action. El Museo Hotel Boutique is also highly rated and in a quieter area.
If you are down to pay more, then Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa is a well rated modern choice.
Day 2 – Full day in La Paz + Night bus
Red Cap Walking Tour
To get the gasp on the history of Bolivia and see the top sights in 3 hours, we decided to join the Red Cap Walking Tour. Although it does give more of a lecture vibe and tends to run long, but it is the best way to see the city if you didn’t plan anything and is on a time crunch.
Here is a list of what we saw:
- Mercado Rodríguez
- La Paz Witches Market (Mercado de las Brujas)
- Mercado Lanza
- San Francisco Church
- Plaza Murillo
Church
Plaza Murillo
Our guide is Aymara and she was very informative. Although the tour felt like a lecture at times, it is a must for history buffs and those who are short on time.
Meeting time: 10am (or 2pm)
Meeting spot: Plaza San Pedro (or Plaza Sucre)
Cost: 10 Bob (and tips), you can book online. We booked through our hostel and they charged us 20 Bob, so best to book direct!
Alternative:
- This walking tour also includes El Alto and cable car ride, best if you have even less time or want to do a tour above yourself
Bolivia Popular Food
For a delicious and value for money meal, Bolivia Popular Food is the best choice. You can get homey and yummy Bolivian food at 75 BOB. it is a 3 course meal with juice and bread included.
If you are full, there’s no option for a la carte, and the restaurant is cash only.
Address: Murillo 826, La Paz, Bolivia (it’s on the second floor in the courtyard
Opening times: Mon – Sat 12:00 – 14:30
Teleférico – Cable Car
The teleferico aka the cable car is the most unique public transport I have ever been on. It’s a great way to see the city in daylight and night, and it’s shockingly affordable.
They were built as an electricity powered alternative transportation so that the city is not completely reliant on cars etc. There are
Cost: 3 journeys for 21 bob, or 3 BOB per trip
Todo Tourism Night Bus to Uyuni
There are a few night bus options for the ride from La Paz to Uyuni, and we decided that we should be good to ourselves and opt for the luxury bus.
You can buy the tickets on Todo Turismo official website, and I recommend reserving the single seat for maximum comfort. Although the office itself is on a hill with stairs, which makes it harder to get to with luggage.
We arrived early to check in at the office and there’s a bathroom we can use. The bus was parked across the road so we had to get our luggage down from the office again and onto the bus. They gave us luggage tickets which was nice to make sure no one confused or take someone else’s luggage.
Dinner was served not long after we departed and was pretty decent, with hot tea and a chocolate snack bar as well. The chair was able to recline quite far with some sort of a footrest, too. However, the heating was a bit too much for me.
We stopped just before sunrise on the outskirt of Uyuni so we can stretch our legs. The bus dropped everyone off at the office of Todo Turismo which is in the city center.
If you have already booked a tour before, they’ll pick you up to their office. But we find the bus office really decent to rest at as well.
Website: https://todoturismo.bo/
Cost: 39 USD
Day 3 – Start 3 day Uyuni Salt Flat trip
We actually didn’t find a tour until we arrived at Uyuni, which is doable but if you want to be on the safe side it’s better to sign up online beforehand.
There are 3 types of tours on offer, and for budget and mid-range it is possible to sign up on the spot. Where as for the luxury tour, it’s best to reserve in advance as good hotels are few and far between.
Since we are at the end of our South America trip, we opt for the mid-range tour at 250 USD (budget is 150USD)
We visited a few agencies once we arrived at Uyuni, and went with Andes Salt Expeditions.
Note: you do have to pay cash if you book direct and they take both USD and BOB (can even take hybrid payment). There is an ATM in town you can take money out off but there is a fee.
If you prefer to book a tour before you go, here are the ones similar to mine:
- This 3-day tour from Uyuni which has the same itinerary with drop off at San Pedro
- This 3-day tour includes bus tickets from La Paz and drop off at San Pedro
- This 3-day tour is also similar to ours and even cheaper
Train graveyard
The train graveyard is a depot that was part of the train track that used to transport mined goods. It was eventually decommissioned due to a remote location and the mines running dry.
Nowadays, it’s a popular photo spot and you can climb around the abandoned train carriages for photos.
There are souvenir stands and also a transform (paid) section to the side.
Salt Hotel
The salt hotel is a random stop but the attractions are not the hotel itself! You can see the giant statue of Dakar and also the flags of the world left by travellers there!
The hotel does have a small souvenir shop where you can get postcards. We stayed indoors here away from the strong sunlight and had a really lovely lunch.
P.S. There is a bathroom but it was not great.
Dry salt flat
Our tour guide and driver then took us into the salt flat where we stopped to take some trick shots.
They have lots of props ready but it’s also good to have some ideas yourself! Both for photos and for videos!
Note: they mostly shoot horizontal, so make sure to have yourself centered for cropping later.
Isola Incahuasi
Isola Incahuasi is an oasis in the salt flat with giant cactus growing all over it. It is quite a sight to behold and the entire island takes around 1 hour to walk around.
Although the highest point isn’t very high – the high altitude does make it more difficult to walk uphill. If you have not acclimatised well, make sure to take it slow!
Entrance fee BOB 30 is not included so be sure to have cash ready.
Sunset at salt flat
I have no idea how they know where to go, but our driver and guide found a stretch of salt flat with water and we stopped there.
Our tour didn’t have boots for us, so you either go barefoot, which is absolutely freezing so I don’t recommend, or wear your own boots.
Luckily, we all brought our own boots but mine did get a bit damp in the end.
The tour had prepared snacks and wine for us as we waited for the sunset. It was very windy and cold and it took some time to find a patch of water that wasn’t rippling from the wind.
You can stay past sunset but we ended up leaving before it get fully dark since we were freezing.
Hotel at Uyuni Salt Flat
We stayed at a salt hotel about an hour’s drive from where we watched sunset on the salt flat. It was like a guesthouse, very cozy and we have our own private bathroom.
Dinner was at the hotel restaurant which was also very homey. We had soup and this casserole-like dish and there was enough food for all 5 of us.
Hot water was plentiful, too!
Day 4 – Uyuni Salt Flat trip
The next morning we set off around 8 after a decent breakfast. We made a random pitstop at a local shop, too, and it was interesting to see that it’s basically a mix of grocery store, stationary store, and souvenir store rolled into one.
Train Tracks
We get off to take photos on this train track with a volcano to our back! The landscape of Uyuni truly is like Mars.
Mirador Volcan Ollague
The Mirador Volcan Ollague is a restaurant slash convenient store itself. Most people come to see the view of the volcano – which is the meaning of mirador volcan – and the oddly shaped rocks.
We hiked down towards the plains and found a rock to re-enact the Lion King Simba scene, and also a rock that looks like a shark!
Lake Canapa
The Lake Canapa is where we have our first sightings of flamingoes and a closer up look at the vicuña (apparently the wild alpaca). We just walked along the longest side of it without passing the stone marking that mark the closest human can get to the lake.
Lake Hedionda
Lake Hedionda is inside a military-protected zone so we did pass some military and a check point. But they just waved us through.
There are more flamingoes here and we walked towards the campsite area for lunch indoors. I had no idea when they cooked this but we had potato, sweet potato, beans, and carrots, as well as chicken and rice for lunch!
Note: there is a free bathroom but it’s also not great
Green lagoon
Our tour guide told us that the green lagoon was named by Japanese but I couldn’t find or get more information on that.
The colour is towards the green side of turquoise and we only stopped for a few quick photos due to the strong wind and sun.
Viscachas
The viscachas are the Andean rodents that is the size of a rabbit. They are quite blind and look more like a guinea pig.
These shy creatures love apples so they started to dash out as we arrived at the rock outcrop that they had made their home. We spent more than an hour here because they are just too cute.
Lithified tree
A slight random stop, we get off to see lithified trees in the desert.
Colorado Lagoon
Most people will remember Colorado Lagoon as the pink lake, but I will remember it as the most expensive attraction. They have a big designated car park and everyone got off to walk on top of a hill that was the windiest walk of my life.
It is a good view down to the pink lake where lots of flamingoes gathered. At the end of the ridge walk, there is a cafe serving hot drinks at high prices, then you descend to walk along the lake shore back towards the car park.
Fee: 150 BOB
Hotel for day 2 Uyuni Salt Flat trip
The hotel was not as nice as yesterday, but hot water for the shower was plentiful and duvets were thick for the cold night.
The food was weirder but they gave us lots of biscuits and we brought our own cup noodles, so it wasn’t terrible.
Day 5 – End Salt flat trip and cross border to Chile
Our last day was also the shortest day with an early start. We left the hotel before sunrise and set off towards our first stop.
Sol de Mañana
We stopped by to see the geyser in the dark. We were given the option to walk around but it was too cold so we got back on the car to go to the hotspring.
Laguna Chalviri Hotspring
We arrived just in time for sunrise and the view was breathtaking, so highly recommend for you to get there as soon as possible.
You need to purchase tickets at the center across the road and you can also rent towels, too. It’s best to bring your own towel too as there are limited towels at so-so conditions.
Getting into the hot spring was a nice treat in the cold morning. It was still crowd-free and we managed to get a few good photos!
They have two separate changing rooms as huts. The female one only had 3 changing slot and it can take a long time to wait if it gets busy.
We left at 7:30 and by then it was very crowded.
Entrance fee: 6 BOB
Lagoon Verde
This was our last lagoon with a view of Licancabur Volcano. It was extremely cold and windy so we just took some photos and left.
Border crossing to Chile
There are a few steps to exiting Bolivia to Chile!
Exit from Bolivia
We stopped at an office where we filled in an exit form from Bolivia. It was April 2024 and we were able to do it on the spot with WiFi available at the office as well.
Border crossing to Chile
We then drove to the border crossing point to Chile and our guide helped us skip the queue to get our stamps.
Our tour had extra cost transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, and it’s a shared transfer. We said goodbye to our guide and the girl who was going back to Uyuni and we waited for a while for the others.
Baggage check to Chile
We had to have a luggage check-point before we continued towards San Pedro de Atacama. Our luggages were just put at the back of the van through the window so it was a whole ordeal to take them all out again and then put them back in.
Luckily, the other people and the driver helped us with our big suitcase, even if the driver was muttering in disbelieve about the size of our luggage~
How to spend 1 week in Bolivia?
If you have 2 extra day, I recommend stay the 2 extra days in La Paz to visit Valle de Luna and do a day trip of your choice!
Which would mean your itinerary would look a bit more like this:
Day 1 – 4 La Paz
Day 1-2: City walk
Follow the same itinerary as my previous suggestion! You can space it out a bit more to allow your body time to acclimatise.
Day 3: Death Road day trip
For your third full day, it’s time to get adventurous and head to the Death Road! It’s known as the most dangerous road in the world and there are many hike tours that you can join. The now paved road is 64km long and goes from above 4,000m to 1,200m above sea level.
- This join in tour takes you biking down but it’s not suitable for children
- This is a private bike tour best for friend group or family
Day 4: Valle de Luna + Cholita Show
Take a day trip to Valle de Luna and see a Cholita wrestling show then overnight bus to Uyuni!
Valle de la Luna
Valle de la Luna, aka the moon valley, is on the outskirt of La Paz and best known for its moon-like landscape. These seemingly large ‘stalagmites’ looking pillars are formed due to the weaker clay rock being eroded all around them, leaving them standing.
You can visit Chacaltaya as well on a combined tour, and see the mountain that was once a glacier that provided water to La Paz.
Cholita Show
Cholita show is women’s wrestling show with the fighters dressed in traditional costumes and are usually from rural area. Our hotel offered a join in tour but they don’t run every night.
You can check out this one in El Alto what take place on Thursdays and Sundays.
Day 5-7: Uyuni Salt Flat 3 day tour
Arrive and rest in Uyuni and start your tour!
2 weeks in Bolivia itinerary
One of the girls in our salt flat tour spent 2 weeks in Bolivia, and combines with the research I did beforehand, here are my suggestions for the extra week in Bolivia on top of my 1 week suggestions:
Copacabana, Lake Titicaca: 3 days
If you start your trip in Peru, you can also visit Lake Titcaca and spend about 3 days there. You would be in Puno if you’re on the Peru side, and on the Bolivia side, it’s Copacabana.
Here is a list of activities for the 3 days there:
- Visit the 16th century Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, who is the patron saint of Bolivia
- Isla del Sol – known as the birthplace of the Inca with ruins and trails you can visit.
- Hike Cerro El Calvario – it offers a great view of the city and is a pilgrimage trek about half an hour up.
- Try fried trout at a floating restaurant – very popular local food and a must try
- Relax and enjoy the lakeside town
Potosi: 2 days
Potosi is best known for being the Spanish colonial silver mint and is located at above 4000m above sea level. The town itself has many well preserved colonial architecture and is well worth a roam around.
Here are some activities to do:
- Cerro Rico Mountain – to see the silver mine that put Potosi on the map. Cerro Rico = Rich mountain and a guided tour to the mine needed to be booked in advance
- Casa Nacional de la Moneda – now a museum dedicated to Bolivia art and history where you can learn about the coin production history, too
- Plaza 10 de Noviembre – the colonial square is also the main square of town, and a great place to enjoy the ambience and admire the architecture
- San Franscio Church and Museum – which is the heart of religion and culture of Potosi
Sucre: 2 days
Sucre, Bolivia’s “White City,” is a picturesque destination known for its colonial charm and vibrant culture. With its pleasant climate and friendly locals, the city offers a relaxing atmosphere perfect for leisurely strolls and soaking in the local ambiance. Sucre’s rich history and beautiful architecture make it a delightful place to explore, ensuring a memorable visit for any traveler.
- Plaza 25 de Mayo – the heart of Sucre that is the best place to take a stroll and soak up the city’s atmosphere
- Casa de la Libetad – where teh Bolivia’s Declaration of Independence was signed and you can learn more about Bolivia’s history here
- Mecado Central – the city’s central market where you can glimpse the local fruits and veg as well as have lunch
- La Recoleta – the 17th century monastery has beautiful corridors and stone columns and is on the outskirts of the city. You can see a great view of the city from there, too!
- Museo de Arte Indigena – see the indigenous art and textile and learn more about Bolivia’s culture.
- San Felipe Neri Church – the church is a work of art with a rooftop where you can see the panoramic view of Sucre
- Simon Bolivar Park – the largest park in Sucre, you can find beautiful rose garden, water fountain, and even a mini Eiffel Tower!
Bonus: Tarabuco Market on a Sunday!
