country
BoliviaBolivia
First trip: La Paz 2–3 nights (after a slow start), Lake Titicaca 2, then fly to Uyuni for a 3-day salt-flat tour and finish in Sucre; plan altitude days and road-blockade buffers before sights.
Bolivia is a high-altitude country: La Paz sits at about 3,600 m, its airport in El Alto at about 4,050 m, and the Uyuni salt flat at about 3,650 m, with tour routes above 4,500 m. Trips break on altitude sickness and on road blockades and strikes, which can stop buses for days. Arrive slowly (or from lower Santa Cruz or Sucre), fly the long legs where possible, carry cash, and keep a spare day before any international flight.
All regions, cities and parks in Bolivia (Atlas) →
Regions
La Paz cable cars and markets; Copacabana and Isla del Sol
3–5 nights
Salar de Uyuni and the lagoons, usually a 1–3 day 4x4 tour
3–4 nights
Sucre (constitutional capital, lower at about 2,800 m) and the mining city of Potosí
3–4 nights
Santa Cruz as the lowland gateway; Rurrenabaque for the Amazon and pampas
3–4 nights
Arrive
VVI
Viru Viru International (Santa Cruz)
Main international gateway, at low altitude
LPB
El Alto International (La Paz)
At about 4,050 m; 30–45 minutes down to central La Paz
Time math
- 7 days
- La Paz 3 (easy first day) + Copacabana/Isla del Sol 2 + back to La Paz 2
- 10 days
- La Paz 3 + fly to Uyuni, 3-day tour + Sucre 3 + 1 buffer
- 14 days
- Sucre 3 (to acclimatise lower) + Potosí 1 + Uyuni tour 3 + La Paz 3 + Titicaca 2 + 2 buffer
Country rules
- Visa rules depend on your passport (some nationalities need a visa in advance or on arrival): check with Bolivia's migration authority or a Bolivian consulate.
- Most of the tourist route is above 3,500 m: ascend gradually, rest on arrival, and see a doctor before travel if you have heart or lung conditions.
- Protests and road blockades (bloqueos) are frequent and can close routes and cities for days; watch local news and keep plans flexible.
Etiquette
- Ask before photographing people, especially cholitas in La Paz and at markets.
- Greet with buenos días; politeness and patience matter more than speed.
- Coca leaf is legal and common in Bolivia, but do not take any across borders.
- Carnival (February or March, Oruro)
- Oruro's carnival fills the region; roads and buses packed.
- Rainy season (December–March)
- Flooded or muddy roads in the lowlands and Amazon; some Uyuni routes closed.
- Protest and blockade periods
- Can close highways and airports' access roads for days without warning.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 4/5
- Currency is the boliviano (BOB, Bs). Cash rules outside larger hotels and restaurants in La Paz and Santa Cruz.
- Exchange rates and access to US dollars have been unstable; check the current situation before you fly and bring some clean USD notes as backup.
- ATMs can run out in small towns such as Uyuni and Copacabana: withdraw in La Paz, Sucre or Santa Cruz first.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry
Safety
- Altitude: headache, breathlessness and poor sleep are common for 1–3 days; severe symptoms mean go down.
- The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Chapare region of Cochabamba, including highways 4 and 24 through it.
- Fake police and express kidnappings via unofficial taxis have been reported in La Paz: use radio or app taxis and never share a cab with strangers.
- Night buses on mountain roads carry real risk; choose day travel or flights where possible.
- Sun is strong at altitude; cold at night is severe on the Altiplano.
Bolivia connects overland to Peru via Lake Titicaca and to Chile's Atacama via the Uyuni tours.
Sources
- UK FCDO travel advice: Bolivia (official)
- Wikivoyage — Bolivia (secondary)