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Voykit pocket guide · Bolivia
Potosí
Give Potosí one night, two if you take a mine tour: at 4,000 m the altitude, not the sights, sets the pace.
Potosí sits at about 4,000 m and was founded in 1546 after silver was found in the Cerro Rico, the hill that still dominates the skyline. The colonial centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site: the Casa Nacional de Moneda, churches and narrow streets built on that silver. Most travellers come for one night between Sucre and Uyuni, or for a cooperative mine tour. Cold nights, thin air and a compact centre mean one full day covers the core.
- Country
- Bolivia
- Best months
- Apr–Nov (dry season)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (rain, cold, muddy mine roads)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BOB
- Money
- Currency is the boliviano (BOB, Bs). Cash rules outside larger hotels and restaurants in La Paz and Santa Cruz.
- Daily spend
- Budget Bs 120–200 excl. bed · Mid Bs 200–350 excl. bed · High Bs 350+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Entel, Tigo and Viva sell SIMs with passport registration in their own shops.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Some La Paz buildings have 115 V — check.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Round up; about 10% in tourist restaurants.; Uyuni driver and cook: Bs 50–100 per traveller for 3 days, shared.; Guides: Bs 30–70 a day.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Pay a boliviano or two; bring paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Set lunch (almuerzo) in the Mercado Central | Bs 10–20 |
| Kalapurka soup | Bs 20–35 |
| Big plate at a local restaurant | Bs 30–35 |
| Coffee or pastry | Bs 5–15 |
| City bus, centre to terminal | Bs 1 |
| Taxi in the centre | Bs 3–5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | Bs 40–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SRE · Sucre (Alcantarí)
- Shared taxi from the airport rank to Potosí, about 2–3 h; agree the fare before leaving.
Typical fares
- Shared taxi, Sucre airport → Potosí
- about Bs 50 per person (check)
- Bus, Potosí → Sucre
- about Bs 17, 3.5 h (check)
- Bus, Potosí → Uyuni
- about Bs 35, 5–7 h (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable; taxis are cheap and plentiful for the terminals and the cemetery-side restaurants. Agree the price before you get in, and check whether it is per person or per car. A city bus between the centre and the main terminal costs about Bs 1; a taxi from the terminal about Bs 3–5.
See and do
Known for
- Cerro Rico silver mines
- Casa Nacional de Moneda
- UNESCO colonial centre
- Cooperative mine tours
- Kalapurka soup
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sucre | Hourly buses, about 3.5 h, or a shared taxi from the old terminal | 3.5–4 h |
| Uyuni | Buses from the new terminal, 5–7 h | 5–7 h |
| Tupiza | Morning and evening buses from the new terminal, 5–8 h | 5–8 h |
| Villazón and La Quiaca | Long-distance bus south | check |
Sleep
- Historic centre (around Plaza 10 de Noviembre)
- Walk to the mint, cathedral and most restaurants; best for one night.
- Near the old terminal (Av. Universitaria)
- Uyuni buses and shared taxis to Sucre leave here; 30 min walk uphill to the centre.
- Near the new terminal (northeast)
- Most long-distance buses; a 30 min bus ride from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-see-as |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Is it per person? | ¿Es por persona?es por per-SOH-nah |
| I need help | Necesito ayudaneh-seh-SEE-toh ah-YOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'buenos días'; avoid: Rushing into business
- Photos: Ask, and accept a no; avoid: Photographing rituals uninvited
- Sea question: Listen; avoid: Joking about Bolivia's lost coast
- Queues and blockades: Patience; avoid: Arguing with protesters
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude: about 4,000 m. Take the first day slowly, drink water, and treat headaches or breathlessness as a signal to rest.
- Mine tours are real working mines: dust, tight passages, low safety standards. Skip them if you are claustrophobic; wear the mask offered.
- Street dogs can be aggressive; back away slowly and do not let one get behind you.
- Do not walk alone at night away from the main plaza.
- Nights are cold year-round; heating in rooms is not standard.
Potosí is relatively safe, but altitude is the real risk: take day one slowly, do not walk alone at night away from the main plaza, and back away slowly from aggressive street dogs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Potosí yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cerro Rico silver mines
- Casa Nacional de Moneda
- UNESCO colonial centre
- Cooperative mine tours
- Kalapurka soup
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Potosí, revision 5236879 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236879
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/potosi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.