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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Bolivia

San Juan

One night only, as a salt-flat tour stop: no sights beyond a small museum and cemetery, no ATMs, no heating. Skip as a base.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
BOB
Best months
May–Oct (dry season, clearer roads)
avoid Jan–Mar (rain, flooded salt flat and rough access roads)
Airport
UYU
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Bolivia ↗Visa rules depend on your passport (some nationalities need a visa in advance): check with Bolivia's migration authority or a Bolivian consulate.
  • Bolivia ↗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.
  • Bolivia ↗Protests and road blockades (bloqueos) are frequent and can close routes and cities for days; watch local news and keep plans flexible.

San Juan sits at 3,660 m south of the Salar de Uyuni, on the road between Uyuni and the southwest lagoons. It is a tour stop, not a destination: basic beds, a small museum and cemetery, and shops that rarely stock fruit or vegetables. Come with cash, a sleeping bag liner and no expectation of a hot room.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about San Juan, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum and cemetery entry, bothBs 10
  • Budget bedBasic double room, a night, per roomBOB 80
  • Mid-range bedBasic double room, a night, per roomBOB 150
  • High-end bedBasic double room, a night, per roomBOB 300

A day, not counting the bed: Budget BOB 120 · Mid BOB 250 · High BOB 450

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Salt-flat tour stop south of UyuniSmall local museum and cemeteryHigh-altitude village at 3,660 m
Airports
UYU Uyuni Joya Andina (The practical arrival point; road transfer to San Juan, times vary with conditions.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

San Juan: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

20°C

4°C

15 rd

Feb

20°C

4°C

13 rd

Mar

20°C

3°C

11 rd

Apr

20°C

1°C

5 rd

May

19°C

−3°C

2 rd

Jun

18°C

−6°C

1 rd

Jul

18°C

−7°C

1 rd

Aug

19°C

−5°C

2 rd

Sep

21°C

−2°C

3 rd

Oct

22°C

0°C

4 rd

Nov

22°C

1°C

6 rd

Dec

21°C

3°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot. The village is a few blocks across; everything a visitor uses is walkable. Tours and onward transfers run by 4x4 from the village.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Salar de Uyuni

go

Door to door: Half day to a full day

4x4 with a tour operator from San Juan or Uyuni

The reason most travellers are here; book the tour before you arrive.

Atocha

skip

Door to door: About 1–2 h

Road north by 4x4 or bus

A transport junction, not a sight.

San Pedro de Quemes

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Road south by 4x4

Another basic tour stop; only useful on a southwest circuit.

Tupiza

overnight

Door to door: 4–6 h

4x4 or bus on unpaved roads

Too far for a return day; sleep there.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Village centre

All guesthouses sit within a few blocks; pick on heating and hot water, not location.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Bs 120–200 excl. bed
Mid
Bs 200–350 excl. bed
High
Bs 350+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Basic double room1 × 1 night × BOB 80BOB 80
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × BOB 120BOB 240
Hot shower surcharge2 × BOB 5BOB 10
Museum and cemetery entry, both2 × BOB 10BOB 20
eSIM, about a week of data2 × BOB 100BOB 200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeBOB 55
Trip total≈ BOB 303 per person per day, bed includedBOB 605

Hot water often on request; heating rare.

2026 estimate in bolivianos; tours and long transfers excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Guesthouse double roomHot water on request; electricity limited in some places.Bs 80–300
Hot shower surchargeBs 5
Museum and cemetery entry, bothBs 10
Soft drink or bottled waterBs 5–15
Chocolate bar or cookiesBs 5–20

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet village and generally safe for tourists. The real risks are altitude at 3,660 m, cold rooms, cash-only shops and long unpaved transfers: carry bolivianos and check road conditions before leaving.
  • 3,660 m: altitude sickness is the main risk; ascend slowly and do not plan a hard first day.
  • Nights are cold and most rooms have no heating; ask for extra blankets.
  • Electricity may run only a few hours a day in some guesthouses.
  • No ATMs and card payment is rare: bring bolivianos in cash.
  • Fruit and vegetables are hard to find; shops sell drinks, chocolate and cookies.
  • Roads south are unpaved and can be cut by rain or blockades — check before you commit to a transfer.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Ambulance
118
Fire
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

San JuanSan Juan

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Ambulance118
  • Fire119

Embassy

No embassies in San Juan; most are in La Paz. US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are in La Paz — check addresses and hours.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Guesthouse double, per night: Bs 80–300
  • Hot shower: Bs 5
  • Museum and cemetery: Bs 10 for both

Say or show

  • Disculpe — Excuse me / Sorry (dees-KOOL-peh)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-syahs)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-toh KWES-tah)
  • ¿Hay agua caliente? — Do you have hot water? (eye AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh)
  • ¿Dónde está el baño? — Where is the toilet? (DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah)

Cash only in practice: bring bolivianos. No ATMs in the village.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for San Juan. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Oct (dry season, clearer roads) · avoid Jan–Mar (rain, flooded salt flat and rough access roads) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 1 area to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for Uyuni: last transfer times field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking cluster with rescue anchors: guesthouses, shops, museum and cemetery.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (museum, cemetery) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Altitude and cold-weather fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Bolivia

Sources