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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Bolivia
- Best months
- May–Oct (dry season, clearer roads)
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (rain, flooded salt flat and rough access roads)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 |
|---|---|
| Guesthouse double room | Bs 80–300 |
| Hot shower surcharge | Bs 5 |
| Museum and cemetery entry, both | Bs 10 |
| Soft drink or bottled water | Bs 5–15 |
| Chocolate bar or cookies | Bs 5–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- UYU · Uyuni Joya Andina
- The practical arrival point; road transfer to San Juan, times vary with conditions.
Typical fares
- Guesthouse double, per night
- Bs 80–300
- Hot shower
- Bs 5
- Museum and cemetery
- Bs 10 for both
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Salt-flat tour stop south of Uyuni
- Small local museum and cemetery
- High-altitude village at 3,660 m
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Salar de Uyuni | 4x4 with a tour operator from San Juan or Uyuni | Half day to a full day |
| Atocha | Road north by 4x4 or bus | About 1–2 h |
| San Pedro de Quemes | Road south by 4x4 | About 2 h |
| Tupiza | 4x4 or bus on unpaved roads | 4–6 h |
Sleep
- Village centre
- All guesthouses sit within a few blocks; pick on heating and hot water, not location.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Do you have hot water? | ¿Hay agua caliente?eye AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
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
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for San Juan yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Salt-flat tour stop south of Uyuni
- Small local museum and cemetery
- High-altitude village at 3,660 m
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bolivia travel — official tourism portal: www.bolivia.travel/
- Wikivoyage: San Juan (Bolivia), revision 3738146 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3738146
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
San Juan
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in San Juan; most are in La Paz. US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are in La Paz — check addresses and hours.
Cash only in practice: bring bolivianos. No ATMs in the village.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/san-juan-bolivia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.