Salt flats, high Andes and Indigenous culture.
Bolivia is a landlocked Andean country of high plateaus, lakes, salt flats and Amazon lowlands. It suits adventurous travellers on a budget who can handle altitude. It is known for the Salar de Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, the cable cars of La Paz and colonial Sucre and Potosí. It has a large Indigenous population and strong traditions.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, a vast white plain at high altitude. Tours visit cactus islands and create perspective photos.
The reserve has colourful lagoons with flamingos, geysers and volcanoes. It is usually visited on multi-day tours from Uyuni.
Lake Titicaca is a huge high-altitude lake shared with Peru. Copacabana is a lakeside town with a pilgrimage basilica.
Isla del Sol has Inca ruins, terraces and walking trails. It is reached by boat from Copacabana.
La Paz sits in a canyon below snowy peaks at very high altitude. A cable car network gives superb views across the city.
Sucre is a whitewashed colonial city and the constitutional capital. It is pleasant for a longer stay and Spanish classes.
Potosí is a high colonial city built on silver wealth from the Cerro Rico mountain. The Casa de la Moneda mint museum tells the story.
Tiwanaku is the site of a major pre-Inca civilisation with stone gates and platforms. Two museums display finds.
Madidi is a huge protected area from Andes to Amazon with very high biodiversity. Eco-lodges offer jungle trips.
This area of eroded clay spires lies just outside La Paz. Short trails loop through it.
The old Yungas road drops steeply from the Andes to the tropics. Guided mountain bike trips are popular.
These living mission churches in the eastern lowlands still hold services and music festivals. They are carved in wood and painted.
Samaipata is a relaxed town near El Fuerte, a large carved rock ceremonial site. Amboró National Park is nearby.
Toro Toro has dinosaur footprints, canyons and caves. Guides are required in the park.
Sajama protects Bolivia's highest peak, hot springs and queñua forests. It is remote and high.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Highland hub with cable cars.
culture, gateway · Open the city guideBase for salt flat tours.
nature, gateway · Guide comingColonial capital.
history, culture · Guide comingSilver city.
history · Guide comingLake Titicaca base.
nature · Guide comingLowland gateway.
gateway · Guide comingAmazon gateway.
nature · Guide comingFood-focused valley city and gateway to Torotoro.
food, nature · Guide comingHigh plateau with lakes and salt flats.
Salar de Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, Eduardo Avaroa Reserve
Milder colonial cities.
Sucre, Cochabamba, Toro Toro
Tropical plains and forests.
Santa Cruz, Jesuit Missions, Samaipata
Rainforest and rivers.
Madidi, Rurrenabaque
Salt flats, lagoons and volcanoes.
Salar de Uyuni, Laguna Colorada, Eduardo Avaroa Reserve
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to October. The dry season brings clear skies in the highlands.
From about January to March the Salar de Uyuni can flood into a mirror, but rain affects roads; the Amazon is wet and hot.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
58°F daily high, 48°F average, 5.4 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
US State Department Level 2 (exercise increased caution) for crime and civil unrest; road blockades can disrupt travel.
Long bus rides on rough roads and frequent blockades make travel slow.
One of the cheapest countries in South America.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Check current visa and entry rules on the Bolivian General Directorate of Migration (migracion.gob.bo), and your own government's travel advice, before you book, as rules change. |
| Plugs | Type A, C; 115 V or 230 V, 50 Hz |
| Tap water | not safe |
| Tipping | About 10 percent in restaurants is appreciated. |
| Payments | Cash in bolivianos is essential outside cities. |
| Emergency | 110 police, 118 ambulance, 119 fire |
| Etiquette | Ask permission before photographing people, especially Indigenous women. Bargaining is normal in markets. |
| What to wear | Dress modestly in rural areas and churches. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Domestic flights save time between La Paz, Sucre, Uyuni and Santa Cruz. Buses are cheap but slow, and roadblocks are common. |
| Main airports | LPB, VVI, SRE, UYU |
| Ride apps | Uber (La Paz, Santa Cruz), inDrive, Taxis (agree fare ahead) |
The Tiwanaku culture flourished near Lake Titicaca long before the Inca arrived. Spain conquered the region in the 16th century, and Potosí's silver mines made it one of the richest cities in the world. Bolivia became independent in 1825 and later lost its coast to Chile in the 1880s. It has a history of political turbulence and recognises many Indigenous languages officially.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.