Things to do in Bolivia

The 17 best things to do in Bolivia

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1. 1Uyuni

   Cross the white expanse of the Salar de Uyuni

   The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, covering 10,582 square kilometers of the Bolivian Altiplano, about the size of the Big Island of Hawaii. Its crust is mostly halite, or common table salt, and gypsum, left behind by ancient lakes that once covered the plateau. The surface is so flat that the horizon seems endless, broken only by the dark slopes of Mount Tunupa, a dormant volcano at the northern end. The Altiplano here sits above 3,659 m, so the air is thin and the sun is strong. Most visitors start in the town of Uyuni, which is reached from Potosí and Oruro by public transport, or by rail from Oruro.

   Tip: Altitude sickness is a real risk around the Salar de Uyuni, so spend a day or two acclimatizing first and use a reputable operator, since Bolivia has no official minimum standards for tour companies.

   Bs[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: NASA Earth Observatory; NASA Earth Observatory; SERNAP, Bolivia's national protected areas service (official Atlas); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2. 2Uyuni

   See flamingos and geysers in Eduardo Avaroa reserve

   The Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve lies in the far south of Potosí department, about 300 km from the municipality of Uyuni, bordering Chile and Argentina. Laguna Colorada, at 4,278 m, turns red from the alga Dunaliella salina and shelters three of the world's six flamingo species. At Sol de Mañana, at 4,990 m, fumaroles reach about 50 m high beside pools of boiling mud. Laguna Verde gets its emerald color from copper and arsenic, so no aquatic life lives in it. Polques hot springs reach 40°C and have a pool for bathing. The usual route runs from Uyuni across the Salar.

   Tip: Bring warm layers and sun protection, because temperatures in the reserve are generally below 4°C and frosts are strong.

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: SERNAP, Bolivia's national protected areas service (official Atlas); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
3. 3La Paz

   Wander the ruins of Tiwanaku near Lake Titicaca

   Tiwanaku was the capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire and flourished as a planned city between about 400 and 900 AD. It stands at 3,850 m near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, in the Department of La Paz. The Akapana pyramid once had seven stacked platforms and rose over 18 m. In the semi-subterranean temple, 48 red sandstone pillars hold carved stone heads. The Kalasasaya, a large open temple, contains the Gate of the Sun, cut from a single slab of andesite with a frieze of a central deity that has been read as an agricultural calendar. Much of the old adobe city lies under the modern town.

   Tip: The site sits on an open plain at 3,850 m, so bring sun protection and a warm layer, and take your time.

   Bs[fee] for foreign visitorsKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
4. 4Sucre

   Walk Sucre's colonial center around Plaza 25 de Mayo

   The Spanish founded Sucre in 1538 as Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo, and it was renamed in 1839 for Antonio José de Sucre when it became Bolivia's first capital. The historic center follows a simple checkerboard plan and covers about 114 hectares. Its 16th-century churches, including San Lázaro, San Francisco and Santo Domingo, mix local building traditions with European styles. The Metropolitan Cathedral was begun in 1559 and finished about 250 years later, and buildings across the center show Renaissance, Mudejar, Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Casa de la Libertad stands on Plaza 25 de Mayo, which makes a convenient place to start on foot.

   Tip: Start at Plaza 25 de Mayo and let the grid of streets lead you outward to the churches, since the center is laid out simply and is easy to navigate.

   Free to visit
   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Casa de la Libertad (official)
5. 5Sucre

   Step inside Casa de la Libertad in Sucre

   Casa de la Libertad is where Bolivia's independence was signed, and the museum calls itself the country's first national monument. The building dates from 1621, when it was part of a Jesuit convent, and UNESCO considers it the most important historic monument in Bolivia because the events leading to independence took place here. Rooms include the Salón de la Independencia, the Sala de los Firmantes, the Galería de los Presidentes and a room for Marshal Sucre. The museum also keeps a library and a historical archive. Visits are guided and leave every hour, so you move through the rooms with someone who can explain the story.

   Tip: Guided visits leave every hour and the last admission is one hour before closing, so arrive early in the day; the museum is closed on public holidays.

   Foreign visitors: BOB 50 (about $4) · Pay at the doorFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Casa de la Libertad (official); UNESCO World Heritage Centre
6. 6Potosí

   Trace the silver story of Potosí and Cerro Rico

   In the 16th century Potosí was reputed to be the world's largest industrial complex, built around the silver of the Cerro de Potosí. A small highland hamlet at about 4,000 m became an Imperial City after Francisco de Toledo's visit in 1572. The industrial chain survives, from 22 reservoirs that powered 140 grinding mills to the colonial town, with its 22 parish and monastic churches, the Compañía de Jesús tower, the cathedral and the Casa de la Moneda, reconstructed in 1759. Many buildings show an Andean Baroque style that blends Indigenous influences. The site also tells the story of the forced mita labor system that fed the mines.

   Tip: At about 4,000 m, Potosí is a place to go slowly on the first day, drinking water and avoiding hard climbs.

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
7. 7La Paz

   Ride Mi Teleférico over La Paz and El Alto

   Mi Teleférico is the cable car network that links La Paz and El Alto, and the city describes it as the highest in the world. It is public transport first and a sightseeing ride second, which makes it an easy way to grasp how steeply La Paz is built. The Celeste line, opened in 2018, covers 2.6 km in about 11 minutes and runs beneath three of the city's well-known bridges. The White line, also opened in 2018, serves the Miraflores district with three stations. Both lines give wide views of the city and the mountains around it, so a clear day is best for photos.

   Tip: Keep your belongings secure on board, since petty theft is common in central La Paz and in crowded places.

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo); Gobierno Autonomo Municipal de La Paz (official tourism site); Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
8. 8La Paz

   Browse the Witches' Market for Andean ritual goods

   The Witches' Market is one of La Paz's best-known stops, with stalls of medicinal herbs, talismans, amulets, incense, coca leaves and traditional remedies tied to Andean spirituality. It earned its name from the range of traditional practices and ritual items on sale, and it is thought to reflect a long history of Indigenous remedies and rituals. Handicrafts such as textiles, jewelry and leather goods are sold here too. For souvenirs, the nearby Calle Sagárnaga and neighboring streets offer products made by Bolivian artisans, so you can shop for crafts and look at the ritual stalls on the same walk.

   Tip: Ask before photographing vendors or their goods, and carry only the cash you need, as petty theft is common in central La Paz.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo); Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
9. 9La Paz

   Stroll Calle Jaén and visit Casa de Murillo

   Calle Jaén is a street about 100 m long that has stayed almost unchanged since colonial times, with balconies, lanterns and cobblestones. In the 16th century it was known as a market for camelids, and today it holds cafés, bars and museums. Casa de Murillo, a museum opened on 13 June 1945, honors the patriot Pedro Domingo Murillo and the July 1809 revolution. The two-floor building dates from the early 19th century and displays colonial furniture, paintings, silverwork and Murillo's desk. Local legends call the street haunted, but the city's own tourism page notes there is no credible evidence of anything supernatural.

   Tip: Casa de Murillo is closed on Mondays, so plan your walk for another day and consider joining a guided tour inside.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo); Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo)
10. 10Lake Titicaca

    Cross Lake Titicaca to Copacabana

    Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, at 3,810 m above sea level, and about 3,690 square kilometers of its 8,400 square kilometers lie in Bolivia. The water reaches a depth of 283 m. The main Bolivian islands are the Island of the Sun and the Island of the Moon, also called Coati, where archaeological sites include Pilcocaina on the Island of the Sun and the aqllawasi, or so-called monastery, on the Island of the Moon. In Copacabana you can see the Inca Gallows and the great basilica, built between the 16th and 17th centuries. The lake is on Bolivia's tentative list for World Heritage status.

    Tip: If you return from Copacabana to La Paz by road, take a direct bus rather than changing along the way.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Bolivia tentative list); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
11. 11La Paz

    Explore the lunar landscape of Valle de la Luna

    Valle de la Luna is a landscape of eroded clay formations covering about 44 hectares, shaped by water and wind into obelisks, gullies and craters. It lies about 5 km from La Paz, a 20 to 25 minute trip from the center. The clay holds minerals in different proportions, so the colors shift from light brown to red and even purple. A trail passes a cactus garden with more than 32 native species, and a flat spot with a small fountain topped by a toad sculpture lies about a 20 minute walk away, where visitors make wishes. It makes an easy half day away from the city streets.

    Tip: Allow extra time for the walk to the toad fountain, which is about 20 minutes on foot.

    Foreign visitors: BOB 15 (about $1) · Pay at the gateFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo)
12. 12Rurrenabaque

    Go deeper into the Amazon at Madidi National Park

    Madidi National Park and Integrated Management Area was created in 1995 and covers about 1.9 million hectares in northwestern La Paz department. It drops from peaks around 6,000 m to lowlands at about 300 m, protecting both Yungas and Amazon ecosystems. Most visitors base themselves in Rurrenabaque. Chalalán, a community lodge run by the Quechua Tacana community of San José de Uchupiamonas, is the oldest and best-known community tourism project in Bolivia, centered on Laguna Chalalán. San Miguel del Bala, an hour upriver by boat from Rurrenabaque, offers cultural stays. The road from La Paz takes about 18 hours, and flights also reach Rurrenabaque from La Paz and Santa Cruz.

    Tip: Fly to Rurrenabaque if time is short, since the road from La Paz takes about 18 hours.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: SERNAP, Bolivia's national protected areas service (official Atlas)
13. 13Torotoro

    Hike to dinosaur tracks and caves at Torotoro

    Torotoro National Park, created in 1989, covers 16,570 hectares in the north of Potosí department, about 136 km south of the city of Cochabamba. Its main draw is paleontology and caving. Carreras Pampa has dinosaur tracks of theropods, with up to 4.4 prints per square meter, and the Umajalanta cave is the longest and deepest in Bolivia, about 10 km west of the village. Ciudad de Itas is a group of large rock formations that resemble a stone citadel and holds rock paintings. The canyon trail leads to El Vergel waterfalls, reached by going down more than 800 steps, where visitors can bathe in a clear river.

    Tip: Wear sturdy shoes for the El Vergel descent, because the more than 800 steps mean a long climb back up.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: SERNAP, Bolivia's national protected areas service (official Atlas)
14. 14Chiquitania

    Visit the Jesuit mission churches of the Chiquitania

    Between 1691 and 1760, the Jesuits founded mission settlements in the Chiquitos territory of eastern Bolivia that blended European architecture with local traditions. Six remain intact: San Francisco Javier, Concepción, Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Rafael and San José. Houses lined three sides of a rectangular square, while the fourth side held the church, workshops and schools. The churches look like large houses with gabled roofs, a west porch and carved wooden columns, and San José is the exception, built in stone in a Baroque style. The missions survived the Jesuits' expulsion in 1767 and are still a living heritage for the communities there.

    Tip: The six missions are spread across eastern Bolivia, so check a map and choose a group that fits your route rather than trying to see all of them.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
15. 15La Paz

    Admire the gold-leaf altar of San Francisco Basilica

    The Basilica of San Francisco in central La Paz began in 1549, but heavy snowfall brought the first structure down, and building resumed only in 1744. It was declared a Minor Basilica in 1948. The carved stone portal is in a mestizo Baroque style, with figures such as a green man chewing coca, a fertility figure and symbols of the four Gospels that show how Catholic and Andean beliefs were combined. Inside, the main altarpiece is decorated with gold leaf, and it was built on site to fit the space exactly. The church is a daily meeting place for locals and visitors.

    Tip: Tourist visits are not allowed during Mass and cameras are prohibited inside, so come outside service times.

    Museum, foreign visitors: BOB 40 (about $3) · Church free; museum ticketFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo)
16. 16La Paz

    Learn the story of coca at La Paz's Coca Museum

    The Coca Museum opened in 1996, founded by sociologist Sdenka Silva and psychiatrist Jorge Hurtado, who wanted to show that the coca leaf has deep cultural roots in the Andes that go back long before the Spanish conquest. Permanent exhibits cover the history of coca in the Andes, its medicinal uses, its role in food production and its place in Andean culture. The museum also runs workshops and talks, and it has a small space where you can try foods made with coca. It is a quick, informative stop that explains a plant often misunderstood by visitors.

    Tip: The museum opens Monday to Saturday with a break around midday, so aim for the morning or late afternoon, and ask before taking photographs.

    General: BOB 15 (about $1) · Pay at the doorFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo)
17. 17La Paz

    Eat salteñas and snacks at Mercado Lanza

    Mercado Lanza is one of the oldest markets in La Paz, and the current building, finished between 2008 and 2010, was made to hold more than 1,000 vendors who used to work in the old market. It is popular with both residents and visitors, and it is known for Bolivian specialties such as salteñas, meat dishes, anticuchos and api con pastel. Stalls also sell fresh fruit and vegetables and some crafts. Locals meet and socialize here, so it gives you a view of everyday life in the city as well as a meal.

    Tip: The market is open daily with shorter hours on Sundays, so check the time if you plan a Sunday visit.

    Pay as you go
    Sources: Municipal Government of La Paz, Turismo La Paz (lapaz.bo/turismo)

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