The Uncharted Wonders of Bolivia: Ultimate Travel Guide 2024

Temperature in La Paz

Monthly hours of sunshine in La Paz

Rainy days in La Paz

The visa policy of Bolivia depends on the country/region you come from. There are three main groups.

Group #1: EU, Australia, Chile, Ecuador, Japan, Monaco, Peru, Palestine, Switzerland, Venezuela, Andorra, Brazil, Colombia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zeland, Panama, Philippines, Turkey, Uruguay, Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Paraguay, Russia, United Kingdom, Vatican City – don’t need a visa to enter Bolivia for stays of up to 90 days.

*For USA citizens visas can be obtained at a Bolivian Embassy or Consulate in the United States or a neighboring country. Alternatively, can be purchased at any land or air border. Costs $160 and can be paid in $ or local currency upon arrival. With a visitor visa, you may stay 30 days per trip, not to exceed 90 days per year.

Group #2: If you are from one of the following countries, you have to get a Bolivian visa before your travel. You can get a visa for Bolivia from a Bolivian Embassy or Consulate near you or you can get it on arrival for a fee.

Group #3: If you are from one of the following countries, you have to apply for a Bolivian visa at an Embassy or Consulate of Bolivia abroad. However, the process will be longer since they have to request authorization from the National Migration Service in Bolivia.

A tourist visa can be extended at any of Bolivia’s immigration offices.

Updated: October 2022

Source: https://visaguide.world/south-america/bolivia-visa/

Type C and A plug

The official currency in Bolivia is Boliviano (BOB).

Exchange Rate Converter

Most ATMs in Bolivia do not charge for withdrawals, while your bank will almost certainly charge you one. Currency conversion rates are not always favorable, and the money wasted in the trade can quickly pile up. I would recommend using online banks like Wise, which allows you to take money from ATM abroad without commission (2 times per month), and has one of the best conversion rates.

Finding major banks in each nation and using their ATMs is your best chance. Can use Mercantil Santa Cruz in Bolivia. They do not charge ATM fees. At least one ATM at major banks accepts both dollars and bolivianos. It is preferable to obtain dollars and exchange them at a Casa del Cambio. You’ll get around 6.94 BOB instead of the banks’ 6.85 BOB.  When it comes to withdrawal limitations they vary by bank, but typically range between 1500 BOB and 6500 BOB, with 3500-4000 BOB being the usual maximum withdrawal per transaction.

BNB, BCP, BMSC, and Banco Union are good options as well.

*American Express is rarely accepted in public places.

*Note, if ATM is asking for a conversion rate, use the local currency, as your bank probably would provide a better conversion rate, than ATM.

Below is a table showing the prices for popular items while visiting Bolivia.

Downloading a weather app is a good idea as the weather can be very changeable, especially if you are planning any outdoor excursions or water sports such as surfing.

Taxi:

TaxiSha

Taxi:

Uber

Food:

PedidosYa

Entel, Tigo, and Viva are the leading operators in Bolivia. You can buy a local sim card at the airport or phone shops. There are many phone kiosks and vendors selling prepaid sim cards. Just make sure you have your foreign passport with you. Simply sign up and top up your number.

Another option is to use eSim like Airalo.

La Paz International Airport is located 11km from La Paz city. There are 3 main ways to get from the airport to the city:

1. A bus n212 (the cheapest way) will take 40 minutes and will cost $1. Can pay by cash to the bus driver.

2. Shared van (minibus). The van cost from El Alto International Airport to the city center is around 5 BOB ($1).

3. A taxi ride (fastest way) from La Paz El Alto Airport to the city center costs 80 BOB ($10-12) and takes around 20 minutes and it’s available 24/7. As soon as you depart the terminal, taxi drivers will approach you and offer their services.

*A ride to El Alto’s takes no more than 10 minutes and is significantly cheaper.

Uber is also an option and should cost around 50-80 BOB.

Yes, I would say if you stick to safe neighborhoods and take care of your belongings. Places like El Alto are considered unsafe for lone tourists.

Bolivia’s crime index is 58.73 out of 100 (with 0 being completely safe, and 100 being completely unsafe). That’s not great, but it’s not horrendous either! To compare, the crime index for the United States is 48.24.

The highest risk to tourists is from petty crime and scams, although serious crimes involving tourists can happen (taxi robberies, particularly in La Paz and Santa Cruz). Take registered taxis only.

If you are traveling, I would say insurance is a must. I saw so many times when people get injuries and health problems, and their relatives/friends are organizing fundraising campaigns for the treatments.

The health system here is very expensive. So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Hopefully, you won’t need to use it.

I personally buy for EUR 42/month (can have a daily option) SafetyWings travel insurance. That gives me peace of mind. It has $250 deductible, with $250 000 max limit. I had 2 claims, and both of them got covered.

*This is an affiliate link. This means I will get a commission if you use it. But as I mentioned before I am using this insurance myself.

La Paz

Wifi Tribe (Co-working & Co-living)

Nexo cowork (Co-working)

Prowork (Co-working)

Selina (Co-working & Co-living)

Santa Cruz

The Hub (Co-working)

FB Groups

BackPackers Bolivia

SafeTravelBolivia

Cochabamba Bolivia Expats & Travelers

Backpacking Bolivia

Expats In Bolivia

Expats in Bolivia: Women’s Group

La Paz

Sopocachi – chick and comfortable neighborhood. Walkable, with various bars, clubs, restaurants, and a few nice parks (rare in La Paz).

Centro – area around Plaza San Francisco. Heart of the city. Busy, and noisy but close to the sightseeing areas.

San Pedro – safe, centrally located between Sopacachi and Centro. Has a bit of both.

Zona Sur – a wealthy part of La Paz just 30min ride from the city center. The main shopping and financial district with nice cafes and nightlife.

Welcome to the Bolivia Ultimate Travel Guide (2023)! Here is the list of things you can do in Bolivia:

Day one. Acclimatizing. Explore La Paz.

Day two. Take a Cable car around. Go to the Moon Valley and then to El Alto market.

Day three. Take the bus and go to Lake Titicaca (Copacabana and the Island of the Sun). Spend a night there.

Day four. Arrive back in La Paz. Keep exploring La Paz. Witches’ Market, San Francisco Basilica and San Francisco square, Plaza Murillo and Calle Jaen.

Day five. Go for a day bike tour to Death Road. Get back to La Paz. Take a night bus to Salar de Uyuni.

Day six. Go for 3 days/2 night tour around

Day seven. Salar de Uyuni day 2.

Day eight. Salar de Uyuni day 3. Take a bus to Potosi.

Day nine. Explore the Potosi city center. Stay the night there.

Day ten. Go for a mine tour. After, head to Sucre.

Day eleven. Explore the Ciudad Blanca of Sucre.

Day twelve. Trip to the Maragua Crater

Day thirteen. Head and explore the tropical city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Day fourteen. Day Trip to Biocentro Güembé and come back to get ready for your next destination.

• Travelers to Bolivia must comply with the following requirements:
  • Present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, or 
  • Present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test (for persons older than 5 years) taken no more than 72 hours prior to embarkation, or 
  • Present a negative COVID-19 nasal antigen test (for persons older than 5 years) no more than 48 hours prior to embarkation. 

Source: https://bo.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

• Due to altitude, the sun is stronger here. So don’t forget to use sunscreen.
• Wifi signal isn’t particularly strong.
• Google reviews are not always a good indicator of the quality
• Google maps are not always right.
• The temperature can change dramatically.
• Always carry toilet paper with you.
• Only drink bottled water, not tap water.
• Altitude might be an issue at times. Get coca tea/leaves or aspirin.
• Bolivia is incredibly inexpensive.
• Because English is not commonly spoken, there may be a language barrier. Learn some phrases in Spanish.

Hola – Hi

Sí – Yes

No – No

Adiós – Goodbye

Buenos dias – Good morning

Buenas tardes – Good afternoon

Buenas noches – Good evening

Por favor – Please

Gracias – Thank you

Habla inglés? – Do you speak English?

No entiendo – I don’t understand

Socorro! – Help!

Backpacking Bolivia

Bolivian – hidden gem

Diversity of Bolivia