A Quick Travel Guide to Bolivia

Bolivia is a beautiful and unique country that has been extremely high on my list for quite awhile, specifically to see the Uyuni Salt Flats. Prior to COVID-19, Bolivia was seeing about 1.2 million tourists visit annually with about 300,000 of those exploring the Uyuni Salt Flats. They have since not fully bounced back to their pre-pandemic tourist numbers and it’s currently a great time to visit and capitalize on the fewer crowds.

We combined our trip to Bolivia with our trip to Peru, which I highly recommend as you can experience the main attractions of Bolivia in a handful of days. Chances are, you will start your trip in the city of La Paz—which is an incredibly unique city and it’s also the highest city in the world sitting at 11,975ft with the neighboring city of El Alto is 13,123ft. These two cities sit so closely together they look as though they are one and together they sprawl out in colorful buildings that seem to go on endlessly between the Andes Mountains. Let’s get into all of the things you need to know to plan an amazing trip to Bolivia:

Visa

Visas are required for US citizens visiting Bolivia and they’re pretty expensive at $160 USD. You can purchase your visa on arrival in the airport, though if you buy in advance it will expedite your passage through immigration. Many sources online claim that you can online purchase your Bolivian tourist visa with USD cash, but on arrival we were told that they don’t accept any cash payments and you can only pay via credit card. I would recommend bringing the cash regardless just in case.

Where to Stay

Once you’ve acquired your visa and passed through immigration you can make your way into La Paz proper. The drive from the airport into the city takes about 30 minutes and we booked this through Uber—which was an easy and cheap option. Be sure to take in the views as you make your way into La Paz. Surrounded by mountains at high altitude, thousands of small houses are clustered together in just about nook and cranny you can see within the mountains.

We stayed in two areas during our stay in La Paz and both were great for their own reasons. The first neighborhood we stayed in was by the train station which was extremely convenient for an activities you may do, as most of them depart from the train or bus station here. The other neighborhood we stayed in was Miraflores which was filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes. Overall, both neighborhoods were nice to stay in though Miraflores definitely had a lot more going on from a tourist perspective. The two are about a 25 minute walk from each other.

Getting Around

It’s fairly easy to get around La Paz. Between the two main neighborhoods that we stayed in, it was easy to walk. But La Paz is a massive city! There are so many different areas to see and explore. It’s easy to grab an Uber or cab if you’re going farther distances or you can take one of the gondolas in the city. The gondolas act as the city’s subway system and they’re a very affordable and fun way to see the city. Even if you don’t use them to travel to a new part of the city, they’re a great activity in their own right and give you unique views of the city. The gondolas don’t pop up as options for public transport on Google maps, but you can find the maps of their stops and times that they run on the La Paz website here.

Activities from La Paz

Death Road

Mountain biking the Death Road in Bolivia is a must for any adventure lover. The North Yungas Road or the Death Road was built in the 1930s and until 2006 it was the only road that connected La Paz to the tropical Yungas region of Bolivia. The road got its cryptic name from the high amount of accidents and death that took place on this route. The road is hardly wide enough for one car, but it’s in fact a two-way road filled with blind, hairpin turns, waterfalls that flow over the road, and a shear cliff on one side—it’s no wonder why the road is so dangerous. Combine those conditions with the fact that many large cargo trucks and buses carrying locals used to fill the road and the drivers often had a tendency to drive while under the influence lead to an average of 300 deaths per year. Though the locals believe the death toll is much higher, as many cars would travel the road at night to never be seen again.

In 2006 the government decided to build a new road, which diverted the majority of the traffic (especially the large cargo trucks), leaving the Death Road much less traveled. Today the majority of the traffic on the road is from the mountain biking tours, though many locals still use the road to get to the Yungas region. Just because the road is much less traveled, doesn’t mean that it still isn’t dangerous. There are still incidents where mountain bikers and car passengers have died on the road—be sure to express caution and don’t push your personal limits.

Death Road is an easy day trip from La Paz. We did a lot of research and went with XTREME Deathroad, who we were able to book directly from their office within our hostel. There are many companies that offer Death Road mountain biking tours but be sure to find a reputable company and splurge for the double suspension bikes for a safe and comfortable ride.

The tour begins with an early morning pick-up from your hostel and then you set off on a couple hours van ride to the Death Road. There are two portions of the Death Road that you bike down for the tour: a paved section and a gravel section. The first section you will do is the paved section and this portion is about 13.7mi and takes about an hour. This section is easier and is supposed to have spectacular views, though we didn’t see a single thing because it was pouring down rain the entire time with clouds blocking anything past the road. After you complete this portion you will load back up into the van and drive to the gravel section of the Death Road.

The gravel section is the original and true Death Road. For any real mountain bikers, it will probably be a very easy ride but for those who are used to biking on flat ground you’re in for a bumpy treat. This second portion of the ride is about 20.5mi and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. This is where you will see the infamous sharp turns, steep cliffs, and waterfalls that run right over the road. It’s absolutely beautiful and thrilling! Your group will stop in all of the famous photo points to check out the steep cliff drops and beautiful scenery along the way.

Tip: You start the day at 15,420ft and end at 3,937ft. Your morning will start off chilly at the high altitude and you will end in the jungle—pack in layers because as the day goes on you’ll be warming up!

Uyuni Salt Flats

I have been dying to go to the Uyuni Salt Flats for YEARS and I can confirm that they absolutely do not disappoint. The Uyuni Salt Flats are located in the town of Uyuni and are the largest salt flats in the world covering 4,086 square miles. They are absolutely magical, especially if you can go during the wet season from January to March to experience the mirror effect.

Getting there isn’t especially easy, but there are plenty of tour agencies in La Paz that can coordinate everything for you. The most popular options are the “1-day tour” or the “3-day tour”. Keep in mind that the days are counted as your days in Uyuni, you still need to tack on two days of travel to both of those tours.

Playing with perception in Salar de Uyuni

If you’re short on time, I recommend the 1-day Uyuni tour, which is what we did. It’s a jam-packed tour but it’s very doable and wasn’t as tiring as I expected with back-to-back night buses. We booked THIS tour and the night buses were surprisingly nice and comfortable. The seats lean very far back, come with a privacy curtain, and they serve you both dinner and a small breakfast. If you’re a picky eater or if you’re especially hungry, I recommend packing your own snacks as well as it wasn’t an especially large meal. If you have more time, you can do the 3-day Uyuni tour HERE. This tour visits all the same sites at the 1-day tour but also includes Laguna Colorada, Salvador Dali Desert, Laguna Verde, and a visit to the flamingos!

If you are interested in saving money or spending more than one day at the salt flats, I recommend booking a bus to the town of Uyuni, staying the night, and booking individual tours yourself. This will also be more cost effective, but takes more planning on your part.