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🇧🇴Things to Do in Bolivia
From the mirror-like Salar de Uyuni to the world's highest capital city - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Bolivia sits higher, on average, than any other country in the Americas, and its landscape shows it - a salt flat so flat and reflective it erases the horizon, a capital at over 3,600 meters, and a lake shared with Peru that's the highest navigable body of water in the world. It remains one of South America's least-visited major destinations relative to how much it offers. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Salar de Uyuni
The world's largest salt flat, and during the brief rainy season (roughly December-April) a thin layer of water turns it into a vast mirror reflecting the sky - one of the most photographed landscapes in South America.
📍 Potosi Department
🚉 Uyuni is reached by overnight bus from La Paz in 10 hours, by train from Oruro, or by air - the salt flat itself has no roads or transport, so 4x4 tours from Uyuni are the only way across.
La Paz
The world's highest administrative capital, at around 3,650 meters, with a cable car (Mi Teleférico) system doubling as both public transit and one of the best ways to see the city's dramatic canyon setting.
📍 La Paz
🚉 The Mi Teleferico cable-car network is the city's metro, ten lines climbing between La Paz and El Alto - the Red, Yellow and Green lines cover most of what visitors need, including the airport road.
Lake Titicaca
The highest navigable lake in the world, shared with Peru - Isla del Sol, considered sacred in Inca mythology, is the most-visited island on the Bolivian side.
📍 Copacabana
🚉 Buses from La Paz reach Copacabana in four hours, crossing the Strait of Tiquina by barge; boats then run from the town's pier to Isla del Sol, about 90 minutes.
Death Road (North Yungas Road)
A former highway once considered the world's most dangerous road, now largely bypassed by a safer route and repurposed as a mountain-biking route descending nearly 3,500 meters in elevation.
📍 North Yungas, near La Paz
🚉 The old road starts at La Cumbre, an hour above La Paz, and is now used almost entirely by mountain-bike tours, which include the transfer up and the ride down to Coroico.
Tiwanaku
The ruins of a pre-Inca civilization that predates the Inca Empire by centuries, near Lake Titicaca, with the Gateway of the Sun as its best-known monument.
📍 Tiwanaku, near La Paz
🚉 Buses leave La Paz's cemetery district for Tiwanaku village every hour or so, taking about 90 minutes, with the ruins and museum a short walk from where they stop.
Sucre
Bolivia's constitutional capital and a UNESCO World Heritage city, known for its uniformly whitewashed colonial buildings and a milder climate than the highland cities.
📍 Sucre
🚉 Sucre has an airport with flights from La Paz, and overnight buses take about 12 hours; the whitewashed centre is walkable, and dinosaur footprints at Cal Orck'o are a short bus ride out.
Mark Bolivia, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Bolivia?
10 days lets you combine La Paz, the Salar de Uyuni and Lake Titicaca at a reasonable pace, allowing for some altitude acclimatization along the way.
What's the best time to visit Bolivia?
May-October (dry season) is best for most travel and photography at the Salar de Uyuni, with a clear, dry salt crust. The wet season (roughly December-April) is when the flats turn into the famous mirror effect, but access can be more limited.
Is Bolivia good for a first-time visit?
It's manageable but rewards preparation for altitude - La Paz and Lake Titicaca both sit above 3,600 meters, and giving yourself a day or two to acclimatize before strenuous activity is worth it.
Do I need a visa to visit Bolivia?
Requirements vary significantly by nationality - many can visit visa-free or get a visa on arrival, while others (including US citizens) need a visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: cancilleria.gob.bo.
What are some things to do in Bolivia on a tight budget?
A shared-group Salar de Uyuni tour costs considerably less than a private one, La Paz's cable car system is a cheap way to see the city from above, and Bolivia is generally one of the least expensive countries in South America for food and accommodation.
Can I rent a car in Bolivia, and what licence do I need?
You can, but few visitors do: the Uyuni salt flat and the Altiplano routes are covered by 4x4 tours with local drivers who know the tracks, and getting lost out there is dangerous rather than inconvenient. If you drive, a foreign licence with an International Driving Permit is accepted for visits, and the minimum age is usually 25. Altitude affects engines as well as people above 4,000m, mountain roads are narrow with sheer drops, and fuel is sold to foreign-plated and rental vehicles at a higher rate. Official government information for visitors is published at gob.bo, with visa and entry rules from the foreign ministry at cancilleria.gob.bo.