When planning a trip to Bolivia it is important to take into account all te practical aspects that will help you have an unforgettable experience. In this post we provide you with all the information you will need about the documentation required, the best way to get to and around the country, the local cuisine, and many other travel tips for Bolivia.
We also tell you how to plan your trip in an organised way with the Passporter App, where you can save your tickets and reservations, check the experience of other travellers and create your own travel route. It couldn’t be easier. If you’re planning a trip to Bolivia, you’re in the right place. Read on and don’t miss out on the details.
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1. Getting to and around Bolivia
Getting around Bolivia is relatively cheap and there are buses that will get you to the main points of interest with a little bit of money. However, the roads are not in very good condition, and as a result the journeys take many hours, longer than you might expect. Another option for getting around Bolivia is to take local flights or hire a car, but be careful as the locals have a peculiar way of driving.
If you’re taking a taxi, make sure it has a Radiotaxi sticker on it, or try to take a taxi from your hotel for your own safety. In the cities there are also buses and minibuses that will get you from one place to another for less than €0.2.
To get to Bolivia from abroad, you have these options:
- Plane: is the fastest and most efficient way. The main international airport and the one that receives most flights from Europe is the Viru Viru International Airport, which is in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. But La Paz and Sucre also receive international flights.
- Bus: From Peru it is also possible to reach Bolivia by bus.
One of the advantages of organising your trip with Passporter is that it allows you to compare and buy airline tickets through Skyscanner from the App itself, where you can also save them to have all your travel documents collected in the same place. From the Passporter App you can also book a car for transfers with MyTransfer.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
2. Have your travel documents for Bolivia at hand in the Passporter App
Currently, citizens of Spain and most European countries do not require a visa to enter Bolivia if their stay is less than 90 days. You only need a valid passport with at least 6 months validity.
If you are travelling from another country, we recommend that you check the necessary documentation on the website of the Bolivian embassy in your country. One of the best travel tips for Bolivia is to save all your documents in the Passporter App and always have it at hand.
3. Best time to plan a trip to Bolivia
It’s difficult to define the best time to travel to Bolivia as the country has a wide variety of climates across its territory. The weather isn’t the same in the Andes as it is in the highlands, but you’re sure to visit both regions on your trip. Even so, it is recommended to travel in the dry season, which runs from May to October. During these months, especially between June and August, the weather tends to be drier and temperatures are more pleasant, especially in higher altitude regions such as La Paz and the Salar de Uyuni. This period is also ideal for mountain trekking and enjoying nature in all its splendour.
If you’re travelling to the Amazon rainforest, expect to experience year-round rainfall. And if you travel to the Salar de Uyuni, it’s best to avoid the rainy season because it’s all flooded, but that’s also when the photographs are most spectacular.
4. Bolivian gastronomy, the best dishes
Bolivian cuisine has a variety of typical dishes that reflect the cultural and geographical diversity of the country, and share many similarities with the gastronomy of its neighbouring countries. The most common ingredients are potato and cassava, which cannot be missing in any meal. These are some of the most characteristic dishes of the country, but if you want to know more about Bolivian cuisine, we recommend you to visit this post: Typical food of Bolivia: What and where to eat in Bolivia?
- Salteña: a juicy empanada filled with meat, chicken or vegetables
- Silpancho: a delicious preparation of breaded beef, accompanied by rice, potatoes, fried egg and salad.
- Pique Macho: beef, sausage, fried potatoes, onion, tomato and chilli, all combined in a hearty, spicy dish.
- Api con pastel: a hot purple corn-based drink served with fried pastries.
- Anticucho: marinated and grilled beef skewers, served with potatoes and hot sauce.
- Peanut soup: Thick broth made with ground peanuts, meat and vegetables.
- Plato paceño: Traditional dish from La Paz consisting of rice, potatoes, cheese, chuño (dehydrated potato), beef and llajwa (spicy sauce).
5. Plan a trip with friends to Bolivia with the Passporter App
Travelling with friends is wonderful, and even more so when you can organise your trip together. We know that it can be a challenge due to clashes of dates or preferences, so we recommend that you get to know the person you are travelling with well and exchange opinions before starting your trip. In this post you can find some travel tips that can help you when organising a trip with friends to Bolivia: Group travel: The best way to travel with your group of friends.
And with the Passporter app, you can plan your travel itineraries from start to finish, inspired by the experiences of other travellers and involving the whole group. Add your friends and create the perfect plan for your next holiday together. During the trip you can also share your photos and share your own experiences.
6. What to pack for Bolivia
Packing a suitcase for Bolivia is no easy task, as you’ll need to pack both warm and summer clothes. These are the items you shouldn’t forget to pack.
- Sunscreen: Whether you’re spending the day on one of Bolivia’s river beaches or atop a mountain, you’d better be protected.
- Comfortable footwear: In Bolivia you’re going to get your fill of walking, and if you’re going hiking on top of that, you’ll want to pack comfortable shoes and a spare pair in case they get wet.
- Warm clothing: Many cities in Bolivia are at high altitude, which means that even if it’s summer and sunny, it can get chilly at that altitude. So we recommend taking a thin down jacket, hat and even gloves and a warm coat if you’re going up mountains.
- Mosquito repellent: especially if you’re travelling to the Amazon rainforest, you’ll need it.
- Travel documentation: it’s important to always have your documents at hand, so it’s best to carry your passport or visa.
7. Other travel tips for Bolivia
We’ve already gone over the main questions you may have during your trip, but there are still those little details that you don’t remember until you get to your destination country. Take notes.
- Safety: In Bolivia, be cautious, avoid going out at night in unfamiliar places and beware of suspicious-looking taxis. If in doubt, ask at your hotel.
- Language: The official language of Bolivia is Spanish, although there are also several dialects and indigenous languages.
- Currency: The official currency in Bolivia is the Boliviano.
- Drinking water: Water is drinkable in most of the country, but your stomach may not be used to it and this may cause problems. It is therefore best to buy bottled water.
- Electricity: The plugs used in Bolivia are type A and type C, although in some hotels you may need an adapter.
- Travel insurance: is highly recommended when travelling outside the European Union.
8. Travel to Bolivia with your family
Travelling to Bolivia as a family can be an enriching and exciting experience. Although the country has no large amusement parks or activities specifically for children, they (not being very young) can enjoy the incredible mountain scenery, river beaches and jungle as much as an adult.
On Lake Titicaca, for example, they can go kayaking or boating, and in Santa Cruz de la Sierra they can explore the local flora and fauna at Güembé Park.
9. How to prepare what to see on your trip to Bolivia
Register or download the Passporter App and discover all its possibilities.
- Get inspired by other travellers’ experiences, photos and itineraries
- Organise your trip by the categories that suit you best: dates, number of days or type of trip (beach, mountain, restaurants…).
- Add your friends so they can see and modify all the plans and trip information.
- Create your own itinerary of your destination with everything you want to visit each day.
- Add the stops that interest you the most, including your accommodation, restaurants, museums…
- Book your flights, accommodation, transfers and activities through a single app.
- Save all your documents in the app so you always have everything at hand: reservations, boarding passes, important documents…
- Make any changes you need to make and everything is ready for your trip
- Share your experience with other users. Upload photos of the places you have visited on your trip to the app and inspire other travellers with your experience. You can also share the best travel tips for Bolivia.
If you have doubts about how to do it, you can check our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.
10. Frequently asked questions about a trip to Bolivia
The best beaches in Bolivia are on Lake Titicaca and are Copacabana beach and Challapampa beach.
The climate is tropical, with mild temperatures varying slightly between summer and winter.
Although Bolivia is an inland country, there are beaches in its lakes and rivers.
The best time to travel to Bolivia is between April and October, the dry season.
The main cities of interest in Bolivia are La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
The most typical dishes of Bolivia are Salteña, Plato paceño, Silpancho and Sopa de maní among many others.
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