Bolivia Travel Guide

• It’s a unique and beautiful country
• Bolivia is fairly safe and the people are very friendly and welcoming
• It’s cheap!
• You can cycle down the World’s Most Dangerous Road!
• It has got brilliant adventure activities such as tall mountains to climb, quad biking and jungle trekking
• The hostels in La Paz are fun and a great place to meet other travellers
• Trips to the Amazon are the cheapest in South America
• Love golf? You can visit the highest golf course in the world
• Culture is still strong in Bolivia. Whilst there you can see the country’s traditional festivals, food, songs and costume
• It’s home to the world’s largest deposit of sand in Salar de Uyuni, an eerie sea of salt – amazing!
• The sunsets are incredible. Visit the magical island of Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca

Try the following great dishes:

• Humitas: Steamed corn leaves with cheese
• Empanadas: Savory pastry with cheese, onion and olives
• Chola sandwich: Roast pork leg and lettuce
• Change de Pollo: Chicken soup with potato and peas and onion
• Charque de Llama: Fried dried llama meat served with corn, hard-boiled eggs and cheese
• Lunch is the main meal of the day for most people in Bolivia

The weather in Bolivia is diverse and unpredictable due to its elevation, ranging from extremely humid to, at times, freezing cold. Summer is between November and April and this is also Bolivia’s rainy season. The most popular time to travel is in the winter from May to October when the country is at its driest. The temperature reduces with altitude and when the sun goes down it can get really chilly, especially in the mountainous and salt desert areas. When the sun is out, the rays can be really fierce, so always keep your sunblock handy.

Visa Assistance

Visas may be required depending on your nationality, travel plans, and length of stay. Below are the FCDO travel advice for British travellers. Entry rules can change at any time, so always check with the relevant embassy before travelling.

To make things easier, we’ve partnered with The Travel Visa Company, a UK-based visa specialist. Their team can guide you on requirements and, for a fee, apply for visas on your behalf.

Entry Requirements for UK Travellers

This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Bolivia’s current rules for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in Bolivia set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Bolivian Embassy in the UK (in Spanish). 

Passport validity requirements

To enter Bolivia, your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least two blank pages. 

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. 

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual Citizenship.

Checks at border control

You may need to show proof of your accommodation, for example, a hotel or hostel booking and its address, at least for your first night in Bolivia. 

Make sure you get an entry stamp when you arrive in Bolivia, otherwise you’ll have to pay a fine when you leave.

If you enter Bolivia overland, make sure you get your passport stamped on both sides of the border, with an exit stamp from the country you are leaving and an entry stamp on the Bolivian side.

Bolivia no longer stamps passports on the border with Argentina, but you must register your exit with Argentina’s immigration authorities (in Spanish) who pass the information to Bolivian immigration.

The British Embassy cannot intervene in immigration issues.

Visa requirements

You can visit Bolivia for up to 90 days without a visa. Border officials issue 30-day stamps, but you can stay for 90 days without any new stamp.

As a tourist, you get 90 days of visa-free travel in a one-year period. If you want to stay longer, check with the Bolivian Embassy in the UK (in Spanish) or the Department of Immigration (in Spanish).

To work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you must meet the Bolivian government’s entry requirements (in Spanish). Requirements include a police criminal record certificate from the UK, which you can get from the ACRO Criminal Records Office. If you need any documents from the UK, get them translated into Spanish and legalised by the Legalisation Office.

Travelling with children

If only one parent or legal guardian is travelling with a child, you cannot visit Bolivia for longer than 90 days. If you stay for more than 90 days, the child will need a judicial permit to leave Bolivia with only one parent.

Vaccine requirements

To enter Bolivia, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.

For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Bolivia guide.   

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Bolivia (in Spanish). You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. You should declare through Bolivia’s 250 declaration form (link only works in Bolivia).

Bolivia is the third largest cocaine producer in the world. Avoid contact with illegal drugs and take care of your luggage and belongings. Penalties for drug trafficking or possession are severe, with a minimum sentence of 8 years. Prison conditions in Bolivia are very basic.

Bolivia has several illegal bars and if caught in one you may be detained for questioning, especially if there are drugs on the premises.

If you are carrying cameras or binoculars to remote areas, especially coca-growing areas such as the Chapare and the Yungas, take care and always check before taking photographs of local people.

Although homosexuality is not illegal in Bolivia it is still frowned upon by the majority of Bolivians. Altiplano is more conservative than Santa Cruz, where attitudes are usually more liberal.

We have selected what we believe to be the key points that you should be aware of when travelling in Bolivia.

Gap 360 follows advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and we recommend that you frequently check the FCDO for updated travel advice. You can find the website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office

Crime

Keep vigilant when travelling in Bolivia as petty crime can be a problem in tourist destinations and in central La Paz, especially in busy areas or on buses. Don’t leave your belongings unattended and keep your valuables, passport and travel tickets in a secure place.

So-called ‘Express kidnappings’ can be a problem in Bolivia, which are opportunistic and usually short-term, random abductions, the goal of which is to extract cash from the victim. Victims can be held for up to several days for the use of their bank or credit cards. Travellers are particularly vulnerable at overland border points with Peru, Chile and Argentina. Take care in the Cementerio General and Sopocachi areas of La Paz and try to use direct buses if travelling from Copacabana to La Paz.

There have been some reports of kidnappings involving taxis, mainly in Santa Cruz and La Paz. If travelling by taxi you should only use an established firm of ‘radio taxi’ which can be identified as they display the name of the taxi company and the phone number on the roof, and those registered with the mayor’s office display a yellow sticker in one of their windows. Radio taxis should carry no other passengers. Remain vigilant around transport when in tourist sites such as Rurrenabaque, as there have been some reported attacks on lone travellers using motorbike taxis. Beware of anyone who tries to offer help at taxi ranks or bus terminals as thieves may work in teams and use distraction methods.

You may be subject to an ID check by either the police or immigration officials, so you should keep a photocopy of your passport (with Bolivian immigration stamps) with you, and leave the original document in a safe place. Criminals have sometimes been known to impersonate police officers, using false ID, uniforms and even bogus police stations, and then team up with fake taxis to target travellers. Bogus police officers may ask for passports or other information and then try to persuade you to get into a taxi, where you may be robbed or taken to a cash point to withdraw money. In Bolivia, you cannot be searched without a written order from a state prosecutor.

Transport/Travel

Travellers are advised not to use airports outside the 9 departmental capitals in Bolivia as standards of safety outside these areas are of concern.

The road system in Bolivia is poor and accidents involving public transport have been reported, especially on long-distance buses, often because bus drivers drive for long hours. Most buses and taxis do not meet European standards and often don’t have seat belts.

Other than the principal roads, many roads in Bolivia are unpaved tracks. During the rainy season from November to March, roads can be washed away or flooded. 4-wheel drive vehicles are the best form of transport during the rainy season.

At night, broken-down vehicles with no warning lights can be a hazard.

We do not recommend hiring motorbikes, scooters, ATV vehicles, quad bikes or other types of motorised vehicles whilst abroad. Safety and quality of vehicles vary considerably and the traffic conditions can be much more dangerous than what UK travellers are used to. Should you wish to go against this advice, you should ensure you are hiring from a reputable company and that your travel insurance covers you for such activities.

Demonstrations

As the political situation in Bolivia is unpredictable, demonstrations can become violent without warning so travellers are advised to avoid large crowds and demonstrations. Border areas and other remote regions are also at risk from demonstrations. Road blockades can be set up by protest groups without warning; do not attempt to cross these blockades.

Prison Tours

While in Bolivia you may be offered a prison tour, but not only are these illegal they are also unsafe and no guarantee can be made of your safety once you are on prison premises.

Adventure Activities

Bolivia is well known for its adventure activities, which include mountain biking, salt flat tours and jungle tours. No official minimum standards are applied to tour operators, so always use reputable companies and make sure that your travel insurance policy covers you for the activities you wish to do.

If you want to take a boat trip on Lake Titicaca or go on a jungle river excursion, please note that the boats used on such trips are often very basic.

‘Death Road’, which runs from La Paz to Coroico through the Yungas Valley, is a popular spot for mountain biking, but always ensure that your bicycles are in good condition and that your guides have all the appropriate safety equipment and carry first-aid kits.

Natural Disasters

The rainy season, from November to March, can cause regular floods and landslides, especially in mountainous areas, often making roads impassable for days.

Health

You should be in touch with your GP around 8 weeks before you travel for vaccination or health advice. A Yellow Fever vaccination is required for travellers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for those travelling to areas below 2,300m east of the Andes Mountains, including the entire departments of Beni, Pando, and Santa Cruz, and some areas in the Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz and Tarija departments. If an outbreak of yellow fever happens in an area designated as ‘high risk’ for yellow fever, the government will set up vaccination points at police checkpoints at which you may be vaccinated if you do not already hold a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate.

An outbreak of AH3N2 flu has recently been confirmed in Bolivia, with La Paz, Oruro and Potosi the most affected areas due to their low temperatures.

Dengue Fever is common in Bolivia, with rain and flooding increasing the mosquito population leading to greater vulnerability to dengue breakouts. Malaria is also common in lowland tropical areas such as Beni, Pando, Yacuiba and Paracari.

Altitude sickness can be a problem, so take care when staying in high altitude areas. Don’t drink alcohol for the first couple of days, and make sure you eat only light meals and drink LOTS of water. It is important that you visit your GP before travelling to areas of high altitude if you suffer from either high blood pressure, respiratory problems or a heart condition.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you should carry a letter from your doctor describing your condition and any medication you have been prescribed. If you carry your own medicines with you, make sure they are in original, clearly labelled containers.

Diarrhoea can be caused by contaminated food or water so we advise you drink bottled water.