Filled with unimaginable landscapes, extraordinary animals and a vibrant culture Bolivia should be on your travel bucket list. There are so many fascinating places to visit but trying to decide which ones to see can either be a fun or frustrating part of your travel planning. We spent over two months traveling all over the country and based on that experience have created our list of the top places to visit. Below are brief descriptions of the sites we think you shouldn’t miss on your next trip to Bolivia.

The Salt Flats and Colourful Lakes Of Uyuni

Some of the most unusual landscapes in the world can be found on the Bolivian Altiplano. In the southwestern part of the plateau the vistas range from the largest salt flats in the world to picture perfect volcanos hovering above flamingo-filled lagoons. You will be astounded by the fascinating scenes around the city of Uyuni. For more information read our post from Salar de Uyuni and the Stunning Lakes of Uyuni.

The Pampas of Yacuma River

The wetlands region of Pampas del Rio Yacuma is literally bursting with wildlife and is the perfect place for a wildlife safari. Plan to spend at least 3 days in the pampas so you have the opportunity to fully explore the area. Safaris are usually a combination of land and water tours allowing you to see a larger variety of wildlife. For more information read our post from The Pampas.

Sucre

Sucre is undeniably the prettiest city in all of Bolivia. Its historical centre is filled with stunning 16th century Spanish architecture. Street after street is lined by white-washed homes with small second-story balconies. At the centre, the lovely tree-filled Plaza 25 de Mayo is surrounded by gorgeous Spanish colonial buildings. You can ever climb up to the roof of one of the monasteries for a better view of this charming city. For more information read our post from Sucre.

Torotoro National Park

High in the mountains above the city of Cochabamba, is a fascinating national park with a surreal landscape. There are many different activities to do in the park including exploring dramatic canyons, waterfalls and caves as well as inspecting millions of years old dinosaur footprints and turtle fossils. Torotoro National Park is a must see for those looking for a little adventure. For more information read our post from Torotoro.

La Paz

Not only is La Paz the highest capital in the world, it also has one of the most unusual locations. When you look from the rim of the canyon down to the city below, the view is dumfounding. The city appears to be encapsulated by the walls of the large canyon. Its location on the Altiplano means that there is so much to see and do in and around this incredible city. For more information read our posts from La Paz and Surrounding Area.

Tarija & Tupiza

Most people don’t realize that Bolivia produces excellent wines and brandy. The hills around the quaint city of Tarija are home to several vineyards that offer tastings of their world class drinks. The nearby city of Tupiza is another interesting city to visit. In addition to being an alternative access city for tours of Salar de Uyuni, you can hike in the gorgeous red rock canyons in the surrounding countryside. For more information read our post from Tarija and Tupiza.

Coming Next – Waterfalls in Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil

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87 responses to “Top Places to Visit in Bolivia”

  1. ThingsHelenLoves Avatar

    What a varied and beautiful place. Not a destination I’d considered, so this post is an eye opened for me!

    1. We were really surprised by Bolivia as well. There is so much to see across the country and so much variety in a small country. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Helen. Maggie

  2. Thank you for this summary of your Bolivian adventure. The country is more colorful and varied than I ever imagined.

    1. More that we imagined too! Thanks for following along 🙂 Maggie

  3. This has been a very enjoyable series to read!! Two months is a great amount of time to get under the skin of a place too! Have your minds turned to your next destination?

    1. Thank you! After Bolivia we spent 75 days in Brazil! Coming soon…

      1. Excellent! That will be interesting as I have only visited cities in Brazil, so, I look forward to seeing what I have missed!

        1. Where did you go?

          1. Brasilia, Recife and Rio

          2. We didn’t go to Brasilia but did visit Recife and obviously we couldn’t miss Rio 😊

          3. I look forward to reading and seeing your travels in due course! 🙂
            Brasilia was not as I had imagined it – far more happening than I had assumed!

  4. Wow, I didn’t know that you were in Bolivia for two solid months! That’s definitely a lot of time not only to cover the most famous sites, but also the lesser-known ones. Hence your most recent blog posts. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to, I think I would go for Tarija and Tupiza. They just look so charming!

    1. It was nice to be able to spend that long so we could get a good understanding of the country. There’s so much to see and it’s all so different. There’s even a lot more that we missed! Tarija and Tupiza are very charming and definitely worth spending some time in. Thanks for following along Bama 🙂 Maggie

  5. I have thoroughly enjoyed you visit to Bolivia. The photos were beautiful. The details both interesting and wonderful.

    1. Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Maggie

  6. This is an excellent summary of the highlights of your trip and useful for anyone planning a visit to Bolivia. I’ve bookmarked for future reference 🙂

    1. Thanks Sarah, I hope you get a chance to visit 🙂 Maggie

  7. I have really loved following along on your trip to Bolivia! It is one of those places that I knew so little about before reading your posts and now it is firmly planted on my list of places I want to see. Looking forward to your next chapter in Brazil! 🙂

    1. Thanks Meg, Glad you enjoyed Bolivia. There was much more to the country than we had realized so we’re glad we had so much time to explore it. Maggie

  8. Hi. It’s a wonderland. Your articles have proved that!

    1. It really is 🙂

  9. Bolivia looks like such an incredible place. Thanks for this amazing virtual tour!

    1. Thanks, yes there are so many varied and amazing places. We were blown away by it! Maggie

  10. Fantastic photos. How do you get about the country?

    1. Thanks! We had a lot of time so we took buses everywhere. You can fly to major centres, but it is quite expensive. Thanks for your interest 🙂 Maggie

        1. Bolivia is very safe. We never once felt uncomfortable or threatened. Even though they are very poor, they are very honest. After Bolivia we traveled to Brazil. Complete 180 on the safety index.

  11. You really did see some fabulous sights, Maggie! Was it an expensive trip? I gather you traveled around by bus. I imagine getting there would be our major expenditure.

    1. Getting there was the biggest expense. We actually flew into Lima because it was hundreds of dollars cheaper than into La Paz. And from there we did use buses to get everywhere. Other than flights it was the least cost/day of almost any other trip. Hotels, meals, guides etc are all very inexpensive. Thanks for following along Jo! Maggie

      1. I’ve enjoyed it, Maggie 🤗💗

  12. Thank you for this overview/review of your favorite Bolivian destinations. It can’t have been easy to narrow down the list.

    1. No it wasn’t. We hate to leave some places out but not everything can be your favourite! 😊

  13. I like your selection, I have never been disappointed in my travels in Bolivia, there are so many different things. And you could have added the Missions from your previous article, as if they were several countries in Bolivia.

    1. Thanks, ya we talked about including the Missions, it was very difficult to narrow down the list. 😊

      1. I understand, I face this problem all the time, the downside of enthusiasm 🙂

  14. A solid overview Maggie of what has undoubtedly been an incredible trip for you guys. Sladja and I have enjoyed following your recent adventures and must say Bolivia is now firmly on the list.

    1. Thanks Leighton, I hope you get there one day, it’s really a fascinating place. But probably not a lot of food posts coming out of it 😊

  15. It’s been so clear all the way through your posts how much you loved Bolivia and this collection just sums it all up again. You are clearly enthralled by it all. Isn’t it great when that happens!

    1. It’s the best reason to travel isn’t it, finding these unexpected spots that you fall in love with. 😊

  16. It’s pretty amazing that you were able to spend over two months exploring Bolivia. I love how varied the landscape is. The salt flats look incredible and Torotoro National Park looks like it’s from a different planet.

    1. The different landscapes in Bolivia are amazing. Each on their own are interesting but together, in the same small country they really make Bolivia stand out. Maggie

  17. Oh wow, it’s just so incredible. You’ve made Bolivia climb to the top of my list – I really can’t wait 🙂

    1. Oh Great! You won’t be disappointed!!

  18. Much of the landscape reminds me of Death Valley in CA. Beautiful photos.

    1. Okay that really makes me want to go to Death Valley then!

  19. What a varied and beautiful country, Maggie! Lovely photos and an informative narrative. I especially liked the waterfall photo! <3

    1. Thanks Cheryl, Bolivia has a lot to see!! Maggie

  20. Wow – what a great mix of urban and rural, culture and adventure. And two months to enjoy it all – I can’t imagine getting away for so long … lucky you! (And now I’m curious about Brazil, too.)

    1. Bolivia seems to have something for everyone! And Brazil had even more places that surprised us!!

  21. Those birds are amazing, and those monkeys are so cute! What an entertaining place to be!

    1. It is and we saw it all as we sat in a boat, Such a perfect setting!

  22. We’re mesmerized by Uyuni’s unique and incredible landscape. And the colonial buildings… there’s much that our country (the Philippines) have in common with South and Central America due to Spanish colonialization.

    1. Oh I bet there is a lot of old Spanish architecture in Phillipines. Not a nice part of history but the buildings are usually beautiful. Bolivia’s does have some ofnthe most unusual and special landscapes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Maggie

  23. Brings memories back of our time there. Such an amazing site you visited and these fantastic photos caught my attention. Anita

  24. Wow – 2 months! I hadn’t realized you were there so long, but looking back at all your posts it makes sense. It must be impossible for you to pick a favorite. What a great series of posts! My eyes have been opened to Bolivia and all its possibilities!

    1. Ya it was a good amount if time to see everything. Glad we introduced you to some wonderful places in Bolivia! Maggie

  25. Gasp!! Awesome photos. I am thinking I have seen very, very little of Bolivia. Thanks for sharing.

  26. you’ve a done a great comprehensive job guys here. It’s still a bit of a secret though Bolivia, which is always nice!

    1. Thanks, yes Bolivia is quite an unknown destination.

  27. Great re-cap. You covered a lot of ground in two months and it looks like you did not have to rush around. We will add as many of these places to our itinerary as we can. Thanks so much for your emails of advice. Happy holidays and be careful with those snowball fights! 😃 Cheers, John, and Susan

    1. We saw quite a bit, we were always moving, but didn’t feel rushed. Email any other questions you have as you start planning your Bolivia trip. Merry Christmas!! Maggie

  28. What an amazing tour of Boliva you’ve had. Thanks for the amazing guide. I’ve been to Peru twice, but didn’t make it to Boliva. Sounds like there is so much to do, I’ll have to spend a good two weeks to try and see all these amazing sights. How long were you there?

    1. We were in Boivia for 2 months so we were able to see quite a lot of the country. These ones in this post are definitely the highlights to chose from if you’re on a shorter trip. It is a great country to visit for a huge variety of landscapes. Consider it for another trip to South America. Maggie

      1. I definitely will. Love your adventures – keep them coming! Alisen

  29. Before blogging and taking pictures I visit Cochabamba and La Paz. Only some postcards for the memories. Nice pics thanks for the memory nudge. Cheers

    1. Thanks for reading! 🙂 Maggie

      1. You are welcome, and thanks for the memories

  30. Bolivia looks like a perfect destination for me, that’s a great re-cap!

  31. Great summary and exceptional photos! You seemed to have found such fascinating and beautiful places. Have a wonderful new year!

    1. Thank Ruth, we were pleasantly surprised by Bolivia. Happy New Year!!

  32. Great places, Maggie ! I wish you a wonderful and Happy New Year !

    1. Thanks Diana, Happy New Year!

  33. What a gorgeous country!

    1. It really is, with so many fascinating landscapes. 🙂

  34. Wow, what a truly fascinating place on Earth to explore and photograph. The salt flats are stunning, aren’t they? This seemingly endless landscape of salt left behind by a dried-up prehistoric lake stretches as far as the eye can see and is an amazing sight to behold. Thanks for sharing and have a lovely day. Aiva xx

    1. Thanks Aiva!! We loved Bolivia especially for these amazing landscapes.

  35. Bolivia looks like such a beautiful country to visit. I think you did well to see and do so much. I really liked your post about The Salt Flats and Colourful Lakes – they were some of the most beautiful pictures I’ve ever seen!

    1. We were so surprised with the amount of amazing sites in Bolivia. The Salt Flats is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been too. Thanks for taking the time to catch up on some posts, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now. Maggie

  36. […] Previous Post Previous post: Samaipata, Bolivia’s Mountain TownNext Post Next post: Top Places to Visit in Bolivia […]

  37. You guys have had amazing experiences in Bolivia! My wife has a good friend in Santa Cruz so we’ll probably go to Bolivia soon 🤞

    1. We loved Bolivia! There are so many fascinating places and the landscape is so diverse. You should go!! 😊

  38. If I had 4 days in Bolivia after visiting the Amazon in June, what would you recommend? I’d like to do the salt flats.

    1. The salt flats in Uuyni are amazing. That would be my first choice. La Ppaz is pretty cool and Sucre has great architecture, but Uuyni is the best site in the country.

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