Find places in Bolivia

Must-Haves

• Mi Teleférico (City wide)
  Ride the urban cable car lines for sweeping views over the canyon, El Alto and the peaks.
• Yungas Road mountain biking (Yungas)
  A thrilling downhill ride from high Andes to subtropical forest with a specialist operator.

Fun for Everyone

• Cholita Wrestling (El Alto)
  Loud, theatrical Sunday wrestling shows featuring women fighters in traditional dress.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tiwanaku (Altiplano)
  The ruins and museums of a great pre Inca civilisation, an easy day trip from the city.

Must-Haves

• Witches' Market (Rosario)
  Stalls of herbs, charms and llama foetuses used in Aymara offerings, right in the old town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• 16 de Julio Market (El Alto)
  One of the largest open air markets in South America, held on Thursdays and Sundays.
• Mercado Rodríguez (San Pedro)
  A sprawling local food market for fruit, cheese, bread and Andean produce.

Off the Beaten Path

• Calle Sagárnaga (Rosario)
  Alpaca knitwear, textiles and souvenirs in a steep street of shops.

Must-Haves

• Calle Jaén (Centro)
  The best preserved colonial street in the city, lined with small museums and painted doorways.
• San Francisco Church (Centro)
  A baroque mestizo church whose rooftop tour gives a view over the busy plaza below.
• MUSEF National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (Centro)
  Superb displays of festival masks, textiles and feathers from across Bolivia.

Fun for Everyone

• Plaza Murillo (Centro)
  The main square with the cathedral, presidential palace and parliament, full of pigeons and families.

Off the Beaten Path

• Museo Nacional de Arte (Centro)
  Colonial and Bolivian art in a baroque palace on Plaza Murillo.

Must-Haves

• Valle de la Luna (Mallasa)
  A short walk through eroded clay spires on the southern edge of the city.

Great for Date Night

• Mirador Killi Killi (Villa Pabón)
  A hilltop viewpoint for one of the best sunsets over the city and Illimani.

Off the Beaten Path

• Chacaltaya (Cordillera Real)
  A former ski slope above 5,000 metres with views of Huayna Potosí and Titicaca.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado Lanza (Centro)
  Cheap juices and set lunches in a busy multi storey market near San Francisco.

Must-Haves

• Gustu (Calacoto)
  The restaurant that put modern Bolivian cooking on the world map, using only native ingredients.
• Paceña La Salteña (Sopocachi)
  A long running favourite for the city's beloved juicy mid morning pastry.

Great for Date Night

• Ali Pacha (Centro)
  Inventive plant based tasting menus built on Andean grains, tubers and herbs.
• Popular Cocina Boliviana (Centro)
  A small lunch spot reimagining traditional Bolivian dishes as set menus.

Fun for Everyone

• Typica Café (Sopocachi)
  A local specialty coffee chain serving beans grown in the Yungas.

Fun for Everyone

• Peña Huari (Rosario)
  A folk music dinner show with dancers from different Bolivian regions.

Must-Haves

• Gran Poder (Centro)
  A huge folkloric parade of dancers and bands held each year in late May or June.

Fun for Everyone

• Alasitas Fair (Centro)
  A January fair of miniatures where people buy tiny versions of what they wish for.

Must-Haves

• Atix Hotel (Calacoto)
  A design hotel filled with Bolivian art in the lower southern zone.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel Rosario (Rosario)
  A colonial style hotel in the old town, close to the markets.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Wild Rover La Paz (Centro)
  A lively hostel popular with backpackers.

Must-Haves

• Salar de Uyuni (Salar)
  The world's largest salt flat, famous for its mirror effect and perspective photos.

Fun for Everyone

• Train Cemetery (Edge of town)
  Rusting steam locomotives left in the desert, a classic first stop.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Colchani (Salar)
  A salt processing village where families cut and pack salt by hand.

Great for Date Night

• Salar stargazing tour (Salar)
  Night tours to see the Milky Way reflected on the salt.

Must-Haves

• Isla Incahuasi (Salar)
  A rocky island of giant cacti in the middle of the salt flat.
• Laguna Colorada (Eduardo Avaroa Reserve)
  A red lagoon dotted with flamingos high in the Lípez region.
• Laguna Verde (Eduardo Avaroa Reserve)
  A green mineral lake below the cone of Licancabur volcano.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sol de Mañana (Eduardo Avaroa Reserve)
  A steaming geyser field and bubbling mud pools close to 5,000 metres.

Fun for Everyone

• Polques Hot Springs (Eduardo Avaroa Reserve)
  Natural thermal pools for a warm soak at dawn on the three day tour.

Fun for Everyone

• Dakar Monument (Salar)
  A salt sculpture marking the rally's passage through Bolivia, next to the flags.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pulacayo (Near Uyuni)
  A ghost mining town with old trains and a turbulent history.

Must-Haves

• Palacio de Sal (Salar edge)
  A hotel built of salt blocks on the edge of the flat.

Great for Date Night

• Luna Salada (Salar edge)
  A salt hotel with big windows looking across the Salar.

Great for Date Night

• Minuteman Pizza (Centro)
  Wood fired pizza and hearty breakfasts, a long standing traveller favourite.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Uyuni Central Market (Centro)
  Cheap soups and set meals with locals before an early tour start.

Must-Haves

• Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana (Centro)
  A white Moorish style basilica, home of Bolivia's patron saint.
• Inca Stairway (Yumani, Isla del Sol)
  Ancient stone steps rising from the jetty past a sacred spring.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pilko Kaina (Isla del Sol)
  Inca ruins on the southern tip of the island with lake views.
• Isla de la Luna (Lake Titicaca)
  A small island with the ruins of the Temple of the Virgins of the Sun.

Fun for Everyone

• Blessing of the cars (Basilica)
  Families decorate new cars with flowers to be blessed outside the basilica.

Must-Haves

• Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria (Copacabana)
  The town's biggest festival in early February with dancing and processions.

Great for Date Night

• Cerro Calvario (Copacabana)
  A Stations of the Cross hill with a superb sunset over the lake.

Must-Haves

• Isla del Sol (Lake Titicaca)
  A car free island of Inca ruins, terraces and walking paths.

Off the Beaten Path

• Horca del Inca (Copacabana)
  A small Inca astronomical site on a hill south of town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Trout stalls on the waterfront (Lakeshore)
  Simple kiosks serving fresh fried lake trout.

Great for Date Night

• La Cúpula (Copacabana)
  A hillside hotel restaurant with lake views and vegetarian dishes.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel La Cúpula (Copacabana)
  A quirky hotel with domes, gardens and views over the bay.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Rosario del Lago (Copacabana)
  A comfortable colonial style hotel near the shore.

Fun for Everyone

• Pedal boats on the bay (Lakeshore)
  Paddle out on swan shaped boats for a fun hour on the water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Chincana ruins (Isla del Sol north)
  A labyrinth of Inca stone rooms near the sacred rock of the creation myth.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Copacabana Market (Centro)
  A small covered market for fruit, bread and juices.

Must-Haves

• Casa de la Libertad (Centro)
  The hall where Bolivia's declaration of independence was signed in 1825.
• Museo de Arte Indígena ASUR (Centro)
  Exquisite Jalq'a and Tarabuco weavings with live weaving demonstrations.

Fun for Everyone

• Plaza 25 de Mayo (Centro)
  The leafy main square, the heart of daily life in the white city.

Off the Beaten Path

• San Felipe Neri rooftop (Centro)
  Walk the white rooftops of a convent for some of the best city views.
• Cementerio General (Centro)
  A tranquil tree lined cemetery of grand mausoleums.

Great for Date Night

• Mirador de la Recoleta (Recoleta)
  A colonnaded viewpoint for golden hour over red tiled roofs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Maragua Crater (Cordillera de los Frailes)
  A red and purple bowl of folded rock reached on a guided trek.

Fun for Everyone

• Parque Cretácico (Cal Orck'o)
  A wall of thousands of dinosaur footprints plus life size models.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado Central (Centro)
  Fresh juices, fruit salads and simple lunches in the central market.

Must-Haves

• Tarabuco Sunday Market (Tarabuco)
  A big village market where communities trade in traditional dress.

Great for Date Night

• Para Ti Chocolates (Centro)
  A well known Sucre chocolatier with shops near the plaza.

Must-Haves

• Pujllay Festival (Tarabuco)
  A colourful March festival of music and dance marking a historic victory.

Must-Haves

• El Huerto (Centro)
  A garden restaurant known for traditional Chuquisaca dishes.

Great for Date Night

• Condor Café (Centro)
  A community minded café restaurant that also runs trekking trips.

Low Cost and Authentic

• El Patio Salteñería (Centro)
  A busy spot for morning salteñas fresh from the oven.

Fun for Everyone

• Café Mirador (Recoleta)
  A terrace café with deckchairs looking over the city.

Great for Date Night

• Florín (Centro)
  A popular bar restaurant with a long wooden bar and live sport.

Must-Haves

• Parador Santa María la Real (Centro)
  A restored colonial mansion hotel with courtyards and tunnels.

Must-Haves

• Plaza 24 de Septiembre (Centro)
  The shaded main square where sloths have been seen in the trees.

Fun for Everyone

• Cathedral Basilica of San Lorenzo (Centro)
  A brick cathedral with a bell tower view over the plaza.

Off the Beaten Path

• San Javier Mission Church (Chiquitos)
  A painted wooden Jesuit mission church in the UNESCO listed Chiquitos region.
• Concepción Mission (Chiquitos)
  A beautifully restored mission town with a busy music tradition.
• Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado (Centro)
  Exhibits on the wildlife of the Bolivian lowlands.

Fun for Everyone

• Biocentro Güembé (Urubó)
  A nature park with a butterfly dome, pools and orchid gardens.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lomas de Arena Regional Park (South of the city)
  Pale sand dunes and lagoons hidden in the forest near the city.

Must-Haves

• El Fuerte de Samaipata (Samaipata)
  A UNESCO listed carved sandstone ritual site above the village.
• Amboró National Park (Samaipata)
  Cloud forest with giant tree ferns and rich birdlife, best with a guide.

Fun for Everyone

• Las Cuevas waterfalls (Near Samaipata)
  A series of swimmable waterfalls and pools outside Samaipata.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado Los Pozos (Centro)
  A lively market for tropical fruit, juices and lowland snacks.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mercado 7 Calles (Centro)
  A huge maze of stalls selling clothes, fabrics and household goods.

Great for Date Night

• Avenida San Martín bars (Equipetrol)
  The city's nightlife strip of bars, lounges and clubs.

Must-Haves

• Casa del Camba (Equipetrol)
  A large traditional restaurant serving lowland dishes with live music.

Must-Haves

• Carnaval de Santa Cruz (City wide)
  The city's huge pre Lent party of parades, music and water fights.

Must-Haves

• Los Tajibos Hotel (Equipetrol)
  A large garden hotel with pools, a long standing city landmark.

Off the Beaten Path

• La Víspera (Samaipata)
  A peaceful garden guesthouse and organic farm in Samaipata.

Must-Haves

• Casa Nacional de Moneda (Centro)
  The colonial royal mint, now one of Bolivia's finest museums.
• Potosí Cathedral (Plaza 10 de Noviembre)
  A neoclassical cathedral whose bell tower looks out over Cerro Rico.

Fun for Everyone

• Convento de Santa Teresa (Centro)
  A former Carmelite convent museum with art and an orchard.

Off the Beaten Path

• San Lorenzo de Carangas (Centro)
  A church with a richly carved mestizo baroque stone facade.

Must-Haves

• Cerro Rico mine tour (Cerro Rico)
  Visit a working cooperative mine with a licensed guide to understand Potosí's silver history.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ojo del Inca (Tarapaya)
  A warm crater lake for a swim outside the city.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado Central Potosí (Centro)
  A local market for soups, bread and Andean produce.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fiesta de Chutillos (Potosí)
  An August festival of folk dancing honouring San Bartolomé.