Bolivia is one of those countries that didn’t just welcome us, it tested us. Our trip started with the surreal landscapes of the Salt Flats. Then, we moved to the tropically lush Amazon basin and finished with the dizzying heights of the Altiplano. After 26 days in Bolivia, I am convinced: this country is wildly beautiful, unpredictable and absolutely worth it. However, if you want to really enjoy Bolivia, you need more than a good camera. You’ll meed a sense of adventure, a few street smarts, some basic Spanish and a feel for how things work on the ground.
After weeks of exploring by foot, bus and on questionable WI-FI, Stefano and I gathered these tried-and-tested Dos and Don’ts. They’ll hopefully be helpful for other travelers to enjoy Bolivia without getting scammed, sick or stranded. Here’s everything we wish we had known before landing in this beautiful country.
Dos: What to definitely do in Bolivia
✅ Adjust to the altitude
Bolivia’s most touristic parts are located along its Altiplano, a high-altitude plateau. That means that you will very probably travel above 3,600 meters for a considerable amount of your Bolivian time. For example, La Paz (3,640 meters) is the highest administrative capital in the world. Uyuni, which is a typical tourist destinations because of the nearby Salt Flats, lies at an altitude of 3,656 meters. Usually above 2,400 meters of altitude, oxygen levels are reduced and travelers can face altitude sickness. The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to limit how fast you ascent, take rest days to acclimate and sleep at lower altitude if possible.
✅ Use cash
Debit or credit cards are not common in Bolivia. If you can pay by card, you will most probably either pay a commission or get the official exchange rate. Anyway, you will lose money compared to paying by cash. In Bolivia, high inflation and low amounts of foreign currency lead to beneficial exchange rates for foreign currencies. That’s why you should get money changed.
We used our card in a supermarket in La Paz once. For a purchase of 750 Bolivianos, we paid 96 euro. With the unbeatable exchange rates, this same supermarket would have cost us only 60 euro.
✅ Use bottled or boiled water
Tap water is generally not safe to drink in Bolivia. Unless you boil it properly, I recommend you buy bottled water. Moreover, avoid ice in drinks. You never know which water was used to cool your drinks down.
✅ Use reputable tour operators
Bolivia has lower hygiene standards than other neighboring countries. Thus, choosing a reputable agency for organized tours is your best option to stay in good health.
I’m very happy to recommend World White Travel for Uyuni Salt Flat tours from Uyuni, Bolivia or San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
Mashaquipe Ecotours is a great local agency for eco-friendly and locally-lead Amazon tours through the Madidi National Park and the Pampas of Yacuma, starting in Rurrenabaque.
✅ Confirm reservations in advance
If you make reservations, remind your contacts at least one day before! The only time we didn’t stick to this rule, an agency forgot our pickup before a Cholita wrestling in El Alto. We had to rush to the nearby cable car station to reach our group and evening show in time. In the end, we had a great experience taking the cable car. But we also came back home completely exhausted after rushing through La Paz and El Alto on our own.
✅ Get a local SIM card
Bolivia is no exception in South America: people are highly connected and you find WI-FI in most cafés and restaurants. However, long-distance buses rarely provide internet, and journeys across the country can be long and unpredictable. Having mobile data isn’t just about posting Salt Flat selfies. It’s essential for navigating, translating on the go and especially for using ride apps like InDrive or Uber, which are often safer and cheaper than flagging down taxis.
You can buy a SIM card from providers like Entel, Tigo or Viva in major cities and airports. Make sure your phone is unlocked before arrival and bring your passport. SIM card registration is mandatory. Prepaid packages are affordable and usually include both calls and data. For remote areas, Entel often has the best coverage.
✅ Learn basic Spanish
English is not common in Bolivia. You don’t need to speak Spanish well. However, some basics will definitely help you find your way or know the prices for food.
In our case, Stefano handled most conversations. I’m lucky to have a Spanish speaker by my side. After all these months in South America, I understand most conversations now and can ask my way around. Without Spanish, our travels would have been much more complicated and cultural exchanges extremely limited.
✅ Use InDrive and Uber to get around cities
We exclusively used InDrive and Uber to get around cities. Both ride apps work very well in Bolivia. We found InDrive more reliable because it shows the final price, while Uber sometimes charges more after your drive, according to the route chosen by your driver. Nevertheless, both apps avoid bargaining or falling for tourist scams. Unfortunately, some taxi drivers in Bolivia lose memory and suddenly ask for higher fares at the end of the ride.
✅ Be aware of traffic
Bolivians drive recklessly, so be extra cautious when crossing streets. As our local guide Cristian in La Paz said (read about our walking tour in La Paz here), crossing the street in Bolivia is running for life.
✅ Pack a backpack
Bolivia is a developing country. Many tourist destinations like Uyuni still don’t have proper roads or pedestrian ways. Suitcases are often difficult to pull along in such desert environments, unless you call taxis all the time. Personally, I appreciated my backpack, which allowed me to move along the mostly dusty and unpaved roads comfortably.
Don’ts: What to avoid in Bolivia
🚫 Don’t blindly embrace “green” Lithium
Sustainable travel also means asking tough questions back home: How “green” is Europe’s green transition? A sobering fact – at least 2% of the famous Uyuni Salt Flats will be destroyed due to lithium extraction. Lithium is a key component in rechargeable batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries used in consumer electronics (laptops, smartphones, etc.), electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage systems (e.g. solar and wind). While we aim to decarbonize transport, generate and store renewable energy and reduce fossil fuel dependency in Europe, we destroy natural environments in South America and other parts of the world. Personally, I don’t even consider electric vehicles anymore.
🚫 Don’t eat at places with questionable hygiene
Bolivian food is flavorful and affordable. Unfortunately, hygiene standards are much lower than in other South American countries. Food poisoning is a common issue among international travelers. We were very careful during our month in Bolivia. We chose reputable tour operators and restaurants, or cooked ourselves. Nevertheless, food poisoning, which we got somewhere in Rurrenabaque, weakened us considerably during our last days in La Paz. Therefore, stick to places with good reviews, eat food that’s well-cooked, avoid crude vegetables or meat and consider bringing a backup like Imodium and antibiotics, just in case.
🚫 Don’t accept torn or damaged Boliviano notes
Be careful with cash in Bolivia. Many notes look stone old, and you may face trouble getting rid of them again. There is also a considerable amount of counterfeit money in circulation. We often noticed that even our drivers and guides carefully inspected the notes they received.
🚫 Don’t leave your valuables unattended in busy areas
Bolivia is a generally safe country. However, like in Barcelona or Rome, you need to be aware of your belongings in big cities. Pickpockets do exist especially in markets and crowded areas, for example during strikes.
🚫 Don’t forget a roll of toilet paper
In Bolivia, you often pay 1-3 Bolivianos for a public toilet and get toilet paper in return. However, many restaurants and hotels don’t offer this service. That’s why it’s always safe to bring your own toilet paper with you while traveling Bolivia.
🚫 Don’t freeze or melt on Bolivian night buses (Fly EcoJet if you can)
If your bus’s AC isn’t broken, like ours between Sucre and Samaipata, it might be freezing. But if it is broken, get ready for a long night of sweating in stale, unventilated air. Unlike in other South American countries, you won’t get a blanket, so pack warm layers or your own lightweight cover.
For longer or more uncomfortable routes, consider skipping the bus entirely and flying instead. Bolivia has two main domestic airlines: BoA (Boliviana de Aviación) and EcoJet. BoA is larger and often promoted more visibly. However, we had a far smoother experience with EcoJet, which was on time, professional, and refreshingly well-organized. We took BoA from Cochabamba to Rurrenabaque and would definitely choose EcoJet over BoA next time (read about our mixed experience here) .
Flights can be surprisingly affordable if booked early, and they’ll save you countless hours on Bolivia’s rough roads.
🚫 Don’t underestimate traffic, strikes and delays
Bolivia is “a country of never-ending strikes“, as our local guide Cristian said during our walking tour in La Paz (read about it here). Gasoline shortages frequently cause kilometer-long and hour-long queues at petrol stations. Drivers of public transportation often put their work on hold due to low payments. As a result, many travelers spend hours in buses, blocked in front of road blockages.
For example, between Uyuni and Sucre, public buses are the most common transportation. We had also initially planned to take a bus between these two major cities. Unfortunately, we arrived in Uyuni just before a national strike of 48 hours. It made the indirect bus ride via Potosi a completely unreliable option. Instead, we luckily found a private driver. He recommended leaving at 2 AM, so we could avoid road blockages. After half way, we changed to another car in Potosi because our car from Uyuni didn’t have sufficient gasoline and no option to refuel in Potosi. Imagine this situation in a public bus! Instead of 7 hours, we would maybe have needed two days or more to reach Sucre.
Our takeaway from this experience: If you don’t chose private transportation, keep your itinerary and schedule as flexible as possible in Bolivia. You never know what will happen on the way.
🚫 Don’t take photos without permission, especially in markets
This easy question should be part of your Spanish basics: “Photo, por favor?” For example, market scenes are a beautiful occasion to externalize Bolivia’s local culture. However, without permission, you may receive rotten tomatoes from merchants. That’s a usual tool to defend their privacy.
🚫 Dont take coca leaves out of the country
Customs authorities are strict about this. Even though coca is a topic of everyday use in Bolivia and you can buy coca in diverse forms everywhere, taking coca leaves out of Bolivia can cause you legal issues. Just make sure you don’t carry any coca leaves in your bag before leaving Bolivia.
🚫 Don’t forget to check visa rules
The current Bolivian government considers for example the US and Israel as war criminals. Therefore, visa rules have been severely tightened for these countries in recent years. While for example EU citizens benefit from visa-free entry, US Americans and Israelis need to apply and pay for a visa nowadays.
Conclusion: Take the leap, just pack smart
Bolivia is not the kind of destination that holds your hand. Nevertheless, I consider Bolivia one of South America’s most underrated countries. If you’re willing to roll with its quirks and occasional chaos, it rewards you with raw authenticity and jaw-dropping nature. Prepare well, pack wisely (don’t forget that roll of toilet paper!), and respect the culture. Bolivia will absolutely blow your mind.
Was this blog post helpful for your Bolivia travel planning? Let me know in the comments.
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