Must see places in Bolivia | Things in Bolivia you should not miss

updated 5/14/2019

#01 Parque Nacional Madidi Dropdown content

Covering nearly nineteen thousand square kilometres, this park is home to some of the most diverse plant and animal life in South America.

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#02 Salar de Uyuni Dropdown content

A vast, perfectly flat expanse of dazzling white surrounded by high mountain peaks, the Salar de Uyuni is the world’s biggest salt lake and, perhaps, Bolivia’s most extraordinary attraction.

© Helen Filatova/Shutterstock

#03 Tiwanaku Dropdown content

One of the cradles of Andean civilization, and once the centre of a massive empire, Tiwanaku is among South America’s most intriguing archeological sites.

© marktucan/Shutterstock

#04 Potosí Dropdown content

The highest city in the world, the legendary silver-mining centre of Potosí boasts some of the finest Spanish colonial architecture on the continent.

Center of the city of Potosi at sunny day, Bolivia © Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

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#05 Folk music and dance

Far more than just panpipes, Bolivian folk music and dance is as vibrant and varied as the country itself.

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#06 Oruro Dropdown content Carnaval

One of South America’s most colourful fiestas, during which thousands of costumed dancers parade through the streets and revellers indulge in heavy drinking and indiscriminate water fighting.

© Dario Diament/Shutterstock

#07 La Paz Dropdown content

Nestled in a deep canyon at an altitude of over 3500m, Bolivia’s de facto capital is the highest in the world, and a fascinating melting-pot of modern urban and traditional Aymara cultures.

© Jess Kraft/Shutterstock

#08 Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa Dropdown content

This starkly beautiful reserve is a haven for rare Andean wildlife.

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#09 Mercado de Hechiceria Dropdown content

La Paz’s Witches’ Market offers a fascinating insight into the secretive world of Aymara mysticism and herbal medicine.

La Paz - Witches' market © Shutterstock

#10 Biking down the world’s most dangerous road

The perilous highway from La Paz Dropdown contentto Coroico Dropdown content is among the world’s most spectacular, plunging from the Andes to the lush upper Amazon

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#11 Salteñas

Pastry parcels filled with a rich stew of meat and vegetables, salteñas are an ideal mid-morning snack.

Bolivian salteña baked snack on plate © NaturalLense/Shutterstock

#12 Inca trails

The Choro Dropdown content, Takesi Dropdown content and Yunga Cruz Dropdown content trails – the three so-called “Inca trails” – descend from the icebound peaks of the Cordillera Real Dropdown content to the subtropical Yungas Dropdown content.

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#13 Andean textiles

The traditional weavings of indigenous highland communities are among the finest expressions of Andean culture

© Vivia-Futuraico/Shutterstock

#14 The Jesuit missions of chiquitos Dropdown content

The Jesuit mission churches offer a splash of incongruous splendour and historical intrigue in the wilderness.

#15 Isla del Sol Dropdown content

Isla del Sol is the spiritual centre of the Andean world, revered as the place where the sun and moon were created.

#16 Sucre Dropdown content

Known as the White City, Bolivia’s capital is a jewel of colonial architecture and a lively university city that combines serene dignity with a provincial charm.

#17 Mountain climbing

With six peaks over 6000m Bolivia is a paradise for experienced mountaineers. Novices can arrange a guided climb up 6090m Huayna Potosí Dropdown content.