Bolivia Sightseeing: Tiwanaku to Potosí

October 29, 2026

Travel advisory, as of October 2026. A nationwide state of exception was decreed in June 2026. Protests and road blockades can cut routes between cities, including roads to airports, at short notice, and fuel shortages are regular. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Chapare Province, including Villa Tunari, and the US warns against travel there. Read the FCDO advice and travel.state.gov before booking.

Bolivia’s main sights

Bolivia’s sightseeing runs from pre-Inca stonework to colonial silver cities. Several places carry World Heritage status, among them Tiwanaku, Sucre and Potosí, and others are natural or religious landmarks. Fees below are rough bolivianos, which trade at about 12 to the US dollar after floating in 2026, so confirm at the gate.

Tiwanaku

About 72 km from La Paz at 3,850 m, Tiwanaku was the ceremonial capital of a pre-Inca civilisation and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2000. You can walk the Kalasasaya platform with its Gate of the Sun, the sunken temple with rows of carved heads, the stepped Akapana mound and the precisely cut stones of Pumapunku. Foreign entry is about Bs 100, cash. The Aymara New Year is marked at dawn on 21 June.

Potosí and the Casa Nacional de la Moneda

Potosí, at about 4,000 m, was built on silver. The royal mint now holds wooden presses, colonial paintings and El Mascarón, and tours are guided. A foreigner ticket was quoted around Bs 40 with opening Tuesday to Saturday, but check both. A five-year restoration began in September 2026, with roofs first, and the museum is reported to stay open. The city has been on the World Heritage in Danger list since 2014.

Cerro Rico looms over the town. Cooperative miners still work it, in dust, with little ventilation and a risk of falling rock. Tours led by former miners cost about Bs 100 to 250 plus Bs 30 to 60 in gifts, with higher prices for small groups. They are not for children, nor for people with asthma, heart conditions or claustrophobia. Ask which cooperative receives a share, and treat the visit as a look at a hard workplace, not entertainment.

Sucre and the Casa de la Libertad

Sucre is a white colonial city at about 2,810 m, inscribed by UNESCO in 1991. The Casa de la Libertad is where independence was signed in 1825. It shows founding documents and portraits. Entry was listed at about Bs 15 with a guide and it opens Tuesday to Saturday, so confirm.

Copacabana on Lake Titicaca

The white basilica holds the dark wooden statue of the Virgin of Copacabana, and pilgrims climb Cerro Calvario above the town. It is an active place of worship, so dress modestly and keep quiet inside services.

Valle de la Luna, La Paz

A maze of eroded clay spires in the suburb of Mallasa, south of the centre. Entry was about Bs 15. Do not confuse it with the Valle de la Luna in Chile.

Cristo de la Concordia, Cochabamba

This 34 m statue overlooks Cochabamba, reached by cable car for about Bs 10 return, and gives wide views over the valley.

Salar de Uyuni

The world’s largest salt flat is a natural wonder, but it is not on any UNESCO list. It is a multi-day, cold trip above 3,600 m, and flooding in the rainy season from about December to April makes mirror views but closes some routes.

Altitude and getting around

Plan your first days around rest, because La Paz and El Alto reach 3,600 to 4,000 m. Coca tea is a local habit, not a proven treatment, and you should see a doctor before travel. Domestic flights, led by BOA, are faster than buses when roads are blocked.

To add a guide, browse GetYourGuide sightseeing in Bolivia , and read UNESCO’s Potosí decision .