Bolivia Tours Worth Booking (And What to Wing When You’re There)
If you’re planning a trip to Bolivia & wondering what to book in advance vs what’s fine to figure out on the fly – you’re in the right place. I’ve been through the salt, sweat & surprising calm of Bolivian travel myself, so this guide is based on that sweet combo of lived experience & obsessive research. Some tours? Worth every penny ahead of time. Others? Meh, sort it when you’re there & save the faff.
If you’re after a full country breakdown, check out my Traveller’s Guide to Exploring Bolivia for a more complete look at what not to miss.
Full Disclosure: As an affiliate, if you book or buy through the links in this post, I may earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you. I’d still recommend them even if I wasn’t getting paid. Promise.
What This Bolivia Tour Guide Covers
A mix of personal picks, travel-tested tips & what’s actually worth booking before you land in Bolivia. No filler – just the bits that matter.
A few people messaged after my itinerary post saying they weren’t sure what to book – this is the guide I wish I’d had when I was debating it from a hostel dorm in Cusco.
If you’re still mapping out your trip, it’s also worth checking this breakdown of what you’ll need at the border & what to actually pack for a smooth arrival.
TL;DR: Which Bolivia Tours to Book vs Wing It
Some tours are smart to book before you go (Salt Flats, Death Road), others you can sort as you wander (walking tours, markets, etc). This post breaks down both, based on what I’d actually do again.
Quick Answer: What Bolivia Tours Should You Book in Advance?
Lock these in before you go:
- 🚲 Death Road tour – especially in high season
- 🚙 Salt Flats tour – book online or at least lock in your preferred dates
- 🛥️ Isla del Sol boat day trip – if you’re short on time & want guaranteed spots
Quick note that it doesn’t have to be these tours specifically. For me the mark of a solid trip is when you feel you’ve researched heavily enough and tick a suitable amount of boxes for what you want out of it.
In my Bolivia Backpacking Itinerary article I mention for instance 3 different options for the salt flat tour (1, 2 or 3 days). Why I compiled this was to give readers the options to see firstly what will suit their itinerary better (some are naturally shorter than others). But also to compare different tour guides & their nuances and see which ones they naturally vibe with more.
Wait until you’re there for:
- City walking tours (La Paz, Sucre etc.)
- Museum visits (La Paz, Sucre etc.)
- Food tours/ wine tastings or random experiences (usually cheaper direct)
The idea isn’t to pre-plan every detail – just to avoid getting shafted on the good stuff. I’ve provided a couple options anyway for these so you can get a good idea ahead of time what to look for when eventually choosing one!
The Big Ones: Bolivia Salt Flats & Death Road Tours
🧂 Salar de Uyuni: Salt, Stars & Straight-Up Madness
There’s no such thing as “just turning up” & hoping for the best when it comes to salt flats Bolivia tours – trust me, it’s chaos. These tours cover huge distances, often over 3 or 4 days, & while some agencies do take walk-ins, the good ones get snapped up fast. Whether you’re keen on Uyuni salt flats tours with flamingo sightings & desert hot springs or just want to do the classic day-trip out from Uyuni – it’s worth comparing operators ahead of time.
Pro tip: The links above takes you to a general search of salt flat tours for both Get Your Guide (link 1) & Viator (link 2), both monsters in offering amazing tours. Have a shop around both as offers can randomly pop up at different times of the year! My main tour pick I also share below.
If you’re wondering about the best time to visit the Bolivia salt flats without regret, I’ve written about that too. Also, if curious about the wild landscapes you’re bouncing across during your tour, this little intro to what the Bolivian Altiplano actually is gives it some well-deserved context.
Top pick: Salar de Uyuni tour – matches my route almost exactly & has ridiculous reviews.
🧗♂️ Death Road: Bolivia’s Most Terrifying Day Trip (In a Good Way)
The Death Road tour is wild – a full-day adrenaline fest where you cycle down a narrow mountain path with cliffs on one side & questionable brakes on the other. That said, it’s become super popular which means it sells out fast. There are heaps of operators offering Bolivia Death Road tours but they vary a lot in terms of safety & gear. Don’t leave this to chance – book with a legit provider & check they’ve got working suspension (learned that one the hard way).
You can read my Death Road Bike Tour Bolivia write-up for the full breakdown – including the bit where I almost stacked it mid-descent.
Top pick: A mid-range Death Road tour recommended by other travellers I met on the day. I speak about this a bit more in my Death Road article (above). Nothing too fancy, but the gear was solid & safety was taken very seriously – unlike the budget operator I rode with.
Bonus Tour Worth Booking: Isla del Sol Boat Trip
You can technically just rock up to the docks in Copacabana & sort a boat on the day. But if you’re only there for one night or want a proper guide to explain why everyone’s obsessed with this place, an Isla del Sol day trip is a great shout. Plus, there’s less faffing around with ticket lines.
Recommended: Isla del Sol tour
Don’t Bother Booking These in Advance
Save your pennies & be a bit more go-with-the-flow on:
- Free walking tours – run daily in La Paz, Sucre & Potosí
- Market visits – just wander
- Cooking classes, art workshops, Bolivian wrestling nights – fun to find as you go
- Internal flights – check once in Bolivia unless on a tight schedule
That said, if you’re relying on maps or booking things last minute, you’ll want a heads-up on how internet actually works in Bolivia – speeds, SIMs, my tried and tested methods etc.
Pack Smart: Altitude, Sun & Freezing Shade
No matter what Bolivia tour you book, you’ll need to pack for altitude & weird weather. Think windbreaker, layers, altitude meds & sunscreen. If you’re wondering what the climate’s like across Bolivia, this guide gives a quick breakdown.
💡 Linked my favourite gear here, for now just Sunglasses & Travel Fleece. I’m a simple man.
Are Bolivia Tours Expensive?
Surprisingly… not really. Most multi-day tours (like the salt flats tour from Uyuni) are around £150–£200 (€170–€230 / $185–$250) which includes food, transport & sometimes accommodation. Day trips (like Uyuni tours from La Paz) can be as cheap as £30–£50 (€35–€58 / $37–$62) but you’ll want to double-check what’s included.
If you’re curious about the full cost of backpacking here, check out my Is Bolivia Cheap to Travel post – broke it all down by transport, food & tours.
It’s why Bolivia’s still one of the best-value countries in South America for adventure.
Final Thoughts (aka What I’d Actually Do Again)
If I were doing it all over again, I’d book:
- Salar de Uyuni tour
- Death Road tour
- One or two specific day trips like Isla del Sol boat day trip
Everything else? I’d wing it. Bolivia’s built for semi-chaotic wanderers & half the charm is just figuring it out as you go.
If you’re after a rough route, my Bolivia backpacking recommendations lay out what I’d do differently next time – no faff, just the good bits.
Have you done any Bolivia tours? Which ones were worth it – & which were a total rip? Drop a comment, send a message or shout into the altiplano wind.
Happy Travels! 🌍
