eSIM for Bolivia

Bolivia has three mobile networks: state-owned Entel, Tigo and Viva. Our eSIM uses Tigo's 4G, which matches Entel on city speeds, but Entel has a far wider rural footprint. Once you have data, use it to check road blockades and fuel queues before long journeys, and to book inDrive or Yango rather than hailing street taxis.

A high-altitude week for travellers comfortable with long road days: two nights acclimatising in La Paz, Lake Titicaca from Copacabana, a domestic flight to the Uyuni salt flat, then south by road to Potosí and colonial Sucre.

Length

7 days

Bases

5

When to go May to October is the dry season, with clear skies and cold nights on the Altiplano; January to March brings rain, washed-out roads and the mirror effect on the salt flat, and protests or fuel shortages can disrupt road travel at any time.

1. 01

   Day 1 La Paz

   La Paz: arrive and acclimatise

   → From El Alto airport to central La Paz takes about 30–45 minutes; book inDrive or Yango rather than hailing a street taxi.

   Fly into El Alto, at over 4,000 metres, and take it slowly on day one. Ride the Mi Teleférico cable car network down into La Paz for the view over the bowl of the city, then walk gently around Plaza Murillo, the cathedral and Calle Jaén's restored colonial street. Browse the Witches' Market on Calle Linares in the afternoon, eat lightly, drink plenty of water and get an early night.

   Signal Tigo 4G is good across central La Paz and El Alto, and the Teleférico cabins keep signal for most of the ride. Coverage is reliable enough to check road blockades on the ABC road-status map, which may not load from outside Bolivia.

2. 02

   Day 2 La Paz

   La Paz: Valle de la Luna and the city markets

   Spend the morning at Valle de la Luna in the southern suburbs, a short loop through eroded clay pinnacles about 30 minutes from the centre. Back in town, visit the San Francisco church and plaza, then the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore. In the late afternoon take the Teleférico up to El Alto for the view back over the city and Illimani on a clear evening.

   Signal 4G holds through the city and the southern zone; signal can weaken briefly in the steep-sided gullies at Valle de la Luna. Use today to check road conditions and fuel news before tomorrow's drive to the lake.

3. 03

   Day 3 Copacabana

   Copacabana and Lake Titicaca

   → Bus from La Paz, roughly 3.5–4 hours including the Tiquina crossing.

   Take a morning bus to Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca, crossing the Strait of Tiquina on the way, where passengers ride a small boat while the bus goes over on a barge. In the afternoon visit the Moorish-style Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, then climb Cerro Calvario, the hill above town, for sunset over the lake.

   Signal Signal fades in stretches across the Altiplano and can drop during the Tiquina crossing. Tigo 4G works in Copacabana town, but expect slower speeds than in La Paz.

4. 04

   Day 4 La Paz

   Isla del Sol, then back to La Paz

   → Boat to Yumani about 1.5–2 hours each way; bus back to La Paz roughly 3.5–4 hours.

   Take an early boat from Copacabana to Yumani on the southern end of Isla del Sol. Climb the Inca Steps from the landing, walk the terraced paths along the ridge for views of the Cordillera Real, and visit the Pilko Kaina ruins near the shore. Leave large bags in Copacabana, as the steps are hard work at 3,800 metres. Return by boat in the early afternoon and take a bus back to La Paz.

   Signal Expect little or no signal on the boat and patchy coverage on Isla del Sol, where Tigo is weaker than Entel. Download maps and the boat return time before you leave Copacabana.

5. 05

   Day 5 Uyuni

   Fly to Uyuni and the Salar de Uyuni

   → Domestic flight from El Alto to Uyuni, about an hour; schedules are limited, so book ahead and confirm the day before.

   Take the early domestic flight to Uyuni and join a day tour of the salt flat. Typical stops are the train cemetery on the edge of town, the salt-working village of Colchani, and Incahuasi island with its giant cacti in the middle of the Salar. Stay out for sunset on the salt, then return to Uyuni for the night. In the wet season, ask operators which parts are reachable.

   Signal Tigo 4G works in Uyuni town, but there is effectively no signal for most of the salt flat. Treat the tour as offline and let someone know when you expect to be back.

6. 06

   Day 6 Potosí

   Potosí: Cerro Rico and the Casa de la Moneda

   → Bus from Uyuni, typically 4–7 hours depending on the company and road conditions; services are sometimes cancelled at short notice.

   Take a morning bus north-east to Potosí, one of the highest cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon visit the Casa Nacional de la Moneda, the colonial mint that turned Cerro Rico's silver into coins, then walk the old centre around Plaza 10 de Noviembre. Cooperative mine tours into Cerro Rico are possible but physically demanding and hazardous, so decide carefully.

   Signal Coverage is thin on the road from Uyuni, with long gaps between towns. Tigo 4G returns in Potosí, but expect nothing inside the mines.

7. 07

   Day 7 Sucre

   Sucre: the white city

   → Bus or shared taxi from Potosí, about 3 hours.

   Travel to Sucre, Bolivia's constitutional capital and a UNESCO-listed colonial city. Spend the afternoon at Casa de la Libertad on Plaza 25 de Mayo, where independence was declared, then walk up to the Recoleta viewpoint above the city. Finish at the Mercado Central, and fly out from Sucre's Alcantarí airport or take an onward bus.

   Signal Signal is patchy in the valleys between Potosí and Sucre. Tigo 4G is reliable in central Sucre, which at a lower 2,800 metres also makes for an easier final night.