What is the ideal itinerary through Bolivia with kids? Bolivia may not be the first country known as family-friendly, but there are still plenty of fun things to do with kids in this beautiful country in South America. You can enjoy beautiful looking people, fun cities and also beautiful natural areas in the country. In this blog, we set out the best family travel itinerary through Bolivia and give you all the information you need to have a great trip through Bolivia with kids.
Ideal travel time Bolivia with kids
The ideal travel time to visit Bolivia with kids is from May through September. This is the dry season and little rain falls during this period. Keep in mind that Bolivia is located at altitude and therefore temperatures are a lot lower than in many other places in South America. The temperature in Bolivia is around 15 degrees. Make sure to bring warm clothes for the kids as well.
Transportation in Bolivia
Transportation through Bolivia is mainly by bus and plane. There are very few families with kids who travel around Bolivia by car. This is mainly because the roads are not very good in Bolivia. If you still want to travel through Bolivia by car, it is advisable to take a 4×4 vehicle.
You can travel by bus in Bolivia just fine. The destinations we describe below in the itinerary through Bolivia are usually about a 3 hour drive from each other. This is a time that is still fine to do in the bus with kids. You can travel during the day and spend about half a day traveling through the country.
It is also possible to fly between different cities, as there are several domestic flights a day between them. However, keep in mind that the airlines in Bolivia are not always reliable and delays and cancellations are frequent.
Altitudes in Bolivia
One important thing to consider when traveling through Bolivia with the family is that most of the destinations are at altitude. Many of the destinations are more than 3,000 meters above sea level, and therefore some family members may suffer from the altitude.
It is therefore important to take this into account when putting together your itinerary. You can therefore keep the route a little flexible, so that you can always deviate from the route if, for example, one of the kids suffers from altitude sickness and you are therefore better off traveling to lower parts of the country, for example.
You can of course see if you can take into account the altitudes in the country and build your route based on them. In addition, it is good to schedule rest days so that you can slowly get used to the altitude. It is also good to drink a lot of water and not exert yourself too much in the first days at altitude with the kids.
Itinerary Bolivia 2 weeks
La Paz
The (unofficial) capital of Bolivia is La Paz, and La Paz is where most families with kids start their itinerary through Bolivia. La Paz is a big city and you have several activities you can do with the family here. You should definitely take a ride in La Paz on the various cable cars that go across the city. You can go from one cable car to another and get a first impression of the city that way.
In addition, at the top of the cable car you also have a beautiful view of the city. In addition, it is fun to visit different markets in La Paz and one of the most fun markets here is the witches’ market. You can also take several trips from La Paz with the family, including a trip to Valle de la Luna.
If you are visiting La Paz with older kids then it is also fun to visit the Death Road near La Paz. You will be driven up the mountain in a van and then take a guided mountain bike ride down the mountain along this road. We thought this was a very cool activity in La Paz. For more information on the different kids activities in the city, read the blog La Paz with kids.
La Paz is at 3640 meters altitude, which of course is quite an altitude. Therefore, make sure you take it easy the first few days upon arrival in Bolivia with kids. It is therefore best to stay about 3 to 4 days in La Paz.
If you are looking for family-friendly accommodation in La Paz, the following options are suitable for families with kids.
Budget accommodation: Hotel Express
Mid-range accommodation: Atix Hotel
Luxury accommodation: Casa Grande Suites
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in La Paz, take a look here.
Lake Titicaca
From La Paz you can easily travel to Lake Titicaca by bus. In about 2.5 hours you will drive by bus from the unofficial capital of Bolivia to the town of Copacabana. From Copacabana you can explore Lake Titicaca. You have several islands to visit here and you can see how the Inca Indians used to live.
Check carefully in advance exactly which islands you want to visit, as some are more touristy than others. You can also stay overnight on these islands. You can stay here for 3 days before taking the bus back to La Paz. From there you can then continue your itinerary through Bolivia with kids. If you want more information about this region, read the blog Lake Titicaca with kids.
If you want to stay in Copacabana with kids, these are good options:
Budget accommodation: Hotel Utama
Middle class accommodation: Hostal Las Olas
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Rosario Lago Titicaca
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Copacabana, take a look here.
Sucre
From La Paz, it is then best to take an internal flight to the beautiful city of Sucre. Sucre is considered one of the most beautiful cities in South America and the city has many white buildings. This is why it is sometimes called the white city. Therefore, you should definitely visit the historic center of the city with kids.
In addition, in the Sucre area you can also visit a park entirely dedicated to dinosaurs with kids. Sucre is also the ideal place to visit one of the largest markets in South America. This market is on Sunday, so if you want to visit this market, you have to take this into account in your itinerary through Bolivia. A day or 2 to 3 in Sucre is fine to spend with the family.
Sucre is also a great place to stay with the family and here you have some options:
Budget accommodation: Colors House
Mid-range accommodation: Capital Plaza Hotel
Luxury accommodation: HotelMonasterio
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Sucre, take a look here.
Potosi
From Sucre you can reach the city of Potosi by bus in about 3 hours. Potosi is a city in Bolivia known for the many mines found in this place and you can also visit these mines with kids. You can do this with a tour. You then get to wear a whole suit and a helmet with a lamp and then go to visit the mines.
These tours are often only open to kids 10 and older, as the hallways can be quite cramped and it can be quite scary for younger kids. We visited the mines without our daughter and must say that it is a pretty intense experience to visit these mines.
In addition, it is fun to visit downtown Potosi with the family and climb the tower of the La Compañia church for a small fee. From this tower you have a nice view of the city. You can easily spend 2 days in this city with the family.
You can also spend a great night in this city with kids, and the family-friendly accommodations below are good options.
Budget accommodation: Hostal Compañía de Jesús
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Cima Argentum
Luxury Accommodation: Hotel Coloso Potosi
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Potosi, take a look here.
Uyuni
From Potosi you will then drive to the city of Uyuni in about 4 hours. From Uyuni you can visit the beautiful salt flats of Salar de Uyuni. You can then choose to book a one-day tour to this area or a 3-day tour. With the latter tour you can then see much more of the area and also possibly travel further to neighboring Chile.
Just keep in mind that some parts of Uyuni do lie at quite an altitude, which does make it a destination with kids where you have to make sure they can handle the altitude.
In Uyuni, you have the following family-friendly accommodations:
Budget accommodation: The Little House ApartHotel
Middle class accommodation: Hostal La Magia de Uyuni
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Kachi de Uyuni
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Uyuni, take a look here.
Itinerary Bolivia 3 weeks or longer
With the itinerary through Bolivia that we have described above, you will see most of the highlights of the country. If you have more time, you can also visit the city of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, but this is a lot of hours traveling by bus. It is also possible to go into the jungle in Bolivia.
For example, we ourselves traveled by night bus to the place Rurrenabaque. By the way, we did not like this bus trip and certainly the route the bus takes is not the safest route (you also drive along Death Road). We therefore did not take the bus, but flew back from Rurrenabaque to La Paz.
A plane ticket was not super expensive and you will save a lot of time. From Rurrenabaque you can book multi-day tours through the jungle of Bolivia. This is a nice addition to your itinerary through Bolivia though, because it is something completely different from the other places on this trip.
Of course, it is also an idea to visit Peru, for example, if you have longer time. You then cross the border at Lake Titicaca to the city of Puno. In Peru, of course, you also have many different destinations you can visit, including, of course, one of the new wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. This place is also highly recommended! In short, you can definitely extend your trip with several extra weeks in this region of South America.
