Travel alerts & warnings
Bolivia driving guide.
Driving in Bolivia offers spectacular Andean scenery, but steep mountain roads, uneven surfaces and high altitude make journeys slower than distances suggest. Plan daylight drives, allow generous buffers and use a suitable high-clearance vehicle for remote routes.
- Advisory
- Increased caution
- Drives on
- Right
- Best season
- May to October…
- Permit honored
- Yes
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Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Exercise increased cautionin Bolivia due to crime, unrest, and health. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
- Crime
- Petty crime is common, especially in popular tourist spots. Stay aware of your surroundings.
- Unrest
- Large demonstrations can happen with little warning. Demonstrations may block transportation and other essential services.
- Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
- Check local media for breaking news. Be prepared to adjust your plans.
Driving there
Your permit in Bolivia
- Bolivia honors the International Driving Permit. The permit is a translation of your license into ten languages — it is not a license on its own.
- Carry your valid U.S. driver's license with the permit at all times. The permit is valid for one year and only while your U.S. license is valid.
- Not party to the 1949 convention; the International Driving Permit is honored.
- Rental companies and local police can be stricter than national law. Confirm the requirement with your rental company before you travel.
Advisory information is published by the U.S. Department of State and reproduced here for convenience. It can change at any time — always check the official advisory before you travel. USIDA does not issue travel advisories.
Before you drive
Top travel tips for Bolivia
Road rules and speed limits
Wear seat belts, avoid alcohol entirely before driving and obey posted speed limits, which vary by road and municipality. Reduce speed well below the limit around mountain bends, livestock and unmarked speed bumps at village entrances; avoid driving after dark.
Tolls and road conditions
Peaje toll booths operate on major intercity routes; carry small-denomination bolivianos and keep receipts. Check the Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras road-status information before departure, since landslides, flooding and protest blockades can close important highways.
Fuel availability
Fuel shortages and long queues can disrupt itineraries, so refill in larger towns rather than waiting until nearly empty. Foreign-plated vehicles generally face different fuel-pricing and documentation rules from Bolivian-plated rentals; confirm that a station can serve your vehicle before queuing.
Rental vehicles and insurance
Carry your original driving licence alongside your International Driving Permit. Confirm that the rental has current SOAT compulsory traffic-accident insurance and ask separately about collision coverage, unpaved-road restrictions and salt-flat exclusions; SOAT is not comprehensive vehicle insurance.
Police checks
Expect document checks on intercity roads. Keep your passport, licence, International Driving Permit, rental agreement and vehicle documents accessible; ask the rental company which originals must remain in the car. For an alleged violation, request an official citation and payment instructions rather than making an undocumented roadside payment.
Worth the drive
Places to see in Bolivia
Tiwanaku
La Paz Department · About 1.5–2 hours from La Paz, depending on El Alto traffic.
Explore monumental stone gateways and temples from one of the Andes' most important pre-Inca civilizations.
Copacabana and Lake Titicaca
La Paz Department · About 3.5–4.5 hours from La Paz, including the Tiquina vehicle-ferry crossing; queues can add time.
A lakeside town with a prominent basilica, high-altitude views and boat trips to Isla del Sol; the island itself is not accessible by car.
Coroico
Yungas, La Paz Department · About 2.5–3.5 hours from La Paz via the main paved route.
Descend from the high Andes into green valleys and a subtropical hillside town, using the main highway rather than the old Death Road.
Salar de Uyuni
Potosí Department · About 30–45 minutes from Uyuni to the Colchani gateway; travel onto the salt flats takes longer.
Vast salt landscapes and extraordinary horizons make this a standout stop; park at an access settlement and use an experienced local operator for travel onto the salar.
Samaipata and El Fuerte
Santa Cruz Department · About 3–4 hours from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Samaipata, then roughly 20–30 minutes to El Fuerte.
Combine a relaxed mountain town with El Fuerte, a UNESCO-listed archaeological site featuring a huge carved rock.
Tarabuco
Chuquisaca Department · About 1.5–2 hours from Sucre.
Visit for Yampara weaving traditions and the Sunday market, with attractive highland scenery along the approach.
Heading to Bolivia?
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