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Stunning aerial view of La Paz with cable car transport at sunset.

South America

Backpacking Bolivia

Bolivia is a high-altitude backpacker favourite, with hostels in La Paz and Sucre and jumping-off points for tours of the Uyuni salt flats.

Photo: Shiwa Yachachin / Pexels

Hostel destinations in Bolivia

Stunning aerial view of La Paz with cable car transport at sunset.

La Paz

A canyon city of markets, cable cars and snowcapped Andean viewsBreathtaking landscape of Salar de Uyuni with clear skies and distant mountains.

Uyuni

The gateway town to the world's largest salt flatHistoric colonial architecture in Sucre's main city square, Bolivia, under a bright blue sky.

Sucre

Bolivia's whitewashed constitutional capital in a mild Andean valley

Hostels and backpacking in Bolivia

Bolivia is one of South America's most elevated countries. La Paz, the seat of government, sits at around 3,600 metres, the Uyuni salt flat is at about 3,650 metres, and Sucre, the constitutional capital, is lower and noticeably milder. Backpackers typically link them with Lake Titicaca, the Amazon basin and the Andean highlands, using long-distance buses and a few domestic flights.

Hostels are concentrated in La Paz, Sucre and Uyuni, and many offer luggage storage, tour bookings and shared kitchens. Social places with bars and games rooms sit beside quiet courtyard guesthouses. Tours, especially to the salt flats, are usually booked in town, and hostel desks can help you compare operators.