When should you travel to Bolivia?

When to travel to Bolivia, which is the best time of year to make the most of your trip… if that’s what you’re wondering, look no further! You can travel to Bolivia at any time of year, and will always find specific advantages.

The two most important things to take into account to decide when to travel to Bolivia are: climate and touristic affluence.

Climate

Bolivia is located in the southern hemisphere, its seasons are therefore opposite to those of the northern hemisphere. However, the astronomic winter (from June to September) is dry and sunny whereas summer (from December to March) corresponds to the rainy season. In fact, due to the cloud cover, the daytime temperatures are sometimes colder in the summer than in the winter. On the other hand, the winter nights are colder than the summer ones.
One of the consequences of the summer rainfall, is that the Uyuni Salt Flats can become partially flooded. In this case, you can’t reach Incahuasi Island in the center of the Salt Flats. However, keep in mind that the flooded Salt Flats offer the most unreal and magnificent sight: a gigantic mirror, stretching as far as the eye can see.

For more details about the Bolivian climate, including charts documenting rainfall per city and per month, please check our Climate in Bolivia page.

Touristic affluence:

Another important aspect to consider when choosing a travel date to Bolivia, is touristic affluence. Local tourism’s low season takes place during the wet season, from December to February, even if a growing number of tourists from neighboring countries (Chile, Argentina and Brazil) offset this tendency.

The peak time for tourist affluence takes place during the dry season, from April to October.

In a nutshell, if you decide to go to Bolivia between December and February (or even up until March), you will be able to enjoy the low tourist season (even so, tourism in Bolivia is not all that developed) and milder temperatures at night, which is definitely an advantage at a high altitude. On the other hand, there will be more rainfall. If you wish to go on some treks, we would not recommend this time of year.

From April to October, the weather is usually much sunnier and drier. The nights might be colder however, especially from June to August.

If you have other questions on when to travel to Bolivia, or about our Bolivian tours, do get in touch!