Welcome to the Mad or Nomad Motorcycle Travel Guide for Bolivia! This detailed guide is packed with info covering everything you need to know about motorcycle travel in Bolivia including paperwork, routes, safety, top tips and more. If you’re planning an overland motorcycle adventure in Bolivia – start here.
This travel guide is based on our motorcycle ride through Bolivia during our round the world trip. The guides on this website are constantly updated to keep them up-to-date.
Contents
How to Motorcycle Travel in Bolivia
By Andy Davidson
Mad or Nomad: Round the World Motorcycle Traveller
Bolivia is known in adventure motorcycle travel circles for a few main reasons: the epic Uyuni Salt Flats, the infamous Death Road, the incredibly remote and rugged Ruta de las Lagunas and finally – a distinct lack of petrol.
It’s often overlooked and skipped because of the latter. And also because you have to deviate from the quickest and easiest route north to south via Peru and Chile. But it shouldn’t be missed. It’s a great country to travel through, and the petrol situation is fine once you get your head around it.
If you’ve got Bolivia on the brain, this guide will explain everything you need to know to travel there with a motorcycle.
READ MORE: All Bolivia Motorcycle Guides
Our motorcycle ride through Bolivia
We (Andy and Alissa from Mad or Nomad) are on a round the world motorcycle trip and entered Bolivia in February 2025 and rode 3,000kms through the country – entering Peru and exiting to Chile. This guide is based on our experiences and what we learnt. However, as with all our guides, readers and fellow travellers kindly contribute more info, which we always update our guides with so they stay current.
For more info on our ride there and what we got up to, have a read of our Bolivia Blog.
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Our motorcycle route through Bolivia
Here’s a rough waypoint map of our motorcycle route through Bolivia. This map can be downloaded and saved to help you plot your own route.
Paperwork for motorcycle travellers in Bolivia
To enter Bolivia with a foreign registered motorcycle, you will need your passport, motorcycle registration document and driver’s licence. You also need to obtain a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) at the border. Here’s the info in more detail.
Immigration
Bolivia operates a visa free program for certain countries including the UK, European Union countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. That means you can enter without a visa and stay up to 90 and nothing has to be done electronically before entering. However, this is not the case for citizens of all countries.
For example, if you have a USA passport then you will need to apply for a visa before arrival.
Check this page to see Bolivia’s visa policy and which countries are exempt. And please note that visa rules and entry requirements are always subject to change.
Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
You will require a temporary import permit to take your foreign registered motorcycle into Bolivia. To get your TIP you will need copies of your passport, vehicle registration and driver’s licence. These copies are made at the border by the staff, so you shouldn’t need to carry them with you.
Your TIP will be valid for the same duration as your visa. It is unclear whether you can extend your TIP in Bolivia, but, we understand that for Bolivia, if you get an extension on your entry stamp, you can visit an Aduana and get your TIP extended for the same duration. Your motorcycle must be taken out of Bolivia before the TIP expires or it will be seized.
We’ve heard a number of reports about needing to fill out a form online before travelling to the border in order to obtain your TIP. This isn’t entirely true, you do need to fill out a form, but it doesn’t have to be done in advance. The Aduana (customs house) at the border has wifi and you simply need to scan the QR code provided and fill it out. It’s the same procedure when leaving the country and that goes for the exceptionally remote lagunas border of Bolivia.
You do not need a Carnet de Passage for Bolivia or any country in North, Central and South America.
Motorcycle insurance
Owners of foreign registered motorcycles entering Bolivia with a temporary import permit do not need insurance for the first 30 days. You will, however, be required to purchase insurance if staying longer than 30 days.
Detailed info on motorcycle travel paperwork
If you’re planning a motorcycle trip and aren’t used to the different types of paperwork requirements, or are just trying to get your head around motorcycle paperwork in general, have a read of our packed paperwork for motorcycle travellers guide too.
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Getting in and out of Bolivia
Bolivia shares land borders with Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile.
Border situations are always changing, so we recommend using the iOverlander app to find a border that suits your route and reading the current and up-to-date info left by other travellers to pick your border.
Note that border towns are rarely the nicest places to stay. So, it’s always worth getting to the border early with a full stomach and drinks and snacks to hand so you’re not rushing or stuck in mid-day heat.
The most common entry and exit points for Bolivia are via Peru and Chile.
Borders between Bolivia and Peru
We recommend crossing at the Kasani border crossing at Lake Titicaca. There are two crossings at the lake.
The Kasani border crossing is quiet, easy and straightforward. If you’re exiting to Bolivia the last petrol station in Bolivia is here (cash only). If you take this crossing you’ll end up in the cool town of Copacabana.
You will also take a fun ferry crossing to get to Bolivia’s mainland which crosses the lake here. Watch out when taking this ferry because the wooden planks are often missing and you will need to either wheel your bike off the way it came or turn it around on the boat.
The other option is to cross at Desaguadero. However, this is the main border crossing, which is slower, busier and less fun.
Borders between Bolivia and Chile
There are around five border crossings between Bolivia and Chile. Some are main and some are remote. The more remote ones can be a bit more complicated dependent on your visa situation and if you need to obtain one at the border. Check iOverlander for more details and recent reports.
Borders between Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil
There are fewer between Bolivia and these countries, but they do exist and they can all be found on iOverlander. Make sure you check in advance as there are a few borders that aren’t recommended.
READ MORE: How to Motorcycle from Peru to French Guiana Using Amazon Cargo Boats
Motorcycle shipping to Bolivia
We’re not aware of any motorcycle shipping companies based in Bolivia and have not received any recommendations from fellow travellers for shipping in or out.
For riders in South America, the easiest and most common countries to ship to are Argentina, Chile and Colombia. You can also ship to Ecuador and Peru.
READ MORE:
Motorcycle storage in Bolivia
Bolivia isn’t a highly recommended country for long-term motorcycle storage because of the difficulty in extending and suspending your TIP.
If you want to store your motorcycle and leave it in South America while you leave the country, the best place to do this is Peru. Have a read of our Motorcycle Travel Guide for Peru for more info on the companies we recommend there.
READ MORE: Motorcycle Travel Guide: Peru
When to ride in Bolivia
The best time to ride a motorcycle in Bolivia is from May to October during the dry season. The wet season runs from December to March and this can be a difficult time to ride in the mountain regions with cold and very wet weather.
Another thing to consider is the Uyuni Salt Flats as it’s a major draw for travellers. For the mirror effect you’ll be visiting in the rainy season December – April. For dry season it’s between April and October. More info on the Salt Flats in the best routes section below.
Money, costs and accommodation
Bolivia is cheap for motorcycle travellers – especially when compared to North and Central America and Chile and Argentina.
Money can easily be withdrawn at ATMs in large towns and cities, you’ll find them using Google Maps. You can find money changers at the border too. Note that if you take Bolivian money out of Bolivia, you will be able to exchange it but it will most certainly be for a terrible rate.
Accommodation
We recommend using iOverlander and Booking.com to find cheaper accommodation options in Bolivia.
Camping is possible in Bolivia, but as always, use your common sense and don’t camp just anywhere. Speak to locals and make sure you have a good understanding of the area you’re planning on staying first. There is no shortage of exceptionally remote and open areas to camp.
For more info on camping, have a look at our camping guides.
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Hotels we recommend in Bolivia
Here’s a selection of places we stayed and recommend in Bolivia. Clicking the links below will take you to either Google Maps or Booking.com.
- Copacabana – Hostal Sonia
- Tuni– Albergue Tuni
- La Paz – Host San Sebastian
- La Paz – Moto Bed and Breakfast
- Ajoya – Hotel Gran Poder
Petrol in Bolivia
Bolivia is notorious for finding and buying fuel. As a motorcycle traveller, there are two main issues to contend with here: finding fuel (due to the mass shortages) and actually being able to buy it (because not all petrol stations are allowed to sell to foreigners). We’ll discuss each point below.
Petrol shortages
There are often huge shortages which can result in ridiculously long queues. They can sometimes stretch for miles.
This is due to three main reasons:
- The Bolivian government struggles to import fuel because of foreign currency shortages.
- Fuel is subsidised in Bolivia and sold below cost, which drains public funds.
- People illegally smuggle this cheap fuel across borders to resell it in other countries and this costs the country millions.
Fuel shortages do come in waves. At times the shortages are severe which may lead to road blocks, protests and queues stretching for days. And at other times you may find fuel easily. You’ll need to keep an eye on the current situation. The best way to do this is to join the Bolivia WhatsApp group for overland travellers. You’ll find the link in the Top Tips section at the bottom of this article.
Buying petrol as a foreigner
The issue isn’t stations not wanting to sell to foreigners, it’s that fuel is subsidised because they import it. Foreigners need to pay un-subsidised rates, which is obviously understandable and fine. But to sell un-subbed fuel, they need the right computer program at their petrol station to input your licence plate and passport number. And not all stations are equipped with it.
So you have a few options here:
- To find ones that do you need to ask around or check iOverlander. We have recently updated a lot of petrol pins on there showing where you can and can not buy fuel. You’ll find recent reports of where people have and haven’t been successful.
- You can always try saying to the attendant that you would like to buy “sin factura” without a receipt. They may go for this as they can sell to you for the higher price and pocket the difference. However, there are crack downs on this as a lot of stations have cameras installed now.
- You can offer a “propina”, which is a tip for them to look the other way and top you up. Again, this may or may not work dependent on the person.
- Another way around it is to park out of sight and walk to the station with a jerry can or ask a local to buy it for you.
- Note that even if a station is allowed to top you up, they may refuse to fill any jerry cans you have and often will only fill your main tank.
- Don’t be put off, just plan accordingly.
Safety and security for motorcycle travellers in Bolivia
Bolivia is generally a safe country for motorcycle travellers, however, safety is always subject to change and cannot be guaranteed.
Situations change daily, especially in volatile countries. We recommend checking UK Gov website for info on Bolivia. Using that link you will find a map with areas the UK Gov recommends you do not ride as well as a lot of safety and security information for Bolivia.
READ MORE: How to Stay Safe on the Road
Avoiding dangerous areas
iOverlander – iOverlander is a great resource. You will find pins marked on the map where others have had trouble. But don’t take it as gospel because pins can be out of date. There were times we travelled along roads where there were pins that others had mentioned they had been robbed etc. But times change and those pins need updating. Still, it is a valuable guide.
Locals – Asking the locals is a great way to suss out a route or area. This is especially handy and useful if you’re thinking of taking a less travelled route or for off-road riding.
Don’t ride at night – This is an important one. For travellers, it’s sound advice wherever you are in the world. Livestock, wild animals, sand, gravel, potholes and speed bumps litter the roads. Always try and get to your accommodation way before it gets dark.
Ask fellow travellers – There are lots of Facebook groups for Overlanders. For South America we recommend the PanAmerican Highway Riders Association. They’re a friendly bunch and you may find recent safety updates on there.
And join the Bolivia WhatsApp group to speak to fellow overlanders who are soon to be – or already are – travelling in Bolivia.
Common sense – Most importantly, use your common sense. If an area feels particularly dodgy or you have a lot of eyes on you without a lot of smiles accompanying them, just move on. The longer you travel the more you develop a kind of sense for these things regardless. And even if your sense is wrong, at least you avoided the potential risk.
READ MORE: How to Deal with Bribes
Keeping your motorcycle and gear safe
It’s always a good idea to find accommodation that has secure parking. And if it doesn’t, then pay to put your bike in a secure carpark with security for the night.
If you’re booking via booking.com then it’ll say whether or not it has parking and you can set a filter. If you’re on iOverlander, then again it will most likely say in the description. And if it’s via Google Maps, you can either look through the pictures or call and ask (one of the reasons we recommend buying a local SIM card so you can make calls).
We tend to put our bikes in safe parking areas belonging to the hotel or more commonly inside a hotel’s courtyard. On occasion, when a hotel doesn’t have that, they just let us bring our bikes inside. We have even brought the bikes into our rooms before.
It’s common for hotels and accommodations throughout South America to provide secure parking for motorcycles in a garage or behind a locked gate.
When we started our round the world trip back in 2018, we left with a big chain lock, disc lock and motorcycle cover. Now we have a small bicycle lock and very rarely use it. If you are concerned, a tatty old cover is a good idea to act as an invisibility cloak.
READ MORE: How to Keep Your Motorcycle and Gear Safe While Travelling
Health
Vaccines – When travelling abroad, it’s important to read up on the vaccine recommendations and requirements of the countries you are travelling through.
The best website we have found, that clearly explains what is needed and required is travelhealthpro.org.uk. Simply click on each country you plan on travelling through and read through the vaccine recommendations.
Yellow Fever – There is a risk of yellow fever transmission throughout parts of Central and South America. And some countries in the Americas will require you to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate. So, we recommend getting the vaccine before travelling. You can find info on the travelhealthpro website, and the fitfortravel.nhs.uk website has additional info with a map of areas at risk of yellow fever.
Common sense – Use your common sense when travelling anywhere in the world. Ask if it’s okay to drink the tap water first, buy bottled if not. Be selective where and what you eat for example. Food and hygiene standards may not be what you are used to so a degree of caution should be taken to avoid falling sick. Have a read of our Staying Healthy guide below for more info.
READ MORE: How to Stay Healthy on the Road
Travel insurance and emergencies
We highly recommend getting decent personal travel insurance before you leave on your trip. It’s incredibly important that you’re covered in case of an accident and your medical bills will be taken care of.
If you are planning on heading into very remote regions and off-roading, then we also recommend carrying an emergency satellite GPS device so you can call for help if you have a medical emergency. There are very remote sections in Bolivia and some very rural parts too where help may take a long time to come, so this is an important one.
Alissa had a serious crash in Nepal years ago and we wish we had an SOS device back then. Luckily we had excellent travel insurance though, which took care of the £20,000 hospital bill. Do not risk it, make sure you are covered.
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Planning your motorcycle route through Bolivia
Bolivia is the highest and most isolated country in South America. Most of the country is covered by the Andes Mountain range, while the east lies in the Amazon. This all makes it an incredibly interesting place to ride an adventure bike.
The biggest highlights are the Uyuni Salt Flats, the Death Road and the infamous Ruta de las Lagunas. We have dedicated guides for each of these routes, so click the below guides for more info.
The Uyuni Salt Flats
The Uyuni Salt Flats are the world’s largest salt flat at over 12,000 square kilometres and one of Bolivia’s biggest attractions. For motorcycle travellers, it’s a must in South America. It’s a vast, endless, silent, flat white desert.
READ MORE: The Uyuni Salt Flats Guide for Motorcycle Travellers
The Death Road
Bolivia’s infamous Death Road is legendary amongst motorcycle travellers. It’s an off-road ride connecting the La Paz region to the Yungas region. It starts at 4,650m altitude and by the end you’ll be down in the hot jungle of Coroico at 1,200m. What makes it so enticing for riders is its treacherous conditions with hugely steep drops down cliff edges and narrow trail mixed with its beautiful backdrops and stunning scenery.
READ MORE: The Death Road, Bolivia Motorcycle Guide
Ruta de las Lagunas
This is the big one. The mythical Ruta de las Lagunas is an extremely high-altitude four day, 400km off-road ride through the ends of the world. It’s incredibly remote and will feel like you’re riding on another planet, but it’s a hard ride and you need off-road and motorcycle travel experience to tackle it.
READ MORE: The Ruta de las Lagunas Motorcycle Guide
Huayna Potosí Mountain Route
Hidden away in the north of Bolivia is one of the best rides in South America. But it’s not well known, travelled or documented anywhere. But we’ve got a guide on it complete with route map. You’ll find more info in our best routes in Bolivia guide.
READ MORE: The Best Motorcycle Routes in Bolivia
Riding gear
The weather can change dramatically in Bolivia dependent on which region you’re in and at what time of year. It’s a high altitude country and it can get seriously cold up in the mountains and hot and humid over to the east in the Amazon.
We recommend wearing a lightweight, ventilated and breathable riding suit. Remove all thermal and waterproof liners if it comes with any. Pack a pair of decent throwover waterproofs in case it rains and a compressible down jacket in case it gets cold (or an electric heated riding jacket). If you’re riding through the mountains, warm clothing is an absolute must and you may want thermals as well as a down jacket and warm gloves.
For more info and guides on adventure riding gear have a look at the below guides.
READ MORE:
Rentals and tours in Bolivia
Most motorcycle rentals take place in neighbouring Peru or Chile. Rentals in Bolivia are normally found in La Paz or in Uyuni. There are a lot of companies in Uyuni that rent bikes or organise tours so you don’t have to take your own motorcycle onto the salt flats and potentially damage it.
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Top tips
Facebook – There are lots of Facebook groups for Overlanders. For South America we recommend the PanAmerican Highway Riders Association. You’ll find lots of info on travelling in Bolivia in there with recent and up-to-date reports.
WhatsApp – We recommend joining the Bolivia WhatsApp group for overlanders.
Language – Learning the language goes a long way in any country you visit. And luckily, Spanish is a relatively easy language to learn for English speakers. We recommend at least learning the basics (hello, thank you, please etc) to be polite and make an effort. Anything else you learn goes a long way in improving your experience interacting and engaging with locals. But don’t worry, it’s easy and fun to communicate even if you really struggle with languages and you can get by without it. Communicating When You Don’t Speak the Language
Apps – Download the Google Translate app onto your phone, and then download Spanish onto it. This will work offline and you can easily communicate with locals using this app.
iOverlander – It’s a fantastic tool for overland travellers and is free. Download it and contribute wherever you can.
Maps.Me – A free offline map and navigation app. Simply download the maps for Bolivia and use it offline. The Best Free Apps for Motorcycle Travellers
SIM card – We recommend purchasing a Bolivian SIM card for your travels. It will make life easier when travelling and you can make phone calls to book hotels. You can purchase it from Entel quite easily. You will need your passport to get a SIM.
We personally use Holafly eSIMs. This way, you can get mobile data on your phone ready for when you cross into South America and you can get packages that cover the entire region. It’s the easiest and quickest way to have unlimited data on your phone.
Speak to the locals as much as possible – Make an effort in learning language basics and practice as much as possible. Locals always appreciate it when you try. Relax and enjoy your ride in Bolivia, it’s an incredible place and made all the more better by the wonderful people you’ll meet.
Read more on motorcycle travel in Bolivia
Thanks for checking out the Motorcycle Travel Guide: Bolivia. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle travel in Bolivia and South America that we recommend you read next.
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Are you planning a motorcycle trip in Bolivia? Do you have any questions, tips or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.