Exercise caution — there are real risks that travellers should plan around. Political freedoms are limited and travellers should be mindful of local sensitivities.
Regional breakdown
Most of Bolivia is open to visitors, but the picture changes sharply by region. The official advisory guidance warns against all but essential travel to the Chapare region of Cochabamba Department, including the town of Villa Tunari. Highway routes 4 and 24, which cut through Chapare, fall under the same warning. The official advisory guidance uses its strongest "Do Not Travel" wording for the same area. Citing high levels of violent crime linked to coca and drug trafficking. La Paz, the administrative capital, is currently affected by an indefinite transport strike. The official advisory guidance notes that access to El Alto International Airport is disrupted and the Mi Teleférico cable car is the only public transport still running. The main bus terminal is closed and intercity services to other regions are suspended. Other parts of the country, including Sucre, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Potosí, and the Uyuni salt flats, are not under specific regional warnings. Travellers still report normal tourist activity around Lake Titicaca and Copacabana. Though road blockades can appear with little notice and cut off entire corridors for days at a time.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance last updated its Bolivia guidance on 27 March 2026. The update kept the standing warning on Chapare in place and added the alert about the La Paz transport strike. The official advisory guidance reminds travellers that insurance can be invalidated if they travel against its advice. Which matters for anyone planning to enter the Chapare zone or routes 4 and 24. The official advisory guidance advisory sits at Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution", and was last reissued on 6 June 2024. Within that overall Level 2, Chapare carries a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" carve-out. Neither the UK nor the US has issued an ordered departure for embassy staff or families. Both governments highlight the same two themes: the Chapare drug-trafficking corridor, and the risk that demonstrations, strikes. And roadblocks can flare up anywhere in the country with very little warning.
What travellers should know
Plan around the strike picture before booking internal travel. Check official advisory guidance page the day before any flight in or out of La Paz, and build in a buffer day for missed connections. If the cable car is the only working transport in La Paz, factor that into how you reach the airport and where you stay. A hotel near a Teleférico line is more useful right now than one near the closed bus terminal. Steer clear of Chapare and the affected stretches of routes 4 and 24, even on overland tours between Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. Ask tour operators which roads they actually use. Carry a paper copy of your passport, keep cash in small notes for roadblock detours, and register with your embassy on arrival. Altitude is a separate issue: La Paz sits above 3,600 metres and Potosí higher still, so allow time to acclimatise before any trekking. Demonstrations are usually announced in advance on local news, so follow Bolivian outlets and avoid political gatherings, which can turn confrontational quickly.