Bolivia with Kids: Complete Family Travel Guide

Bolivia gets fewer family travelers than it deserves, partly because altitude looms large in parents’ minds and partly because there are fewer “designed for families” experiences here than in, say, Costa Rica. What Bolivia has instead is something better: authenticity, genuine wildlife, landscapes that humble adults and electrify children, and a level of warmth from local communities that makes children feel welcomed rather than tolerated.

The altitude is real. The experiences are worth planning around it.

The notarised consent letter: do this before you leave home

If you are travelling to Bolivia with a child and you are: (a) the only parent present, (b) a grandparent, (c) any non-parent guardian, or (d) one parent while the other stays home — you need a notarised autorización de viaje (travel consent letter) signed by the absent parent(s).

This is not optional and it is not something you can sort out on arrival. Bolivia’s migration authorities enforce this requirement at the border and at the airport. The letter must be notarised in the country where it is signed, ideally apostilled if your country uses the Hague Apostille system.

What the letter should include:

• Full names of child, authorising parent(s) and accompanying adult(s)
• Passport numbers for all parties
• Travel dates and destination (Bolivia, or specific)
• A statement authorising the minor to travel with the named accompanying adult
• Notarial seal and signature

Get your notarised letter at least two weeks before travel, as booking an appointment, signing, and receiving the certified document takes time. If both parents are travelling together, this requirement does not apply.

Altitude by age: what parents need to know

This is the question every parent asks, and the answer is more nuanced than “avoid altitude.”

Children under 2 years: The highest-quality evidence suggests that infants under six months are most vulnerable to altitude-related respiratory issues. Children between 6 months and 2 years may be affected more rapidly than older children. If your baby has any history of breathing difficulties, a cardiac condition, or anaemia, consult a paediatrician who specialises in travel medicine before booking. For healthy infants, many families travel to La Paz (3,640 m) without incident — but have a medical contact ready.

Children 2–6 years: Generally manage altitude similarly to adults, though they may not be able to articulate early symptoms. Watch for: unusual irritability, refusal to eat, pale colour, fast breathing. They dehydrate more rapidly at altitude. Enforce water drinking proactively.

Children 6–12 years: Adapt well with 24–48 hours of rest and hydration. Do not plan demanding activities on day one. The cable car (teleférico) over La Paz is perfect for this age group: spectacular, entirely passive, and a highlight that children remember.

Teenagers: Acclimatise like adults. The Death Road (biking) is available from age 12 at some operators, though most recommend 14+.

Signs to take seriously in children of any age: difficulty breathing at rest, confusion, refusal to drink, vomiting that continues more than 6 hours, blue lips or fingernails. Any of these require immediate medical attention. Clínica Alemana in La Paz has experience with altitude-related cases in children.

Building an itinerary that works

The golden rule: descend first, ascend last. If your Bolivia itinerary includes both highland (La Paz, Uyuni) and lowland (Rurrenabaque, Santa Cruz) destinations, start in the lowlands and acclimatise gradually upward — or arrive in La Paz, rest for two full days, then continue.

Suggested 10-day family route:

Days 1–3: La Paz. Rest on day 1. Teleférico on day 2. Valle de la Luna on day 3. No strenuous hiking.

Days 4–6: Uyuni. The Salar itself is extraordinary for children — the scale is incomprehensible. Day tours are more manageable than the 3-day circuit for families with children under 8. The train cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes) is free, endlessly photogenic and strange — children love it.

Days 7–10: Rurrenabaque and the Pampas. Drop to 200 m and let everyone breathe properly. Pampas tour wildlife — capybaras, caimans, pink dolphins, howler monkeys — is age-appropriate adventure for children from around 5 upward, provided they can handle a canoe without standing up.

Best family-friendly experiences

Chalalan Ecolodge, Madidi National Park: The gold standard of community eco-tourism in Bolivia. Run entirely by the Quechua-Tacana community of San José de Uchupiamonas, Chalalan sits at 290 m in primary Amazon rainforest. Children swim in the lagoon, walk forest trails with guides who have spent their lives learning the names of every tree, and go on night wildlife walks to find caimans with a flashlight. It is 6 hours by boat from Rurrenabaque. Book months in advance.

Salar de Uyuni day tour: Children above age 4 are ready for this. The scale of the salt flat, the perspective-distorting photographs, and the eerie landscape of the Isla Incahuasi (covered in giant cacti) create memories that last decades. Bring thick coats — even in summer, wind on the salt flat is cold.

Valle de la Luna, La Paz: An otherworldly landscape of eroded clay pinnacles 10 km from La Paz. Entry costs around $1–2 per person. Two hours of walking through geology that looks like another planet. Perfect for day two in the city.

Teleférico over La Paz: Ten cable car lines cross the city canyon at different heights. The Yellow and Red lines offer the most dramatic views. Buy tickets on the spot. Children under five are often free.

Potosí silver mines: Generally recommended for ages 10 and above. The mines are dark, physically demanding and emotionally heavy (the history of Cerro Rico is not light). For teenagers with interest in history, it is one of the most powerful experiences in South America.

Health and safety: practical notes

• Water: Use only bottled or filtered water, including for tooth-brushing. Children are more susceptible to travellers’ diarrhoea than adults.
• Sun: The Altiplano UV index is extreme. Apply SPF 50 sunscreen and reapply every two hours. Children can burn in under 15 minutes at altitude.
• Food: The set almuerzo at markets is generally safe and appropriate for children. Start cautiously with very spicy foods — Bolivian llajwa sauce is hotter than it looks.
• Insurance: Ensure your travel insurance explicitly covers altitude-related medical evacuation.
• Medical contacts: Save Clínica Alemana (La Paz) and Clínica Foianini (Santa Cruz) in your phone before you land.

What Bolivia gives families that other destinations don’t

Bolivia does not have a theme park or a kids’ club at the resort. What it has is a country that has not been sanitised for tourism, where children encounter genuine wildness, meet communities living in ways fundamentally different from their own, and are forced to engage with the world at altitude — literally and figuratively. The children who travel in Bolivia tend to remember it more vividly than the places that worked harder to entertain them.

That is not a reason to rush. It is a reason to plan carefully, go slowly, and trust that the country will do the rest.