Weather in Bolivia

The best time to visit most of Bolivia is during the dry season, which runs from May through October. During these months the skies are generally clear and blue, making it ideal for trekking, photography on the Salar de Uyuni, and exploring ruins and colonial cities. June and July are the coolest months on the altiplano — nights can drop well below freezing — but the clarity of the air and light is breathtaking. The Salar de Uyuni is accessible year-round, but it is particularly spectacular between June and November when the surface is dry and you can walk on it, or during January through March when a thin layer of water creates the famous mirror effect.

The wet season runs from November through March, bringing heavy afternoon rains to the altiplano and making some roads in the lowlands impassable. However, the Amazon basin and Yungas valleys are lush and vibrant during this time, and if the mirror effect on the Salar de Uyuni is your primary goal, January through February is actually optimal. Oruro's world-famous carnival takes place in February or March. For wildlife in the Pampas, the dry season between June and October offers the best chances of spotting pink river dolphins, caimans, and anacondas as waterways recede.