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Voykit pocket guide · Bolivia
San Juan
One night only, as a salt-flat tour stop: no sights beyond a small museum and cemetery, no ATMs, no heating. Skip as a base.
San Juan sits at 3,660 m south of the Salar de Uyuni, on the road between Uyuni and the southwest lagoons. It is a tour stop, not a destination: basic beds, a small museum and cemetery, and shops that rarely stock fruit or vegetables. Come with cash, a sleeping bag liner and no expectation of a hot room.
- Country
- Bolivia
- Best months
- May–Oct (dry season, clearer roads)
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (rain, flooded salt flat and rough access roads)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BOB
- Money
- Currency is the boliviano (BOB, Bs). Cash rules outside larger hotels and restaurants in La Paz and Santa Cruz.
- Daily spend
- Budget Bs 120–200 excl. bed · Mid Bs 200–350 excl. bed · High Bs 350+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Entel, Tigo and Viva sell SIMs with passport registration in their own shops.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Some La Paz buildings have 115 V — check.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Round up; about 10% in tourist restaurants.; Uyuni driver and cook: Bs 50–100 per traveller for 3 days, shared.; Guides: Bs 30–70 a day.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Pay a boliviano or two; bring paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Guesthouse double room | Bs 80–300 |
| Hot shower surcharge | Bs 5 |
| Museum and cemetery entry, both | Bs 10 |
| Soft drink or bottled water | Bs 5–15 |
| Chocolate bar or cookies | Bs 5–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- UYU · Uyuni Joya Andina
- The practical arrival point; road transfer to San Juan, times vary with conditions.
Typical fares
- Guesthouse double, per night
- Bs 80–300
- Hot shower
- Bs 5
- Museum and cemetery
- Bs 10 for both
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot. The village is a few blocks across; everything a visitor uses is walkable. Tours and onward transfers run by 4x4 from the village.
See and do
Known for
- Salt-flat tour stop south of Uyuni
- Small local museum and cemetery
- High-altitude village at 3,660 m
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Salar de Uyuni | 4x4 with a tour operator from San Juan or Uyuni | Half day to a full day |
| Atocha | Road north by 4x4 or bus | About 1–2 h |
| San Pedro de Quemes | Road south by 4x4 | About 2 h |
| Tupiza | 4x4 or bus on unpaved roads | 4–6 h |
Sleep
- Village centre
- All guesthouses sit within a few blocks; pick on heating and hot water, not location.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Do you have hot water? | ¿Hay agua caliente?eye AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'buenos días'; avoid: Rushing into business
- Photos: Ask, and accept a no; avoid: Photographing rituals uninvited
- Sea question: Listen; avoid: Joking about Bolivia's lost coast
- Queues and blockades: Patience; avoid: Arguing with protesters
Scams and watch-outs
- 3,660 m: altitude sickness is the main risk; ascend slowly and do not plan a hard first day.
- Nights are cold and most rooms have no heating; ask for extra blankets.
- Electricity may run only a few hours a day in some guesthouses.
- No ATMs and card payment is rare: bring bolivianos in cash.
- Fruit and vegetables are hard to find; shops sell drinks, chocolate and cookies.
- Roads south are unpaved and can be cut by rain or blockades — check before you commit to a transfer.
A quiet village and generally safe for tourists. The real risks are altitude at 3,660 m, cold rooms, cash-only shops and long unpaved transfers: carry bolivianos and check road conditions before leaving.
One and two days
No timed day plan for San Juan yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Salt-flat tour stop south of Uyuni
- Small local museum and cemetery
- High-altitude village at 3,660 m
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: San Juan (Bolivia), revision 3738146 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3738146
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
San Juan
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in San Juan; most are in La Paz. US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are in La Paz — check addresses and hours.
Cash only in practice: bring bolivianos. No ATMs in the village.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/san-juan-bolivia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.