Planning a trip to Bolivia?
Make sure you have read our guide on when to go and what weather to expect from the Andes to the Amazon.
Bolivia’s climate, as varied as its geography, is affected by latitude and, especially, by altitude.
The best time to travel is the winter (dry season) between May and October when weather systems over the Andes are typically stable. Most of the rain falls from December to March.
Seasons in Bolivia
- Winter (dry season): April to October
- Summer (wet season): November to April
Bolivia’s climate can be divided into the Andes and Altiplano, and the Lowlands and Yungas.
Andes and the Altiplano
Popular destinations: La Paz, Lake Titicaca, Sucre, Salar de Uyuni
When to go: The best months to travel are from April through to October.
However, some travellers choose to travel to the Uyuni Salt Flats when rains are heaviest, December to February, to see the Salar water-filled with a magical mirror effect.
Climate: From April to November there is relatively little precipitation on the Altiplano; most rainfall is from December to March.
Temperature-wise, the Andes and Altiplano experience significant fluctuations over a single day. At 4,000m, the pre-dawn temperature can drop to -15ºC, while noon temperatures at the same location can reach 20ºC.
The further south and west you go on the Altiplano, the drier the conditions; around Uyuni, semi-arid conditions prevail. Southerly cold winds mean the southern Altiplano is not only drier, but also noticeably colder and windier than the north. Pre-dawn temperatures at Uyuni in July regularly drop to -20ºC.
Mountain weather is fickle and localised, and precipitation is not unusual even in the dry season.
June and July tend to be the coldest months, November and December the warmest.
Minimum and maximum temperatures in dry and wet season:
La Paz (winter/dry season): 1–17 °C / 34–63 °F
La Paz (summer/wet season): 6–19 °C / 43–66 °F
Tropical Lowlands and Yungas
Popular destinations: Amazon & Madidi, Santa Cruz and surroundings
When to go: The best months to travel are from May through to October.
Climate: Year-round, weather conditions in the Amazon basin and the Yungas are hot and humid. The lowland rainforests lie far enough south of the equator to provide a cooler, drier winter season between May and October. We can’t really speak of a true dry season, as rain occurs year round—almost daily in the summer wet season and once every few days in the winter “dry” season.
On rare occasions between May and September, cold fronts from Argentina, known as surazos, can sweep into southwest Amazonia and push temperatures down to 9°C. These usually last between one and three days.
Minimum and maximum temperatures in dry and wet season:
Yungas (winter/dry season): 16–24 °C / 61–75 °F
Yungas (summer/wet season): 22–30 °C / 72–86 °F
Year-round night temperatures: 14–20 °C / 57–68 °F
