Things to Do in Bolivia in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Bolivia
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + March closes the rainy season, so the Altiplano around La Paz and Lake Titicaca flashes electric green while the salt crust of Salar de Uyuni still works like a flawless mirror, you'll shoot both scenes inside seven days.
- + Carnaval de Oruro (usually early March) throws 20,000 dancers into feathered costumes and devil masks, Bolivia's loudest festival, wilder and more concentrated than Rio's version.
- + Tourist numbers stay thin everywhere except Oruro during Carnaval, you'll claim Machu Picchu-free minutes at Tiwanaku and can sit solo on Isla del Sol as the sun drops over Lake Titicaca.
- + Fruit stalls spill over with chirimoya and tumbo, the latter tastes like banana-passionfruit and shows up for just six weeks starting March.
- − Heavy afternoon storms slam the Yungas cloud forests and Amazon basin, the road to Coroico turns into a muddy slip-and-slide where buses regularly call for tow trucks.
- − Temperature swings hit hard: 25°C (77°F) sunshine in Cochabamba can crash to 5°C (41°F) within sixty minutes when storms barrel through the valleys.
- − Salt-flat tours out of Uyuni get cancelled when the mirror effect runs too deep, March counts as 'shoulder season' for the flats, so you might score crust instead of reflections.
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
March hands you the final window for mirror-salt season before the crust hardens. The 10,582 km² (4,086 sq mi) salt flat turns into a flawless sky reflection, you'll shoot perspective tricks where people seem to stroll on clouds. Daytime temperatures linger near 21°C (70°F) yet nights sink to 3°C (37°F), so pack layers. Storms normally clear by 4 PM, leaving golden-hour shots minus the December crowds.
The Teleférico network stretches 33 km (20.5 miles) across La Paz's canyon, March's clear dawns after overnight storms grant 50 km (31 mile) views across the Cordillera Real. Catch the red line at 7 AM while the city wakes and the scent of api morado (purple corn drink) rises from street vendors below. You'll spot the snow-capped Illimani at 6,438 m (21,122 ft) framed by adobe neighborhoods cascading down the canyon walls.
March marks quinoa harvest on Isla del Sol, you'll join families threshing the golden grain that has fed these islands for 3,000 years. At 3,812 m (12,507 ft) the lake water stays icy. Yet afternoon sun heats the terraced fields where families spread quinoa on hand-woven blankets. Evening storms sweep across the water like liquid mercury, and you'll eat fresh trucha (lake trout) grilled over eucalyptus while lightning backlights the Cordillera Real.
March ushers in achachairú season, the sweet-tart Amazon fruit that tastes like mangosteen collided with lime. Mercado La Ramada reeks of fresh ají rocoto and roasting cuy (guinea pig) while vendors shout prices in Quechua. Grab salteñas at 6 AM when the crust is still crisp and the stew inside hasn't cooled from overnight cooking. The market sprawls across four city blocks, and March's morning fog lifts by 9 AM to unveil the Cristo de la Concordia statue surveying the valley.
Cerro Rico's silver mines operate at 4,090 m (13,419 ft), March's dry mornings spare you the mud that turns these tunnels into skating rinks December through February. The air carries a metallic tang from centuries of digging, and dynamite blasts rumble like far-off thunder. You'll meet miners chewing coca who explain why they leave cigarettes and 96% alcohol for El Tío, the devil statue who rules Bolivia's underworld.
March Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Bolivia's biggest festival lines up 48 dance troupes in costumes scaling up to 40 kg (88 lbs), the Diablada masks alone demand six months of handwork. The 20-hour parade rolls 4 km (2.5 miles) through Oruro's mining-town streets where llama-jerky smoke mingles with chicha beer. Show up two days early to watch costume prep in neighborhood workshops.
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Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
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Top-rated things to do in Bolivia this March
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