Potosi in 7 days

The world's highest city, silver mines, colonial grandeur and a history written in blood and wealth. Best time to visit: April-October. Average daily budget: $20 to $40 USD.

Day 1, Land & wander

Base: Centro Histórico, The UNESCO core with the Royal Mint, cathedral, colonial arcades and the densest concentration of historic churches. The only place to stay.

Morning: Tour the Cerro Rico silver mines. A guided descent into the active mines where workers still extract silver, zinc and tin using hand tools and dynamite. It is raw, dangerous and unforgettable. Buy gifts for the miners on the way in.

Afternoon: Explore Centro Histórico, The UNESCO core with the Royal Mint, cathedral, colonial arcades and the densest concentration of historic churches. The only place to stay.

Evening: Sunset from a mirador over the city. The view of terracotta rooftops, church domes and Cerro Rico glowing in the last light is one of the great urban panoramas of South America.

Eat: Pique a lo macho, a massive plate of beef, sausage, chips and egg in spicy sauce, the classic high-altitude comfort food

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Cerro Rico Base, The area around the mountain's foot where miners gather, where tour operators assemble, and where the reality of Bolivia's mining present meets its colonial past.

Morning: Visit the Casa Nacional de la Moneda. The Royal Mint, one of the most important colonial buildings in the Americas, with original minting machinery, art collections and the story of how Potosi's silver shaped the world economy.

Afternoon: Explore Cerro Rico Base, The area around the mountain's foot where miners gather, where tour operators assemble, and where the reality of Bolivia's mining present meets its colonial past.

Evening: Explore the colonial churches. Potosi has over 30 colonial churches, many with extraordinary interiors. San Lorenzo, San Francisco and the Compania are the standouts, with gold leaf, oil paintings and carved altars.

Eat: Saltenas, Bolivian baked empanadas filled with juicy meat or chicken stew, best eaten before noon

Day 3, Food & markets

Base: Plaza 10 de Noviembre, The leafy main square a few blocks from the Mint, ringed by cafes, money changers and bus agencies. It is the easiest place to acclimatise slowly, watch city life and find a warm lunch.

Morning: Tour the Cerro Rico mines. Descend into the working silver mines of Cerro Rico, the mountain that funded the Spanish Empire, to meet miners and grasp the harsh history. Confronting and not for the claustrophobic.

Afternoon: Explore Plaza 10 de Noviembre, The leafy main square a few blocks from the Mint, ringed by cafes, money changers and bus agencies. It is the easiest place to acclimatise slowly, watch city life and find a warm lunch.

Evening: Wander the colonial centre. Potosí's UNESCO old town, grand churches and the Casa de la Moneda (royal mint), recalls its days as one of the world's richest cities.

Eat: Api with buñuelos, the purple corn drink and fried dough that locals eat for breakfast at Mercado Central

Day 4, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Centro Histórico, The UNESCO core with the Royal Mint, cathedral, colonial arcades and the densest concentration of historic churches. The only place to stay.

Morning: The Turquoise Lake inside Cerro Rico, a surreal flooded mine chamber reached only on the longer tours.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Centro Histórico, The UNESCO core with the Royal Mint, cathedral, colonial arcades and the densest concentration of historic churches. The only place to stay.

Evening: The local miners' market on Saturday mornings, where coca leaves, dynamite and llama foetuses for offerings are sold side by side.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Chicharron de llama, crispy fried llama meat served with mote corn, a regional Potosi specialty

Day 5, Day trip

Base: Cerro Rico Base, The area around the mountain's foot where miners gather, where tour operators assemble, and where the reality of Bolivia's mining present meets its colonial past.

Morning: The small museum of mining at the base of Cerro Rico with photographs and tools from the 1940s.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Evening: The rooftop of the Convento de Santa Teresa for a quiet mirador with almost no tourists.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Coca tea, the essential altitude remedy, served everywhere and drunk constantly by locals and visitors alike

Day 6, Hidden gems

Morning: The pique macho and saltenas at Mercado Central, eaten at altitude with locals who have never known thick air.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Evening: Dinner at Pique a lo macho, a massive plate of beef, sausage, chips and egg in spicy sauce, the classic high-altitude comfort food, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Plaza 10 de Noviembre.

Eat: Pique a lo macho, a massive plate of beef, sausage, chips and egg in spicy sauce, the classic high-altitude comfort food

Day 7, Slow finish

Base: Centro Histórico, The UNESCO core with the Royal Mint, cathedral, colonial arcades and the densest concentration of historic churches. The only place to stay.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Centro Histórico, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Centro Histórico, The UNESCO core with the Royal Mint, cathedral, colonial arcades and the densest concentration of historic churches. The only place to stay.

Evening: Dinner at Saltenas, Bolivian baked empanadas filled with juicy meat or chicken stew, best eaten before noon, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Centro Histórico.

Eat: Saltenas, Bolivian baked empanadas filled with juicy meat or chicken stew, best eaten before noon

Hidden gems

The Turquoise Lake inside Cerro Rico, a surreal flooded mine chamber reached only on the longer tours.
The local miners' market on Saturday mornings, where coca leaves, dynamite and llama foetuses for offerings are sold side by side.
The small museum of mining at the base of Cerro Rico with photographs and tools from the 1940s.
The rooftop of the Convento de Santa Teresa for a quiet mirador with almost no tourists.
The pique macho and saltenas at Mercado Central, eaten at altitude with locals who have never known thick air.

Getting around

Potosi's centre is compact and walkable, though the steep streets and extreme altitude make walking tiring. Taxis are cheap and useful for the Cerro Rico base or if you are struggling with the altitude. There is no bus system to speak of within the city. The bus terminal connects to Sucre (3 hours), La Paz (10 hours) and Uyuni (7 hours).

Safety

Potosi itself is safe but the altitude is the real risk. Take your first day very slowly, drink coca tea constantly, avoid alcohol and heavy meals on arrival, and consider diamox if you have struggled with altitude before. The mine tours are genuinely dangerous: choose a reputable operator, bring a dust mask, and do not go if you have respiratory or heart issues.

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