Bolivia is the most unique country in South America. It is one of my favorite destinations, and for a good reason: it has some of the most surreal and breathtaking landscapes in the world. Unlike neighboring Peru, Bolivia is overlooked by travelers and is still off the beaten track. Even though it is one of the most underrated countries for traveling, it is really worth visiting. One of the highlights of our Bolivian trip was Sajama National Park.
Why you should visit Sajama National Park
Absolute tranquillity
By far the most popular place in Bolivia and one of the must-visit places in South America is Salar de Uyuni. While most people flock to Salar de Uyuni and Lake Titicaca, Sajama National Park is really a hidden gem, overlooked by tourists, and is literally deserted. You hardly see any other tourists there. You have the whole place all to yourself.
Sajama National Park has a lot of alpacas, llamas and vicuñas
In Sajama National Park, you will see more alpacas and llamas than people. There are so many of these cute, fluffy animals, we ended up taking tons of photos. Besides, you will have a chance to see wild camelids – vicuña. We spent three days in Sajama National Park, and we were lucky to see these graceful animals every day.
Breathtaking scenery
The park is heaven for photographers. It blows your mind with surreal landscapes of the rugged altiplano, snowcapped volcanoes and mountains, geysers, and lagoons. And again, you have an absolutely different experience compared to the Salar de Uyuni tour, as there will be no other people around.
What to do in Sajama National Park
Sajama National Park Map
Climb Sajama Volcano
Sajama Volcano (21,463 ft / 6,542 m) is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. You can see it from any point in the park. You can climb Sajama, but don’t treat it as a simple walk. It’s high-altitude mountaineering with glacier travel. If you are an experienced mountaineer and intend to climb Sajama independently, keep in mind that it might be difficult to rent equipment in Sajama village. It might be safer to rent in La Paz.
If you would like to do a guided ascent to Nevado Sajama, several tour agencies in La Paz offer guided climbs. They usually last 4 days and include transport from La Paz, mountain gear rental, base camp setup, and experienced guides.
We didn’t climb Sajama, instead we hiked to Sajama Base Camp. The first hour follows the main road before turning right to Bosque de Queñua (Queñua Forest) and continues up to Sajama Base Camp. The hike is about 11 km/ 6.85 miles one way, with an elevation gain of about 665 m. It starts at 4,135 m above sea level and ends at 4,800 m. It took us about 3.5 hours to get to the base camp. While the hike can be done in one day, we did it over 2 days and spent the night at the base camp. If you plan to stay overnight, keep in mind the altitude there is 4,800 m.
Parinacota and Pomerape Volcanos
Another two volcanos in Sajama National Park – Parinacota (20,930 ft / 6,380 m) and Pomerape (20,610 ft /6,282 m) are potentially active volcanoes on the border of Bolivia and Chile. You can climb both of them, but Parinacota is climbed less often, it is harder and more technical than Parinacota.
Huayñacota Lagoon with flamingos
Huayñacota Lagoon is about 8 miles/ 13 km /3 hours walk from Sajama village along the main road heading north. Most photos show it with a mirror-like surface reflecting the surrounding landscape. There were flamingos when we visited, but the lagoon didn’t look like that — the water was choppy because of the strong wind. It was so windy that my face got both frozen and sunburnt at the same time.
Sajama Geysers
The geysers are about 5 miles / 8km west of Sajama village. Take the path that takes you behind the church towards Pomerape volcano, cross the bridge over the river, and go further. The geysers steam and boil. They also explode sometimes, but it does not happen very often. In some ponds, the water is not so hot, so you can soak in them.
Lagunas de Altura
From the geysers, you can hike up further to the Lagunas de Altura, it’s another couple of hours’ hike.
The Chilean border is close by, and two of the Lagunas are located on the Chilean side. The hike length is 32.5 km, and it is usually done in 2 days with overnight camping near Lagoon Sora Pata. After the third one – Lagoon Chiar Khota, you can hike down to Aguas Thermales (hot springs), but note that there is no visible trail.
We couldn’t find any information about whether it was okay to cross the Chilean border there or if a border zone permit was required. Our plan was to reach the lagoons and then head back to Sajama village for the night. We got very close, but in the end, I started worrying about crossing the border, so we decided to turn back.
Aguas Termales Manasya
Manasya hot springs are about 1.5 hours walk from Sajama village. Walk along the main road for 2-2.5 miles / 3-4 km in the northern direction and then turn left. Choose a pool you like and enjoy an amazing view of the Sajama volcano.
Fee: 30 bolivianos
Sajama Village
Sajama village is a small village of 250 inhabitants. The village itself does not have much to see, but don’t miss a beautiful altiplano church.
Best time to visit Sajama National Park
It is recommended to visit during the dry season from April to November, which is also a colder time of the year. The rainy season is from December to March, when roads and trails become muddy and slippery. Be aware that nights are quite cold with temperatures dropping to below 0 degrees C.
How to get to Sajama National Park by public transport
From La Paz, take any bus going to Oruro and ask the driver to drop you at the town of Patacamaya. You can book bus tickets online on Busbud. The bus drops you at the main road, you need to walk to the town and look for “Restaurant Capitol”. A collectivo (minivan) with the sign “Parque Nacional Sajama” leaves from there around 12 pm or earlier once it is full. It takes about 3 hours from Patacamaya to the park. We easily found the place, and the minivan was already there. You can also ask around, and people will direct you. Note that on Sundays it leaves earlier.
When you go back, take the minivan at the main plaza in Sajama village, it leaves at 5.30 am, but try to get there earlier, as it may leave early. On Sundays, it leaves earlier, at 4 am. Usually, there are quite a few people trying to get a spot in the van, and there’s no queue, so you’ll need to be quick to grab a seat. When we arrived at Patacamaya, there were minivans leaving for El Alto, so we took one of them.
Another option — if you’d rather avoid the hassle of public transport and transferring in Patacamaya — is to book a transfer from La Paz to Sajama via GetYourGuide. This option allows stops for photos, which are not available on public transport.
You can also check with local tour agencies in La Paz to see if they can arrange a transfer to Sajama National Park for you. We once booked a transfer to the trailhead of the Cordillera Real hike through one of these agencies.
Accommodation in Sajama National Park
Most of the people stay in Sajama village. There are a few basic hostels / guesthouses. We did not book anything in advance. After the minivan dropped us at the main plaza, we were wandering around checking the map and figuring out which way to go, a local lady approached us and asked if we would like to stay in her guesthouse. We had our own bathroom in the room with an electric heater in the shower. They provide you with extra blankets, as it’s quite cold at night. At this point, it looks like none of the accommodations in Sajama can be booked online.
You can also stay in Tomarapi in Tomarapi Ecolodge, located in the northern part of the park. But the location is not convenient if you don’t have your own transport.
Camping is allowed inside the park.
Useful information about Sajama National Park
The entire park rests above 13,780 ft / 4,200 m, so be aware of altitude sickness.
The entrance fee is 100 bolivianos (as of 2025). It includes a small park map.
Cold nights: the temperature can drop to below zero. In winter, from June to August, it plunges well below zero. Bring a warm jacket and a suitable sleeping bag if you plan to camp.
UV radiation is extremely high, even though it is cold.
There is no ATM in Sajama village, so make sure you bring enough cash.
There are a couple of small basic shops and restaurants in Sajama village.
For more inspiration on what to do in Bolivia, check my other posts:
Hello. We are planning on going here. How much roughly does it cost to hike Sajama Volcano?
Hi Matthew, unfortunately, I do not know the prices. But there guides in Sajama village, and their prices should be cheaper than if you book in La Paz.
Hola!! Your blog is very useful!! Thanks a lot!! Just one question, if I don’t want to camp in the park, can I do day trips from the village every day? Do I need to pay the park entrance every day? Thanks again!!
Hi Ruby, thank you 🙂 Yes, you can stay in the village. We only camped at the Sajama base camp, but we could do do it as one day trip. If you want to go to Lagunas de Altura, this hike is usually done in 2 days. We did not make it to the end, as the lagoons are on the Chilean side, and we were not sure if it was okay to cross the border. Otherwise, other places mentioned here – Huaynacota Lagoon, geysers, Aguas Termales can be done as day trips. Can’t tell you for sure about the entrance fee, I believe you pay only once, and the fee includes a map of the park. But we could not find where to pay, there was noone collecting the fees, and no park rangers. Good luck with trip! I am sure you will enjoy it 🙂
Hello, did you take tours around the area or do it yourself?
Hi Immy, no, we didn’t take any tours. You can get to Sajama by public transport, and all places described in the post are accessible by walking. The tour agencies in La Paz sell tours to Sajama, but I think once you arrive in Sajama village, you can ask at your guesthouse if they can arrange anything for you.
Hello ! Thank you very much for all your advices it’s very valuable ! How long did you stay in Sajama ?
Hi Clemence, we stayed for 5 days, we were not in a rush, and it was more than enough to do everything described in the post. If you are short of time, I would day 3 days would be fine.
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Great pictures and superb scenery. I can’t remember hearing of any Ozzies trekking in Bolivia before
Thank you, Greg. Maybe because Bolivia is very far away from Oz, and yes, the views there are stunning!