As of 9 October 2026, Canada advises against all travel to Chapare, while the UK advises against all but essential travel there. Most major routes reopened after the spring 2026 protests, but roadblocks and damaged roads can still appear with little notice.
What the advisories say
- Skip Chapare. That includes Villa Tunari and the major roads through the region. One official advisory says avoid all travel there, the other says avoid all but essential travel.
- Check your exact route with a local operator before a long-distance bus, a land border crossing, the road to El Alto airport, or a trip to Lake Titicaca, Uyuni, Potosí or Tiwanaku.
- Do not cross a roadblock. Stay away from protests, government buildings and Plaza Murillo in central La Paz.
- Add slack. Expect delays and detours, and carry enough prescription medication to cover a disruption.
- A
condicionadobus ticket means arrival isn't guaranteed. - Rest of Bolivia: a high degree of caution. You don't need to assume every road is closed.
Where exactly this applies
- Chapare: Villa Tunari and the major highway routes through the region. The UK names highway routes 4 and 24.
- Rest of Bolivia: Canada's country-wide level is "exercise a high degree of caution," citing possible demonstrations, localized roadblocks, crime and transport disruption.
- Route checks (Canada): land borders, the road to El Alto airport, Lake Titicaca, Uyuni, Potosí and Tiwanaku.
Organizations issuing warnings
- Canada, Bolivia travel advice, fetched 9 October 2026: avoid all travel to Chapare; exercise a high degree of caution country-wide.
- UK FCDO, Bolivia travel advice, updated 22 September 2026 and checked 9 October: advises against all but essential travel to Chapare.
Why Chapare
Canada cites unstable security, anti-foreigner sentiment, civil unrest, movement restrictions, drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion. The UK's level for the same area is one step softer. If you're weighing a Chapare detour, go by the stricter one.
Roads: most reopened, check the one you need
Canada says most major transportation routes reopened after the spring 2026 protests, and warns that roads can be damaged and conditions can change with little notice. That replaces the blanket May advice to avoid every bus and fly domestically only, which the May roadblocks article covers. A general reopening doesn't tell you whether your road is open today.
The UK safety page says blockades can appear without warning and cut off airport roads as well as intercity buses. It points to the Bolivian road authority map for road status. The FCDO says the map is only accessible from within Bolivia, so if it won't load abroad, ask a local operator to check it.
State of emergency: two descriptions
The UK's current warning says a state of emergency gives police and armed forces powers to remove roadblocks, disrupt protests, and detain people who don't comply for up to eight hours without charge. Canada describes a 90-day emergency declared on 20 June and says it imposed no curfew or general limits on movement. The UK safety page dates the declaration 21 June.
Canada's 90-day description doesn't establish that an emergency is still in force on 9 October. The UK treats the powers as current, so follow local instructions if police or soldiers direct you.
Source notes
This article checks UK and Canadian advice only. Other governments' Bolivia advisories weren't refreshed. For accommodation, see Bolivia hostels. Hostel scores and warnings say nothing about whether a road is open.