There are so many great things to do in Bolivia’s beautiful capital, Sucre.
It was actually by a complete coincidence that we ended up in Sucre (I needed to go to the hospital and get treated for altitude sickness and salmonella), and the fact that we had no expectations about this destination made the arrival so much better!
Arriving in Sucre left me utterly speechless…
The cityscape is dominated by endearing old, white houses with their orange rooftops – all located in the midst of a lush valley. Sucre seemed like the perfect place to recover from an illness.
We ended up spending a total of 7 days in the capital of Bolivia. During this period of time, we learned that there are so many great things to do in Sucre, and we want to share them all with you in this blog post.
We’ve actually made this post into a full travel guide, which means that we’ve also included historical facts, how to get to Sucre, where to stay in the city, and much more! So, if you’re planning to visit Sucre in the near future, then you’re hopefully covered after reading this travel guide.
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Things to know before your trip to Sucre
Before we dive into all the best things to do in Sucre, we’re first going to share some information about this wonderful city in Bolivia.
What is Sucre known for?
Sucre is known for many things – but most importantly – it’s known as the official capital of Bolivia.
Even though Sucre is only the 6th largest city in Bolivia, it still remains the real judicial capital. La Paz is known as the administrative capital of Bolivia, and it’s where most of the government work is carried out.
Sucre was founded in 1539 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Anzúrez. Therefore, it was a Spanish colony for many years, which you can still see on the architecture today. The white houses with orange rooftops and the many churches gives the city a somewhat European feel to it.
In 1991, Sucre was even inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its many interesting well-preserved buildings and its incredible history.
- Want to know more? Join a walking tour in Sucre.
What is the altitude in Sucre?
Since the altitude in Sucre is around 2800 meters above sea level, so there is a chance of getting altitude sickness.
However, compared to other high altitude cities like Uyuni, Oruro and La Paz, I wouldn’t be too worried about getting altitude sickness in Sucre. Remember that I came here to recover from altitude sickness, which I got from somewhere else. The altitude definitely shouldn’t scare you away from visiting this amazing city!
Bolivia has some of the highest altitude cities in the world. So, it’s always a good idea to check the altitude of the cities before you’re going.
- Related blog post: Getting altitude sickness in Uyuni
How to get to Sucre by bus?
Because of Sucre’s convenient location in the middle of the country, it’s easy to get here from most places in Bolivia.
Bolivia has many great bus connections, but it can be quite eerie to drive through the Andes Mountains (just our experience of course). That being said, taking the bus is by far the easiest and cheapest way to get around in Bolivia.
We really recommend you to take the bus between cities as you’ll experience more of Bolivia this way – plus it’s cheaper and more adventurous!
You can take the bus to Sucre directly from La Paz, Cochabamba, Uyuni, Potosi, Oruro, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It almost doesn’t matter where you are in Bolivia, you can always find a bus to Sucre! It’s always cheaper to buy your bus tickets directly at the bus stations in Bolivia rather than online.
However, buses do sell out sometimes, so grab your tickets on Busbud.com if you want to plan ahead.
When you arrive at Sucre bus station, you can take a taxi to your accommodation for 5 BOB per person (2023 edit: This was the price in 2020, we imagine the price has gotten up since then).
Where to stay in Sucre?
During our stay in Sucre, we booked a double room for about 10 USD/night in a place named “Spanish Friends”. The lady who owned the place was super friendly, and she even offered Spanish courses! However, it looks like the place doesn’t exist anymore (we visited in February 2020).
So instead, we did some research on Booking.com to see which places we would stay at in Sucre during a future visit. So here are some places that are worthy for us to recommend to you.
Best hotels & hostels in Sucre
- Villa Oropeza Hostel: Want the cheapest bed in town? This hostel offers cheap bunk beds, great common areas, a central location, and it has really high ratings.
- Kultur Berlin: Want to stay in Sucre’s most popular party hostel? Then check out this central accommodation option where you can both stay in a dorm or in a private room, and breakfast is included in the price.
- Bella Vista El Tronco: Want to stay somewhere affordable with a great view? Check out this Guesthouse where you can get a nice double room with a view over Sucre.
- El Hotel de Su Merced: Want to stay somewhere beautiful on a mid-range budget? Then stay at one of Sucre’s highest rated hotels. This one has the most beautiful courtyard, all rooms have a patio, and breakfast is included in the price.
- Parador Santa Maria La Real: Want to something luxurious and magical? Check out this interesting hotel that’s located in a 18th century colonial building. The decor is so beautiful it takes you back in time, it’s centrally located, and a good breakfast is included in the price.
The 12 best things to do in Sucre
All right, now that you’re all ready to plan your trip to Sucre, then let’s dive into all the great things you can do in this lovely Bolivian city! This is the part where we start exploring!
1. Plaza 25 de Mayo
We’ve learned that the best place to start exploring in any Bolivian city is to head to the main city square. So, the first thing you should do in sucre is visit Plaza 25 de Mayo. This main square is actually an important landmark, not just for Sucre, but for the whole of Bolivia!
“Plaza 25 de Mayo” means “The 25 May Square” and refers to a specific day in 1809 when Bolivia began their war of independence against the Spanish colonials.
The statue in the center of the square is of Mariscal José Antonio Sucre, whom the city is also named after. He was an independence leader and eventually Bolivia’s second president after Simón Bolívar. Therefore, the main square is an important historical landmark for Sucre and Bolivia.
Today it’s seen as the center of the city. People come here to relax in the shadow of a tree while feeding a pigeon or two.
2. Eat delicious Salteñas
Another thing you MUST do in Sucre is to eat salteñas!
Salteñas are the Bolivian form of an empanada. If you can say that? It’s like a savory pastry that’s filled with potatoes, raisins, olives and a type of meat (you can also get vegetarian ones). You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or as a snack during the day.
We absolutely love salteñas! During our time in Bolivia, they were always our favorite snack to eat during the day if we didn’t feel like having a big lunch. We found the salteñas extra delicious in Sucre, so make sure to try them here.
The most popular place to go eat salteñas in Sucre is in a café named “El Patio“. However, we always went to the cheaper shop next door named “Salteñas Flores“. Here you could get delicious salteñas (also a vegetarian option) for 7 BOB a piece.
Normally salteñas in Bolivia cost around 5 BOB – but these were really delicious, so we didn’t mind paying the difference.
Eating salteñas is a cultural experience of the Bolivian kitchen, so make sure to try them at least once on your trip to Bolivia!
3. See Dinosaur footprints in Parque Cretácico
One of the best things to do in Sucre is to go to Parque Cretácico (also known as Cal Orck’o). Here you can visit a museum about dinosaurs and see real pre-historic dinosaur footprints!
The dinosaur footprints were actually discovered by accident in 1985 by a cement factory. So far, they have counted more than 5000 prehistoric footprints in the area – even from several different species of dinosaurs. This means that Sucre used to be an area full of dinosaurs! Isn’t that cool?!
Whether you’re a fan of dinosaurs or not (I’m honestly not), visiting Parque Cretácico is still a really good experience. It’s not every day that you get the chance to see something prehistoric that lived millions of years ago. So, the dinosaur footprints is definitely a must-visit attraction in Sucre.
Parque Cretácico is located a bit out of the city center, so you have to find transportation to get there.
Luckily there is a shuttle bus that will take you straight to the “dino park” (as I like to call it). The bus leaves approximately once an hour in front of the Cathedral on Plaza 25 de Mayo. You can’t miss the bus – it’s the one with all the dinosaur pictures on it.
- Check out our travel vlog: Visiting Parque Cretácico in Sucre.
| Opening Hours | Ticket Price | |
| Dino Shuttle bus | Leaves at 11 AM | 15 BOB/return ticket |
| Parque Cretácico | 9 AM – 5 PM (Tuesday to Friday) 10 AM – 6 PM (Weekends) Always closed on Mondays | 30 BOB for foreigners 10 BOB for Bolivian citizens |
4. Walk to La Recoleta viewpoint and monastery
We recommend that you walk to Mirador Recoleta if you want to see the city from above. The viewpoint is only about 1 kilometer away from Plaza 25 de Mayo.
Mirador Recoleta is a beautiful viewpoint that gives you a great view over the valley full of the orange rooftops of the city!
Opposite the viewpoint, you’ll find La Recoleta Monastery, which dates back to the 17th century. Why not go for a visit here? Definitely add it to your list of things to do in Sucre.
Once you’re done visiting the monastery, you can go to the little tourist market by the viewpoint and buy yourself a poncho or a little souvenir to remember the city.
| Opening Hours | Price | |
| La Recoleta Viewpoint | All day! | Free! |
| Museo de la Recoleta | 9 AM -11:30 AM + 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM (Monday to Friday) 3 PM – 5 PM (Saturdays) (Always closed on Sundays) | 10 BOB |
5. Visit the churches (and stand on the roof!)
Sucre has many churches scattered all over the city. The churches are a part of Sucre’s history and some of them also offer some great viewpoints!
It was actually by accident that we found ourselves on top of the roof of a church – I never did that before… But it was so cool, and we got some amazing views over the city!
Here are some of the churches you can visit in Sucre – notice that the opening hours and prices might differ since we couldn’t find the official schedules. However, aim to come during this time of the day and pay around this amount of money (yup, that’s how precise we are here on the blog)
| Opening Hours | Price | |
| Iglesia Nuestra Señora La Merced (roof access) | 10 AM – 12 PM + 3 PM – 6 PM | Free! (10 BOB for roof access) |
| Templo de San Felipe Neri (roof access) | 3 PM – 6 PM | Free! (15-20 BOB for roof access) |
| Sucre Cathedral | Visit during Mass 9 AM (only Thursday and Sunday) | Free! |
Other nice churches you can check out (we have no information about price or opening hours) are the San Francisco Church and San Lazaro Church.
6. Visit a museum
You’ll never run out of things to do in Sucre because the city is full of museums!
However, we embarrassingly never made it to any museums during our trip. So, we can’t really recommend anything good for you…
We did try to visit Casa de la Libertad twice (House of Liberty Museum), but we always managed to come by when it was closed. The House of Liberty should be the best museum to visit in Sucre. So, I would start here if I were you.
7. Visit the Bolivar Park
The Bolivar Park is a great place to just hang out, go for a walk, and do some people-watching. So, if you need a break from exploring all the things to see in Sucre, then you should go here.
The main attraction in Sucre’s Bolivar park is the red mini-version of the Eiffel Tower. Not much else is there to see and do, except for just enjoying a green spot in Bolivia’s beautiful capital, Sucre.
8. Buy fresh fruits in Mercado Central
Do you want to explore the more local and authentic side of Sucre? Then you should head to Mercado Central.
Here you can try the local foods and buy fresh vegetables. It’s a very colorful market where there are always people out looking for a good deal on bananas or potatoes. It’s a great place to experience the more local side to Sucre, and you can find some cheap lunch here as well.
The Mercado Central in Sucre should be open from 6 AM to 8 PM every day – except for the weekend where the hours may differ. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in the city for curious foodies!
9. Do a cooking class
Want to know more about the food culture in Bolivia? Then why not join a cooking class.
This half-day cooking class includes cooking a 3-course meal with a local chef. Here you’ll learn about local ingredients, the correct cooking methods, and you’ll even learn how to use seasonal fruits to create delicious cocktails.
10. Take Spanish lessons
One of the most popular things to do as a foreigner in Sucre is to learn Spanish!
How I almost survived 2 months in South America with my Spanish limited to “Gracias” and “Hola” is just mind-blowing to me… Next time I go to South America, I really want to be able to communicate more with the locals.
So, I can only recommend you to learn some Spanish if you’re traveling to Bolivia – and Sucre is known for being the place to do a Spanish course.
Several hostels offer week-long Spanish courses with accommodation included such as Colors House. So, if you’re up for spending a full week improving your Spanish while exploring all the things to do in Sucre, then you should definitely sign up for a class.
I found this blog post from a fellow blogger that you can check out if you want to know more: Guide to learning Spanish in Sucre
11. Go on a hike or a day trip
Both Glenn and I love a good hike!
But since I was on 4 different types of medication and recovering from two illnesses at once, I didn’t have the strength to go hiking during our time in Sucre.
But we saw that there are some great hikes in the area that you can do. So, if you’re a keen hiker, and you want to do some things a bit out of the city center of Sucre, then look up the following hikes/day trips:
- Las Siete Cascadas
- Maragua Crater
- Cerro Churuquella
12. Get lost in the streets
The very BEST thing to do in Sucre (according to me!) is to just go get lost in the streets.
Sucre has so many interesting small hilly roads with cute cafés, green spots, and hidden viewpoints. You won’t find these places by following a tourist map – so just go get lost in the historic city center. There is a reason why Sucre’s city center is deemed UNESCO World Heritage!
Despite being Bolivia’s capital, Sucre isn’t a very big city. You can easily explore the whole city by foot.
If you want to know more about Sucre, then you can also join a walking tour.
Our 3 favourite things to do in Sucre
Before rounding up this blog post, we want to share our favourite attractions and things to do in Sucre. I realise that there were some things Glenn and I never got to do because of me being sick, but that just means that there are still new things we can discover during our next trip to Sucre and Bolivia!
So here are the things we loved most to explore in beautiful Sucre!
- Dinosaur footprints in Parque Cretácico: We honestly didn’t expect to be this excited about ancient footprints… but it was very impressive! Looking back, it’s actually the attraction that made the greatest impact on me during our Sucre trip.
- The roof of Nuestra Señora La Merced: One of the most special experiences we had in Sucre was definitely standing on top of this beautiful church. We loved to see Sucre from above – especially from an interesting building like this.
- Getting lost in Sucre’s streets: Sucre is so beautiful! Around every corner of the historical city centre, you can see something new. A pretty little square, a beautiful house, or a historical church. We loved to get lost in these streets and just let the feet lead the way!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post about all the best things to do in Sucre, Bolivia. It’s honestly still one of our favourite cities in South America. So we hope you get to visit it some day!
Please, don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions about Sucre. Or if you know about any attractions that you think are worth a visit and should be added to this list.
If you want to explore more cities in Bolivia, then you should read this blog post: Things to do in Cochabamba. Cochabamba is another GREAT city in Bolivia, which we can only recommend you to go visit. Thanks for reading and happy travels!
