Photograph: The diablada at the Oruro carnival by Elemaki, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Oruro is a cold, high mining city on the Bolivian Altiplano, the capital of its department, and for a few days before Lent each year it is the setting for the Carnival of Oruro, which UNESCO proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001. For the rest of the year it is a working town on the road between La Paz and the salt flats, with mining museums, a hilltop sanctuary and very few visitors. Packing for Oruro means packing for altitude above 3,700 metres, for nights well below freezing in the dry winter, for strong sun by day, and, if you come for carnival, for long hours in a packed grandstand.
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The photograph above shows the carnival's signature dance, the diablada: a troupe of dancers mid-step on a painted street in horned devil masks crowned with plumes and spikes of red, green and gold, black and gold embroidered breastplates, red capes and white boots, in front of a grandstand packed with spectators under a blue awning. What the frame cannot show is Oruro on the other three hundred and sixty or so days of the year. There is no sign in it of the plain grid of streets, the mines that built the city, the Socavon sanctuary where the parade ends, the cable car, the salt lakes to the south, or the cold. If you arrive in July expecting this scene, you will find a quiet, windy town and a very different packing list.
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What Is Here
Oruro was founded on 1 November 1606 as a silver mining centre and named the Real Villa de San Felipe de Austria after Philip III of Spain. Mining has driven it ever since, through cycles of boom and bust in silver, tin, tungsten and copper; the encyclopaedia records that for a period its La Salvadora tin mine was the most important source of tin in the world. The mines have largely closed, and Wikivoyage describes a town that has lost much of its old importance as a mining centre and railway junction.
The centre is small and easy to walk. Plaza 10 de Febrero is the main square and the reference point for everyone, and Avenida 6 de Agosto runs north to south with a railway track down its middle, the bus terminal at the north end and the old centre at the south.
The Carnival
The carnival began as an indigenous festival and was later transformed into a Christian celebration of the Virgin of the Socavon, the Virgin of the Mineshaft. Legend says her image appeared on the wall of a mine tunnel, and the sanctuary built over the spot is where the procession ends. The festival is a blend of Catholic and Andean belief: the Virgin and the Devil of Catholic teaching sit alongside Pachamama, the earth mother, and the Tio of the mines. The diablada in our photograph became its leading dance, and the festival ends with plays in which the Archangel Michael defeats the Devil and the seven deadly sins.
The heart of it is a parade of some 48 dance groups along a route of about four kilometres to the sanctuary, with a very large number of dancers and brass bands, running for days and nights. Carnival falls in the days before Ash Wednesday, so its date moves each year between early February and early March: check the year's dates before you plan anything else.
Practical points matter more than usual. The city is small and accommodation is limited even in a normal week, so book as far ahead as you can. Grandstand seating lines the route, as in our photograph, and if you watch from it you will sit there for many hours, in strong high altitude sun by day and real cold after dark, which is the whole reason for the packing list below. The FCDO says petty crime is common in crowded areas and in popular tourist destinations, which describes carnival exactly, so carry little and keep it under your clothes.
Oruro Beyond Carnival
Out of season, Oruro is worth a day on the way through. At the Socavon sanctuary in the west of the city there is a mining museum set in a mine tunnel, which shows how Bolivian mining was done and is the best way to understand what built the town. The National Anthropological Museum covers the Chipaya and Uru peoples of the Altiplano and holds an important collection of carnival costumes and masks, so you can see the diablada up close even in July. Since 2018 a cable car has run from Folklore Square up to the monument to the Virgin on Santa Barbara hill, for a view over the city.
The hills around the town carry their own legends, which the carnival honours: a snake to the south, a toad to the north and ants to the east, natural rock forms that pilgrims visit. A walk up into the hills is an easy outing, and the salt lakes of Uru Uru and Poopo lie south of the city.
Altitude and Cold
Oruro sits at more than 3,700 metres, and altitude is the health issue that matters most here. The FCDO says altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Bolivia, naming La Paz and the Salar de Uyuni, and Oruro is on the same high plateau. If you are arriving from sea level, take it slowly on the first day, drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol, and speak to a travel clinic before you go about prevention.
The encyclopaedia describes Oruro as well known for its cold weather. From May to early July, night temperatures combined with a cold wind can drop well below freezing; the rainy season runs from November to March, which includes carnival; and August to October is generally milder. Days are bright and the high altitude sun is strong even when the air is cold, so you will dress in layers and change them through the day.
When to Go
Come for carnival, between early February and early March, if you can face the crowds and book ahead, and pack for rain as well as cold. Otherwise, August to October is the most comfortable time on the Altiplano. Avoid planning tight connections in the rainy season, when the FCDO notes landslides can block roads.
Getting There
Oruro is about three hours by road from La Paz, and there are frequent buses from La Paz, Cochabamba and Uyuni. Wikivoyage warns that the night road from Uyuni is bumpy and can be freezing cold, especially from June to August, so carry warm layers on board. Oruro is also the northern end of the passenger railway south to Uyuni and the Argentine border; check current services locally, because they change.
The FCDO's advice on Bolivian road travel is worth following closely. It says accidents involving long distance buses are common, that companies serving the tourist market tend to have better safety standards, that fuel shortages can disrupt bus services between cities, and that a ticket sold as "condicionado" means the company may not be able to guarantee you reach your destination. On a night bus, it advises a money belt under your clothes for your documents and cards, because theft can happen while you sleep. Take food, water and warm clothing in case you are delayed.
Is Oruro Safe for Women Travelers
Oruro is not in the one area of Bolivia the FCDO advises against, read on 9 November 2026. That area is the Chapare region of Cochabamba department, including Villa Tunari and highway routes 4 and 24 where they pass through Chapare, because of gang-related violent crime linked to the drugs trade. If your onward plans include travelling by road across Cochabamba department towards Santa Cruz, read that advice before you book.
What applies everywhere is the economic situation. The FCDO says Bolivia is experiencing an economic crisis and dollar shortage that has led to an increase in crime, and that a State of Emergency has been declared, giving police and armed forces powers to remove roadblocks, disrupt protests and detain those not complying with the new measures for up to eight hours without charge. Protests and roadblocks can appear with little notice. Its instruction is simple: keep away from protests and roadblocks, and do not try to cross a blockade.
On personal safety, the FCDO describes thieves impersonating police officers, sometimes with fake uniforms and ID, and says you should never get into an unmarked police car and that police cannot search you in the street without a written order from a prosecutor. It warns of express kidnapping, saying tourists travelling alone are especially at risk, particularly at overland border crossings. Use radio taxis ordered by phone, with the company name and number on the roof, and never get into a taxi that already has other passengers. Ignore anyone offering help at the bus terminal, where thieves work in teams to distract you.
For women specifically, the FCDO records rape and sexual assault incidents at clubs and hostels, and asks you to be cautious with strangers and lock your room when you return. Carnival is a long party with a lot of drinking, so go with company, keep your drink with you and arrange your return to your hotel before dark. Carry a copy of your passport photo page and your Bolivian entry stamp, as the FCDO advises, and remember that any amount of illegal drugs counts as trafficking under Bolivian law. Ask before you photograph people, especially dancers between performances.
The Oruro Packing List
Our merino base layers are 100% Australian merino at 17.5 micron, and a long sleeve merino wool base layer for women is the foundation of an Altiplano wardrobe. It is warm in the freezing evenings, breathes when the sun is strong at midday, and stays fresh through a long day in a grandstand or a night on a bus.
For the Cold
Over the base layer, a Columbia fleece mid layer and a warm Columbia Powder Lite insulated jacket will carry you through a grandstand evening or a winter night. Add a Smartwool merino beanie and merino wool glove liners, which are small enough to keep in a pocket for when the sun goes down.
For the Sun
At this altitude the sun burns quickly even when the air is cold. A wide brim sun hat is the most useful thing to have on a long day watching the parade. Our affiliate register carries no sunscreen and no eyewear, so bring a high factor sun cream and good sunglasses of your own.
For Your Feet
Warm, closed shoes with good grip for cold streets and hill paths. Inside them, Darn Tough merino hiker socks keep your feet warm on cold stands and long bus rides. With six product links already in this post, we have not linked a rain jacket, although you will want a light waterproof layer if you visit in the rainy season.
Bring any medicine you need for the whole trip along with its prescription: the FCDO says some medications are in short supply in Bolivia.
Recommended Tours and Experiences
Essential Resources for Women in Oruro
Emergency numbers: ambulance 118, police 110, fire 119, according to the FCDO's getting help page.
Medical care: the FCDO says there are private clinics in all main cities that work with international insurance, that you will need to pay up front, and that public healthcare can be inconsistent. Oruro is a departmental capital; for anything serious, La Paz is about three hours away. The FCDO keeps a list of medical providers in Bolivia. Carry insurance that covers treatment, evacuation and repatriation, and access to funds.
US State Department travel advisory: the Bolivia advisory. Read the current level there directly rather than relying on a figure printed in any guide.
UK FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bolivia, and read the safety and security page rather than only the landing page, because that is where the substance sits.
Official health authority: the World Health Organization country office for Bolivia, used here as a substitute because the Bolivian health ministry's own site does not serve over HTTPS.
US Embassy: the United States Embassy in La Paz, is in La Paz, about three hours away by road.
Official tourism authority: the Bolivian government portal, linked here because the national tourism board's own domain does not resolve.
Solo women safety assessment: Oruro is a small, ordinary city that is easy to manage alone outside carnival. During carnival the crowds bring pickpocketing, heavy drinking and late nights, so go with company where you can. The realistic risks across Bolivia are theft on buses and at terminals, fake police, express kidnapping in unlicensed taxis, assaults at clubs and hostels, roadblocks during protests, and the altitude and cold themselves. Use radio taxis, lock your room, keep away from protests and blockades, and travel by day with a reputable bus company. Emergency: ambulance 118, police 110.
Takeaways
Come for carnival if you can, book early and pack for sun by day and freezing cold after dark. Out of season, give Oruro a day for its mining museum and the view from Santa Barbara hill on your way between La Paz and Uyuni. Take the altitude seriously, travel by day, and keep away from roadblocks.
Reading On
Oruro sits on the road between the capital and the salt flats, so the natural companions are the La Paz packing list and the Uyuni packing list. Buses also run to the valley city in the Cochabamba packing list, and elsewhere in the country there are the Sucre packing list and the Tarija packing list. The Bolivia packing list and the Bolivia travel guide for women cover the whole country. For why one wool layer works in high altitude sun and freezing nights, read the guide to merino wool base layers for women, and every destination we cover is indexed at the travel packing guide for women. The base layers themselves are in the Roman Trail collection.
If the outer journey is calling you, the inner one usually is too. Explore SoulMap at romantrail.com/blogs/soulmap.
