Half-Day Potosí Active Mine Trip to Cerro Rico

From$56.86
Price per 1 adult
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3:30 Hours Free CancellationMeet on locationInstant confirmationMin age 7+Guided by Urban Day Trips

Why we love it?

This 3.5-hour tour in Potosi, Bolivia, offers an immersive experience inside the active Cerro Rico mine at 4,400 meters above sea level. You’ll begin with a visit to the Mining Market to see the tools and materials miners use daily, including dynamite, alcohol, and coca leaves that you can purchase as gifts. Before entering the mine, you’ll gear up with protective clothing and equipment, then explore the various galleries and interior levels where traditional mining techniques involving dynamite, air compressors, and mechanical perforators are still in use. Along the way, you’ll encounter statues like the Uncle of the Mine, observe mineral veins and unique formations, and meet local miners to learn about their challenging work conditions firsthand. This tour suits travelers interested in industrial history and cultural insights into Bolivia’s mining heritage.

Inclusions

  • Transportation
  • English-speaking guide

Exclusions

  • Gifts for the miners (can be purchased before going to the mine)
  • Suggested tip for the guide ($10 Bs)
  • Food and drinks

Itinerary

Meet at Ayacucho 11

Stop 1

Your trip will begin with a short sightseeing tour around Potosi and a stop at the Mining Market on your way up to "Cerro Rico". At the market you will be able to observe a wide range of materials and tools used by the miners in their daily jobs at the mine. Buy dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves to give as a present to the miners you will meet on your tour.

Stop 2

Shortly before arriving to the mines, you will make a stop at a small storage room where you will put on work pants, jacket, boots, helmet and lamp to go into the mine as a security measure.
Inside them you can appreciate the system of miners’ work that has not suffered great changes after so much time of exploitation. The use of dynamite, air compressors and mechanical perforators have all been used in the mining process.
Your tour will take you through the different galleries and levels of the mines where you can see statues that the miners have built to represent their gods, such as the Uncle of the Mine. You will be able to view the mineral veins that are a group of rocks and chemical formations of minerals in the mine and other formations unique to Cerro Rico. Interact with the local workers, give them a small present as a token of your appreciation for their hard work and observe the humbling work they do here through different methods that are carried out numerous times a day.

Meeting / Pickup

Ayacucho 11

Please Note

  • Minimum age is 7 years old
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Not recommended for people with heart conditions
  • Important: Please contact Bamba Experience at [ ] to confirm your departure information at least 1 week prior to your first day of travel. This operator requires you to contact them directly prior to this tour/activity.

Cancellation Policy

Fully refundable until 1 day before start

Non-refundable after 1 day before start

From $56.86 Per 1 adult