How to Get to Sucre: Alcantarí Airport (SRE), Potosí & Uyuni Highway Routes

Situated in south-central Bolivia between the eastern lowlands of Santa Cruz and the high Altiplano of Potosí and Uyuni, Sucre is an essential crossroads on any overland or air itinerary through Bolivia. Because Sucre sits at 2,790 metres (9,153 feet) rather than the 3,640-to-4,070-metre elevations of La Paz, Uyuni, and Potosí, flying into Sucre first is the smartest way to acclimatise gradually before ascending onto the Altiplano.

1. By Air: Alcantarí International Airport (IATA: SRE)

• Direct Domestic Connections: Opened in May 2016 on a wide, wind-sheltered plateau 30 kilometres south of central Sucre along the Yamparáez highway (replacing the old hillside Juana Azurduy de Padilla runway), Alcantarí Airport (SRE) receives daily jet flights operated by Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) and regional carriers from La Paz (LPB, 45 minutes), Santa Cruz de la Sierra / Viru Viru (VVI, 50 minutes), Cochabamba (CBB, 35 minutes), and Tarija (TJA, 45 minutes). Most international travellers flying into Santa Cruz (VVI) or La Paz connect to Sucre on the same morning.
• Airport Transfers into the Historic Centre: Official airport taxis, shared minibuses, and municipal shuttle buses meet every arriving flight outside the terminal, taking 35 to 45 minutes down into Plaza 25 de Mayo.

2. By Road from Potosí, Salar de Uyuni, La Paz & Santa Cruz

• Between Sucre and Potosí (155 km, 2.5 to 3 Hours): Connected by the scenic, fully paved Ruta Nacional 5 winding down across the Río Pilcomayo canyon and past the nineteenth-century Puente Sucre (Puente Méndez / Arce), the journey between Sucre (2,790m) and Potosí (4,070m) takes 2.5 hours by shared taxi (expreso) or 3 hours by coach. Shared four-passenger taxis depart once full from just outside Sucre's main bus terminal (Terminal de Buses de Sucre on Avenida Ostria Gutiérrez).
• Between Sucre and the Salar de Uyuni (360 km, 6.5 to 7.5 Hours): Direct daytime and evening coaches operated by companies such as 6 de Octubre and Andes Bus link Sucre directly with Uyuni via Potosí along paved highway, making it easy to start or finish a three-day Salar de Uyuni expedition in the White City.
• Overnight Lie-Flat (Cama) Buses to La Paz & Cochabamba: Full 180-degree lie-flat (Bus Cama) overnight coaches depart Sucre's Terminal de Buses each evening for La Paz (11 to 12 hours via Oruro) and Cochabamba (8 to 9 hours).