Parque Nacional Torotoro
Parque Nacional Torotoro
4.5
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Visit The National Park Torotoro and enjoy the adventure living in the pass, watch important dinosaurios footprints
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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Ludivine O
Paris, France2 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
The entrance fee for the park is very expensive. You can not do nothing without guide (even walking around the village). For every single tour you want to do, you have to pay an adicional fee. I would not recommend it at all, it is not worth it. There are so many other great place in Bolivia really do not waste your time here!
Written 26 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicolas Kersting
Bonn, Germany14 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
If I would have to review just the views and sightings, this place would have 5 stars, but the actual experiences in town and National Park make this a high average place.
There are so many thins to see here and just too little information. There is a fee for the National park, which is normal and not actually the problem. The downside starts when every place you can visit (the most common are El Vergel, Caberna de Umajalanta and Ciudad de Itas) has to be done with a guide. It is understandable that you will need a guide for some places that can be pretty tricky, like higher level hiking and entering caves with ropes, but it is not possible to go see some things that don’t requiere a guide by yourself, even if you have your own car.
To visit every place you have to pay for a guide and it can get expensive (it is 100Bs for every place). More thank la for the guides are not really prepared and don’t really explain where you are and what you are seeing, not to mention they don’t prepare you for what you will be doing, they just think about their business.
We saw families with kids taken to tricky places and even into the actually very difficult places like the Caves of Umajalanta where we found ‘traffic’ because of sacred children.
¡Just know that you have to be prepared with adventure gear and will get pretty dirty!
The experience though if what you want is adventure is amazing. Just be prepared for the guide lottery and if you are lucky he will be able to tell you what dinosaurs footprint it is you are seeing, instead of just trying to show you where “the good pictures of yourself” can be taken…
Last, don’t forget that if it rains you won’t be able to visit most of the sightings, watch out for that!
There are so many thins to see here and just too little information. There is a fee for the National park, which is normal and not actually the problem. The downside starts when every place you can visit (the most common are El Vergel, Caberna de Umajalanta and Ciudad de Itas) has to be done with a guide. It is understandable that you will need a guide for some places that can be pretty tricky, like higher level hiking and entering caves with ropes, but it is not possible to go see some things that don’t requiere a guide by yourself, even if you have your own car.
To visit every place you have to pay for a guide and it can get expensive (it is 100Bs for every place). More thank la for the guides are not really prepared and don’t really explain where you are and what you are seeing, not to mention they don’t prepare you for what you will be doing, they just think about their business.
We saw families with kids taken to tricky places and even into the actually very difficult places like the Caves of Umajalanta where we found ‘traffic’ because of sacred children.
¡Just know that you have to be prepared with adventure gear and will get pretty dirty!
The experience though if what you want is adventure is amazing. Just be prepared for the guide lottery and if you are lucky he will be able to tell you what dinosaurs footprint it is you are seeing, instead of just trying to show you where “the good pictures of yourself” can be taken…
Last, don’t forget that if it rains you won’t be able to visit most of the sightings, watch out for that!
Written 4 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
happyscoops2014
Sydney, Australia28 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
Yesterday we had one day in Cochambamba following our arrival from Sucre on the overnight bus. After reading all the amazing reviews about Toro Toro we wanted to make sure we got to see it despite only having one day and a limited budget (thanks so much to all the people who've left such detailed helpful comments already)!
- We took a taxi from the bus terminal to ave republica at 5:30am (B$20). The micro already had 3 passengers inside and we left when it was almost full at about 6:30. B$35pp
- the micro stopped at a local 'kiosk' so we could buy breakfast of hot quinoa and apple juice and freshly made donuts. B$4pp
- After a stunning drive through some amazing landscape we arrived in Toro Toro at about 11am. Went straight to the tourist office where we paid the park entrance B$30pp and arranged for a guide to meet us in an hour after we had had lunch. The lady in the tourist office kindly offered to look after our luggage while we were gone.
- We had the only lunch option available in town- a chicken stew/soup from inside the market building B$10pp and bought water and snacks for the hike from one of the small shops B$15
- We met up with our guide at 12:30pm. We told him that we wanted to see the gorge and dinosaur footprints. He gave us the option of walking straight to the gorge and back (B$100 total) or doing a more interesting circuit walk including the gorge (B$150 total). (He only spoke spainish so we're 90% sure that this is what he was saying)
- We chose the circuit and it was AMAZING. Hands down the most impressive hike we've done in Bolivia. Huge dinosaur footprints, rock paintings, waterfalls, and one of the most picturesque swimming hole I've ever seen (and we have lots and lots of those in Aus) at the bottom of this giant sandstone gorge. Our most memorable moment was from the lookout over the canyon when a condor swooped up towards us, passing only a few meters overhead!
- We were back in town by 4:30pm where there was a micro already half full (B$35pp). We bought some snacks for the trip (B$3pp) and the left town just after 5pm. The micro stopped lots to let locals on and off but this also meant that a local lady joined with a big bag of freshly roasted sweet potatoes and sold them for B$0.5 each (and probably the best potato I've ever eaten).
We were back in Cochambabma before 10pm. I have no idea where the bust dropped us off but there were plenty of taxis waiting to take us to our hostel.
So we did it all in one day for just B$218. It was a huge day and we didn't get to see all of the sites that Toro Toro has to offer (if you have more time I would definitely recommend staying for longer) but we are both very very glad that we made the effort!
- We took a taxi from the bus terminal to ave republica at 5:30am (B$20). The micro already had 3 passengers inside and we left when it was almost full at about 6:30. B$35pp
- the micro stopped at a local 'kiosk' so we could buy breakfast of hot quinoa and apple juice and freshly made donuts. B$4pp
- After a stunning drive through some amazing landscape we arrived in Toro Toro at about 11am. Went straight to the tourist office where we paid the park entrance B$30pp and arranged for a guide to meet us in an hour after we had had lunch. The lady in the tourist office kindly offered to look after our luggage while we were gone.
- We had the only lunch option available in town- a chicken stew/soup from inside the market building B$10pp and bought water and snacks for the hike from one of the small shops B$15
- We met up with our guide at 12:30pm. We told him that we wanted to see the gorge and dinosaur footprints. He gave us the option of walking straight to the gorge and back (B$100 total) or doing a more interesting circuit walk including the gorge (B$150 total). (He only spoke spainish so we're 90% sure that this is what he was saying)
- We chose the circuit and it was AMAZING. Hands down the most impressive hike we've done in Bolivia. Huge dinosaur footprints, rock paintings, waterfalls, and one of the most picturesque swimming hole I've ever seen (and we have lots and lots of those in Aus) at the bottom of this giant sandstone gorge. Our most memorable moment was from the lookout over the canyon when a condor swooped up towards us, passing only a few meters overhead!
- We were back in town by 4:30pm where there was a micro already half full (B$35pp). We bought some snacks for the trip (B$3pp) and the left town just after 5pm. The micro stopped lots to let locals on and off but this also meant that a local lady joined with a big bag of freshly roasted sweet potatoes and sold them for B$0.5 each (and probably the best potato I've ever eaten).
We were back in Cochambabma before 10pm. I have no idea where the bust dropped us off but there were plenty of taxis waiting to take us to our hostel.
So we did it all in one day for just B$218. It was a huge day and we didn't get to see all of the sites that Toro Toro has to offer (if you have more time I would definitely recommend staying for longer) but we are both very very glad that we made the effort!
Written 26 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rapha_y_nici
Zurich, Switzerland5,948 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
Came here with a minibus which left Cochabamba when it was full. The place where they leave is marked correctly in maps.me. It's around the corner Avenida Republica & Calle Mairana, taxi drivers seem to know it. Once there we could subscribe for the ride and wait until bus was full (our bus had approx 13 seats). Try not to be the last ones because then seated in the backrow which is tight. Ride is 35bob pp. We arrived there on saturday begin of june at 0745am, left at 0845am. Just to give an indication. Ride took us 4h incl. 15min toilet and snack break, road was cobble stone and a bit bumpy but was ok.
The ride back took us 4.5h, dont know why, but no problem.
Already the journey to Torotoro served a nice landscape. Once there, went to the Tour- and ticketoffice (next to each other). First, we want to mention, that prices are very fair, even you need a guide for the excursion. Entry to the park is 100bob, what is not that much for what you can see over several days or even in 1 or 2 days. First day we did the most popular ones, 'Ciudad de Itas' and 'Caverna de Umajalanta' for which a transport is necessary. Therefore, we decided to make these two at the same day. The guide and the transport incl. small entrance fee and helmets with lamps for the cavernas cost all together 606bob. This price can be divided within the group you form. If you're 6 people its just 101bob for the entire day (entrance of 100bob is separate but valid for further tours). This price is very low for what you get in a that small group! You can do a tour as well with a smaller group, you just have to pay the amount requested. Price is per group not per person. But it's easy to get a group because in the morning there are always visitors around to ask. Our young guide Diego explained everything in a good understandable Spanish and made us feeling safe. I'm a bit claustrophobic and another one in our group as well but, the cavernas where that impressive that we made it, even through the most narrow parts of the cavernas. If you're very claustrophobic, i guess i wouldn't do that. It was not that easy but we made it and were very happy because it was very impressive. We entered the cavernas until 300m inside and could see the river flowing through and take a bath in the pool inside (cold but very special). Overall, an incredible day! The transport which is included to the Ciudad takes almost 1 hour, then to the Cavernas (before entering is a lunchbreak, bring something) approx 50mins and at the end of the day another 20mins to get back to Torotoro. We were back there at approx 0600pm, tired but very happy and thankful for this great experience! Wear a light long sleeve and clothes which might get dirty, you need to crawl sometimes. Maybe clothes you need to laundry anyway. Bring good shoes. There is some climbing at the Ciudad de Itas and in the Cavernas, being a bit fit helps. Wouldn't recommend it for children. Ask at the guides office!
The next day we did the Vergel tour through the canyon combined with the 'Chiflon' what was a walk of total approx 6h (this combination is concidered as 1.5 tours, therefore it was 150bob for the guide, very fair price). The walk down into the canyon took us 800 steps from the incredible lookout which is 300m up the bottom of the canyon. We hiked through the canyon and had lunch at the beautiful waterfalls. The second part was walking with a bit climbing up and walking back to town. Also very impressive and interesting information provided by our guide. In the beginning of the Vergel hike you can see some dinosaur steps.
All the places we saw were impressive and we are very happy to have done the efforts to get there. The guides do a great job and the town of Torotoro is a nice place to hang out with cheap accommodation options. There is a good pizza restaurant and an eating hall (plate for 10bob and good). Overall, very nice experience in Torotoro and worth the effort to get there! When travelling during wet season check weather conditions. Go for it ;-)
The ride back took us 4.5h, dont know why, but no problem.
Already the journey to Torotoro served a nice landscape. Once there, went to the Tour- and ticketoffice (next to each other). First, we want to mention, that prices are very fair, even you need a guide for the excursion. Entry to the park is 100bob, what is not that much for what you can see over several days or even in 1 or 2 days. First day we did the most popular ones, 'Ciudad de Itas' and 'Caverna de Umajalanta' for which a transport is necessary. Therefore, we decided to make these two at the same day. The guide and the transport incl. small entrance fee and helmets with lamps for the cavernas cost all together 606bob. This price can be divided within the group you form. If you're 6 people its just 101bob for the entire day (entrance of 100bob is separate but valid for further tours). This price is very low for what you get in a that small group! You can do a tour as well with a smaller group, you just have to pay the amount requested. Price is per group not per person. But it's easy to get a group because in the morning there are always visitors around to ask. Our young guide Diego explained everything in a good understandable Spanish and made us feeling safe. I'm a bit claustrophobic and another one in our group as well but, the cavernas where that impressive that we made it, even through the most narrow parts of the cavernas. If you're very claustrophobic, i guess i wouldn't do that. It was not that easy but we made it and were very happy because it was very impressive. We entered the cavernas until 300m inside and could see the river flowing through and take a bath in the pool inside (cold but very special). Overall, an incredible day! The transport which is included to the Ciudad takes almost 1 hour, then to the Cavernas (before entering is a lunchbreak, bring something) approx 50mins and at the end of the day another 20mins to get back to Torotoro. We were back there at approx 0600pm, tired but very happy and thankful for this great experience! Wear a light long sleeve and clothes which might get dirty, you need to crawl sometimes. Maybe clothes you need to laundry anyway. Bring good shoes. There is some climbing at the Ciudad de Itas and in the Cavernas, being a bit fit helps. Wouldn't recommend it for children. Ask at the guides office!
The next day we did the Vergel tour through the canyon combined with the 'Chiflon' what was a walk of total approx 6h (this combination is concidered as 1.5 tours, therefore it was 150bob for the guide, very fair price). The walk down into the canyon took us 800 steps from the incredible lookout which is 300m up the bottom of the canyon. We hiked through the canyon and had lunch at the beautiful waterfalls. The second part was walking with a bit climbing up and walking back to town. Also very impressive and interesting information provided by our guide. In the beginning of the Vergel hike you can see some dinosaur steps.
All the places we saw were impressive and we are very happy to have done the efforts to get there. The guides do a great job and the town of Torotoro is a nice place to hang out with cheap accommodation options. There is a good pizza restaurant and an eating hall (plate for 10bob and good). Overall, very nice experience in Torotoro and worth the effort to get there! When travelling during wet season check weather conditions. Go for it ;-)
Written 10 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy & Richard
111 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
Save yourself over $150 by diy and going here yourself. The packages we saw I'm sure are very convenient but it isn't difficult to do yourself. Either way, definitely make the time! Better and cheaper than Colca Canyon and just absolutely beautiful and unique. Although most guide books only have a small section on Torotoro, I bet there will be a much larger tourist presence in the next few years with more accommodations popping up!
GIST: We spent 3 days and 2 nights here because we didn't want to feel rushed.
Day 1 - vergel falls and Mirador, walking
Day 2 - ciudad de itas (van + moderate hiking) in morning and cavern in afternoon for a full 8 hour day.
We wanted to shower and sleep after our day 2 activity and leave in the morning of day 3 back to Cochabamba, but in 2 days you can get through the 3 main attractions and some choose to leave at night.
GETTING THERE: in Cochabamba, take a truffi or taxi to parada de Torotoro (ask your accommodation how to best get there). Cost=35 bs per person and leaves when van is full. If you're in a rush, you can pay for extra seats. we waited about 45 minutes after arriving around 9 am in low season. We were the only tourists in van. The alternative is to take the bus at 6pm which costs 25 bs. It does not run everyday depending on tickets sold. Trips are 3-5 hours depending on stops and if your van/bus breaks down.
GETTING OUT. = same prices and for the bus, buy tickets a day before. It leaves at 6pm, but If it isn't full enough or isn't going to run that day, you'll get refunded and you will have to take the shared van.
ACCOMMODATION: CHARCAS hostel was great and budget friendly. Kitchen was whatever. No wifi anywhere (except hostel eden for 2 hours), but it's a few days in a national park.....You'll be OK without wifi. It's also perfect for those who arrive late at night since it's right where the bus drops off passengers and it's open 24 hours. Located one block from the main square or if you are getting dropped off from a shared van, it's two blocks from there. You can ask anyone for CHARCAS and they'll direct you. 25 Bs per person for room with shared bathroom and 80 bs for a private bathroom double. Maritza? Is VERY nice. She hooked us up with a private double with bathroom for a heavily discounted price just because we asked. Doesn't hurt to attempt and negotiate, especially in low season or if you are staying more than one night.
TOURS & PRICES: The tour prices are split between 6 people max but you need to create your own group. They won't create one for you, so either mingle in advance or show up early at 715 (they open at 730) to try and join a group.
pay the National Park fee (30 bs) which will be valid for 4 days and then your guided tour.
1.) Vergel waterfall + Mirador is 100 bs total since the guide does not require car. It will be a long day of walking. The walk to the Mirador is easy but the walk down all the steps to the waterfall is definitely a workout.
2.) Ciudad de itas + cavern 8 hour full day (includes cavern equipment, guide, driver, car) is 606 bs. Total - you'll drive to each location and walk quite a bit.
Costs are fixed prices for each tour whether you are solo or a group of 6 so splitting between 6 people definitely helps with costs!
Beautiful landscapes! Feel like you're in the land before time. ;)
Bring a packed lunch /snacks, sunscreen, bathing suit for waterfall, plenty of water, and a hat.
EATING: cheapest food was the "mercado", 2 small eateries right next to hostal eden serve up 12 bolivano menus! For less than $2usd, you will be full! You can also ask for a sandwich for lunch and get it in the morning before the tour. One of the eateries open at 630. They don't have a name, but they're directly next to hostal eden. Convenience stores are very basic there so bring snacks or items from Cochabamba.
By doing it ourselves, we ended up spending about $50 total per person for 3d/2n in Torotoro including transportation to/from Cochabamba, accommodation, all meals, entrance fee, and 2 guided day tours that included the 3 most popular attractions.
Enjoy it before it gets overrun by tourists in the next decade!!!
GIST: We spent 3 days and 2 nights here because we didn't want to feel rushed.
Day 1 - vergel falls and Mirador, walking
Day 2 - ciudad de itas (van + moderate hiking) in morning and cavern in afternoon for a full 8 hour day.
We wanted to shower and sleep after our day 2 activity and leave in the morning of day 3 back to Cochabamba, but in 2 days you can get through the 3 main attractions and some choose to leave at night.
GETTING THERE: in Cochabamba, take a truffi or taxi to parada de Torotoro (ask your accommodation how to best get there). Cost=35 bs per person and leaves when van is full. If you're in a rush, you can pay for extra seats. we waited about 45 minutes after arriving around 9 am in low season. We were the only tourists in van. The alternative is to take the bus at 6pm which costs 25 bs. It does not run everyday depending on tickets sold. Trips are 3-5 hours depending on stops and if your van/bus breaks down.
GETTING OUT. = same prices and for the bus, buy tickets a day before. It leaves at 6pm, but If it isn't full enough or isn't going to run that day, you'll get refunded and you will have to take the shared van.
ACCOMMODATION: CHARCAS hostel was great and budget friendly. Kitchen was whatever. No wifi anywhere (except hostel eden for 2 hours), but it's a few days in a national park.....You'll be OK without wifi. It's also perfect for those who arrive late at night since it's right where the bus drops off passengers and it's open 24 hours. Located one block from the main square or if you are getting dropped off from a shared van, it's two blocks from there. You can ask anyone for CHARCAS and they'll direct you. 25 Bs per person for room with shared bathroom and 80 bs for a private bathroom double. Maritza? Is VERY nice. She hooked us up with a private double with bathroom for a heavily discounted price just because we asked. Doesn't hurt to attempt and negotiate, especially in low season or if you are staying more than one night.
TOURS & PRICES: The tour prices are split between 6 people max but you need to create your own group. They won't create one for you, so either mingle in advance or show up early at 715 (they open at 730) to try and join a group.
pay the National Park fee (30 bs) which will be valid for 4 days and then your guided tour.
1.) Vergel waterfall + Mirador is 100 bs total since the guide does not require car. It will be a long day of walking. The walk to the Mirador is easy but the walk down all the steps to the waterfall is definitely a workout.
2.) Ciudad de itas + cavern 8 hour full day (includes cavern equipment, guide, driver, car) is 606 bs. Total - you'll drive to each location and walk quite a bit.
Costs are fixed prices for each tour whether you are solo or a group of 6 so splitting between 6 people definitely helps with costs!
Beautiful landscapes! Feel like you're in the land before time. ;)
Bring a packed lunch /snacks, sunscreen, bathing suit for waterfall, plenty of water, and a hat.
EATING: cheapest food was the "mercado", 2 small eateries right next to hostal eden serve up 12 bolivano menus! For less than $2usd, you will be full! You can also ask for a sandwich for lunch and get it in the morning before the tour. One of the eateries open at 630. They don't have a name, but they're directly next to hostal eden. Convenience stores are very basic there so bring snacks or items from Cochabamba.
By doing it ourselves, we ended up spending about $50 total per person for 3d/2n in Torotoro including transportation to/from Cochabamba, accommodation, all meals, entrance fee, and 2 guided day tours that included the 3 most popular attractions.
Enjoy it before it gets overrun by tourists in the next decade!!!
Written 15 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roos
Utrecht, The Netherlands19 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
In my footprint handbook we read about national park Torotoro and decided to visit it. However, when we got to the travel agencies it turned out that they do trips for 185 dollars and more.. as we are travelling low budget this was no option. We decided to visit the park by taking a local bus (35 bolivianos) and book our tours in Torotoro. They told us that the bus would leave at 6 AM. Though, the drivers wait till the bus is full and at 7.30 we still hadn't left. We were lucky to have some other tourists in our bus and we diceded to pay for the empty 2 chairs with everybody, this was just 7 bolivianos more pp. It is a 4/4.5 hours drive and we arrived in Torotoro at 11.40. The tourist agencies overthere take a siesta from 11.30 till 13.30, an important thing to keep in mind! The tours are done in groups of 1 to 6 persons, make sure you find some others because the price of the activity gets devided by the persons of the group. The first day we did a trip to the Vergel waterfalls (25 bolivianos each) in a deep canyon. This was amazing! You will be walking a lot though, it was a heavy trip for some unsporty guys in our group. The guides know a lot about the environment but they don't speak English. The 2nd day we decided to go to the caves (101 bolivianos each), this was beyond my imaginations.. so specacular! We had to slide and crawl through the big cave, make sure you wear some old clothes;). Both days were exhausting but totally worth it! We slept in Hostel Charcas, just 25 bolivianos per night for a 2 beds room with shared bath. In order to take our bus back we had to wait till it was full and again there were 2 seats missing. We had no time to wait as we wanted to catch the last bus to la Paz so we payed 60 bolivianos extra and in exchange of that the bus driver payed us a taxi to the bus station. In total we spent about 40 dollars on food, hostel, activities and buses, saving a lot of money compared to the trips from travel agencies. We totally recommend visiting the park this way!
Written 21 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carly f
London, UK109 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
We read about Toro Toro national park in a magazine. It was not mentioned in our Lonely Planet guide and is not well advertised so can be quite difficult to arrange by yourself. Toro Toro is in Potosi province but is accessed from Cochabamba.
We opted to organise our trip ourselves after going to a couple of tour agencies, one (www.frementours.com) which was really professional but too expensive for us ($299 each for 2 nights 3 days) and one agency on a square inbetween Espana and Ecudador which was cheap (650Bs for 2 nights 3 days) but the woman did not inspire us with confidence as she had no programme/itinery and we realised that we would be taking the same transport (the public bus) that we could arrange for ourselves.
We found organising the transport very difficult. We eventually found an address for a bus company -Trans del Norte - which turned out to be their depot, but luckily their office was just round the corner - 2280 Republica. It's walkable from Cochabamba centre (through the market, up Barientos and then over to Republica) or it costs 10Bs in a taxi. The tickets cost 20Bs and the buses go everyday at 6pm (we had read that there was a bus at 6am on a Sunday but this wasn't available when we went).
The bus journey is pretty tough as the bus is old, the roads are trecherous and pretty much everyone along the way is picked up and crammed onto the bus. (Need to just keep reminding yourself that it is only 20Bs...). We left 45 minutes late, but arrived at 11.30pm which was not too bad.
We booked accomodation at www.elmolinotorotoro.com online before we arrived and they arranged for a taxi to meet us at the bus depot which was necessary as the hotel is 2km out of town via unlit roads. The hotel was nice but we were the only people staying and we didn't really see the staff much either (which meant one day we missed breakfast as we hadn't been able to agree a time). A double room was 240Bs and we got 4 nights for 3. A two course lunch or dinner was available for 35Bs each which was nice. The beds were comfy and the shower was hot. There was also a pool table, a darts board and a nice outside terrace area. (There was also a TV and DVD player with an extensive collection of DVDs, but the DVD player was broken). The only downside is the distance from town as when we returned at night time there were a lot of dogs barking at us and a torch is needed.
Others on our bus arranged accomodation when they arrived. Not much was open that time of night so they ended up staying in a very basic (and apparently dirty) hostel for the first night for 25Bs and then stayed in Hostel Vergel which was apparently nice, cheaper than El Molino and in town.
Arranging tours in Toro Toro is easy (a guide is needed for all trips). You need to buy a park permit from the park office in the main plaza (35Bs which lasts as long as you're there) and then you go to the guide office. Guided tours start from 100Bs for 1 to 6 people. Therefore it works out a lot better if you are a group of people or group up in Toro Toro. When we were in Toro Toro (end of May 2013) there were only about 10 tourists in the park. We did a 150Bs tour with just the two of us to see the dinosaur footprints, vergel cascada and canyon. This was two (100Bs) trips in one and was really good as we got to do some pretty exciting scrambling and roped up climbing (another group who just did the main route went down and up the same stairs whereas we did a loop through the canyon). Then we grouped up with 5 other people for the Umjallanta caves tour (we organised this ourselves) which costs 550Bs for 1 to 6 people with transport. The guide office allowed us to go as a group of 7 for the same price which was really good. This trip was excellent- particularly the Umjallanta caves which are not to be missed! You need to pay an extra 7.50Bs for a helmet with torch then you go 118m under sea level on a 2 hour loop in the caves. It's pretty scary and tough going with ropes, slippery surfaces and narrow tunnels (2m and 5m) but is absolutely brilliant. Everyone in our group made it, including someone who was claustrophobic.
When we were in Toro Toro not that much was open. The shops were disappointing for supplies for the treks, often they had run out of bread and fruit so we survived on crisps and cakes (you need to get down to the shops/markets early (7am) for anything better.
For the first couple of days there was only one restaurant open - La Huellas - which is excellent. The variety of food is amazing given what the shops stock. The food was really tasty and reasonably priced (35-50Bs) and cocktails were 30Bs for 2 and very good. On our 3rd day Como de Casa opened which also had good food and was a bit cheaper (25Bs a dish). There is also a market where you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner (up the hill from the main street) and there are public toilets there too (good before the bus journey home).
We got a bus on Thursday evening (6pm) back to Cochabamba, every other day the buses go at 6am. It left on time but took a lot longer to get back and we got into Cochabamba at midnight. There were some taxis that charged 20Bs back into Cochabamba town.
All in all it took a lot of effort to get to Toro Toro, but I would definitely recommend it and hope this review has helped a bit if you decide to organise it yourselves rather than going on a tour.
We opted to organise our trip ourselves after going to a couple of tour agencies, one (www.frementours.com) which was really professional but too expensive for us ($299 each for 2 nights 3 days) and one agency on a square inbetween Espana and Ecudador which was cheap (650Bs for 2 nights 3 days) but the woman did not inspire us with confidence as she had no programme/itinery and we realised that we would be taking the same transport (the public bus) that we could arrange for ourselves.
We found organising the transport very difficult. We eventually found an address for a bus company -Trans del Norte - which turned out to be their depot, but luckily their office was just round the corner - 2280 Republica. It's walkable from Cochabamba centre (through the market, up Barientos and then over to Republica) or it costs 10Bs in a taxi. The tickets cost 20Bs and the buses go everyday at 6pm (we had read that there was a bus at 6am on a Sunday but this wasn't available when we went).
The bus journey is pretty tough as the bus is old, the roads are trecherous and pretty much everyone along the way is picked up and crammed onto the bus. (Need to just keep reminding yourself that it is only 20Bs...). We left 45 minutes late, but arrived at 11.30pm which was not too bad.
We booked accomodation at www.elmolinotorotoro.com online before we arrived and they arranged for a taxi to meet us at the bus depot which was necessary as the hotel is 2km out of town via unlit roads. The hotel was nice but we were the only people staying and we didn't really see the staff much either (which meant one day we missed breakfast as we hadn't been able to agree a time). A double room was 240Bs and we got 4 nights for 3. A two course lunch or dinner was available for 35Bs each which was nice. The beds were comfy and the shower was hot. There was also a pool table, a darts board and a nice outside terrace area. (There was also a TV and DVD player with an extensive collection of DVDs, but the DVD player was broken). The only downside is the distance from town as when we returned at night time there were a lot of dogs barking at us and a torch is needed.
Others on our bus arranged accomodation when they arrived. Not much was open that time of night so they ended up staying in a very basic (and apparently dirty) hostel for the first night for 25Bs and then stayed in Hostel Vergel which was apparently nice, cheaper than El Molino and in town.
Arranging tours in Toro Toro is easy (a guide is needed for all trips). You need to buy a park permit from the park office in the main plaza (35Bs which lasts as long as you're there) and then you go to the guide office. Guided tours start from 100Bs for 1 to 6 people. Therefore it works out a lot better if you are a group of people or group up in Toro Toro. When we were in Toro Toro (end of May 2013) there were only about 10 tourists in the park. We did a 150Bs tour with just the two of us to see the dinosaur footprints, vergel cascada and canyon. This was two (100Bs) trips in one and was really good as we got to do some pretty exciting scrambling and roped up climbing (another group who just did the main route went down and up the same stairs whereas we did a loop through the canyon). Then we grouped up with 5 other people for the Umjallanta caves tour (we organised this ourselves) which costs 550Bs for 1 to 6 people with transport. The guide office allowed us to go as a group of 7 for the same price which was really good. This trip was excellent- particularly the Umjallanta caves which are not to be missed! You need to pay an extra 7.50Bs for a helmet with torch then you go 118m under sea level on a 2 hour loop in the caves. It's pretty scary and tough going with ropes, slippery surfaces and narrow tunnels (2m and 5m) but is absolutely brilliant. Everyone in our group made it, including someone who was claustrophobic.
When we were in Toro Toro not that much was open. The shops were disappointing for supplies for the treks, often they had run out of bread and fruit so we survived on crisps and cakes (you need to get down to the shops/markets early (7am) for anything better.
For the first couple of days there was only one restaurant open - La Huellas - which is excellent. The variety of food is amazing given what the shops stock. The food was really tasty and reasonably priced (35-50Bs) and cocktails were 30Bs for 2 and very good. On our 3rd day Como de Casa opened which also had good food and was a bit cheaper (25Bs a dish). There is also a market where you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner (up the hill from the main street) and there are public toilets there too (good before the bus journey home).
We got a bus on Thursday evening (6pm) back to Cochabamba, every other day the buses go at 6am. It left on time but took a lot longer to get back and we got into Cochabamba at midnight. There were some taxis that charged 20Bs back into Cochabamba town.
All in all it took a lot of effort to get to Toro Toro, but I would definitely recommend it and hope this review has helped a bit if you decide to organise it yourselves rather than going on a tour.
Written 2 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annabienkowska
4 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
I've just come back from toro toro a thought id share some tips. It's an amazing place and I would recommend anyone I visit particularly if you are looking for more adventurous things to do!
The trans del Norte bus leaves from the far end of avenue republica at 6pm and returns to Cochabamba at 6am. It's the cheapest way of getting there and back at Bs23. It's a big full size bus and takes about 4-5 hours.
There are also small micros which leave all through the day at Bs35 but you have to wait for these to full up and sometimes wate a couple of hours for this. They stop at lots of kiosks on the way to buy snacks but not for very long.
I stayed at the choroco(?) hostel which was Bs25 per person for a night. It was good as it was open at midnight when I arrived but other than that I wouldn't neccessarily recommend it. It has private rooms, hot showers and it quiet but there are no locks in any doors and it wasn't amazingly clean. I think all the hotels in town are te same price so look around. The town is so small it's easy to do this.
Tips - bring toilet paper.
I stayed 2 days and visited the canyons on one day and the cave on the other. I saw most of the park doing this and thought it was a good length of time. The prices vary depending on group size. Canyons cost me 30Bs for a group of 5 and the caves 118Bs for a group of 5 again. I went alone but it's easy to find people to go with. Turn up at the office when it opens at 7.30 and wait until you can join a group.
You will get wet and muddy in the cave so bring appropriae clothes. Also don't forget your swimming stuff for the waterfalls.
Food wise - the market opens early and sells coffee and eggs and bread and things. There are a few little shops in to he town but mostly only sell drinks and snacks.
In the evening there are lots of small restaurantes and street food and the market opens again at 9pm ish for food. However of you don't eat chicken rice and chips I would bring your own food. There's also not much fresh fruit/veg except bananas apples and oranges so maybe bring along some.
The town is really cute and friendly and the landscape is stunning so you should all visit!
The trans del Norte bus leaves from the far end of avenue republica at 6pm and returns to Cochabamba at 6am. It's the cheapest way of getting there and back at Bs23. It's a big full size bus and takes about 4-5 hours.
There are also small micros which leave all through the day at Bs35 but you have to wait for these to full up and sometimes wate a couple of hours for this. They stop at lots of kiosks on the way to buy snacks but not for very long.
I stayed at the choroco(?) hostel which was Bs25 per person for a night. It was good as it was open at midnight when I arrived but other than that I wouldn't neccessarily recommend it. It has private rooms, hot showers and it quiet but there are no locks in any doors and it wasn't amazingly clean. I think all the hotels in town are te same price so look around. The town is so small it's easy to do this.
Tips - bring toilet paper.
I stayed 2 days and visited the canyons on one day and the cave on the other. I saw most of the park doing this and thought it was a good length of time. The prices vary depending on group size. Canyons cost me 30Bs for a group of 5 and the caves 118Bs for a group of 5 again. I went alone but it's easy to find people to go with. Turn up at the office when it opens at 7.30 and wait until you can join a group.
You will get wet and muddy in the cave so bring appropriae clothes. Also don't forget your swimming stuff for the waterfalls.
Food wise - the market opens early and sells coffee and eggs and bread and things. There are a few little shops in to he town but mostly only sell drinks and snacks.
In the evening there are lots of small restaurantes and street food and the market opens again at 9pm ish for food. However of you don't eat chicken rice and chips I would bring your own food. There's also not much fresh fruit/veg except bananas apples and oranges so maybe bring along some.
The town is really cute and friendly and the landscape is stunning so you should all visit!
Written 15 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thereblabla
jena45 contributions
Nov 2013 • Friends
Hey there!
Just some more information:
TRANSPORT: There are two options, both leaving from calle Republica
1) by big bus with "Transporte el Cholo", Tel. 70 78 68 18
should leave every day at 6pm, 25 Bolivianos, takes about 5 hours, reservation via telephone is possible! (so you don't need to go there only to buy your ticket)
RETURN from Toro Toro: Mon-Sat at 6am, Sun at 1pm and 3pm.
2) by small van with "Sindicato Transporte Mixto", Tel. 71 44 20 73
leaves all day long from about 6am when full, 35 Bolivianos, takes about 4 hours (but you might need to wait several hours until the van is full (13 persons) and leaves
RETURN from Toro Toro: every day from 6am, when full
HOSTAL: We stayed at "Hospedaje Santa Barbara" (60B per person with shared bathroom, 70B with private bathroom). They have double, triple and quadruple rooms. The place was very clean, the water hot and with good pressure, the matresses fantastic! The owners very friendly, and the man even speaks a bit of English.
They offer breakfast for 10B and a very tasty dinner for 15 Bolivianos. You need to tell them if you want to eat there. For breakfast, the market may be a better option.
Everything else has been said :)
DON'T FORGET SUN SCREEN AND A HAT!!! And take old clothes or better some rain trousers for the cave. It's dirty and some parts are muddy.
Just some more information:
TRANSPORT: There are two options, both leaving from calle Republica
1) by big bus with "Transporte el Cholo", Tel. 70 78 68 18
should leave every day at 6pm, 25 Bolivianos, takes about 5 hours, reservation via telephone is possible! (so you don't need to go there only to buy your ticket)
RETURN from Toro Toro: Mon-Sat at 6am, Sun at 1pm and 3pm.
2) by small van with "Sindicato Transporte Mixto", Tel. 71 44 20 73
leaves all day long from about 6am when full, 35 Bolivianos, takes about 4 hours (but you might need to wait several hours until the van is full (13 persons) and leaves
RETURN from Toro Toro: every day from 6am, when full
HOSTAL: We stayed at "Hospedaje Santa Barbara" (60B per person with shared bathroom, 70B with private bathroom). They have double, triple and quadruple rooms. The place was very clean, the water hot and with good pressure, the matresses fantastic! The owners very friendly, and the man even speaks a bit of English.
They offer breakfast for 10B and a very tasty dinner for 15 Bolivianos. You need to tell them if you want to eat there. For breakfast, the market may be a better option.
Everything else has been said :)
DON'T FORGET SUN SCREEN AND A HAT!!! And take old clothes or better some rain trousers for the cave. It's dirty and some parts are muddy.
Written 11 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SGtravelfan
London, UK126 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
Getting here involved a bumpy 4hr ride in a minivan where I spent the whole time trying not to vomit but it was worth it. You have to wait for the colectivo to fill up so it might take a while (we waited almost 90min) but it only costs 35bs.
We hadn't booked accommodation but managed to find somewhere to stay easily as it was mid-week in the low season. It's all very basic and there's no wifi but it only cost 50bs per night for a private twin room. We stayed at Las Hermanas which I highly recommend because Lily cooks excellent dinners for 20bs pp and she'll prepare vegetarian options for you if you ask her at no extra cost.
We went to the tour office at 7:30 and talked to others there to form a group. Half day tours run from 8am-1pm/2pm-6/7/8pm. On the first day we did the dinosaur footprints, canyon and waterfall tour (half day tour). We actually ended up spending almost the whole day doing it so we couldn't do another tour that day. Instead we sat in the plaza and bought beer from a lady with a sign saying cerveza until it got a bit chilly after the sun went down.
The next day I got persuaded to do the cave tour despite claustrophobia (glad I faced my fears) and then we did Ciudad Itas in the afternoon. We were a group of 6 and it was a great tour. The tour guide was very professional and took his time making sure we were all safe.
All the tour guides were professional and very knowledgeable. Most of them are young and studying anthropology or related topics at university, doing tours to make extra money during holidays. All 4 tours combined cost less than 300bs each (including large tips to the guides) as the price is per tour and divided between participants.
We spent 4 days here and I was sad to leave. It was definitely a highlight of Bolivia for me. Doing the DIY trip cost less than 700bs pp for 4 days so I highly recommend not going with a tour agency as it is very easy to arrange by yourself.
We hadn't booked accommodation but managed to find somewhere to stay easily as it was mid-week in the low season. It's all very basic and there's no wifi but it only cost 50bs per night for a private twin room. We stayed at Las Hermanas which I highly recommend because Lily cooks excellent dinners for 20bs pp and she'll prepare vegetarian options for you if you ask her at no extra cost.
We went to the tour office at 7:30 and talked to others there to form a group. Half day tours run from 8am-1pm/2pm-6/7/8pm. On the first day we did the dinosaur footprints, canyon and waterfall tour (half day tour). We actually ended up spending almost the whole day doing it so we couldn't do another tour that day. Instead we sat in the plaza and bought beer from a lady with a sign saying cerveza until it got a bit chilly after the sun went down.
The next day I got persuaded to do the cave tour despite claustrophobia (glad I faced my fears) and then we did Ciudad Itas in the afternoon. We were a group of 6 and it was a great tour. The tour guide was very professional and took his time making sure we were all safe.
All the tour guides were professional and very knowledgeable. Most of them are young and studying anthropology or related topics at university, doing tours to make extra money during holidays. All 4 tours combined cost less than 300bs each (including large tips to the guides) as the price is per tour and divided between participants.
We spent 4 days here and I was sad to leave. It was definitely a highlight of Bolivia for me. Doing the DIY trip cost less than 700bs pp for 4 days so I highly recommend not going with a tour agency as it is very easy to arrange by yourself.
Written 15 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ah, não vá em agencia, procuro o centro de guias locais.
Written 30 July 2019
At what time does the 2 day tour to the ToroToro National Park start?
Written 21 May 2019
Hi. What time does the bus depart from torotoro to Cochabamba? Thanks.
Written 21 May 2019
Brian J
Copacabana, Bolivia
Hola cómo llego a toro toro desde Cochabamba..?
Hay transporte publico hasta ahí?
De donde tengo que partir...?
De antemano gracias...
Written 27 October 2017
hola quería preguntarte si el camino desde Cochabamba hasta Torotoro es todo de ripio (piedra) o solamente una parte. muchas gracias
Written 28 November 2016
Hola Amigos, ahora en 2020 está una gran parte del camino de Cochabamba a Torotoro está asfaltado. Se estima que para el 2021 se termine totalmente el asfalto.
Written 6 November 2020
Hola Juan, el viaje de 4 a 5 horas desde Cochabamba es en ómnibus o con auto? Tengo que calcular 4 horas de ir y 4 de vuelta, verdad? Gracias! Un saludo!
Written 30 December 2014
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