Yes, you can smoke at Bolivia’s two international airports — outdoors, on the landside kerb outside the terminal building, before security. El Alto International (LPB) in La Paz and Viru Viru International (VVI) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra both follow the same pattern: the terminal interior is smoke-free throughout, and neither airport publishes an indoor or airside smoking room.
For international travel through Bolivia, Viru Viru (VVI) is the busier gateway into the eastern lowlands; El Alto (LPB), serving the seat of government at over 4,000 metres, is the main airport for the Andean west.
How Bolivian Airport Smoking Works
Bolivia’s Ley 1280 (2020) bans smoking in enclosed public places, workplaces and public transport, which keeps both airports’ terminal buildings smoke-free indoors:
- No indoor or airside smoking room at either LPB or VVI
- Smoking is at the outdoor landside kerb outside the terminal buildings, before security, at both airports
- The general terminal, gate areas and VIP lounges are smoke-free
- NAABOL, the state agency that runs both airports, publishes no separate rule for e-cigarettes — the open-air landside option is what applies in practice
El Alto International Airport (LPB)
La Paz’s airport, on a plateau above the city at roughly 4,061 metres — among the highest international airports in the world. El Alto’s smoking area is the landside kerb outside the small single terminal; neither the building nor its two paid VIP lounges list a smoking room.
Viru Viru International Airport (VVI)
Bolivia’s busiest airport, about 17 kilometres north of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with separate domestic and international terminals. Viru Viru’s smoking area is the landside kerb outside either terminal building; the 24-hour international VIP lounge does not list a smoking room either.
Tips for Smokers at Bolivian Airports
- Both LPB and VVI restrict smoking to the outdoor kerb outside the terminal — plan your last cigarette before check-in or security
- Neither airport’s VIP lounges list a smoking room, paid access or not
- A connection at either airport means a smoke-free wait once you clear security
- Neither airport publishes a separate vaping rule — the open-air landside option is what applies in practice at both
Bolivia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security
| Airport | After security | Indoor room | Outdoor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Alto International Airport (LPB) | – | – | Yes |
| Viru Viru International Airport (VVI) | – | – | Yes |