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Destinations / Bolivia

La Paz

Dizzying high city of cable cars and markets

adventurehistorybudgetnature
Plan your trip to La PazSee the top 10
755,000Population
1.8 millionMetro area
Spanish, Aymara, QuechuaLanguage
BOBCurrency
4 daysIdeal stay
$70-120Typical day

La Paz fills a canyon at around 3,600 meters, with El Alto on the plateau above. A network of cable cars links the city with stunning views. Witches' Market and street life are vivid. It is a base for Lake Titicaca and Uyuni flights.

Where to start

Top 10 things to do

Tap a card to open it. Day trips are marked.

  1. The world's largest urban cable car network, opened in 2014 and still growing. Its color coded lines link La Paz and El Alto, giving superb views. Rides are cheap.

    2 hoursTime needed
    noBook ahead

    Price not verified for 2026; check the official site before you go.

    Tip. Ride at sunset for the best views.
    See on the map

  2. A cluster of stalls around Calle Linares selling herbs, potions and charms. Dried llama fetuses are offered as offerings for good luck. Ask before taking photos.

    1 hourTime needed
    FreeCost
    noBook ahead

    Free to browse.

    Tip. Ask before photographing vendors.
    See on the map

  3. The main square, home to the cathedral, presidential palace and congress. Pigeons crowd it, and it is often the scene of protests. It is a short walk from the old town streets.

    30 minutesTime needed
    FreeCost
    noBook ahead

    Free.

    Tip. Avoid it during protests.
    See on the map

  4. A landscape of eroded clay spires in the southern suburbs. Short trails wind through it. It is about 30 minutes by taxi.

    1.5 hoursTime needed
    noBook ahead

    Price not verified for 2026; check the official site before you go.

    Tip. Take a taxi or minibus from Zona Sur; go in the morning.
    See on the map

  5. A restored colonial street with several small museums. Its painted houses are quiet and colorful. One ticket covers the museums.

    1 hourTime needed
    FreeCost
    noBook ahead
    See on the map

  6. A Baroque church started in 1549 and rebuilt in the 1700s with indigenous carvings. You can tour the cloister and go up to the roof. It sits on a busy plaza.

    45 minutesTime needed
    noBook ahead

    Price not verified for 2026; check the official site before you go.

    See on the map

  7. A huge open air market in El Alto on Thursdays and Sundays, selling everything from car parts to clothes. It is one of the largest in South America. Watch your belongings.

    2 hoursTime needed
    FreeCost
    noBook ahead

    The market is free; wrestling shows charge entry.

    Tip. Go with a guide and leave valuables behind.
    See on the map

  8. A viewpoint over the city and Illimani mountain. It is good at sunset. Go by taxi.

    30 minutesTime needed
    FreeCost
    noBook ahead

    Free.

    Tip. Take a taxi, not a walk, and avoid going alone at dusk.
    See on the map

  9. Ruins of a pre Inca civilization that flourished around Lake Titicaca. It is UNESCO listed. It is about 1.5 hours away.

    Full dayTime needed
    noBook ahead

    Price not verified for 2026; check the official site before you go.

    Tip. Tour about 1.5 hours.
    See on the map

  10. A lakeside town on Lake Titicaca with a pilgrimage church. Boats go to Isla del Sol from here. It is about 3.5 hours away.

    Full dayTime needed
    FreeCost
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Bus about 3.5 hours.
    See on the map
Map: OpenStreetMap contributors.
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Ready-made itineraries

Choose how many days you have.

La Paz in three days

Day one city, day two Tiwanaku, day three Titicaca.

  1. Mi Teleferico2 hours
  2. Witches' Market1 hour · Free
  3. Plaza Murillo30 minutes · Free
  4. Valle de la Luna1.5 hours
  5. Calle Jaen1 hour · Free
  6. San Francisco Church45 minutes
  7. El Alto Market2 hours · Free
  8. Mirador Killi Killi30 minutes · Free
  9. TiwanakuFull day
  10. Lake Titicaca (Copacabana)Full day · Free
Beyond the city

Day trips

Salar de Uyuni

Salt flats.

342 mi · Flight, about 1 hour

Death Road

Downhill ride.

37 mi · Bike tour

Copacabana and Lake Titicaca

Better as an overnight stay with boat trips to Isla del Sol.

96 mi · Bus about 4 hours each way

Sorata

Mountain village for hiking.

93 mi · Bus or car, about 3 hours each way

Huayna Potosi trekking base

Gateway for high altitude climbs; needs guide and acclimatisation.

16 mi · Tour, about 1 hour each way

Plan your dates

Weather and seasons

Best: May to October. Dry, sunny season.

Busy and priceyShoulderQuiet and cheaper

Temperature

Daily high and average, by month

32°50°68°86°104°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecDaily highAverage

Rain

Typical inches per month

0.00.81.62.43.13.94.75.5JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

January

58°F
Typical daily high
Average48°F
Rain5.4 in
About17 rainy days
Sun strength5.9 kWh/m²

Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.

Climate normals: NASA POWER (public domain). For your own dates, a trip's Plan tab shows the forecast and the usual weather.

Main events

Jan

Alasitas Fair

Opens 24 January each year

Fair of miniature goods blessed for luck, honoring the Ekeko.

May

Gran Poder festival

Late May or June (moves yearly)

A huge folk dance parade; confirm date locally.

Jul

Fiestas of La Paz anniversary

July 16

City anniversary with parades and events.

Nov

Todos Santos

November 1 to 2

Families honour the dead with bread figures and cemetery gatherings.

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Know before you go

At a glance

3/5
Safety

Bolivia is at US State Department Level 2 (exercise increased caution); citing crime and unrest; protests and road blockades can happen.

3/5
Walkability

Steep and high.

4/5
Public transport

Mi Teleferico cable cars.

Pick your base

Where to stay

The neighborhoods that suit most first visits.

Map: OpenStreetMap contributors. Shapes where OpenStreetMap has a boundary; dashed circles mark areas it only has a point for.
1234

1. Sopocachi

$$

Best for: couples

Leafy.

2. Centro

$$

Best for: first-timers

Central.

3. Zona Sur

$$$

Best for: luxury

Lower, warmer.

4. Centro and Plaza San Francisco

$

Best for: budget travellers, first-timers

Close to the markets and main sights.

Getting there and around

Main airportEl Alto International Airport (LPB), 9 mi from the center
To the centerTaxi 30 to 40 minutes, or bus about 45 minutes.
Around townCable cars and taxis.
Ride appsUber, Cabify, Yango
Taste it

What to eat

Saltenas

Juicy pastries.

Api

Hot purple corn drink.

Api con pastel

Hot purple corn drink with a fried pastry.

Trucha

Trout from Lake Titicaca.

Sajta de pollo

Spicy chicken stew from La Paz.

Coca tea

Local tea often offered to ease altitude.

Good to know

PlugsType A and C, 230 V
Tap waterUse bottled water
TippingAbout 10 percent in restaurants is common.
PaymentsCards in cities; cash for markets and small towns.
EtiquetteGreet with a friendly hello; dress modestly in churches.
  • Altitude sickness is common; rest on arrival.
  • Rest on arrival: at around 3,600 metres, altitude sickness is common; drink water and avoid heavy meals.
  • Protests and roadblocks can disrupt transport; check news.
  • Use registered radio taxis, not street flagged cars at night.
  • Do not go to Chapare; the US lists it at Level 4.
  • Check opening hours: many places close on Sundays.

A short history

La Paz was founded by the Spanish in 1548 as Nuestra Senora de La Paz, a rest stop on the silver route from Potosi to the coast. It sits in a deep canyon, while the much newer city of El Alto spreads across the plateau above. Aymara forces led by Tupac Katari besieged the city for months in 1781. After a civil war in 1899, the government moved here from Sucre, which remains the constitutional capital. Since 2014 the Mi Teleferico cable cars have changed how people move between the canyon and the plateau.

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Researched 2026-10-12. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.

Plan La Paz