La Paz City

The world's highest seat of government, with a cable car network crossing a canyon city, the Witches' Market, Moon Valley and Death Road biking, plus a day trip to the Tiwanaku ruins.

La Paz is the seat of government of Bolivia (the constitutional capital is Sucre). The city sits in a bowl-shaped canyon at about 3,600 m (11,800 ft) and forms a metropolitan area with El Alto, a satellite city on the plateau above at about 4,000 m. The year-round snow-capped Illimani (6,438 m) forms the backdrop to the southeast. The city has an elevation difference of about 1,000 m: the old town in the north lies somewhat above the canyon floor, while the wealthy Zona Sur in the south is lower and milder, and the cable car network links the canyon floor with the plateau. Climate: the dry season from May to Oct is sunny and dry with big day–night temperature swings (nights can fall below 0°C/32°F); the rainy season from Nov to Mar brings afternoon rain. Sightseeing falls into two parts: ① 2–3 days in the city—ride the cable cars for views over the whole city, visit Plaza Murillo, San Francisco Church, the Witches' Market and Calle Sagárnaga, and the Calle Jaén museums, climb to the Killi Killi viewpoint, go to El Alto's 16 de Julio market on Thursdays and Sundays, and watch cholita wrestling on Sundays; ② day trips from the city—Moon Valley, Valley of the Spirits, the Muela del Diablo hike, 5,400 m Chacaltaya, Death Road mountain biking and the Tiwanaku ruins; mountaineers can take on Huayna Potosí. Lake Titicaca (Copacabana and Isla del Sol) is about 3.5 hours away by road and is best arranged as a separate overnight trip. Plan on 4–6 days. Notes: El Alto airport is at about 4,060 m, so be sure to rest on your first day after arriving, drink coca tea, and consult a doctor in advance if you have heart or lung conditions; Chinese passport holders can get a Bolivian visa on arrival or an e-visa (check the latest immigration policy); road blockades (bloqueos) happen from time to time, so follow local news before you travel; pickpocketing is common in the city center and at markets, so take taxis at night.

Top sights

• Mi Teleférico – The world's longest urban cable car transit network, with 10 lines connecting canyon and plateau. A fare of just 3 bolivianos makes it the…
• Witches' Market – An Aymara folk market on the steep slopes of the old town. Dried llama fetuses, herbs, and amulets reflect the Andean belief in Mother Eart…
• Tiwanaku – The capital of an Andean civilization that predated the Inca by a thousand years. The Gate of the Sun and giant stone statues are UNESCO Wo…
• Valle de la Luna (La Paz) – Spire-like clay formations shaped by wind and rain on La Paz's southern outskirts; a half-hour trail takes you through this alien-looking l…
• Plaza Murillo – The political heart of La Paz, surrounded by the presidential palace, parliament and cathedral; feeding pigeons and watching the guards are…
• Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace – A neoclassical cathedral on the south side of Plaza Murillo, begun in 1835 and finished nearly a century later, with stunning stained-glass…
• Basilica of San Francisco – La Paz's most representative colonial church, its facade covered in Andean mestizo baroque carvings, with access to the roof.
• Calle Sagárnaga – A steep shopping street behind San Francisco Basilica, lined with alpaca-wool goods, handicrafts and travel agencies.
• Calle Jaén – La Paz's best-preserved colonial cobblestone street, where colourful old houses hide four small municipal museums and a musical instrument…
• National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (MUSEF) – Bolivia's finest ethnographic museum, with outstanding galleries of masks, textiles and feather art, and low-cost admission.
• National Museum of Art – An 18th-century Baroque palace beside Plaza Murillo, housing colonial religious paintings as well as Bolivian modern and contemporary art.
• Coca Museum – A small museum beside the Witches' Market telling the story of the coca leaf, from Andean tradition to the cocaine problem.
• Mercado Rodríguez – La Paz's largest fresh food market, with Andean potatoes, quinoa and tropical fruit in abundance; on weekends the market stretches across s…
• Mercado Lanza – A multi-level market beside San Francisco Church, where juice stalls and cheap meals upstairs make it a good place to experience a local br…
• El Prado (Avenida 16 de Julio) – La Paz's main boulevard, with tree-lined walkways, statues and colonial and modern buildings side by side; Sunday mornings bring citizens'…
• Mirador Killi Killi – A lookout on a hill northeast of the city centre, offering 360-degree views over the bowl-shaped canyon city and the Illimani snow peak.
• Mirador Laikakota – A hilltop viewpoint park in the city center with playground equipment, overlooking downtown and the Prado.
• Cementerio General de La Paz – Stacked niche walls covered in street murals make this a unique open-air art and folk-culture site in La Paz.
• Feria 16 de Julio (El Alto) – One of South America’s largest open-air markets, spread across hundreds of blocks on Thursdays and Sundays, selling everything from used ca…
• Cholita Wrestling – Indigenous women wrestlers in traditional layered skirts and bowler hats take the ring in a loud, over-the-top show that has become a favor…
• Chacaltaya – At 5,421 meters, this former world’s highest ski area has lost its glacier, and the summit offers views of Lake Titicaca and Huayna Potosí.
• Huayna Potosí – At 6,088 meters, this is the closest 6,000-meter snow peak to La Paz, often called “the easiest 6,000er,” and you can also visit just the b…
• Muela del Diablo – A volcanic rock plug southeast of La Paz that looks like a giant molar; hike to its base for views over the southern city.
• Valle de las Ánimas – A canyon of giant rock pillars on La Paz’s eastern outskirts, where needle-like earth columns stand like ghosts; a more dramatic hike than…
• La Cumbre Pass – A snowy mountain pass about 25 kilometers northeast of La Paz at roughly 4,650 meters, the starting point of the Death Road bike descent, w…

Where to eat

• Gustu – A pioneer of modern Bolivian gastronomy, where all ingredients and drinks are sourced domestically, featuring a tasting…
• Popular Cocina Boliviana – A highly popular lunch spot in the old town, offering a daily-changing three-course set menu that presents Bolivian hom…
• Ali Pacha – The first fine-dining vegan restaurant in Bolivia, interpreting multi-course tasting menus using native roots, grains…
• Café Banais – A restaurant in a historic mansion next to the Witches' Market, serving breakfast all day and traditional dishes like c…
• Paceña La Salteña (Calle Loayza) – A well-known, long-standing salteña brand in La Paz, serving juicy baked pastries in the morning that represent the qui…

Itineraries

• Bolivia Classic Highlands Panorama – From La Paz to Isla del Sol, then via the White City and Silver City to Uyuni and the high-altitude lagoons
• La Paz, Isla del Sol, and Yungas – Centering on La Paz, head west to Lake Titicaca, and descend east to Yungas for cycling and relaxation
• Madidi Rainforest and Yacuma Pampas – Fly to Rurrenabaque for an Amazon combination of rainforest lodges and wetland birdwatching and pink dolphin spotting
• Peru & Bolivia Highlands Highlights – From Machu Picchu across Lake Titicaca to La Paz and the Uyuni Salt Flats