La Paz, Bolivia: travel guide
The world's highest administrative capital (3,640 m), set in a dramatic canyon below the Altiplano. Famous for the Mi Teleférico cable-car network, witches' market, and as the gateway to the Andes and Lake Titicaca.
- Country
- Bolivia
- Currency
- BOB
- Time zone
- America/La_Paz
- Nearest airport
- LPB
Top places to visit in La Paz
Plaza Murillo
Heritage · 4.2 rating · about 0.5 h
La Paz's main square, ringed by the Presidential Palace, National Congress and the Cathedral. The political heart of Bolivia.
Mercado de las Brujas (Witches' Market)
Market · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h
Atmospheric street market selling Aymara ritual items — llama foetuses, herbs, amulets and offerings to Pachamama.
Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley)
Nature · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · entry BOB 30
Eroded clay-and-sandstone spires forming a lunar landscape just south of the city, with marked walking trails.
Mi Teleférico (Cable Car Network)
Viewpoint · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry BOB 3
The world's highest and longest urban cable-car network, linking La Paz with El Alto across the canyon. Riding the Línea Roja or Amarilla gives sweeping Andes and city views.
Mirador Killi Killi
Viewpoint · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h
Hilltop viewpoint giving a 360° panorama of La Paz spilling down the canyon, with Illimani towering behind.
Basílica de San Francisco
Church · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h · entry BOB 25
A masterpiece of mestizo-baroque architecture (16th–18th c.) with a richly carved stone façade and a museum and rooftop tour.
Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore (MUSEF)
Museum · 4.6 rating · about 1 h
Excellent ethnographic museum on Bolivia's indigenous cultures, textiles and masks, set in a colonial mansion.
Calle Jaén
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 1 h
The best-preserved colonial street in La Paz, a narrow cobbled lane of pastel houses housing several small museums.
Things to do
- Death Road Mountain Biking Adventure · 9 h · from BOB 600 per person
- La Paz City & Cable Car Tour Cultural · 4 h · from BOB 150 per person
- Tiwanaku Archaeological Day Trip Day Trip · 8 h · from BOB 350 per person
- Cholita Wrestling Night Entertainment · 3 h · from BOB 120 per person
Day trips and tours
- La Paz City Highlights & Cable Car Tour 4 h · from BOB 150
- Death Road Mountain Bike Descent 9 h · from BOB 600
- Tiwanaku Archaeological Day Trip 8 h · from BOB 350
Where to stay in La Paz
- Sopocachi about BOB 520 per night
Leafy, bohemian district with the best cafés, restaurants and nightlife, popular with visitors and well-heeled locals.
- Centro / San Francisco about BOB 280 per night
The historic core around San Francisco and the Witches' Market — most central and budget-friendly, but busy.
Hotels
- Hostal Naira 3-star · BOB 250 to BOB 320 per night
- Hotel Rosario La Paz 3.5-star · BOB 520 to BOB 700 per night
- Loki Hostel La Paz 2-star · BOB 90 to BOB 260 per night
- Atix Hotel 5-star · BOB 1,700 to BOB 2,600 per night
Where to eat
- Gustu Bolivian, Contemporary · about BOB 380 per person
- Ali Pacha Vegan, Bolivian · about BOB 190 per person
- La Costilla de Adán Bolivian, International · about BOB 95 per person
- Café del Mundo Cafe, International · about BOB 55 per person
- Mercado Lanza Bolivian, Street Food · about BOB 25 per person
Getting around
- Cable Car main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Minibus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Fake police / bogus document check
Tourist areas, streets near the bus terminal and Plaza San Francisco
A person in plain clothes (sometimes with a fake badge), occasionally helped by a fake "tourist", claims to be police and asks to inspect your passport, wallet or bags for "drugs" or counterfeit money, then steals cash or cards.
How to avoid it: Real Bolivian police never check documents or search you in the street, never ask for cash, and never ask you to get into a vehicle. Refuse, insist on going to a proper police station, and call 110.
Unofficial / fake taxi robbery
Street-hailed taxis, especially at night and from the airport
An unlicensed taxi (sometimes with an accomplice already inside) takes you on a detour, robs you or forces ATM withdrawals ("express kidnapping").
How to avoid it: Use phone-dispatched radio taxis or an app (Yango). Note the plate, avoid taxis with passengers already inside, and don't hail random cabs at night.
Distraction theft (spit/spill)
Markets, Witches' Market, crowded streets
Someone sprays liquid, "mustard" or fake bird droppings on you and a helpful stranger cleans you off while an accomplice takes your bag or wallet.
How to avoid it: Keep walking, hold your bag tightly, and politely decline help. Wear bags in front in crowds.
Counterfeit banknotes & short change
Markets, taxis, small shops
Vendors or taxi drivers pass fake Boliviano notes or shortchange tourists, or refuse worn/older USD notes.
How to avoid it: Check large notes (watermark, texture), keep small denominations, and count change. Use newer, crisp USD if exchanging.