Is La Paz Worth Visiting?
La Paz is one of the most unique cities in South America, sitting at a dizzying 3,650m above sea level.
It’s worth visiting for its dramatic mountain views, chaotic markets, and easy access to Bolivia’s top attractions.
Ride the world’s highest cable car for panoramic cityscapes, wander through the otherworldly Valle de la Luna, and explore the lively Witches’ Market. La Paz is also the gateway to adrenaline-fueled adventures like cycling the Death Road and visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats.
It’s a city that feels raw and real—perfect for travelers looking for something different from the usual tourist trail.
12 Great Reasons To Visit La Paz
1. Ride The Cable Cars
Upon arriving in the city, you will see the impressive cable cars and their lines stretching out to every corner of La Paz.
The cable car network, used as public transport to avoid traffic, provides fast and reliable transportation for its residents but it’s also great for travellers to move between the major attractions in the city.
Going as high as 4,000m (13,000 ft) above sea level, the world’s highest cable car is a great way to explore and have incredible views of the city.
The red line will take you to most of the popular places tourists want to visit such as El Alto (for panoramic views of the city), the Witches Market and the Cholita Stadium, but you can ride it all over the city.
For more information on the lines and a map head here or you can check out a guided tour here.
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2. Watch The Cholita Wrestling
Picture WWE wrestling mixed with the no holds barred style of Mexican Lucha Libre, then replace the male wrestlers with female stars, and you have Cholita wrestling.
‘Cholita’ was once a derogatory term used for indigenous women in Bolivia. Over time, they’ve claimed back this term for themselves, changing it to have positive connotations. These women started wrestling alongside the men to empower themselves and the women of Bolivia.
Every Sunday evening, the stadium will be packed full of locals and tourists coming to see these women duke it out in the ring. And like any staged wrestling, you will see some impressive acrobatics, good vs bad routines and absurd humour.
You can visit the wrestling yourself in El Alto, although it’s probably easier and safer to go with one of the tour companies without costing extra.
3. Walking Tour
The massive sprawl of La Paz can be a nightmare to navigate, so a walking tour is a great way to get your bearings and see the highlights.
Red Cap offer numerous tours from the standard city centre to foodie tours and even an organised cable car tour if you really can’t be bothered to navigate that yourself.
4. Visit The Witches Market
Another weird and wonderful place to visit whilst in La Paz – the witches market has dozens of stalls and vendors selling everything from raw food ingredients to crazier items used in rituals such as dried animal husks.
Witch doctors will wander through the market offering you a cleansing or fortune-telling, or you can buy one of the many bizarre items as a souvenir – the weirdest being dried llama foetuses which will supposedly bring you good luck.
The Red Cap walking tour will take you to the smaller version in the city centre, or the extended cable car tour will take you to the much bigger one in El Alto.
5. Head To A Viewpoint For Amazing Views of Illimani
While the views are incredible from almost anywhere in the city, there are a couple of popular places that give you unbridled views of the entire city and the immense backdrop of the Andes.
Catching the red line cable car up to El Alto takes you to the highest point on the edge of the valley for stunning panoramic views.
Kilikili viewpoint and Parque Mirador Laikakota both have almost 360 views of La Paz with Illimani Mountain providing an excellent background for some Instagram photos.
6. Valle De Las Animas
Looking like something out of a Lord of the Ring’s movie, Valle de las Animas or the Valley of the Souls is a strange but beautiful valley filled with impressive geological formations.
These formations were named by locals who thought the jagged rocks resembled petrified souls. Spooky.
You can go hiking in the valley for the day – the perfect escape from the city. The tour below combines the valley along with other popular sites in La Paz.
7. Valle De La Luna
Another spectacular natural landscape just outside of the city, Valley de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), is less of a valley and more a maze of canyons, strange rock formations and giant spires jutting from the ground.
Several trails run through the area with the longest taking up to an hour, so this is a great half-day activity. You can reach the valley easily via taxi or uber (25-minute journey).
I’ve detailed how to get there via public transport, and how to combine it with some other great activities in my 3 Day La Paz Itinerary.
If you want to visit Valle De La Luna and some other popular sites outside of La Paz, all in one day, check out this tour:
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8. Condoriri Hike
The beautiful mountains surrounding La Paz aren’t just for staring at, and many of them can be hiked or even summited if you’re brave enough.
The Conodiriri hike is a single day trek which is excellent for adventurers wanting to get into the mountains without camping or who want to avoid the early starts that come with summiting the peaks.
The hike begins at an altitude of 4,400m rising to the turquoise Chiar Khota Lake (4,600m), before another 2-3 hours upwards for more incredible views of La Paz and even Lake Titicaca.
Again, La Paz On Foot are the go to company for trekking in the Andes surrounding the capital.
- La Paz On Foot – Full Day Condoriri Hike – $100
9. Summit Huayna Potosi
Huayna Potosi is an iconic peak of the Cordillera Real mountain range. You can do a short trek to base camp or if you are feeling brave – why not summit?
The great thing about this mountain is its accessibility to beginner climbers. It is often referred to as one of the most accessible 6,000m peaks in the world, but it’s still no walk in the park.
The standard trek is two days and one night, camping on the mountain the first night and then waking at 3 AM to reach the summit for sunrise.
For more articles like this on other great countries in South America and why you should visit them, head to the posts below:
10. Bike Down The Famous Death Road
You can’t visit La Paz without riding down one of the most famous and dangerous roads in the world.
Death Road has become known worldwide due to the number of deaths that occurred along with it every year. Eventually, the Bolivian government built a highway so that large vehicles could avoid the death trap.
La Calle de la Muerte has now become a must-do for adrenaline junkies, thrill seekers and bucket list tickers who need to leave Bolivia wearing the “I survived death road” t-shirt.
The complete breakdown of my Death Road experience can be read here.
11. Take A Day Tour To Copacabana
A day tour from La Paz to Lake Titicaca is a long but rewarding trip, perfect for those short on time.
The journey takes around 3.5 hours each way, but you’ll get to experience the stunning scenery of the world’s highest navigable lake without needing an overnight stay.
Most tours visit Copacabana, where you can explore the lakeside town and take a boat to Isla del Sol, the legendary birthplace of the Inca. While a full day of travel, it’s a great way to soak in the beauty of Lake Titicaca and its rich history in just one day.
12. Opt For An Overnight Visit To The Uyuni Salt Flats
Finally, an overnight tour to Uyuni is a fantastic way to experience the surreal landscapes of Bolivia’s salt flats if you’re short on time.
Departing from La Paz in the evening, you’ll take an overnight bus to arrive in Uyuni by morning, ready for a full day of adventure.
Tours visit the vast Salar de Uyuni, the famous train graveyard, and the stunning Isla Incahuasi, covered in giant cacti. After an unforgettable sunset over the salt flats, you’ll take the night bus back, making this a packed but efficient way to see one of Bolivia’s most iconic destinations in just 48 hours.
For more of our posts on Uyuni:
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I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
How Many Days Do You Need In La Paz?
3 days is the perfect amount of time in La Paz to see its highlights.
However, extending your time in La Paz to 5 days is necessary if you want to enjoy more of the activities outside of the city such as hiking in the Valley of Souls.
Here’s the amount of days that recommend based what you want to achieve:
- 3 Days In La Paz – 3 days is ideal for first time travellers visiting La Paz.
- 5 Days In La Paz – If you have the time, then extending to 5 days can be a great shout if you want to fit in more activities such as visiting the unique landscapes outside of the city such as the Valley of Souls.
- 7 Days In La Paz – I would only recommend 7 days in La Paz if you want to climb Huayna Potosi. This will take two days and you’ll want days either side to prepare and recover.
I’ve broken this down fully in my La Paz Itinerary guide here along with some suggestions for extending it to a 5-day itinerary by adding in some hiking if you have the time.
Where To Stay In La Paz
Best Area To Stay In La Paz
There are two main areas travellers will want to stay in La Paz.
Sopocachi is the nicer area where most of the bars, clubs and restaurants can be found along with a few hostels.
Centro (Downtown) is located downtown (which is up a hill) where you will be closer to tourist attractions such as the Witches Market and have a wealth of food options and backpacker accommodations available. Both areas are right next to each other.
Best Hostels In La Paz
We have a complete guide to our favourite La Paz hostels here, but two good options are:
- Wild Rover – in the Centro area, wild rover hostels are the most famous party hostels in South America. Whilst the beds and rooms are standard, the bar and social scene are unparalleled.
- Selina – closer to Sopocachi, Selina is on the expensive side but offers comfy beds, good privacy and large lockers. Stay here if you want some peace and quiet.
For more information on hostels in La Paz:
Best Places To Eat In La Paz
For a great breakfast/brunch spot with amazing coffee, try Café Typica.
Two excellent restaurants to check out in downtown include:
- Higher Ground which serves a range of South America dishes
- Steakhouse which does what it says on the label – amazing Bolivian reared steaks and other selections of meat.
If you want to stick to a budget when in Bolivia then eating at the local markets is a great idea and you can get meals for $2-3.
For more information on budgeting whilst backpacking in Bolivia:
How To Get To La Paz
Bordering five countries, there are multiple ways of getting to La Paz.
We flew from Cusco so can only give you information on this, but you can reach the city from Puno in Peru, the Atacama in Chile and many other destinations.
Flying Into La Paz
El Alto International Airport, La Paz is set in the El Alto district way above the city.
It’s a small airport, and upon leaving baggage, you will see a few coffee houses and restaurants. Alexander Coffee has Wifi if you need it, but you will need to buy something.
We tried Uber from the airport but couldn’t find any cars so jump in a taxi. Outside the airport, you will see the official taxis waiting in line. We paid 70BOB for a 45-minute journey to our hostel. When we had to return for our flight to Rurrenbaque, we took an Uber back as there are more cars in the city centre and this was slightly cheaper.
Where to next after La Paz? If you are looking to do an extended South America tour and include more countries then be sure to check out our expertly crafted itineraries below:
Buses In Bolivia
If you’re entering south Bolivia from Chile or Argentina or crossing the land border from Peru, then you will need to get a bus to La Paz.
During our time in Bolivia, we booked most of our buses with Tickets Bolivia and used Trans Copacabana as they had the best reviews.
“We ended up with a better itinerary than anything a travel agent suggested – and without the hefty price tag!
Jerry & Maria – 5 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
