A plan for La Paz

La Paz was established in 1548, and is in the Andes. Altitude of the city ranges from about 4,058 m (13,314 ft) above sea level in El Alto (where the airport is located) to 3,100 m (10,170 ft) in the lower residential area. It is the highest national capital in the world.

The sight from the air as you fly into La Paz is incredible. First, you see the sprawling shantytowns of El Alto, slowly giving way to the sight of La Paz, clinging tenuously to the sides of what looks like a large gash in the earth.

Orientation

La Paz was built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River (now mostly built over), which runs northwest to southeast. The city's main thoroughfare, which roughly follows the river, changes names over its length, but the central tree-lined section running through the downtown core is called the Prado.

La Paz geography, in particular the altitude, reflects the city's society: the lower you go, the more affluent. While many middle-class paceños live in high-rise condos near the center, the really rich houses are located in the lower neighborhoods southwest of the Prado. The reason for this division is that the lower you go in the city the milder the weather is. And looking up from the center, the surrounding hills are plastered with makeshift brick houses of those struggling in the hope of one day reaching the bottom.

1 Sagarnaga Street (just south of Plaza San Francisco). La Paz's main tourist strip. It's mainly a market street with artesano and souvenir stores, but you'll also find budget hostels, tour and travel agencies, cafes, and lots and lots of backpackers. Don't be suckered by the roving sellers of "trilobite-in-a-rock". (updated Dec 2017)

2 The Witches' Market (Mercado de Hechicería, Mercado de las Brujas), Calle Linares between Sagarnaga and Santa Cruz. Vendors sell llama fetuses and dried frogs for Aymara rituals, as well as soapstone figurines and aphrodisiac formulas. This street is also the best place to pick up a charango or other Bolivian musical instrument. (updated Dec 2017)

Eloy Salmon. Shops on this street sell cheap electronics.

Calle Jaen. One of the few places in the city with preserved colonial buildings, now housing several interesting museums.

3 Plaza Murillo. Contains government buildings and the city cathedral, Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace (Catedral Basilica Menor de Nuestra Senora de la Paz). The center of the square has a monument dedicated to Murillo. free. (updated Aug 2018)

4 Palacio Quemado (Presidential Palace). Official residence of the president of Bolivia. Tourists are not allowed inside. free. (updated Aug 2018)

5 Main cemetery (near bus station - take a walk or mini bus). Very different from cemeteries you'd normally see in Europe. A big place, many aisles with walls and holes (like shelves), where ashes of the dead are bricked up and stored. Fronts decorated, different things (i.e. photos, artificial flowers, electronic ladybugs, mini Coca Cola bottles) left for personal memory of the dead - all very colorful and very diverse. Sometimes fronts covered with glass doors. Part of walls are multi-storey to keep more ashes. Colored ladders, stairs and platforms help people to approach holes up the walls. You can see construction of new walls being made. There is a crematorium, graves with buried bodies, monuments, crypts, and mausoleums that commemorate e.g. warriors. Big colorful graffitis (related to death but to life as well) make it all even more interesting. Due to all the colors and solutions there, the cemetery seems to be interesting and lively place. Red line of cable car gives you a good view from above. (updated Feb 2025)

Take it easy on your first day in La Paz if you arrive from low altitude. Even if you feel fine, resting and walking slowly will help. Try not to eat too much, at least the first day or so. And sleep as much as you can.

Visit tourist information services at the Plaza Estudiantes or Prado, they will tell you a lot about what you can do in and around La Paz.

The Self-guided Public Transport Tour. The best way to see the real La Paz is to jump on and off public transport minibuses and micros at random, go to the end of the line, turn around and jump off at any place that looks interesting. There is no way to get lost and each jump on and off costs about US$0.15. Buy fruit and so on along the way and talk to people in the peripheral zones. Inexpensive, quite safe, and you will see the most fascinating things imaginable. Add cable cars to your tour to make your impressions even more memorable - you won't forget the breathtaking view of El Alto with mountains in the background, or the change of perspective when entering La Paz from El Alto.

Crazy Dave, Plaza San Pedro (Plaza Sucre). 13:00. "Crazy Dave" is a New Yorker who was arrested for drug smuggling in Bolivia and spent years in San Pedro Prison in La Paz. Most afternoons he can be found telling his story (with perhaps a bit of embellishment) at Plaza San Pedro near the prison. He's quite a character, and the story is interesting and entertaining. (updated Feb 2017)

Bolivian wrestling cholitas. Cholitas are indigenous Bolivian women who can be seen all over La Paz in traditional clothing. If you seek it out, you can also see this unusual WWE-inspired entertainment event, where Bolivian women wrestle in front of an audience. Shows every Sunday at Ceja El Alto, Zona 12 de October. Taxis from downtown tourist area at most Bs. 50. (updated Jan 2019)

Peñas

One of the most recognizable aspects of Andean culture is its folk music, which you can enjoy at a number of peñas, or music clubs.

Huari, Calle Sagarnaga 329. Its location makes it the convenient choice for foreign tourists, so be prepared for extreme tourist prices and slightly tacky decor. (The ancient Incas probably didn't have black lighting.) Nonetheless, the music and dance performances are excellent.

What

For lunch try the little almuerzo-kitchens. You'll get a decent menu for under Bs. 10. Be careful with or avoid salads the first days. If you are on a budget it is always possible to eat in the local markets.

Street food is plentiful in La Paz, including juice, snacks, and meals. The avocado sandwiches are delicious, if you're lucky enough to find someone selling them.

Vegetarian options are rare, but easier to find than some years ago.

Two national dishes that are from La Paz are pique macho and plato paceño.

Where

Most of the fancier restaurants in La Paz are at the bottom of the Prado, around the vicinity of Plaza Isabel La Catolica and Plaza Avaroa.

There's a string of inexpensive pizza and hamburger joints on the west side of Avenida 6 de Agosto south of Plaza del Estudiante.

Sergio's is considered good for pizza, and is good for checking upcoming music venues.

Chifa Puerta del Sol, Av. Ballivian #503 (Calacoto, Calle 11). Average Chinese. Not worth the 17-km drive out of the city.

El Consulado, Calle Bravo 299 (Behind Hotel Plaza (Prado)). Best brunch in town, gourmet food in beautiful surroundings. Wifi and garden. Working with the "New Andean Kitchen" and organic coffee. Closed in the evening.

Angelo Colonial, Calle Linares 922. A dark, bohemian cafe set in an old mansion decorated with scads of antiques. Serving Bolivian and mediocre international food. The best drip coffee in La Paz. Painfully slow service. Another location on the Prado. Serves llamas.

Tambo Colonial, in Hotel Rosario. Lavish breakfast buffet for Bs. 20 (US$2.50), great international and local food from noon-23:00. Try the Lake Titicaca trout with Beni almonds.

Naira, Calle Sagarnaga 161. Catering mostly to travelers (and guests of the hotel—see below), but a good sampling of Bolivian dishes. Expensive.

Alo Cubano, Av. Aniceto de Arce. Best place to pretend you're back in the 1950s plotting a Pan-American revolution with Fidel and Che.

Contigo Peru, second floor of Edificio Alameda (on the Prado). Good ceviche and other seafood.

Eli's New York Deli (on the Prado). Try ordering with a thick New York accent and see what you get.

Try a glass of mocochinchi from street vendors.

Local law prohibits serving alcohol after 04:00. There are a number of speakeasies defying this.

Cafes

Alexander The Great, Av. 16 de Julio 1832 and other locations. Many thought the legendary Macedonian slayer had long since died. Not so in fact, although he is considerably tamer after a rough encounter with a fiery cholita.

Blueberries, Av. 20 de Octubre 2475. This café serves very delicious coffee, and also has a very appealing breakfast menu. The café is situated at the east end of Plaza Avaroa, where you may also find an "Alexanders Coffee".

Cafe Confiteria La Paz, Avenida Camacho & Ayacucho (close to Obelisco). 08:00-midnight. Free WiFi for customers

Pepe's Coffee Bar, Jimenez 894. Decent coffee and a nice calm getaway close to the tourist ghetto. Sandwiches are disappointingly small, but tasty. The "Trekker´s Breakfast" is huge and delicious.

Coffee is not a popular drink in Bolivia. If you want a sweet hot drink try api, made of corn.

Bars

Oliver's Travels, Calle Murillo (opposite Sol y Luna). Northern English owned backpackers bar serving standard English fare at mid-range prices. Under new management. Fun party atmosphere, and a warm welcome from English speaking staff. Also has travel. Has Wi-Fi and TV for most sporting events and a book exchange (very good, but expensive). Tour agency and great happy hour Su-Th. Wednesday nights are theme orientated with fancy dress. Available for large bookings and tour groups. Great food, the breakfast is very nice and not too overpriced compared with the other local options.

Sol Y Luna, Calle Murillo. Dutch owned & managed traveller's hangout. Good atmosphere, different areas, live music, free WiFi, large screen TV for important football games. Pool table, serve coca leaf mojitos, where coca leaves are substituted for mint leaves.

Irish, Plaza Avoroa. Food is overpriced but good, and the cocktails are reasonable, though not as good as some from some of the other bars. Mostly frequented by Bolivians and is of course a themed bar.

Public transport in La Paz is largely underdeveloped compared to its counterparts in Europe and East Asia, or even other South American cities. Due to narrow streets driving is not recommended. Most of the time, a taxi is often preferred.

By bus

There are three types of shared public transportation in La Paz: regular buses or "micros"; shared vans, called "mini buses", and shared taxis running set routes advertised on the windshield, called "trufis". The micros cost Bs. 1.30 while. The mini buses are Bs. 1.50-2.30 depending on duration. A trufi will generally cost you Bs. 3-3.50. Mini buses in El Alto are just Bs. 1.

All types have their routes indicated on the windshield, but mini buses have the bonus of fare collectors hanging out the side, yelling out routes in a rapid, auctioneer-like manner. You can hail a bus or mini bus anywhere; to get off, just yell out "¡voy a bajar!"

By cable car

A system of nine cable car lines (Mi Teleférico ) connects El Alto with downtown La Paz and reaches even Imparvi. Bs. 3 for a ride. More stations and lines are being added and using them saves a lot of time, compared to taxis or minibuses, which sometimes wait for decades in the traffic. There is a rechargeable card, cost Bs. 25 with Bs. 5 credit and will save you time waiting on queues for tickets. You need a new ticket for each transfer. Nowadays tickets for all lines are the same, so you can buy a bulk and avoid the queues (e.g. tickets bought at the red line are also valid for the blue line etc.). The locals are very proud with the system, keep it in immaculate condition and greet each new passenger, entering the car.

Even if you're not trying to get to El Alto, riding a cable car is an experience in itself. If you take the red line up to 16 de Julio station in El Alto, it gives you a great view of the city from above. It is even possible to make roundtrips around the whole city; Linea Roja, Linea Plateada, Linea Amarilla, Linea Blanca and Linea Naranja form a circle—5 times Bs. 3 for a round trip of 1.5-2 hr.

The plain-clothed police officer scam seems to be popular (but seldom) in La Paz. Read all about it under Bolivia#Stay safe and be aware.

In crowded areas be careful for pickpockets and bagslashers. A common trick is that one person spills something on your clothes and, while you or he wipes it off, another person lifts your wallet or slashes your bag. Be vigilant when checking into a hotel or hostel. Keep a hand on all your bags and belongings at all times. Acting as if they work for the hotel, opportunist thieves will create a diversion and snatch the nearest unattended bag.

El Alto is one of the most dangerous cities in Bolivia; if you decide to go there, avoid bringing valuables. Theft is the most common crime, so keep your things close to your body and in sight. Locals advise to keep your backpack in front of you to protect your things. Nevertheless, during the day, all you have to fear is pickpockets, and El Alto bus station and Río Seco are fine to be used.

Generally, if you feel you are in a dodgy situation, just simply walk away as soon as you can and try to vanish in the crowds.

There have been several cases of violent muggings in taxis. Take only Radio Cabs (they will have the telephone number and their call centre listed above the cab). The taxis, or Gypsy Cabs, have no boarding above the taxi and have taxi written on the side and are dangerous to take at night, as many of the drivers are paid to drive tourists to specific locations for muggings. Be especially careful if you are at one of the illegal after-hours bars such as Fin Del Mundo or Route 36, as most of the muggings happen in taxis from these locations. Lock the doors and don't allow other people to share the journey with you. Alternatively, just skip the cabs, there are enough other proper ways of transport around, like the gondolas and regular (mini)buses.

There are more reliable taxi firms to use:

Magnifico Taxis, ☏ +591 2 2410410.

La Paz Taxis, ☏ +591 2 2221212.

Gold Taxis, ☏ +591 2 2722722.