Bolivia is a beautiful, cultural country with some of the friendliest and happiest people I’ve met in the world. If you’re planning on visiting the salt flats after Machu Picchu in Peru take a few days to stop in La Paz to enjoy all of what Bolivia has to offer. La Paz towers at 13,000 ft above sea level making it one one of the highest towns in South America! Checkout my guide on surviving high altitude for everything you need to know.
Getting to Bolivia
A flight to Bolivia from Miami is almost 7 hours typically with a stop in Santa Cruz before getting to La Paz. With the recent route cancellation from American Airlines, flying to Bolivia can be a little challenging if you’re trying to get here from anywhere but Miami. Use Google Flights to view & track what options are available from your city.
If you happen to be close to South Florida you can get to La Paz using Bolivia Airlines, a low cost airline without any luxury, even in business class. Expect to not even have TVs on your seat backs or a movie playing anywhere on the flight. Pro tip- download your favorite shows from Netflix on your phone or tablet before your flight!
Getting around in La Paz
There is no Uber in La Paz but taxis are generally inexpensive. I recommend hiring a driver like our friends at Salar Art & Travel to take you to all the hot spots in the city, if you don’t speak Spanish getting around on your own will be difficult as many people do not speak English.
Salar Art & Travel curated our entire La Paz experience and handled our airport transfers providing us with amazing English speaking guides (like Nicky photoed above!) who not only showed us around but were very knowledgeable about the culture, history and art of the city. You can also contact How To La Paz on Instagram to get a guide based on your budget (Salar Art & Travel caters mostly to high end travelers).
Where to stay in La Paz
We stayed at two hotels in La Paz, both with different price points and locations but great options to stay in the city.
Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa ($$$)
The Stannum Boutique Hotel is located in a quiet, more residential part of the city with great views of the surrounding mountains and within walking distance from the cable car transit system. The rooms here are modern with a yummy breakfast included. Complimentary Oxygen is also available upon request from the front desk.
La Casona Boutique Hotel ($$)
Located in the heart of La Paz next to the San Francisco church, La Casona Boutique Hotel is a hidden gem off the busy city streets. From the moment you walk in you’ll be immersed in beautiful, historic Spanish architecture at every turn. The rooms here are spacious, clean and comfortable, a great deal for the cheap price tag.
The only downside was the loud noise coming from the street on the weekends, people here party until the early morning hours! Be sure to request an interior room not facing the street to avoid the commotion. We were also told not walk around on our own at night around the square as it wasn’t really safe, we took that advice and stayed in after hours.
While you’re here take some time to enjoy the amazing La Casona restaurant on the first floor of the hotel for dinner, this turned out to be the best meal of our trip! They also have a cute breakfast cafe if you’re looking for sweet treats or something on the go.
Where to eat in Bolivia
Food in Bolivia is cheap! How cheap you ask? The average meal (a whole meal not just 1 thing) at a local spot will be less than US$10! With so much good food at affordable prices I really wanted to do a food tour with the How To La Paz team BUT couldn’t coordinate it with our group. So if you go, I highly recommend you contact them to schedule one, they will certainly take you to THE BEST spots around! We didn’t have too much time to sit and eat on this journey but below are a few of our favorites from the trip that are a must when in La Paz.
Typica Café
Bolivians take one thing VERY seriously – coffee! Before visiting I figured this South American destination would have some coffee but I had no idea they offered signature beans grown in high altitude- a dream for me as an avid coffee lover! Note- I didn’t drink coffee until the last day of our trip as this is one of the things to avoid with the high altitude!
One of our favorite coffee shops on our trip was Typica Café, a locally owned restaurant that not only serves the best coffee in town but delicious breakfast & lunch too! Each of their three locations in La Paz are outfitted with locally restored furniture, artwork and tiles designed to keep the authenticity of the city in every way. If you can, visit all three Typica Cafes, they really are unique and almost like walking into a museum!
Popular
Can you really get a gourmet three course meal for US$9? Well in Bolivia the answer to that is YES! We are still in shock about how much this incredible meal at Popular Cocina cost us. With a rotating menu based on available local ingredients, Popular will serve you a fresh juice, appetizer, main course and delicious dessert as part of their set lunch menu (dinner isn’t available). Come with your stomachs empty, we couldn’t eat for the rest of the day after this incredible meal.
La Casona Restaurante Café
Even if you don’t stay at the La Casona hotel you MUST visit their restaurant for dinner! After trekking around Bolivia for over 8 days, we were too tired to go out to any restaurant for dinner and decided to just stay in the hotel. To our surprise, this ended up being the best meal of our trip!
We had the local soup, Amazon river trout (similar to Salmon) & Lamb all absolutely delicious. I really wanted to try dessert but really just had no more room! Note- service here can be a little slow but it’s worth it.
Things to do in La Paz
We spent four days in La Paz, two before going to the Uyuni Salt Flats and two more on our return. I would recommend spending at least three days in La Paz before going to the salt flats to not only get acclimated to the altitude but have plenty of time to explore in and around the city. Here are a few things you can do while you’re there.
Take a ride on the cable cars
My first introduction to public transit cable cars was during my trip to Medellin Colombia. I was completely fascinated on how people use this in their daily lives to get to work and school, what an incredible idea! La Paz also has the highest and most efficient cable cars in South America known as Mi Teleferico.
There are about seven lines in total taking you around the city all giving you stunning views! You will have to get tickets for each line, check the ticket booth at each station for pricing, you will need to speak Spanish to communicate. Our helpful guides Val & Nicky helped us through this entire experience! Also, if you do need to use the bathroom, there are clean ones available at each station for a small fee (about $1-$2 Boliviano).
Stroll around Cementerio General
When our guide Nicky told us we would be visiting a cemetery our first reaction was, what? Why? Are you sure we need to go there? But guess what? This turned out to be one of the most interesting parts of the city! When we arrived there was a large crowd outside gathering for an actual funeral which honestly made me double think this idea but once we made it through the crowd and around the corner this fascinating cemetery came to life.
Spread over 1.5 miles this unique cemetery covers over 15 blocks! The way it works is each person gets a cubby hole like space where they can decorate it with things that symbolize the deceased person.
For example, if you like to drink Coca Cola or Johnny Walker Black both of those bottles would be showcased inside the mini casing. These spots also don’t come for free, the family is expected to pay for each spot and if they don’t the body is removed! Look out for the empty spaces.
The cemetery is also outfitted with numerous murals with local artist, take some time to walk around and check them out, an hour here can go by pretty fast..I promise you won’t feel like you’re in a typical eerie cemetery!
Witches Market
Not only is this a great place to pick up souvenirs and support local street vendors, this interesting market will give you an insight on the culture and traditions of the indigenous people of Bolivia. The first thing you’ll notice while walking through the market are the dried baby llama fetuses; which are real!
You may be wondering where they come from? Why they are here? According to the local street vendors the llama fetuses are from abortions or mothers who pass away. Locals visit the market to purchase them as an offering to the Gods to help them gain something they want in their life. For example, a new job or car. Also, when someone is building a home or new building, construction workers in Bolivia will not start the job until a llama fetus has been buried on the premises.
San Francisco Church
The San Francisco Church is a 19th Century catholic church in the middle of the San Francisco square and within walking distance of the La Casona Boutique Hotel & the witches market. You can view this beautiful structure from the outside or take a guided tour (takes about an hour) inside and up to the roof top where you can catch some views of the city. Beware of the tiny staircases to get to the top if you are a bit tall like The Food Boo! Mas is also held every day at 7pm if you’d like to join in.
The colored houses of Challuma
Sitting 12,500ft high the beautiful colored house of Challuma can easily seen from the cable cars in the distance. This area may be a little difficult to find as it’s a newly repainted area but if you ask any local and they should be able to direct you. Here you’ll find beautiful murals, incredible views of the city, adorable pups and happy residents welcoming you at every turn!
You will have to climb up a few stairs to get here and with the altitude this can be challenging, just take it slow and sip water along the way. It’s all worth it! The best time to come here is just before sunset, the rays above the city are simply picture perfect. See more of these colored houses on my Instagram story highlights.
Cholitas wrestling
Cholitas Wresting is a local show where women dress in indigenous clothing and compete against each other. Don’t come here expecting real wrestling, everything is obviously fake and also in Spanish only. The audience seemed to really enjoy it but as English speakers we had no idea what was happening! Overall it was a fun experience but not a must see if you can’t fit it into your schedule and don’t speak Spanish. If you do go, be careful visiting this area of town and walking around anywhere on your own at night.
Located in El Alto, the Cholitas Wrestling is held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 5pm with the show lasting 2.5 hours. We actually just showed up for the last hour of the show and that was more than enough time to catch the main event, being there for much longer would have certainly been over kill. You don’t need to buy tickets in advance, they are available at the door and include a trip to the bathroom, popcorn and souvenir.
Monticulo-Sopocachi
Our amazing guides (Nicky & Val) at How To La Paz planned a surprise lunch at this viewpoint complete with Prosecco & traditional Saltenas, a local pastry filled with beef, pork or chicken mixed in a sweet, slightly spicy sauce. Basically a must have when visiting Bolivia!
Legend has it if you’re able to eat one of these without spilling the sauce all over you, you’re considered a good kisser! Check my Instagram Story Highlights to see more of this explained by our guide Val (Follow her Bolivia adventures @Lalibelle)
Mirador Killi Killi
Another beautiful spot in the city where locals come to walk their dogs, enjoy the panoramic views of the city from a park bench or bring a picnic to have with friends. Come here during sunset to enjoy the best views of the highest city in South America.
Things we missed
Valley of the Moon
One of the things high on my list for La Paz was the incredible Valley of the Moon park located just outside the city. Unfortunately, due to the recent political unrest, a few statues and items in the park were damaged and it was closed for repairs. Alternatively, we drove by Valle De Las Animas which gave us a peak into the beautiful peaks but certainly not the experience we were so looking forward to!
Wineries
Similar to their special high altitude coffee, Bolivia is also known for their high altitude wine! Read more about their up and coming wineries here and contact our friends at How to La Paz to schedule your tour, we are certainly putting this on our list for our return to Bolivia.
Explore other towns
If you have some extra time there are so many other cities you can visit in Bolivia that are untouched, pure and will give you that culturally immersive experience. One of the things I regret is not staying at least a day or two in the beautiful city of Santa Cruz. As the hub for most international flights to Bolivia, Santa Cruz is an easy add on to your Bolivia itinerary! Checkout all this bustling city has to offer here.
Another town to checkout is the UNESCO World heritage city of Potosi known for its rustic tours of silver mines. At 4000 m (13,334 ft) above sea level this is one of the most elevated towns in South America and the most industrial city of the 16th Century.
Sucre, the capital of Bolivia is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the country with its white washed buildings set in between mountain peaks. Also declared a UNESCO World heritage city, Sucre is filled with churches, museums and beautiful architecture.
There are so many more things to see in Bolivia that I didn’t get a chance to see, hopefully one day I can go back and explore some more! Checkout my La Paz Instagram Story Highlights & a vlog produced by my travel partner @RogerBStillz!
