Stand on the Prado, the tree-lined central stretch of La Paz's main thoroughfare, and the city drops away below you while Illimani's snow-covered triple peaks rise straight ahead. Few capitals put their geography on display so plainly: a canyon of brick houses, a bowl of thin air, and mountains on every side.
La Paz suits travellers who are happy to spend a day on foot among markets, colonial streets and museums, and who accept that the altitude will set the pace. It rewards curiosity more than checklist-ticking. This guide covers the sights and experiences named in our source material, with practical notes on how to combine them.
Top things to do in La Paz
1. Plaza Murillo
The square at the centre of the historic city, containing government buildings and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. In the middle stands a monument dedicated to Murillo, and the plaza is where you can read the city's political history in its architecture. Entry is free.
Pair it with Calle Jaén, which is a short walk away, and go in the morning when the light is on the cathedral facade.
2. Calle Jaén
One of the few places in the city with preserved colonial buildings, now housing several interesting museums. It is the most rewarding single street for anyone interested in the colonial city rather than the modern one.
Because several museums sit on this one street, you can visit more than one in a single outing without crossing town.
3. The Witches' Market (Mercado de Hechicería, Mercado de las Brujas)
On 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.
Combine it with Sagarnaga Street, which it crosses, so you cover both in one walk.
4. Sagarnaga Street
La Paz's main tourist strip, just south of Plaza San Francisco. It is mainly a market street with artesano and souvenir stores, and you will also find budget hostels, tour and travel agencies, cafes, and many backpackers.
Be wary of the roving sellers of "trilobite-in-a-rock".
5. Museo San Francisco
A restored religious complex on Plaza San Francisco that has housed some of Bolivia's most important historical moments, including the birth of the Independence Revolution of 1809. You can climb the church tower for a panoramic view of the indigenous and Mestiza quarters. Displays are in Spanish and English, with personal guides available.
Since it sits on Plaza San Francisco, it pairs naturally with Sagarnaga Street immediately to the south.
6. Coca Museum
A small museum at Calle Linares 906, open daily 10:00–19:00, detailing the history and significance of the coca plant, including the effect of the U.S. War on Drugs. Displays are in Spanish, but booklets of complete translations in other languages are provided, and there are free samples of coca leaf for visitors.
It is on the same street as the Witches' Market, so the two fit into one walk.
7. National Ethnographic and Folk Museum (Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore)
At Ingavi 916, on the corner of Jenaro Sanjinés, the MUSEF shows Bolivian cultures in their historic dimension and their current situation — alive in cities and countryside, in markets, schools, churches, streets, the jungle and minibuses. The museum offers a thorough tour of that diversity.
Give it real time rather than treating it as a quick stop; the collection is broad.
8. National Museum of Art (Museo Nacional de Arte)
On Calle Comercio at the corner of Socabaya. The tour runs through the history of Bolivian art — paintings, sculptures, photos and other artistic expressions.
It sits close to Plaza Murillo, so it slots easily into a morning around the square.
9. Musical Instrument Museum (Museo de Instrumentos Musicales de Bolivia)
At Calle Jaén 711, displaying a huge collection of sound-producing devices from Bolivia and beyond, some of which you can play yourself. It was founded by charango master and inventor Ernesto Cavour, and some of his creations on display, such as multi-bodied guitars, are distinctly unusual.
Visit it while you are already on Calle Jaén for the colonial buildings.
10. Museum of Precious Metals (Museo de Metales Preciosos Precolombinos)
At Calle Jaén 777, showing pre-Columbian treasures in silver and gold. It is a compact stop that adds a pre-Columbian dimension to a street otherwise known for colonial architecture.
Pair it with the Musical Instrument Museum a few doors along the same street.
11. Palacio Quemado
The official residence of the president of Bolivia, on Plaza Murillo. Tourists are not allowed inside, so treat it as part of the square's ensemble rather than a visit in itself. Entry to view from outside is free.
See it as you walk the plaza, then continue to the Metropolitan Cathedral in the same square.
12. Main cemetery
Near the bus station, reachable by a walk or a minibus. It is very different from cemeteries you would normally see in Europe: many aisles with walls and holes like shelves, where the ashes of the dead are bricked up and stored, the fronts decorated and left with photos, artificial flowers, electronic ladybugs and mini Coca Cola bottles. Some fronts are covered with glass doors, parts of the walls are multi-storey, and coloured ladders, stairs and platforms help people reach the higher holes. There is a crematorium, graves with buried bodies, monuments, crypts and mausoleums, and large colourful graffiti related to death and to life.
The red line of the cable car gives you a good view of it from above.
13. Valle de La Luna
Just outside the city, this is surreal, weathered rock — a natural attraction shaped by water and air, whose erosive effects created whimsical formations of cones and craters that resemble a lunar landscape. Take a local bus to Mallasa or a taxi, or join a tour.
If you want more eroded formations, with glittering diamond-like silver and pink sand, take a red bus to Alpacoma from Calle Buenos Aires, then a trufi to the brick ovens, then walk a few minutes over the pass to the upper Achocalla valley.
14. Valle de las Ánimas (Valley of Souls)
Similar to Valle de La Luna, with eerie rock formations resembling stalagmites. Walking, climbing, photography and observation of the city can all be done here, and the height allows a view of the city and the snow-capped Illimani and Mururata mountains.
Come for the views of the mountains as much as for the rock formations themselves.
15. Thursday & Sunday Market in El Alto (Feria de 16 de Julio)
A huge market held in El Alto every Thursday and Sunday. This mostly Aymara market is one of the world's biggest, and you can find just about anything — software, DVDs, high quality used clothes, jackets, sweaters and more. The market is an attraction in itself: you can buy things, watch people and eat local food.
For newbies, stick to the railroad tracks starting at the ceja and ending at Plaza Ballivian. Do not bring anything valuable such as a camera or phone, and keep your money except small bills inside your clothing. Bring sunblock. To get there, take the red cable car line from Estación Teleférico Central to Estación Teleférico 16 de Julio, buy your ticket first and then join the line; being there early helps, as by 10:00 you may already encounter a very long wait. Alternatively, take one of the many shared taxis with "Ceja" in the front window, which you can find around the city including at the Prado.
16. Mirador Killi Killi
From Avenida Sucre take Avenida La Bandera and then walk straight up; the mirador is on the right side. You can get the best view of La Paz from here, and there is no entrance fee. You can walk, take a taxi or take a bus — buses with the sign "V. Pabon" go there, such as micros W, P, 22 and 137.
Go when the light is clear so Illimani is visible behind the city.
17. Parque Laikacota
At the top of Av. Ejercito west of the city centre, this offers the best panorama from within the bowl, with clear views of the city and the rugged terrain to the east, all the way to Mt. Illimani. Admission is Bs. 3.50.
It is a good counterpart to Mirador Killi Killi if you want two different angles on the city in one day.
18. Mirador Monticulo
Next to Plaza España, this small park has free entry, a church and lots of trees which block much of the city — but the clear view of Illimani makes it an evening hotspot for couples.
Come in the evening rather than the middle of the day.
19. Mercado Uruguay
A labyrinth of street market stalls on a steep slope, and the best place in the city for fish meals, in the area known as "Fish Alley". From the corner of Santa Cruz and Illampu walk uphill about four blocks, which brings you to the round Plaza 14 de Septiembre; one block straight up brings you to Eloy Salmon, and another block to the market.
Go hungry and go uphill slowly, given the altitude.
20. Eloy Salmon
Shops on this street sell cheap electronics. It is a practical stop rather than a sight, but it sits on the route up to Mercado Uruguay, so you can pass through it on the way.
Combine it with the market above rather than making a separate trip.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Plaza Murillo, where you can see the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and the Palacio Quemado from outside, then walk to Calle Jaén for its preserved colonial buildings. Pick one or two of the museums on that street — the Musical Instrument Museum and the Museum of Precious Metals are both there. If time allows, add the National Museum of Art on Calle Comercio.
Afternoon. Head to Plaza San Francisco for Museo San Francisco and climb the church tower for the panoramic view. Walk south into Sagarnaga Street, then cross to Calle Linares for the Witches' Market and the Coca Museum. Continue uphill to Mercado Uruguay for a fish meal.
Evening. Take a taxi or bus up to Mirador Killi Killi for the best view of La Paz, or choose Parque Laikacota for the panorama from within the bowl. If you still have energy, finish at Mirador Monticulo next to Plaza España, where the clear view of Illimani draws people in the evening.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to the Thursday & Sunday Market in El Alto?
Take the red cable car line from Estación Teleférico Central to Estación Teleférico 16 de Julio, or take a shared taxi with "Ceja" in the front window. Buy your cable car ticket first and then join the line, and arrive early — by 10:00 the wait can already be long.
Which viewpoints give the best views of the city and Illimani?
Mirador Killi Killi offers the best view of La Paz and has no entrance fee. Parque Laikacota gives the best panorama from within the bowl, with views east to Mt. Illimani, for a small admission. Mirador Monticulo is a small free park with a clear view of Illimani, popular in the evening.
Can I visit the Palacio Quemado?
No. It is the official residence of the president of Bolivia, and tourists are not allowed inside. You can see it from Plaza Murillo at no cost.
What should I know before visiting the main cemetery?
It is near the bus station and reachable by a walk or a minibus, and it differs greatly from European cemeteries, with ashes stored in decorated wall niches, multi-storey sections, crypts and mausoleums. The red line of the cable car gives you a good view of it from above.
Pick the sights that match your pace, allow for the altitude on your first day, and start mapping out your time in La Paz.