Stand on Calle Jaén in the late afternoon and the city shows you both of its faces at once: restored colonial houses on one side, and the steep, brick-covered hillsides of the canyon rising on the other. La Paz sits in a bowl at roughly 3,650 m, with the triple-peaked Illimani watching over it, and almost everything worth doing here is either a market, a museum, a viewpoint, or a ride on the cable car network that lifts you out of the bowl.
This guide suits travellers who are happy to spend a day on their feet, moving between the historic centre, the markets and the miradores, and who accept that the altitude will set the pace.
1. 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, along with soapstone figurines and aphrodisiac formulas. It is the city's best-known market and the clearest introduction to the traditions that run alongside everyday life here.
This street is also the best place to pick up a charango or another Bolivian musical instrument. Combine it with Sagarnaga Street, which meets it nearby, and treat the two as one walk.
2. Sagarnaga Street
Just south of Plaza San Francisco, this is La Paz's main tourist strip: a market street with artesano and souvenir stores, budget hostels, tour and travel agencies, and cafes. It is the practical heart of a visit, useful for arranging the rest of your time as well as for browsing.
One thing to look out for: don't be suckered by the roving sellers of "trilobite-in-a-rock".
3. Plaza Murillo
The square contains government buildings and the city cathedral, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace (Catedral Basilica Menor de Nuestra Senora de la Paz), and a monument in the centre dedicated to Murillo. Entry is free, which makes it an easy stop to fold into a walk through the centre.
Pair it with the nearby streets of the historic core, and note that the Palacio Quemado sits in the same area.
4. Palacio Quemado (Presidential Palace)
The official residence of the president of Bolivia, and one of the buildings that defines Plaza Murillo. Tourists are not allowed inside, so plan on seeing it from the square rather than as a visit in itself.
It is free to view from outside. Combine it with the cathedral and the rest of Plaza Murillo in a single stop.
5. Museo San Francisco (San Francisco Museum)
At Plaza San Francisco, this restored religious complex has housed some of Bolivia's most important historical moments, including the birth of the Independence Revolution of 1809. You can also climb the church tower for a panoramic view of the indigenous and Mestiza quarters.
Displays are in Spanish and English, with personal guides available. Admission is Bs. 40. It sits on Plaza San Francisco, so it pairs naturally with Sagarnaga Street just to the south.
6. Valle de La Luna
Just outside the city, this is surreal, weathered rock: water and air have eroded the terrain into whimsical formations of cones and craters that resemble a lunar landscape. It is a natural attraction of great beauty and a complete change of scenery from the streets of the centre.
Take a local bus to Mallasa (Bs. 2.30), a taxi (Bs. 35), or join a tour. Admission is 20 Bs. 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 Bs. 2 trufi to the brick ovens and walk a few minutes over the pass to the upper Achocalla valley.
7. Valle de las Ánimas (Valley of Souls)
Similar to the Valle de La Luna, with eerie rock formations that have the appearance of stalagmites. Walking, climbing, photography and observation of the city can all be done here.
At a height of 3,900 m it allows a view of the city and the snow-capped Illimani and Mururata mountains. Give yourself time to adjust to the altitude before combining it with a full day of sightseeing.
8. The 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 and DVDs, high-quality used clothes, jackets, sweaters and more. The market is an attraction in itself, whether you buy, watch people or eat local food.
For newcomers, 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, or take one of the shared taxis (Bs. 2.50) with "Ceja" in the front window. Arrive early: by 10:00 you may already meet a very long waiting line, though even a long-looking line may only take half an hour. Buy your ticket first (Bs. 3), then get in line; there may be a second, shorter line for prepaid card holders.
9. Main cemetery
Near the bus station, this is very different from cemeteries you would normally see in Europe. It is a big place with many aisles of walls and holes, like shelves, where ashes of the dead are bricked up and stored, their fronts decorated 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 from above. Walk or take a mini bus from the bus station.
10. Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore (National Ethnographic and Folk Museum)
At Ingavi 916, corner of Jenaro Sanjinés, the MUSEF shows Bolivian cultures in their historic dimension and their current situation. Those cultures are alive in the cities and the countryside, in markets, schools and churches, in streets, the jungle or a minibus, and the museum offers a tour that helps make sense of that complexity.
Admission is Bs. 35. It is a good counterpart to a market day, since it explains much of what you see on the streets.
11. Coca Museum
At Calle Linares 906, this small museum details the history and significance of the coca plant, including the effect of the U.S. War on Drugs. It is a favourite of foreign tourists and sits right by the Witches' Market, so the two fit into one walk.
Open daily 10:00–19:00. Displays are in Spanish, but booklets of complete translations in other languages are provided, and there are free samples of coca leaf for visitors. Admission is Bs. 18.
12. 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 in the centre for architecture, and it puts several collections within a few steps of each other.
Plan to spend a half day here rather than passing through, since the museums along it are the reason to come.
13. Musical Instrument Museum (Museo de Instrumentos Musicales de Bolivia)
At Calle Jaén 711, this displays 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 downright bizarre.
Combine it with the other museums on Calle Jaén, and with the instrument shopping on the Witches' Market if you want to take something home.
14. National Museum of Art (Museo Nacional de Arte)
At Calle Comercio, corner of Socabaya, the tour through the National Museum of Art is a ride through the history of Bolivian art: paintings, sculptures, photos and other artistic expressions. It is a singular experience for national and foreign visitors.
It sits in the centre, so it can be slotted between Plaza Murillo and the Prado without much extra walking.
15. 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 to get there; buses with the sign "V. Pabon" go that way, such as the micros W, P, 22 and 137. Parque Laikacota, at the top of Av. Ejercito west of the city centre, 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, for an admission of Bs. 3.50.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start in the centre with Plaza Murillo, taking in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and the Palacio Quemado from the square. Walk to Museo San Francisco at Plaza San Francisco, climb the church tower for the panoramic view, then head south onto Sagarnaga Street and into the Witches' Market on Calle Linares, where the Coca Museum is also on the same street.
Afternoon. Spend the middle of the day on Calle Jaén, moving between the preserved colonial buildings and the museums along it, including the Musical Instrument Museum and the National Museum of Art. If time allows, add the Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore at Ingavi 916.
Evening. Take the cable car for the view over the city, and finish at Mirador Killi Killi, which costs nothing and gives the best view of La Paz. If your day falls on a Thursday or Sunday, the red cable car line also runs to Estación Teleférico 16 de Julio for the market in El Alto, though that is a half day in itself and better kept for a separate visit.
How do I get to the Thursday and 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 (Bs. 2.50) with "Ceja" in the front window; these can be found around the city, including at the Prado. Buy your cable car ticket first (Bs. 3), then get in line, and arrive early, since by 10:00 there may already be a long wait.
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, at the top of Av. Ejercito west of the city centre, has the best panorama from within the bowl and clear views to Mt. Illimani for Bs. 3.50. Mirador Monticulo, next to Plaza España, is free and has a clear view of Illimani, though trees block much of the city. Av. Camacho in the heart of downtown points straight at Illimani.
What should I know before visiting the Valle de La Luna?
It lies just outside the city. Take a local bus to Mallasa (Bs. 2.30), a taxi (Bs. 35), or join a tour, and expect an admission of 20 Bs. The formations are eroded cones and craters that resemble a lunar landscape.
Are the museums on Calle Jaén worth a half day?
Yes. Calle Jaén is one of the few places in the city with preserved colonial buildings, and it now houses several interesting museums, including the Musical Instrument Museum at Calle Jaén 711 and the Museum of Precious Metals at Calle Jaén 777.
Decide which market day falls during your stay, then build the rest of your itinerary around the centre, the miradores and the cable car.