3 Days in La Paz: First-Timer Plan
La Paz, Bolivia: A 3-Day First-Timer Itinerary
Three days gives you a proper acclimatizing day, a full city day, and one real day trip beyond the city limits.
Day 1
Land at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi into town, about $8-12. Spend the day resting and hydrating rather than sightseeing: soroche is common in the first 24 hours at this elevation. Drink mate de coca, skip alcohol, and keep the day light, maybe a short walk near your accommodation if you’re feeling steady by evening. Tip: choose a hotel in Sopocachi or Zona Sur if you can, since both sit lower and warmer than the historic center.
Day 2
Walk Plaza Murillo, the Cathedral, and the Palacio Quemado, then look up at the National Congress for the Reloj del Sur, the clock that runs backwards. From there, head to the Witches’ Market on Calle Linares, a living Aymara institution where dried llama fetuses (from natural miscarriages) are sold as Pachamama offerings; ask before photographing anyone working there. Grab salteñas mid-morning for about $1, before noon sellout, and stop by the small museums on Calle Jaén in the afternoon. In the evening, ride Mi Teleférico (about $0.45 a ride, fare card required) toward El Alto for views of Illimani, then have dinner at Ali Pacha, Bolivia’s first fine-dining vegan restaurant, for roughly $20-30. Tip: use registered radio taxis for evening trips back to your hotel rather than hailing a cab on the street.
Day 3
Take a guided day trip to Tiwanaku, about 2 hours away, a UNESCO World Heritage pre-Inca site with the Gate of the Sun and the Kalasasaya platform. A half-day guided tour runs roughly $25-35 including transport. Back in La Paz by afternoon, wander Mercado Rodríguez for a last taste of local produce and market life before a casual dinner, chairo or pique macho for about $5-8. Tip: book your Tiwanaku tour a day ahead, since availability tightens around festival dates.
If you can add days, Death Road or a Titicaca overnight both extend well from here. Uyuni is a genuinely separate multi-day trip and won’t fit into a plan this short.
Read more: our La Paz travel tips guide covers money, safety, and altitude in more depth.