7 Days in La Paz: First-Timer Plan
La Paz, Bolivia: A 7-Day First-Timer Itinerary
A full week covers the city thoroughly, three real day trips, and a slower final stretch before you fly out.
Day 1
Arrive at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi into town, about $8-12. Rest for the day: soroche is common in the first 24 hours at this elevation. Drink water, order mate de coca, skip alcohol entirely. Tip: book lodging in Sopocachi or Zona Sur, both lower and warmer than the historic center.
Day 2
Walk Plaza Murillo and the Cathedral, spot the backwards-running Reloj del Sur on the Congress building, then visit the Witches’ Market on Calle Linares, asking before photographing any vendor. Grab salteñas mid-morning for about $1, browse Calle Jaén’s museums, and ride Mi Teleférico (about $0.45 a ride) toward El Alto for a view of Illimani at golden hour. Dinner at Popular Cocina Boliviana runs roughly $15-20. Tip: take a registered radio taxi home rather than a street-hailed cab after dark.
Day 3
Take a half-day guided trip to Tiwanaku, about 2 hours away, for roughly $25-35. Back in the city, browse Mercado Rodríguez and have dinner, chairo or pique macho, for about $5-8. Tip: book a day ahead during festival season.
Day 4
Ride Death Road with a reputable mountain-bike operator, never unguided, for roughly $80-130. Dinner at Ali Pacha runs around $20-30. Tip: check your specific operator’s safety record before booking.
Day 5
Visit El Alto’s Feria 16 de Julio (Thursday and Sunday only) and take in cholita wrestling in the evening, an empowerment-rooted sport rather than a spectacle, for a modest ticket price generally under $15. Tip: bring small bills for the market.
Day 6
Take a day trip to Lake Titicaca and Copacabana, roughly 3.5-4.5 hours each way and tight as a single day, so consider an overnight if you can spare it. A guided day tour runs about $30-45. Tip: book the earliest departure if you’re doing it as a day trip.
Day 7
Spend a slower final day in Zona Sur and Sopocachi: Propiedad Pública, a farm-to-table restaurant in San Miguel, makes a good lunch stop for around $15-25. If you have energy left, add a moderate hike up Muela del Diablo for panoramic views over the city, or use the time for last souvenir shopping instead. Take a registered radio taxi to El Alto airport for your departure. Tip: build in extra time for the airport, since it’s a genuine climb back up to nearly 4,100m and security lines can be slow.
A week is still not enough for the Uyuni Salt Flats, which need their own separate multi-day trip; treat this week as the complete La Paz visit and Uyuni as a different trip entirely.
Read more: our La Paz overview rounds out the city’s history and layout beyond this itinerary.