Five days in La Paz is the sweet spot. Long enough to acclimatize properly, short enough to leave wanting more. You'll graduate from altitude headaches to canyon hikes, from intimidating market corridors to genuinely understanding why Bolivians consider this city — perched at 3,640 meters above sea level in a natural bowl carved by the Andes — one of South America's most compelling capitals.

This itinerary doesn't rush. It lets La Paz reveal itself.

Before You Arrive: High Altitude Protocol

El Alto International Airport sits at 4,061 m — higher than the city it serves. The golden rule: do nothing strenuous for the first 24 hours. Drink coca leaf tea (mate de coca), stay hydrated, eat light, and skip alcohol on day one. Acetazolamide (Diamox) is available at Bolivian pharmacies without a prescription (Bs 15-20) if your doctor recommends it pre-trip.

Budget accommodation: Bs 70-100/night (hostel). Mid-range: Bs 250-500/night (hotel). Top pick for location: Atix Hotel in Zona Sur (from ~$90/night) or Stannum Boutique Hotel near the city center (~$65/night).

Day 1: Arrival, Acclimatize, Explore Gently

Afternoon/Evening: The Old Town at a Slow Pace

Land, check in, drink tea. Then walk. Plaza Murillo and its surrounding streets — Calle Jaén, Calle Ingavi — are flat enough to handle on day one. The colonial architecture here is Bolivia's finest, and the pace is slow enough that altitude won't punish you.

Stop into MUSEF (Museo Nacional de Etnografía y Folklore, Calle Ingavi 916, Bs 10) for a low-exertion hour among extraordinary Andean textiles and ritual objects. This is one of the best ethnography museums in South America and most visitors miss it entirely.

Dinner: Keep it simple. Minka (Calle Comercio) does excellent quinoa soups and empanadas (Bs 25-40). It's Bolivia's most important grain — eat it close to where it's grown.

Day 2: Colonial La Paz Deep Dive

Morning: Calle Jaén Museum Row

Calle Jaén is a pedestrianized colonial street housing four small museums. Buy the bundle pass (Bs 30 / ~$4.30): Casa Murillo (former president's home), Museo del Litoral (Bolivia's landlocked backstory — more emotionally loaded than you'd expect), Museo Costumbrista, and Museo de Metales Preciosos. Allow two hours. The silver and gold pre-Columbian objects in the Metales Preciosos museum are genuinely breathtaking.

Midday: Mercado Lanza

Lunch at Mercado Lanza, the city's primary covered food market. Navigate to the second-floor comedores and order silpancho: pounded beef over rice, fried egg, and salad — Bolivia's workhorse lunch dish (Bs 20-25 / ~$3-4). Alternatively, fricasé (spiced pork stew with hominy) is the Sunday special but available most days (Bs 18-22).

Afternoon: Witches' Market and Sagárnaga

Walk up Calle Linares through the Mercado de las Brujas (Witches' Market). The stalls sell everything from dried llama fetuses used in building blessings to herbal remedies, amulets, and minerals. Vendors are relaxed — no pressure, genuine curiosity welcomed. Continue up Calle Sagárnaga, the main artisan strip, to get a sense of pricing for alpaca goods before you buy anything. Real alpaca: rub it against your cheek (wool that warm and soft doesn't scratch). Acrylic: feels synthetic and cheap.

Evening: Sopocachi

Sopocachi is La Paz's most livable neighborhood — bars, bookshops, street art, and restaurants for every budget. Try Ali Pacha (Calle Fernando Guachalla) for Bolivia's finest vegetarian tasting menu (Bs 180-250 / ~$26-36), or Mongo's Rock Bottom Bar for cheap beer and live music from Bs 15.

Day 3: Mi Teleférico Full Day + El Alto

Morning: Cable Car Network

La Paz's Mi Teleférico gondola system is engineering genius. Buy a rechargeable card (Bs 5) at any station; rides cost Bs 3 each. The network has 11 lines. Today's plan:

Red Line from terminal to mirador above Miraflores: city panorama, 12 minutes
Yellow Line from central La Paz to El Alto: the full ascent to the satellite city, 400 meters higher

Midday: El Alto's Feria 16 de Julio

On Thursdays and Sundays, the Feria 16 de Julio in El Alto is the largest street market in South America. Arrive by 10 AM. It sprawls over 20+ city blocks selling everything from car parts to clothing, fresh produce, electronics, and street food. Eat api (warm purple corn drink, Bs 5) with a pastel pastry. This is not a tourist attraction — it's where 1.2 million El Alto residents actually shop.

Even on non-market days, El Alto is worth exploring for its extraordinary Cholet architecture — buildings designed by Freddy Mamani Silvestre featuring neon colors, indigenous motifs, and surreal baroque decoration. Dozens of examples line the main avenues.

Afternoon: Zona Sur by Green Line

Ride back down to central La Paz, then transfer to the Green Line to Zona Sur — La Paz's wealthiest district and the contrast is deliberate. The Mallasa neighborhood has hiking trails through subtropical vegetation; the Zoo de La Paz (Bs 15 entry) is modest but set in a canyon.

Dinner: Back in Zona Sur, Gustu (Calle 10 No. 300, Calacoto) is Bolivia's flag-restaurant — co-founded by Claus Meyer, entirely focused on native Bolivian ingredients. Book ahead; tasting menu Bs 400-650 (~$58-94). Worth it once.

Day 4: Valle de la Luna + Death Road Preview

Morning: Valle de la Luna

Hire a taxi to Valle de la Luna — 10 km from the city center, 20-25 minutes. Roundtrip taxi: Bs 60-80 (~$9-12). Entry: Bs 15. The eroded clay spires and canyons look genuinely lunar. Two walking trails: short (45 min) and long (90 min). Do both. Morning light hits the formations best.

Afternoon: Trekking in the Yungas or Pre-Death Road

If you've acclimatized well, arrange a half-day introduction to the Yungas road with any established operator (Gravity Bolivia is the longest-running; half-day tours ~$35-45 USD). This isn't the full Death Road bike descent (that's a full day) — it's the scenic drive and stop at the ridgeline mirador above the cloud forest. The view from 4,700 m looking down into jungle valleys is something the photos can't contain.

Alternatively, walk the Choquetanga trail above the city — 2-3 hours of moderate hiking with views straight down into La Paz's canyon. Guides available from most hostels (Bs 80-120).

Evening: Calle Illampu Night Market

Return to the center and eat your way down Calle Illampu, where evening street stalls set up from 6 PM. Anticuchos (beef heart skewers, Bs 8-10 each), cuñapes (cheesy yuca bread rolls, Bs 3-4), and fresh-squeezed mango juice (Bs 8) make a solid spread.

Day 5: Cholita Wrestling + Final Markets

Morning: Mercado Rodriguez

The Mercado Rodriguez (Calle Rodriguez, near Sopocachi) is the neighborhood market La Paz runs on. Arrive by 8 AM for the best energy. Breakfast: api morado with buñuelos (fritters, Bs 8-12 total). The produce section alone — quinoa in 12 colors, dried potatoes (chuño) from pre-Inca preservation methods, peppers from every climate zone — is worth an hour.

Afternoon: Cholita Wrestling

Lucha libre cholita wrestling at the Multifuncional de La Ceja in El Alto runs every Sunday from 3 PM, and some Saturdays. Tourist tickets: Bs 50 (~$7). The bouts are theatrical and loud — cholitas in full traditional dress (pollera skirts, bowler hats) executing body slams and flying kicks. The crowd participation is half the show. Get there by 2:30 for warm-up bouts.

Evening: Final Dinner + Departure Prep

Splurge or save on your last night. Popular Cocina Boliviana (Calle Murillo) is a micro-restaurant with rotating Bolivian highland cuisine under Bs 70. El Caravansary in the Witches' Market area does excellent pisco sours (Bs 28) and lamb stew (Bs 65).

If your flight is early from El Alto, arrange a radio taxi the night before (Bs 80-100 / ~$12-14, 30-45 min depending on traffic).

5-Day La Paz Budget Breakdown

Category	Budget	Mid-Range	Splurge
Accommodation (per night)	Bs 75-100 ($11-15)	Bs 280-400 ($40-58)	Bs 600+ ($87+)
Food (3x/day)	Bs 55-85 ($8-12)	Bs 130-200 ($19-29)	Bs 300+ ($43+)
Cable cars (full day)	Bs 15 ($2)	same	same
Valle de la Luna taxi+entry	Bs 90 ($13)	Bs 90 ($13)	Bs 90 ($13)
Cholita wrestling	Bs 50 ($7)	Bs 50 ($7)	Bs 50 ($7)
Museum entries (5 days)	Bs 60 ($9)	Bs 60 ($9)	Bs 60 ($9)
Daily average	~$30-40	~$60-90	~$130+

Getting Around La Paz

Mi Teleférico: 11 lines, Bs 3/ride. Best city transport system in South America for tourists. Cable car map at all stations.

Minibuses (micros/trufi): Bs 2-3, go everywhere, ask locals which number to take.

Taxis: Always negotiate before entering — no meters. Center to Zona Sur: Bs 25-35. Night taxi from radio services (RadioTaxi, EasyTaxi app): safer and set-price.

Airport transfer: Official taxi booth in arrivals, Bs 100-120 (~$14-17) to center. Avoid strangers offering rides outside the official queue.

Practical Notes

Language: Spanish. Basic phrases go a long way; English is rare outside tourist areas and upscale hotels.
Money: Boliviano (Bs). 1 USD ≈ 6.90 Bs. Cash is king at markets and local restaurants; ATMs in city center.
Altitude: Symptoms typically peak at 24-48 hours and ease by day three. Ascend slowly if coming from sea level.
Safety: La Paz is safe in tourist areas during the day. Use radio taxis at night; avoid unlit streets.
Best season: May-October (dry season). April and October offer shoulder-season prices with generally clear skies. Carnival (February) is extraordinary if you can handle the cold rain.

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5 Days in La Paz: The Complete Itinerary