When to go to La Paz and the Yungas Road?
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Best time: May to October (dry season)
At a glance
Why go to La Paz and the Yungas Road?
Perched between 3,200 and 4,000 metres, La Paz is the highest major city in the world. The seat of the Bolivian government without being its official capital (that title belongs to Sucre), it clings to the walls of a huge canyon, its ochre bricks spilling from the ridges down to the bottom of the bowl. In the background, Illimani and its 6,438 metres of snow watch over the city, vast and unchanging. Most people arrive short of breath: the altitude makes itself felt from the very first steps.
La Paz is read vertically first. The wealthy districts sit at the bottom, where there is more oxygen, while working-class suburbs climb towards El Alto on the Altiplano. Between the two, a network of cable cars has replaced traffic jams with a ballet of colourful cabins, offering along the way one of the finest urban viewpoints in South America. It is a city that mixes modernity and Aymara traditions without a second thought: ties and bowler hats, skyscrapers and rituals for the Pachamama.
People also come to La Paz for what surrounds it. A handful of kilometres away, the Valley of the Moon bristles with eroded spires and, above all, the Yungas road plunges in a few hours from icy peaks to the steamy jungle of Coroico. This former Death Road, long reputed to be the most dangerous in the world, has become a playground for mountain bikers. La Paz is as much a base camp as a destination.
Map of La Paz and the Yungas Road: what is where?
The map shows the 5 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- La Paz
- El Alto
- Valley of the Moon
- Coroico
- Illimani
How much does a trip to La Paz and the Yungas Road cost?
La Paz remains one of the cheapest major cities in South America. The prices below are per person per day, excluding long-distance transport and the mountain bike excursion, in bolivianos (BOB) with the approximate equivalent in euros.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | BOB 150 (around €19) | A night in a hostel dorm, meals in markets and popular canteens, getting around by cable car and minibus, entry to the cheapest sights. |
| Comfort | BOB 400 (around €50) | Double room in a mid-range hotel, a mix of restaurants and canteens, a few guided excursions and taxis to get around effortlessly. |
| Treat | BOB 900 (around €115) | Comfortable hotel in the Zona Sur or Sopocachi, renowned restaurants, private excursions and the mountain bike descent of the Yungas road with a good operator. |
Almost everything in La Paz is paid in cash, and the boliviano reigns as soon as you leave the big hotels. ATMs are available in the centre and the Zona Sur, but it is wise to keep change for the markets, minibuses and cable car. Always carry some small notes, as getting change for a large note is often a problem.
Is La Paz and the Yungas Road safe?
Above all, La Paz means coping with the altitude. Soroche, or altitude sickness, affects most visitors to varying degrees: headaches, breathlessness, nausea, disturbed sleep. You tame it by acclimatising gradually, avoiding alcohol and strenuous effort for the first few days, drinking plenty of water and relying on coca tea. A previous stay at altitude, in Cusco or near Lake Titicaca, makes adapting much easier. Otherwise, La Paz can be explored without any particular fear as long as you stay alert as in any big city: watch your belongings in markets and crowded buses, avoid showing off valuables and use recommended taxis in the evening. The mountain bike descent of the Yungas road should only be done with a reputable operator and good equipment.
What to see and do in La Paz and the Yungas Road
- the Mi Teleférico cable car
- the Witches' Market
- the Valley of the Moon
- Death Road by mountain bike
- El Alto and its views
The Mi Teleférico cable car
Opened in 2014, Mi Teleférico is the largest urban cable car network in the world, with around ten colour-coded lines. Designed as genuine public transport, it links the bottom of the bowl to the heights of El Alto in a few minutes, where a car sometimes takes an hour. For travellers, it is also the best way to understand the city's crazy geography. You glide silently over tin roofs, markets and steep lanes. The red and yellow lines offer the most spectacular views of Illimani. A ticket costs just a few bolivianos, making it one of the best-value attractions on the continent.
The Witches' Market
In the steep lanes of the historic centre, the Mercado de las Brujas lays out stalls laden with dried herbs, potions and amulets. You will find traditional remedies, lucky figurines and offerings for the Pachamama, the Mother Earth of the Andean pantheon. Visitors quickly notice the dried llama foetuses, traditionally buried under the foundations of a new house to win the protection of the spirits. The yatiris, Aymara healers and seers, keep shop here and sometimes read the future in coca leaves. Far from tourist folklore, these practices remain very much alive in Andean Bolivia. Wander with curiosity and respect, and keep your camera discreet.
The Valley of the Moon 3 175 m
About ten kilometres south of the centre, the Valle de la Luna surprises with its lunar relief. Erosion has carved a labyrinth of spires and pinnacles in ochre and beige tones out of the clay and sandstone. Marked paths wind between the formations, with viewpoints set up to take in the scale of the landscape. The walk takes about an hour, with no major difficulty, even if the altitude always leaves you a little breathless. Legend has it that Neil Armstrong, passing through, thought the place looked like the Moon. It is easy to reach by cable car and then on foot, or as part of a half-day excursion.
Death Road by mountain bike
The Yungas road, grimly nicknamed Death Road, once linked La Paz to the Coroico area via a narrow track cut into the cliff face. Long considered the most dangerous road in the world, it has been bypassed by a modern route, and the old track has become legendary among mountain bikers. The descent covers about 3,500 metres of vertical drop, from the icy passes of the Altiplano to the hot, humid jungle of the Yungas. In a few hours you pass through several vegetation zones, with snow giving way to waterfalls and banana trees. The experience should always be done with a reputable operator, equipment and guide included. The drops are real, and caution is essential.
El Alto and its views 3 767 m
Perched at more than 4,000 metres on the Altiplano, El Alto overlooks La Paz and long served as its suburb before becoming a city in its own right, one of the most populous in the country. From its rim, the view down into the La Paz bowl and across to Illimani is breathtaking, especially at sunset. On Sundays, the vast Feria 16 de Julio market overflows with everything: clothes, spare parts, household appliances, crafts. It is also the stronghold of the cholitas, Aymara women in full skirts and bowler hats, some of whom step into the ring as luchadoras for colourful wrestling bouts. El Alto reveals a working-class Bolivia, enterprising and proud of its roots. It is reached in a few minutes by cable car.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Allow two to three days to get to grips with La Paz without pushing yourself. A first day is often spent acclimatising to the altitude, between the historic centre, the Witches' Market and a few cable car lines. The second allows for the Valley of the Moon and a trip up to El Alto, ideally on a Sunday for the big market. Anyone wanting to tackle the mountain bike descent of the Yungas road should add a full day, plus a night to recover. Travellers in a hurry should plan at least two nights on site.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable La Paz and the Yungas Road guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Bolivia
2 days
Day 1, take time to acclimatise: stroll around the historic centre, Plaza Murillo, the Witches' Market and Calle Jaén, then ride the cable car up to El Alto for sunset over the city. Day 2, head south to the Valley of the Moon in the morning, come back for lunch in the Sopocachi district, and spend the late afternoon on the markets and a few museums. This format suits those discovering the city in transit to the Salar de Uyuni or Lake Titicaca.
4 days
Keep the first two days for exploring the city and the Valley of the Moon, then devote day 3 to the mountain bike descent of the Yungas road, leaving early in the morning from the heights and arriving in Coroico at the end of the day. Day 4 is spent at a slow pace in the subtropical mildness of Coroico before returning to La Paz, or extended with a Sunday in El Alto for the giant market and cholita wrestling. This pace lets your body adapt to the altitude and avoids cramming everything in.
Getting there and getting around
La Paz is reached by air via El Alto International Airport, one of the highest in the world at more than 4,000 metres, where many travellers feel the effects of altitude straight away. Long-distance buses also link the city to Copacabana and Lake Titicaca, Uyuni, Cochabamba and Sucre, with frequent overnight services. From the airport, an official taxi or a cable car line takes you down to the centre in around twenty minutes.
Once there, Mi Teleférico is the most practical and scenic way to move between the city's levels. Minibuses and micros criss-cross the streets cheaply, but are hard for a short-stay visitor to figure out. Taxis are affordable: opt for radio taxis that are ordered or recommended by your accommodation rather than hailed in the street. For the Valley of the Moon, the Yungas road or any excursion, it is best to go through a local agency.
Where to stay in La Paz and the Yungas Road?
The Sopocachi district, halfway up, appeals to travellers for its café atmosphere, its restaurants and an altitude slightly kinder than the top of the city. The historic centre, around Plaza San Francisco and Calle Sagárnaga, is packed with hostels and budget hotels, very handy for doing everything on foot, at the cost of noisier, busier surroundings.
Bigger budgets head for the Zona Sur, further down, which is noticeably lower in altitude and therefore more restful for sleeping and recovering, but far from the sights. Whatever you choose, take the altitude into account: the first nights are often difficult, and a well-heated room is precious, as Andean nights are cold all year round.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in La Paz and the Yungas Road?
Paceño cooking is hearty, designed for altitude and cold. Try the plato paceño, a vegetarian plate of corn, broad beans, potato and fresh cheese, or salteñas, juicy meat pastries eaten mid-morning. Covered markets such as the Mercado Lanza serve generous soups and dishes of the day for a few bolivianos, in a lively, working-class atmosphere.
La Paz's food scene has also come into its own in recent years, driven by chefs reinventing Andean produce: forgotten tubers, quinoa, llama meat. Sopocachi and the Zona Sur have the most creative tables, from bistros to renowned restaurants. For drinks, try api, a hot purple-corn drink, and coca leaf tea, a precious ally against altitude sickness.
Entry requirements
Visa-free for up to 90 days a year for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports, and for EU citizens except Cypriots. US citizens have been exempt since December 2025. Make sure your passport is stamped on arrival: a missing stamp means a fine on the way out.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about La Paz and the Yungas Road
Is La Paz the capital of Bolivia?
La Paz is the seat of government and houses the executive and legislative branches, but the country's constitutional capital is Sucre, home to the Supreme Court. In practice, La Paz acts as the political and economic capital.
How do you deal with altitude sickness in La Paz?
Acclimatise gradually, avoiding alcohol and heavy exertion for the first few days, drinking plenty of water and relying on coca tea. A previous stay at altitude helps enormously. If symptoms are severe and persistent, see a doctor.
Is the mountain bike descent of the Yungas road dangerous?
The track has real drops and calls for caution, but it can be ridden in relative safety with a reputable operator, a good bike, full equipment and a guide. Avoid the cheapest offers, which often cut corners on equipment and supervision.
When is the best time to visit La Paz?
The dry season, from May to October, offers the clearest skies and the best conditions for excursions and the mountain bike descent. Nights stay cold all year because of the altitude, and the rainy season, from December to March, makes some roads difficult.
How many days should you plan in La Paz?
Two to three days are enough for the city, its markets, the cable car and the Valley of the Moon. Add a full day for the mountain bike descent of the Yungas road, plus a night to recover, so about four days for a complete stay.
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