Region
La Paz and Lake Titicaca
Sleep in La Paz 3 nights after a slow first day; do Tiwanaku or Lake Titicaca as day or overnight trips, and keep a spare day for blockades before an international flight.
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Key facts · Bolivia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Currency
- Boliviano (BOB, Bs)
- Language
- Spanish
- Plugs
- A · C · 230 V
- Time zone
- UTC−4 all year
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
- South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
- South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
- South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
- Bolivia ↗Visa rules depend on your passport (some nationalities need a visa in advance): check with Bolivia's migration authority or a Bolivian consulate.
- Bolivia ↗Most of the tourist route is above 3,500 m: ascend gradually, rest on arrival, and see a doctor before travel if you have heart or lung conditions.
- Bolivia ↗Protests and road blockades (bloqueos) are frequent and can close routes and cities for days; watch local news and keep plans flexible.
La Paz is at about 3,600 m and its airport at about 4,050 m, so the first day is for resting. The city is the base: the cable cars and radio taxis link the slopes, and Lake Titicaca and Tiwanaku are trips out and back. Blockades and strikes can stop buses and the airport road for days, so keep a buffer.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- La PazTrip line
Plaza Murillo, the Witches' Market and El Prado; cable cars for the slopes.
Best Apr–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
One or two nights
- CopacabanaCity guide
Lake Titicaca shore and Isla del Sol boats; about 4 h by bus from La Paz.
Best May–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Day trip
- TiwanakuGuide: planned
Pre-Inca site about 1.5 h from La Paz; tours or a taxi.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 4 nights
- La Paz 3 (slow first day) + Tiwanaku day trip
- 7 nights
- La Paz 3 + Copacabana and Isla del Sol 2 + back to La Paz 2
- Do not do the altitude climb on day 1: La Paz then Titicaca at 3,800 m in two days is a common cause of sickness.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiwanaku | La Paz | 100 min | unknown | Tour buses leave in the morning; return times are not verified. |
| Copacabana | La Paz | 240 min | unknown | Long for a day; better as one night. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the La Paz hotel and take a day pack.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Paz | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
| Copacabana | × | × | × | ok | go | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
| Bolivia (country-wide) | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | go | go | go | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next
Go next
Uyuni and the southwest
planned3–4 nights
Salar de Uyuni and the lagoons, usually a 1–3 day 4x4 tour
Sucre and Potosí
planned3–4 nights
Sucre (constitutional capital, lower at about 2,800 m) and the mining city of Potosí
Lowlands and Amazon
planned3–4 nights
Santa Cruz as the lowland gateway; Rurrenabaque for the Amazon and pampas
La Paz and Lake Titicaca: what we know, and what is coming
2 of 3 places open
On this page
- 3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
- How to split 4 or 7 nights
- 2 day trips with door-to-door time
- Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
- What to do with the big bag between beds
Coming as the guide grows
- Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
- Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
- Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
- Regional food: what, where and when it works
- A page for Tiwanaku — Pre-Inca site about 1.5 h from La Paz; tours or a taxi.
Meanwhile
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 2, 1 h 40 to 4 h
- Nights suggested
- 4–7 nights
Trips that stop here
La Paz and the lake
7 days · 5 nights here
La Paz → Copacabana / Isla del Sol → La Paz
La Paz, Uyuni and Sucre
10 days · 3 nights here
La Paz → Uyuni tour → Sucre → Buffer
Highlands in order
14 days · 3 nights here
Sucre → Potosí → Uyuni tour → La Paz → Copacabana / Isla del Sol → Buffer
Local time
What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.
La Paz
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Checking your clock…America/La Paz
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