Meeting point and finish at 8:00 in downtown La Paz. No prior acclimatization, at a gentle pace.
La Paz by cable car is a city tour of about 4 hr, entirely on foot and by cabin, between 3,600 and 4,100 m. It covers the historic center, rides the Orange and Red lines up to El Alto, comes down through the markets of Avenida Buenos Aires and Avenida Tumusla and ends at the Mercado de las Brujas. It includes cable car tickets, a Spanish-speaking guide (English on request) and water, and does not require prior acclimatization.
Highlights
- Two lines. Orange and Red, with a transfer, up to the edge of El Alto.
- The whole basin. La Paz seen from a cabin, with Illimani closing it off in the background.
- Colonial center. Plaza Murillo, the Teatro Municipal and Calle Jaén, one hundred cobbled meters and five museums.
- No vehicle. The whole route is on foot and by cable car, with no motorized transport.
What does the itinerary look like?
- Historic center on footYou start at Plaza Mayor de San Francisco, with its dark stone church, and climb unhurried to Plaza Murillo, where the cathedral and the presidential palace stand.
See the details
You continue past the Teatro Municipal Alberto Saavedra Pérez and Calle Jaén, a colonial street with whitewashed walls and wooden balconies. Pedro Domingo Murillo, who led the La Paz revolution of July 16, 1809, lived in one of those buildings.
You walk slowly: at 3,600 m nobody goes fast on the first day, and here there is no need to.
- Orange Line to Estación CentralThis is the first time you see the city from above.
See the details
Mi Teleférico is not an attraction: it is urban transport, and people use it every day to get to work, school or the market. You ride in the same cabin as they do, with the same ticket.
- Red Line to El AltoFrom Estación Central, the Red Line climbs about five hundred meters in a few minutes, the difference between the bottom of the basin and the rim above.
See the details
Below you pass corrugated metal roofs, courtyards, courts and streets that cross at impossible angles. Behind you lies the whole La Paz basin, with Illimani closing it off.
When you get off in El Alto you are about five hundred meters above where the morning began, and your legs have done nothing. El Alto is the second most populous city in Bolivia, mostly Aymara, built up in a few decades by migration from the provinces and by mining relocation. The cabin does not drop you in front of El Alto, it drops you inside it. From the rim you understand La Paz at once: it is not a flat city with hills around it, it is a hole, and you are at the edge looking in. The El Alto market, at about 4,100 m, is part of the stop.
- Return by cabin and Estación CentralThe return is first by cable car, with a visit to the old Estación Central railway station, from 1930.
- Walk down through the markets and the Mercado de las BrujasThen you walk down through the popular commerce of Avenida Buenos Aires and Avenida Tumusla: stalls to the curb, aguayos, vendors calling out offers and cables crossing the sky.
See the details
The route ends at the Mercado de las Brujas, with free time.
Here there is just one rule: explanation first, photo second. What hangs from those stalls is not handicraft, and the guide tells you what it is before you take out your phone.
What is included in this tour?
Included
- Cable car tickets (Orange and Red lines, with transfer)
- Walking guide in Spanish; English on request
- Water
- No motorized transport: 100% on foot and by cable car
What do you need to know before booking?
Altitude and pace
The route moves between 3,600 and 4,100 m, with the climbs typical of the historic center. It does not require prior acclimatization, but the pace is gentle on purpose: at that altitude nobody goes fast. You can do it on the same day you arrive in La Paz.
- Footwear. Comfortable shoes are a good idea.
- Water. Bring water, in addition to what the tour includes.
Markets and valuables
Part of the route passes through popular markets with a lot of people.
- Just the essentials. Carry only what you need and keep your phone and wallet in closed pockets.
- Photos. At the Mercado de las Brujas, ask before photographing and let the guide explain first.
Altitude and health
This tour reaches 4,100 m. It is not recommended in case of pregnancy, heart or respiratory disease, uncontrolled hypertension or significant vertigo. Minimum age: 7 years. Prior acclimatization: No prior acclimatization, at a gentle pace. We advise you to stay well hydrated, avoid alcohol on the first day and check with your doctor before booking. If symptoms of altitude sickness appear, the guide may decide to descend, for your safety.
Before you book: payment, cancellation and the unexpected
Payment and booking
When you book, you pay 30% of the total: 15% as a booking payment (arras, non-refundable) and 15% as a deposit. Then a second deposit of 20% 30 days before departure and the remaining 50% 7 days before departure. If you book 15 days or less before departure, you pay 100% of the total when you book and it is non-refundable. If a payment does not arrive by its due date, the booking is cancelled automatically. You can pay in foreign currency with Libélula, RedEnlace and Revolut, or by bank card, QR code or bank transfer; the payment provider may charge transaction fees.
Cancellation and date changes
More than 45 days before departure: 100% of the deposit (15%) is refunded, less bank fees for the money transfer; the booking payment (arras) is not refunded. From 45 to 31 days: 50% of the deposit is retained, which corresponds to the pre-payment of lodging, transfers or others. From 30 to 8 days: 100% of what you paid is retained. From 7 days to 24 hours: everything you paid is retained. Less than 24 hours, and in case of a no-show: the full price is due. Date change: possible depending on the availability of the company and of our providers, with a new quote; sums already paid to providers are not refundable and must be paid again. If Terra Alta cancels or postpones the trip, you choose a new date at no extra cost or a refund of what you paid, except costs already paid to providers that cannot be recovered.
Prices
Prices are in US dollars per person, based on a group of 6 people, in a shared departure.
Blockades, closed roads and weather
A flooded salt flat (roughly December to April) is not a reason to cancel: the tour goes ahead with an itinerary adapted by the guide, with the mirror effect, and Incahuasi island may not be reachable; no refund is due for the visits that change. If a dangerous external event (a storm, heavy snowfall or another natural event) or social unrest or a blockade requires it, Terra Alta may modify, postpone or cancel the trip to protect travellers; what applies is what is provided for a cancellation by Terra Alta.
Tips and expenses
Tips are not included and are voluntary. Entrance fees listed in bolivianos are approximate and may change; they are paid on site, in cash.
Insurance
Terra Alta does not include travel insurance. If you wish, we recommend taking out a policy with medical assistance and repatriation from high altitude.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to acclimatize before this tour?
No prior acclimatization is required and the pace is gentle; you can do it on the day you arrive. Even so, you reach about 4,100 m in El Alto, so go slowly and drink water.
How long does it take and how is it done?
About 4 hr, on foot and by cable car, between 3,600 and 4,100 m. There is no motorized transport.
What is included?
Cable car tickets for the Orange and Red lines with transfer, a Spanish-speaking walking guide (English on request) and water.
What should I bring?
Comfortable shoes and water. Keep your phone and wallet in closed pockets when passing through the markets.
What if the cable car is not running or there are blockades?
Terms for changes, cancellation and refunds are in the “Before you book” block.
Guides to prepare your trip: what to see in La Paz and around · La Paz: history, altitude and two capitals · altitude sickness: symptoms and prevention
From USD 28 / person
If you want to add the valleys and the south of the city, La Paz in a day covers them in a single day. La Paz in a Day
