Bolivia La Paz and the altiplano

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At a dizzying 3,632m above sea level, La Paz is easily the highest capital city in the world. Overlooked by the icy Mount Illimani, the city bustles with quirky street markets.

Overview

Driving along the flat, windswept plains of the high-altitude altiplano, you are taken by surprise when you find yourself on the lip of a broad canyon brimming with the colourful, closely-packed buildings of Bolivia’s capital.

At a dizzying 3,632m and overlooked by the ice-jacketed Mount Illimani, La Paz is a busy place with a compact historic centre from which endless quirky street markets fan out. There are also modern boulevards with cool bars and ice cream parlours, where Aymara Indian ladies shuffle by in their traditional ponchos and bowler hats.

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Holidays La Paz and the altiplano

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Atacama Desert Death Valley, Chile

Group - Classic

Peru / Lake Titicaca / Bolivia / Chile

Andean Flamingo: Andes laid bare

17 days from £5,636pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Sun over Machu Picchu in Peru

Group - Discovery

Peru / Lake Titicaca / Bolivia

Condor: Peru in depth

20 days from £3,851pp

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Car on the Uyuni Salt Flats

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Discover Bolivia and northwest Argentina

15 days from £4,650pp

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Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

Accommodation

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Where to go when - our guide to La Paz and the altiplano

La Paz

The weather in La Paz and the altiplano is wide and varied

At a dizzying 3,632m above sea level, La Paz is easily the highest capital city in the world. Thanks to the high altitude, temperatures in the capital and the surrounding windswept plains feel chilly year round. The summer months (November - March) are rainy and humid with dull skies, while the winter (Apr - Oct) sees colder temperatures but brilliant blue skies and radiant sunshine. The Fiesta del Gran Poder (held annually in May or June) ignites the city with colourful street parades and costumed dancers.

View our La Paz and the altiplano weather guide

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Real Latin american experts

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

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    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

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    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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