Bolivia La Paz and the altiplano

  • Indigenous ladies sitting on a pavement in La Paz
  • View of La Paz with mountains in the background
  • Lake in grassland in Sajama National Park
  • Yellow pods of the Cable Car in La Paz
0 1 2 3

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.

THE UK’S NO. 1 SPECIALIST IN TRAVEL TO LATIN AMERICA

What our clients say Contact Us

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

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Car on the Uyuni Salt Flats

Private Journeys

Argentina / Bolivia

Discover Bolivia and northwest Argentina

14 days from £4,800pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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

Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation. Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.

Hotel Rosario
La Casona
Ritz Apart Hotel

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

View of La Paz with mountains in the background

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

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    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.

  • 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.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

0 1 2 3 4 5