La Paz 3 Day Itinerary (No Tourist Traps)
Three days gives you the city core plus a real day trip, as long as day one goes toward acclimatizing rather than sightseeing. La Paz sits at roughly 3,640 meters, and El Alto’s airport, where you land, is higher still, around 4,060 to 4,150 meters.
Day 1: Arrival and Acclimatize
Take a registered radio taxi from the airport, roughly $8-12, never a street hail; the fake-police and express-kidnapping scam targeting tourists here is real, so call ahead or book through an app. Check in, then take it slow: hydrate constantly, skip alcohol, and try coca tea, sold everywhere as the local altitude remedy. A short late-afternoon walk to the Witches’ Market on Calle Linares works if you’re feeling steady; treat it as the living Aymara market it is, and ask before photographing vendors. Tip for the day: resist the urge to pack in sights, tomorrow goes better if today was genuinely restful.
Day 2: Casco Viejo and a Viewpoint
Breakfast on salteñas before 11am, then walk Plaza Murillo, past the Palacio Quemado and the backwards-running clock on the National Congress, to Iglesia de San Francisco and the small colonial museums on Calle Jaen. In the afternoon, ride Mi Teleferico, cash isn’t accepted at the turnstiles so load a card first, and take the Red Line for the dramatic climb toward El Alto, framing Illimani behind the city. Finish at Mirador Killi Killi for a free sunset view over the whole bowl. Dinner: look for pique macho or anticuchos at a casual local spot. Tip for the day: carry small US dollars as backup cash; the boliviano floated in mid-2026 and its rate keeps moving, so check a live converter rather than any number you read in advance.
Day 3: Tiwanaku
Head out early, about two hours west of La Paz, to the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose Gate of the Sun and Kalasasaya Temple are the highlights. Buses run from the terminal near the cemetery district for a few dollars each way; buy the combined site-and-museum ticket at the entrance. Return to La Paz by late afternoon, when the light over the Altiplano, with Illimani catching the sun behind the city, is one of the better views of the trip. For a final dinner, try one of the city’s verified kitchens, Popular Cocina Boliviana near San Francisco is a solid, casual choice. Tip for the day: buses can run behind schedule, so build in buffer before any onward evening plans.
What this trip skips
Death Road and Lake Titicaca both deserve their own day, so they’re left for a longer stay. And Uyuni, roughly 550km away, is a separate multi-day expedition no matter how long you’re in La Paz, not something to fold into this trip.
Read more: the 4-day itinerary adds Death Road if you have an extra day to spend.