Things to do in Altiplano
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La Paz: Death Road Bike Tour & Coroico DescentYou ride a mountain bike from the high altiplano down through Bolivian jungle on the Death Road, dropping 2,400 meters in a single day with a professional guide, all safety gear, three snacks and a hot lunch at a hotel pool before the return drive to La Paz. The fixed schedule and included transport mean you don't arrange logistics yourself—you just show up at your hotel at 7am.Is it for me?Book this if you want a full-day adrenaline experience without arranging your own transport, bike rental, safety gear or meals—the fixed schedule and included lunch at the hotel pool mean you're moving as a group from start to finish, which is what makes a 2,400-meter descent in one day feel manageable.
Bolivia Death Road: Mountain Bike Tour & Wildlife LunchYou’ll start high above La Paz with a safety briefing before riding your mountain bike down Bolivia’s Death Road—a wild 40-mile descent through changing landscapes and even waterfalls. Afterward, lunch at an animal sanctuary lets you catch your breath alongside monkeys and parrots before heading back to the city.
Death Road bike tour from La Paz: 64km descent with guidesRide the Death Road, a 64km descent from La Paz dropping over 3500m through the Andes, with a guide, all equipment, lunch and transport included. Groups stay under 14 riders; guides average 10 years on this road and brief you on each section before you ride it. Minimum age is 18 and moderate fitness is required.Is it for me?You ride the whole way yourself with a guide managing the group and briefing you on each section—it's not a shuttle tour or a guided ride where someone else is leading the pace. Book this if you want to ride the road under your own control with someone watching the group and the road conditions, not if you're looking for a leisurely guided experience or a tour where the guide sets the speed.
Uyuni Salt Flat 3-Day Tour: Colored Lagoons & SunsetYou spend three days crossing the Uyuni salt flat and the colored lagoons of the southwest altiplano, staying in salt and stone hostels, soaking in hot springs at 4,410 meters, and watching three species of flamingos move across remote lagoons. The tour includes all transport in a 4×4, six meals (three lunches, two dinners, two breakfasts), accommodation with private bathroom on night one, and a bilingual driver guide. You choose on day three whether to exit into Chile or return to Uyuni.Is it for me?This tour suits travelers who want to see the Uyuni salt flat, the colored lagoons, and the geysers in one continuous journey without arranging transport, accommodation, or meals separately—the fixed itinerary and included guide handle all logistics so you only have to show up and acclimatize.
Copacabana & Isla del Sol day trip: boat to Sun TempleThis full-day guided tour departs La Paz at 7:00 am and reaches Copacabana by mid-morning, then continues by boat to Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca. You walk the Pilkokaina sun temple and the Yumani coast, return to Copacabana for a free hour, and arrive back in La Paz around 10:30 pm. A bilingual guide travels with the group; hotel pickup and drop-off, the boat ride to the island, and a stop at the Tiquina Mirador viewpoint are included. Entry to Isla del Sol costs 20 Bolivianos, paid on arrival.Is it for me?The guide speaks English and Spanish, so you can follow the commentary in whichever language is comfortable — the group stays small enough that questions are easy to ask. The 16-hour day means an early start and a late return, which is what fits all three main stops (the viewpoint, Copacabana town, and the island ruins) into a single departure from La Paz.
La Paz Death Road Bike Tour: Downhill Adventure & Local GuideYou’ll ride Bolivia’s legendary Death Road by bike with a local guide from La Paz—starting in chilly mountain fog and ending in lush jungle air. Expect wild scenery shifts, a few laughs with your group (and maybe some llamas), plus lunch and snacks along the way. It’s not just adrenaline; it’s a story you’ll keep telling.
La Paz: Walking Tour, Cable Car & Witches MarketYou walk through La Paz's colonial center and markets with a local guide, ride multiple cable car lines for views across the city, and learn the history behind the Cathedral, San Pedro Prison, and the Witches Markets in both La Paz and El Alto. The tour takes 3 hours, keeps groups under 15, and includes all activities and transportation — you just show up at San Francisco Church.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand La Paz's layout, history, and street-level culture in one morning without arranging your own transport or guide — the fixed 3-hour structure and cable car routes are what fit the whole city into a single tour.
La Paz: Walking Tour Historic Streets & Witches' MarketYou’ll walk La Paz’s steep streets with a local guide who brings history to life—from Plaza Murillo’s political tales to San Francisco Church’s carved secrets and the surreal magic of the Witches’ Market. Taste street food if you want (I did), listen to stories you won’t find in any book, and leave feeling like you’ve seen more than just landmarks.
Uyuni Salt Flats: 1-Day 4x4 Tour & Sunset Mirror EffectYou’ll ride across Uyuni’s vast salt flats by 4x4, explore rusted trains at sunrise, taste local salt at Colchani, eat lunch on endless white hexagons, then slip on boots for sunset’s famous mirror effect—with wine and snacks as sky and earth blur together.
La Paz: Cable Car, Moon Valley & Witches Market TourYou ride five cable car lines across La Paz's canyon, walk through the otherworldly Valley of the Moon, then descend through colonial Jaen Street, Plaza Murillo, and the Witches Market. Transport, cable car entry, and a guide who knows what things mean are included. The tour is built for the first day, when altitude is still a factor and you want the main sights without arranging them yourself.Is it for me?Book this if you've just arrived in La Paz and want the main sights in one afternoon without arranging transport, cable car tickets, and timing yourself—the fixed route and included entry are what make it possible to see the city from above, below, and at street level before your first evening.
La Paz Walking Tour: Local Routes & Witches' MarketBe a Local is a walking tour of La Paz led by an English-speaking guide who takes you through the old town's hidden routes and alleyways, stopping at Plaza Murillo, San Francisco Church, the Witches' Market, and the food market at the city center. The tour runs two to three hours and operates on select days, with an extended version on Thursdays and Sundays that adds the Teleférico cable car, the flea market, and a Cholitas Wrestling show. Children from age five are welcome.Is it for me?Move through La Paz's unseen routes and alleyways the way locals do, discovering what actually matters to the city beyond the standard tourist stops.
Uyuni Salt Flats: 3-Day Tour, Sunset & Hot Springs SoakYou’ll crunch across Uyuni’s endless white flats, climb rusted trains and cacti-covered islands, snap those classic funny photos with help from your local guide, and warm up in hot springs beneath a sky full of stars. Expect moments that stick with you long after—like flamingos wading through red lagoons or sunrise over bubbling geysers.
La Paz: Walking City Tour & Cable Cars with Witches MarketYou’ll start at San Francisco Church in La Paz before wandering through two wildly different witches markets with your local guide. Ride cable cars over rooftops for unreal city views, hear strange tales about San Pedro Prison, then end on colorful Jaen street after weaving through open-air markets. Expect surprises — both weird and wonderful.
La Paz: Highest Via Ferrata America & Rappel CircuitYou clip into a harness and move through six linked activities — rappels, a zip line, a hanging bridge, a rope swing, and technical steps — on the world's second-highest via ferrata circuit near La Paz. Private transport, full safety gear, and two local guides manage the day. Groups of four or more; the whole experience takes several hours and sits at extreme altitude on the Bolivian Altiplano.Is it for me?Book this if you want to move through a world-class via ferrata without arranging your own transport, safety gear, or local knowledge — the private pickup and certified guides handle all three, which is what makes a day at extreme altitude feel manageable instead of chaotic.
La Paz Death Road Bike Tour: Full Suspension & Pool LunchYou’ll feel your heart race as you bike Bolivia’s famous Death Road from high Andes to lush Amazon edge with expert guides. Expect mountain chills, local banter, snacks along wild cliffs, plus hotel pickup and a swim before a buffet lunch at journey’s end. That last view will stick with you long after.
Huayna Potosí 3-Day Climb: La Paz to 6,088m SummitYou leave La Paz at 9 a.m., drive three hours to base camp at 4,700 meters, and practice on the glacier that afternoon. Day two is a four-hour walk to high camp at 5,200 meters. Day three starts at 1 a.m., summits at 6,088 meters around sunrise, and returns you to the city by early afternoon. Your guide, all climbing gear, two nights in shelter, and meals are included; acclimatization and rope work are taught on the mountain itself.Is it for me?Right for climbers who want to reach 6,000+ meters without technical expertise and don't want to arrange transport, gear, or acclimatization logistics themselves — the three-day structure and pre-established camps handle the planning, leaving you to focus on the climb.
Huayna Potosi: 3-Day Climb with Glacier Training & SummitYou’ll learn basic mountaineering skills on Huayna Potosi’s glacier before spending two nights acclimatizing at base and high camps with local guides supporting you every step. Expect cold winds, real camaraderie over hot meals, and a sunrise summit push that leaves you changed—even if you’re not sure how until later.
La Paz: Cable Car, Cemetery & El Alto Shaman TourYou ride La Paz's cable cars above the city, walk through the painted cemetery district learning local traditions, visit a shaman in El Alto for a fortune reading if time allows, and explore the high-altitude market city on foot before returning by teleferico. Cable car tickets, cemetery entry, and your bilingual guide are included; the 2pm start means you're moving through the city during afternoon light.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see La Paz the way residents do — on cable cars and through neighborhoods most tours skip — without arranging transport or figuring out which stops matter. The 2pm start and small-group format mean you're moving at a pace that lets details land, not rushing through a checklist.
Salar de Uyuni 3-Day Tour: Salt Flats & Lagoons with Spanish GuideYou drive across the world's largest salt flat, climb an island covered in cacti, sleep in a salt hotel, and spend a second night in the high desert watching flamingos at a red lagoon. The tour includes transport from Uyuni, two nights' lodging, meals, and a Spanish-speaking guide—which means you don't arrange the jeep, the hotels, or the timing yourself. The three days move fast, so pack layers and bring sunscreen.Is it for me?This tour works if you want to see the Salar de Uyuni, the Train Cemetery, and the high-altitude lagoons in three days without arranging transport, lodging, or a guide yourself—the fixed itinerary and included jeep are what make a remote, high-altitude trip logistically possible. Altitude is the main constraint; arrive early to acclimatize, and avoid this tour if you have serious heart or lung concerns.
Copacabana & Isla del Sol: 2-Day Lake Titicaca from La PazYou're picked up from your La Paz hotel at 7 am, driven to Copacabana, and ferried out to Isla del Sol for an overnight stay near Inca temples. The next morning you have free time to explore the island—hiking, visiting museums, or just walking around—before returning by boat and bus to La Paz by late evening. The island entry fee and meals are separate, but transport, guide, and accommodation are included.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Lake Titicaca and Inca sites without arranging your own transport and accommodation—the fixed schedule and included overnight stay mean you're not rushing back the same day, which is what makes exploring the island actually possible.
