La Paz: Private City Tour by Cable Car & Valley of the Moon

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/16

Duration1h–5h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Stories from La Paz’s streets, cable cars and lunar valleys

You’ll step into La Paz’s living streets with a local guide who knows every shortcut and story—cable car rides above rooftops, time among witches’ stalls, snacks shared on rainy plazas, even a walk through Valley of the Moon’s wild shapes. Expect real conversations and unexpected moments—the kind that linger after you leave.

1h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore La Paz city highlights

Visit San Francisco Church
Explore Witches' Market
See Plaza Murillo and political buildings
Observe free for all prison from square
Walk through Valley of the Moon
Ride cable car lines for city views
Stroll Calle Jaen Museums street

The Experience

The first thing that hit me was the cold air — thinner than I expected — as we stepped out near San Francisco Church. Our guide, Carla, waved us over with this easy smile, already pointing out little faces carved into the church’s stone. “You see that one?” she said, and honestly I’d never have noticed it myself. The plaza was busy but not frantic; pigeons everywhere, people selling tiny bags of coca leaves. I tried some (tastes like grass and a bit of bitterness), just to keep up with the altitude. Carla laughed when I made a face.

We drifted through the Witches’ Market next — colors everywhere, dried llama fetuses hanging in doorways (I know, it sounds wild), women in bowler hats chatting in Aymara and Spanish. The smell was a mix of incense and something earthy I still can’t name. It felt like every stall had its own story, and Carla didn’t rush us at all. She translated when I tried to ask about a tiny amulet for luck — my Spanish is bad but people were patient. Then we hopped into the cable car system for what she called “the best views in South America.” She wasn’t wrong. The city just sprawls out below you, patchwork rooftops and distant snow peaks. We rode the red line up toward El Alto; my ears popped a bit from the climb.

Somewhere between Plaza Murillo (all those government buildings feel heavy with history) and Calle Jaen’s cobblestones — where street dogs sleep right in your path — it started to drizzle. Not enough to matter, just enough to make everything smell sharper: wet stone, fried empanadas from a street cart nearby. We ended up wandering through Valley of the Moon later on; strange rock formations everywhere, almost quiet except for someone’s radio echoing across the gullies. There was this moment where a viscacha darted past us — Carla grinned like she’d won a bet.

I didn’t expect to feel so much just from a day trip in La Paz — or to laugh so much trying to pronounce “ch’alla” properly (I’m still not sure I got it). The city is messy and layered and kind of wonderful in ways you only notice when someone local points them out. Sometimes I catch myself remembering that view from the cable car at sunset; it sticks with you.

What’s included

Your experience includes all public transportation fares—including multiple scenic cable car lines across La Paz—snacks along the way to keep you going between stops like Plaza Murillo and Valley of the Moon, plus guidance from someone who really knows these streets inside out.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessible

Operated by Sami Tours