Pachamama Ritual in La Paz: Witches' Market & Andean Ceremony

Build a mesa and watch it burn for Pachamama in the flames

An ancestral Pachamama offering ritual in La Paz where you shop the Witches' Market for ritual ingredients, dine on a traditional Apthapi feast at your guide's home, and perform the ceremony in the Los Rosales neighborhood. You prepare the mesa yourself, place it on the fire, and close with incense smudging as the guide shares how his mother and grandmother passed the ritual knowledge down to him.

Step-by-step itinerary

Andean ancestral ritual experience

• Visit Witches' Market
• Purchase ritual ingredients
• Dine traditional Apthapi feast
• Perform Pachamama offering ceremony
• Receive incense smudging

The experience

The ritual starts at the Witches' Market, where your guide walks you through the stalls and introduces you to a chiflera: an Andean healer and wise woman who prepares the offerings for Pachamama. Together you'll select the ingredients for your mesa: sacred leaves, sugar, cinnamon, and alcohol. The guide explains the tradition behind each choice and what Andean families have purchased here for generations. You can browse handicrafts if you want, but the focus is on understanding what you're choosing and why.

Afterward, a shuttle takes you to the guide's home in the southern part of the city, where you sit down to an Apthapi: a traditional Andean feast of charque (dried beef), multiple potato varieties, cheese, corn, and llajua (hot sauce). The guide serves Té con Té, a hot drink mixing Singani (a Bolivian distilled liquor) with something sweet, and talks through the meal's role in the ritual and its place in Andean life. This is not a restaurant meal. It's dinner in someone's home, and the guide uses it to prepare you for what comes next.

In the patio of the house, you'll prepare the mesa yourself under the guide's direction. He shows you how to layer the sacred leaves, place the sugar and cinnamon, pour the alcohol. Each step has meaning. Once it's ready, you light the fire together and place the mesa on the flames. As it burns, the guide tells stories of how his mother and grandmother taught him this ritual and why each new generation keeping it alive matters. When the fire has consumed the offering, he smudges you with incense to close the ceremony. The whole ritual takes about four hours and includes the market, the meal, and the fire ceremony.

What’s included

• Dinner (Apthapi feast with charque, potatoes, cheese, and llajua).
• Té con Té (hot drink with Singani).
• all supplies needed for the Andean ritual.
• public transportation to the guide's home and the ceremony site.
• live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday to SundayDeparts at 17:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 80 years) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Carmen Valdivia Escobar

Is this one for you?Four hours is enough for the market, the meal, and the full ceremony, but leaves the rest of your day free for other La Paz sites. Children from age 14 can participate. The ritual is not recommended for pregnant travelers.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years). Children under 14 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is a mesa in the Pachamama ritual?

A mesa is a sweet offering made from sacred leaves, sugar, cinnamon, and alcohol, layered and prepared by hand. You build it yourself during the ceremony, then place it on the fire as an offering to Pachamama while praying for health and fortune.

Who are the chifleras at the Witches' Market?

Chifleras are Andean healers and wise women who have deep knowledge of ritual traditions and the ingredients used in offerings. Your guide introduces you to a renowned chiflera who helps you select the right items for your mesa.

What is an Apthapi feast?

An Apthapi is a traditional Andean banquet made with charque (dried beef), different potato varieties, cheese, corn, and llajua (hot sauce). It's served at the guide's home as part of the ritual preparation, along with Té con Té, a warm drink made with Singani liquor.

Do I need any experience with rituals to participate?

No experience is necessary. The guide walks you through every step of the ceremony, from selecting ingredients at the market to preparing and lighting the mesa. Children from age 14 are welcome, and the ritual is suitable for all fitness levels.

What happens at the end of the ceremony?

Once the fire has consumed the mesa, the guide performs a smudging with incense to close the ritual. This final step completes the offering to Pachamama and marks the end of the ceremony.