La Paz & Yungas Valley

​Mirador Killi Killi, La Paz
​Many clients ask us to plan a visit for them to Machu Picchu, that impossibly beautiful Inca citadel perched serenely on a remote mountain ridge at the end of the Sacred Valley in Peru.   So, most are surprised when we suggest they should NOT go via Lima, the more obvious air portal into Peru, but via ​La Paz!
Often, the airfares to La Paz are cheaper than flights to Lima - where travellers must STILL purchase onward flights to Cusco, start point of most tours to Machu Picchu!  Entry via La Paz can be cheaper, AND ​by routing through ​La Paz, a whole NEW WORLD of experiences is opened up en route! ​
Witches' Market, La Paz

We recommend that clients spend at least TWO DAYS in ​La Paz, both to acclimatize to the altitude (3,200m to 4,100m ​above mean sea level (AMSL)), and to enjoy what this unusual city can offer. This includes truly unique and amazing sights in the city centre, such as the “Witches' Market”, where locals go to consult with the yatiri ​(witch doctors) when ill, or to buy a llama foetus to bury beneath the cornerstone as a cha’lla (good luck offering) to Pachamama, when building a new house.
Armadillo "rattle" 
Alternatively, visit one of the many, unusual museums around Calle Jaen​, such as the provocative and educational Coca Museum, where one can explore the sacred leaf’s role in traditional societies, or visit the Museo Costumbrista or enchanting Museo de Instrumentos Musicales where colourful and “hands-on” experiences of traditional Bolivian cultures will entertain and instruct. There are many other interesting buildings, museums and palaces to visit in La Paz, even an amazing cemetery and possibly one of the world’s worst prisons, BUT even more surprises can be found just outside. 
Around La Paz
In geological terms, anyone fascinated by nature’s whims must visit the Valle de la Luna (as named by US astronaut Neil Armstrong) or the Muela del Diabolo (Devil's Molar).  These natural rock formations, reminiscent of a lunar landscape, are especially striking in the clear mountain air and sharp sunlight of early morning or just before sunset.  If you are a golfer, you should also visit the nearby La Paz Golf Course (world’s highest course at 3,292m AMSL),  where your ball will go higher and further than ever before - as long as you avoid the bottomless gorges!  And everyone delights in the colour and style of the traditional Pacena "Cholita", with their rakish bowler hats and flared skirts, now enjoying a surging return in modern Bolivia.   
"Road of Death", Yungas
​Before heading west to beautiful Lake Titicaca and Peru, we strongly urge the more adventurous to take a ride down the world’s legendary “Road of Death” along the Yungas Valley! This AMAZING road plummets from a snow-decked summit of 4,650m AMSL to the humid and lush vegetation of the pre-Amazon jungle at 1,200m AMSL in just 64 kms!  On an unpaved track painfully cut out of the plunging mountain ridges by Paraguayan prisoners during the Chaco War in the 1930s, the route passes striking scenes where waterfalls cascade and crosses show where some unfortunate soul tumbled to their end on the valley floor some thousands of feet below. The secret to seeing this safely is on a bike, SLOWLY, or in a good 4x4 with an experienced driver! 
Leaving the joys and thrills of the Yungas and La Paz behind, we next guide you westwards to Lake Titicaca. 
​(Click HERE to jump direct to Titicaca).
Accommodation in La Paz

​La Paz offers a full range of accommodation from 5* luxury to backpacking hostals.  We recommend hotels around Plaza Isabel la Catolica, which is 10 minutes from Plaza Murillo/San Francisco, surrounded with restaurants, etc.  Here, a typical 5* Suite with kitchen and lounge starts from US$ 155/ night/room*; a 3* Suite with similar facilities starts from US$85/night/room*.
​(* based on 2 persons sharing, with breakfast)