Visiting La Paz, Bolivia: Top Sights on Foot

Set in a steep canyon across the Altiplano, La Paz is a dramatic city shaped by high altitude, striking urban landscapes, and enduring Andean traditions. From its colonial history and revolutionary past to viewpoints overlooking snow-capped peaks, this destination offers a powerful introduction to Bolivia. Whether you are planning a La Paz self-guided walking tour or looking for a free walking tour La Paz experience, Neywo provides a free audio guide for La Paz featuring 32 narrated places.

What to see in La Paz

Basilica of San Francisco and Plaza San Francisco

Dedicated to Francis of Assisi, the Basilica of San Francisco was constructed between 1743 and 1772, with its tower added in the late 19th century. Built in the Mestizo Baroque style, its three-tiered stone facade features intricate carvings, columns, and a Franciscan coat of arms incorporating local plants and animals. Inside, the central nave leads to a gold-leaf decorated main altar and a mid-18th-century dome.

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

Located in Murillo Square, the metropolitan cathedral is a minor basilica built in a neoclassical style with Baroque elements. Construction began on March 24, 1835, following the demolition of the city’s first cathedral, and it was inaugurated in 1925 to mark the centenary of the Republic of Bolivia. Its interior features five naves, side chapels, and a resting place for the remains of Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz.

Murillo Square and Surrounding Museums

Plaza Murillo is the civic heart of the city, flanked by major political landmarks and cultural institutions. Just a few steps away stands the Museo Nacional de Arte, housed in the 1775 Palacio Diez de Medina. This building features a striking pink sandstone and Andino Baroque stone facade on Socabaya Street, and its collection highlights colonial paintings alongside modern statues by Marina Núñez del Prado. Nearby, the Museo de Arte Sacro preserves 17th-century religious artifacts, sacred silver items, and historical documents from the Diocese of La Paz.

Calle Jaén and Historic Museums

Jaén Street is preserved as the finest colonial street in the city, bringing together art, culture, and multiple museums. Among them is the Museo Casa de Murillo, the former residence of independence leader Pedro Domingo Murillo, which displays colonial-era art, textiles, and household objects. The same street hosts the Museo de Instrumentos Musicales de Bolivia, established by musician Ernesto Cavour Aramayo in 1962, featuring over 2,000 native instruments including armadillo-shell guitars and volcanic-rock flutes. Nearby, the Museo Costumbrista de La Paz showcases miniatures, colonial sketches, and dioramas depicting traditional daily life, while Museo Tambo Quirquincho occupies a former dairy farm and indigenous chief’s residence featuring an 18th-century Spanish king’s crown arch.

National Museum of Archaeology and Natural History

The Museo Nacional de Arqueología holds a collection of over 50,000 items from cultures such as Tiwanaku, Chiripa, Mollo, and Inca, displaying carved sculptures, ceramics, and textiles. Meanwhile, the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Bolivia houses 635,000 specimens across its zoology, botany, and paleontology departments.

Mirador Killi Killi

Perched above the historic center, Mirador Killi Killi provides a wide, uninterrupted panorama of the urban landscape climbing the canyon slopes in layers. Named after the local falcon, the viewpoint looks out toward Mount Illimani on clear days and offers a striking view as late-afternoon light shifts across the city.

Coca Museum

Situated in the historic center, this private museum associated with the International Coca Research Institute explores the history, traditional uses, and modern context of the coca plant, complete with an on-site café offering coca-based snacks and drinks.

Things to do in La Paz

Exploring the top things to do in La Paz ranges from visiting specialized cultural exhibits—such as the Museo de Textiles Andinos Bolivianos in Miraflores, which features traditional Andean weaving and garments across eight rooms—to discovering working transport hubs like the Central Train Station.

Explore La Paz with Neywo

Discover the city at your own pace with the Neywo audio guide app. The app features 3 walking tours, 1 bus route, 4.5 km of total routes, and 32 narrated stops. Each story plays automatically as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule, available in 11 languages.

When you continue your journey through the country, you can also use Neywo to explore nearby destinations like Sucre, Cochabamba, Potosi, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and Copacabana.