La Paz, Zongo Valley, Valle de la Luna and the Cordillera Real are being brought together under a new tourism approach designed to encourage visitors to spend more time in the Bolivian city and surrounding municipality. The programme links urban attractions with high-altitude landscapes, mountain adventures, tropical valleys and community experiences, creating wider routes for travellers arriving in La Paz.
The city’s tourism strategy is being developed alongside Bolivia’s national Plan Maestro de Turismo 2026–2035, while the municipality is promoting La Paz as a base from which visitors can explore attractions inside the city and travel onwards to destinations across the department and country.
La Paz builds a longer tourism itinerary
La Paz sits at more than 3,600 metres above sea level and provides access to a striking range of landscapes. The municipal tourism programme is focused on creating products that encourage travellers to remain in the destination rather than using the city only as a short stop before continuing elsewhere.
The Valle de la Luna is one of the first attractions being incorporated into this approach. Located in Mallasa, the geological formation features eroded clay landscapes and distinctive rock formations and is being used as an initial site for developing tourism products that can later be extended to other parts of the municipality.
For travellers, the city itself offers several experiences within a compact itinerary. Historic areas, cultural attractions, the city’s cable-car network, traditional food and folkloric venues can be combined before heading into the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Zongo Valley adds mountains and tropical landscapes
Zongo Valley is becoming a key part of La Paz’s expanded tourism offer. The route descends from the Cordillera Real behind Huayna Potosí towards warmer valleys and tropical vegetation, creating several different ecosystems within one journey. The area includes landscapes around Laguna Viscachani, mountain routes, valleys and communities where visitors can experience local food and cultural activities. Cañaviri, for example, is associated with trout dishes, while the route continues towards communities such as Cahua Grande in the tropical section of the valley.
Adventure travel is also part of the proposed visitor experience. Cycling has already been demonstrated along sections of the route, while the wider area offers possibilities for nature-based activities, guided excursions and community tourism.
Community tourism becomes part of the route
The Zongo tourism programme places local communities within the development of the visitor offer. Residents are expected to contribute local knowledge, food, landscapes, accommodation, guiding, transport and recreational activities to future tourism circuits.
For travellers, this creates an opportunity to experience destinations through locally operated services rather than simply passing through rural areas. Gastronomy and community visits can become planned stops within longer excursions from La Paz.
The municipality also plans to establish a tourism office closer to Zongo Valley to support the communities and coordinate tourism initiatives in the area.
The Cordillera Real adds high-altitude adventure
The mountains surrounding La Paz provide another important component of the city’s tourism network. The Cordillera Real includes peaks such as Huayna Potosí, Tuni Condoriri and Illampu, while Illimani forms one of the most recognisable mountain landmarks visible from the city.
High-altitude travel can include trekking, mountaineering, cycling and scenic excursions, depending on the destination and traveller experience. Huayna Potosí, which rises above 6,000 metres, is particularly associated with mountaineering and guided climbing experiences.
Travellers planning mountain activities need to account for altitude, weather and the requirements of individual routes. Guided excursions are commonly used for technical or higher-altitude activities.
Yungas creates a natural extension
La Paz is also being positioned as a base for journeys into the Yungas. The municipality is examining improvements to the Minasa Terminal, the principal departure point for transport towards the Yungas, as part of broader plans to improve connections for travellers and residents.
The Yungas provides a contrasting landscape to the high-altitude city, with greener valleys, subtropical conditions and outdoor activities. Coroico can be included in itineraries involving hiking, cycling and nature experiences, while the region also provides access to communities and Afro-Bolivian cultural experiences.
This mountain-to-valley journey gives visitors another way to extend a La Paz stay beyond the city centre.
Air connectivity remains important
Better connectivity is another part of the tourism development agenda. Bolivia’s airport authority has outlined plans for greater connectivity, airport modernisation and an open-skies policy intended to attract international airlines and strengthen aviation services.
For international travellers, improved air connections can make La Paz easier to incorporate into wider South American itineraries. The city can also function as a base for trips to Lake Titicaca, Tiwanaku, Coroico, Uyuni and other Bolivian destinations.
A wider travel experience around La Paz
The new approach places La Paz at the centre of a broader network of experiences rather than treating it solely as an urban destination. Travellers can combine historic and cultural attractions with the Valle de la Luna, mountain excursions, Zongo Valley and journeys towards the Yungas.
The municipality’s tourism programme is also addressing practical requirements including visitor infrastructure, connectivity and hospitality, while national tourism planning is developing a longer-term framework for sustainable tourism across Bolivia.
For visitors, the result is a destination that can support several days of travel across very different environments. A La Paz itinerary can move from historic streets and cultural experiences to lunar-like geological formations, snow-covered mountains, high-altitude adventure routes and tropical valleys, bringing together the city’s urban and natural landscapes in one extended journey.
