Congratulations, you’ve made it to the highest capital city in the world! La Paz is a beautiful city and very underrated in South America in my opinion. Most people only stay here for one or two nights, but there’s enough to do to spend at least a week. One of the things you surely can’t miss is Mi Teleférico. The public transportation system of the city. Of course I’m talking about the cable cars!
Doing a full loop around the city was my favourite thing above all the other activities, like seeing the Witches’ Market or doing a free walking tour. It’s perfectly possible to do a full loop around the city, seeing all the famous viewpoints and stop everywhere you feel like to stop. Some tour operators will offer you this activity as a guided trip, but it’s easy, safe and super cheap to do it on your own. I’m here to tell you how!
Summary
Price
One way ticket – 3 Bolivianos (€0,40 – $0,43)
Full loop: 7 x 3 = 21 Bolivianos (€2,80 – $3,04)
Operating Hours
Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 21:00
Saturdays and Sundays from 07:00 to 19:00
In This Post
History of Mi Teleférico
Before we head to the instructions about how to take this cable car, it’s great to share some history. This way you know how unique it is that you’re able to transport yourself through sky here. Before the cable car was implemented, it was hard to travel between La Paz and El Alto. Both cities are huge and have a very big population and people always got stuck in traffic if they wanted to go from one to the other city.
It was in 1970 that people started thinking about a cable car between La Paz and El Alto. It wasn’t more than a plan and it took until 1993 for the next steps. One of the candidates during the elections told it was the main priority to get this form of transportation between the cities. It took another 20 years to get the plan to the table, but the cable car still wasn’t there.
It was president Evo Morales Ayma who started the construction in 2012 and in 2014 the first phase of the project started operating. Over the next 5 years all the other lines were created and at this moment they’re finishing the Gold line. The population is proud about their lines and you’ll see especially the higher class traveling by cable car.
How to start your cable car trip
Depending on where you stay, you have to head to one of the cable car stations first. I stayed at Wild Rover Hostels and even though I’m not a party animal and I don’t like party hostels, I had a very good time here. The WiFi is decent compared to other regions, the restaurant is great and the location is fairly good. It takes a 5 minute walk to get to the closest station called Prado. The stations are a bit hard to find on Google Maps, but clicking this link will you bring you to Prado straight away. Digitally. 
This station is the last stop of the Blue Line.
Next to the station, you can find Mercado Camacho, a big market where you can get a huge variety of things, and mainly food! I highly recommend to make a small stop there and bring some snacks for the journey. If you’re in need of the station closest to you, it’s best to type Estación Teleférico on Google Maps. The first results will usually be the stations closest to you.
Please note that in early 2023, it’s still mandatory to wear a face mask at the stations and in the cable car.
Making a full loop
If you’re planning on making a full loop around the city, you could do the route as we did:
Prado – Del Poeta – Villaroel – Central – 16 de Julio – Mirador – Libertador – Prado
Each station mentioned above, is the station where you have to transfer to another gondola. Of course, you can do this loop the other way around as well. You can start at other stations, stop wherever you want, and have the day of your life!
The best viewpoints
Once you arrive at 16 de Julio, you’ll be at the highest altitude of this loop. This is where you want to be about one hour before sunset, so you’re still able to see the city covered in sunlight. There are two famous miradors. One of them is a 5-minute walk, the other one takes about 15 minutes. The best way to get there, is to search for Mirador on Google Maps. For the best viewpoint, you have to walk to the left once you leave the station, until a bridge appears. You’ll cross the highway here and walk to the left again until you arrive just under the station, but on the other side of the highway.
Cholitas Wrestling
This is also the stop if you want to visit the famous Cholitas Wrestling shows. These shows run every week on Sundays and Thursdays. It’s more a tourist thing than a local thing, but you’ll be entertained for sure! Another way to go here is by a group tour. Every hostel runs tours to Cholitas Wrestling shows and it shouldn’t cost you more than about 80 bolivianos.
The Price
The best thing about this activity is that it fits every budget. If you can afford it to travel to La Paz, you can afford it to travel through La Paz too. A full loop will cost you only 21 Bolivianos, the equivalent of about 3 Euros or Dollars.
One way ticket – 3 Bolivianos (€0,40 – $0,43)
Full loop: 7 x 3 = 21 Bolivianos (€2,80 – $3,04)
If you don’t want to visit the ticket booth every time, you can buy a Mi Teleférico card. It costs 30 Bolivianos and will give you 10 Bolivianos credit. The good thing, is that you pay 3 Bolivianos for your first trip and only 2 Bolivianos for each transfer. If you do the full loop with direct stop overs, it would cost you only 15 Bolivianos, but an extra 20 because of the payment of the card. Keep in mind that you have to put credit on your card before you hop on the gondola.
The Timetable
All cable cars run according to the same operation schedule:
Monday to Saturday from 06:00 to 22:00
Sundays and Holidays from 07:00 to 21:00
What I like most about this timetable, is that they make it possible to see the sunset or the sunrise from the mountain tops. Seeing the city at night time will leave you breathless. The view, all the lights, simply amazing.
Safety
Just like any other city in South America, it’s important to take care of your safety. In general, this means that it’s better to do the trip with a friend. If you’re travelling solo, ask someone in your hostel to join you. It will be fun! I did this trip with two of my hostel friends and we had a great time together.
In terms of safety especially El Alto, the stop with the beautiful viewpoints (miradors) at 16 de Julio, can feel a bit sketchy. It’s most beautiful at sunset, but don’t stay until it’s completely dark. If you just use common sense and don’t show off with your possessions, you should be fine.
I hope I inspired you and gave you enough confidence to do this trip on your own. If you have any questions, feel free to comment and drop them below.
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