El Alto Airport (LPB) to La Paz
At roughly 4,060 m the arrival itself is the hazard; the transfer down into La Paz is short and cheap.
- The airport sits at about 4,060 m, among the highest international airports in the world. You will feel it walking to baggage reclaim.
- Do nothing strenuous on the first day. Altitude sickness is common here and arriving by air gives your body no time to adjust.
- La Paz is below the airport, in the bowl - so the transfer is downhill, which helps. The city centre is around 3,600 m, still very high.
- A radio taxi is around 50 to 80 BOB into La Paz; the public minibus is a few bolivianos but fills quickly and is not built for luggage.
- Take it slowly, drink water, avoid alcohol on the first night. Coca tea is offered everywhere and is the local remedy.
The altitude is the story
El Alto sits at roughly 4,060 m. This is not a footnote; it is the defining fact of arriving in Bolivia by air.
- You will be short of breath immediately, walking through the terminal with a bag.
- Altitude sickness is common - headache, nausea, poor sleep - and arriving by aircraft means no acclimatisation at all.
- The first day should be gentle. No hiking, no heavy meals, no alcohol.
- Drink far more water than feels necessary.
- Coca tea (mate de coca) is offered everywhere and is the standard local response. It is legal in Bolivia and unremarkable.
- If symptoms are severe - confusion, breathlessness at rest, persistent vomiting - descend and seek medical help. La Paz has good clinics.
Getting down into La Paz
- The city sits in a bowl below the airport, so the journey is a descent of several hundred metres, and the centre is around 3,600 m.
- A radio taxi is around 50 to 80 BOB. Use an official one from the rank rather than an offer in the hall.
- A pre-booked transfer runs higher and delivers door to door, which with luggage and altitude is worth considering.
- Public minibuses run for a few bolivianos. They fill up fast, you may wait, and they are not designed for suitcases.
- The journey is 30 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic on the descent.
The cable car
- La Paz's Mi Teleferico cable car network is genuine public transport, not a tourist ride, and it connects El Alto with the city below.
- It is cheap and the views are extraordinary.
- It does not serve the airport terminal directly, but from El Alto it is the pleasant way down - and worth a ride at some point regardless.
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