Foreign tourists are exempt from the 13% IVA on lodging - show the passport with its entry stamp and ask for the factura turistica. In La Paz, consider Zona Sur for your first night: it is 450 m lower than the centre.
- Ask not to pay the 13% IVA. Foreign tourists showing a passport with a valid entry stamp are exempt from VAT on lodging - the hotel issues a zero-rated Factura Turistica, and many will not offer it unprompted.
- Prices run 40 to 85 BOB for a hostel dorm, 180 to 450 BOB for a mid-range room and 700 to 1,800 BOB and up for luxury.
- Your passport is scanned into SIGEMIG at check-in - lodging providers must register foreign guests in the national migration database.
- In La Paz, Zona Sur sits about 450 m lower than the centre, at roughly 3,200 m, which makes a real difference to how you sleep on the first night. Choosing it is altitude strategy, not fussiness.
- Sopocachi is the safe, restaurant-heavy middle option, and the Centro Historico near Calle Sagarnaga has the agencies and the sights but is the loudest and highest.
Ask not to pay the 13% IVA. Foreign tourists showing a passport with a valid entry stamp are legally exempt from value added tax on lodging under Ley 2064 and the associated rules. The hotel issues a zero-rated Factura Turistica - Sin Derecho a Credito Fiscal. Many will not offer this unprompted.
| Type | Price per night |
|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | 40 to 85 BOB |
| Mid-range hotel or private room | 180 to 450 BOB |
| Luxury hotel | 700 to 1,800 BOB and up |
- Your passport is scanned into SIGEMIG at check-in. Under Decreto Supremo 4574 lodging providers must verify and register foreign guests in the national migration database.
- Platforms: Booking.com, Airbnb, Hostelworld and Agoda.
Where to stay for a first visit
- La Paz: Sopocachi is safe, has the restaurants, and connects to the yellow and white Mi Teleferico lines. Zona Sur (Calacoto, San Miguel) sits about 450 m lower at roughly 3,200 m, which makes a real difference to how you sleep on the first night, and it is very secure. The Centro Historico near Calle Sagarnaga is where the tour agencies and the sights are, and it is the loudest and highest of the three.
- Santa Cruz de la Sierra: Equipetrol for modern hotels and restaurants, the Centro Historico around Plaza 24 de Septiembre for walkable sightseeing.
- Sucre: the Centro Historico around Plaza 25 de Mayo, which is compact, well policed and pleasant.
Choosing a lower neighbourhood for the first night is a legitimate altitude strategy, not fussiness.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.