Coca Museum Tours and Activities

Museo de la Coca as well as a small group of people
Museo de la Coca which includes interior views
Museo de la Coca
Museo de la Coca featuring interior views
Museo de la Coca which includes interior views


Discover the religious, social, medical and historicalimportance of the coca plant in South America and the Andean region.

At the Museo de la Coca (Coca Museum) visitors canlearn about the importance of the coca leaf in Bolivian and Andean cultures.This small museum has hundreds of informative displays about the uses of cocaand the social history of the plant.

Enter the museum and pick up an information pamphletat the reception. Learn through the thought-provoking displays about the Incasand the pre-Colombian societies in the Andes Mountains who believed the cocaleaf was sacred. Due to its religious and cultural significance, Bolivia nowhas a law protecting the plant as “cultural patrimony” and “a renewable naturalresource of Bolivia’s biodiversity.”

Discover how coca is used to alleviate altitudesickness, how South American labourers used the leaf as a stimulant andappetite suppressant to manage their long working days, and its use inreligious ceremonies and traditional rituals.

Find out about the use of the leaf in modern culturesand industries, including soft drink corporations, the pharmaceutical industryand the narcotic industry. Learn about the difference between the plant itselfand the production of the drug, cocaine. While the leaf is not naturally anarcotic, when it is combined with cocaine hydrochloride it becomes the illegalsubstance.

Ask museum staff to show you how to chew the cocaleaves and feel the numbing sensation spread on your tongue. After seeing allthe exhibits, relax in the café and try some of the products that have cocaleaves in them. Taste the popular local coca coffee, juices and alcoholicdrinks. Take home some coca-distilled alcohol, coca candy, cake or tea, and usethe steeped leaves in boiling water to create a “mate de coca” to alleviatealtitude sickness.

The Museo de Coca is located in the city centre in LaPaz and is an easy walk from the Plaza Murillo and Plaza San Francisco. Theopening hours are irregular and can be found on the museum’s website. Allow atleast an hour to see the exhibits and taste the leaves. There is a smalladmission charge.

Tours & day trips

See all 145 activities

Private & custom tours

See all 44 activities

Food, drink & nightlife

See all 19 activities

Air, helicopter & balloon tours

See all 14 activities

Water activities

See all 3 activities

Popular places to visit


Top Coca Museum Hotel & Accommodation Deals

Hotel Sagarnaga

Hotel Sagarnaga

3.5 out of 5
Sagarnaga 326 Zona Rosario, La Paz
Hotel Sagarnaga
Ritz Apart Hotel

Ritz Apart Hotel

4.5 out of 5
Plaza Isabel La Catolica Nro. 2478, La Paz
Ritz Apart Hotel
 Mitru Express

Mitru Express

3.5 out of 5
Casimiro Corrales N 1013, Zona Miraflores, La Paz
Mitru Express
Hotel Presidente

Hotel Presidente

3.5 out of 5
C. Potosí Nro. 920, La Paz
Hotel Presidente
Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa

Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa

4 out of 5
Edificio Multicine Pisos 5 & 12, La Paz, La Paz
Stannum Boutique Hotel & Spa
El Museo Hotel Boutique

El Museo Hotel Boutique

4 out of 5
Calle Jacinto Benavente, Pasaje #250, La Paz
El Museo Hotel Boutique
Hotel Europa La Paz

Hotel Europa La Paz

4 out of 5
Calle Tiahuanaco N. 64, La Paz
Hotel Europa La Paz
EXPRESS HOTEL

EXPRESS HOTEL

3 out of 5
Sagarnaga, 324, La Paz, Murillo
EXPRESS HOTEL
Hotel Rey Palace

Hotel Rey Palace

3 out of 5
Av 20 de octubre, 1947, La Paz, Departamento de La Paz
Hotel Rey Palace
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.