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Two people sitting outdoors, holding food containers. 1
A group of people at a market stall with a calendar for 2025 and various fruits and vegetables on display. 2
A hand holding a biscuit in a paper wrapper. 3
A person holding a pink bowl with a sign that says "Feliz Navidad" in front of a fruit stand. 4
A bustling street market with vendors and shoppers. 5

La Paz Food Tour: Understand Local Life Through Food

By Bolivian Nexus Travel
10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
Free cancellation available
Price is NZ$47 per traveller* *Get a lower price by selecting multiple travellers

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 3h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation

Overview

  • Understand La Paz and El Alto through their food, traditions, and daily life.
  • Meet the women and families behind La Paz's most iconic street food.
  • Learn why these dishes became part of Bolivia's daily routine.
  • Ride the cable car and explore the markets where the city feeds itself.
  • Taste authentic street food while discovering the stories behind every bite.

Activity location

    • La Paz
    • La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia

Meeting/Redemption Point

    • Plaza Emilio Villanueva, Mercado, La Paz, Bolivia | At the main door of the city hall. Your guide will be wearing a cap or headband displaying the Alpaca Steps logo. This experience is listed under Bolivian Nexus, our official booking operator. In La Paz, all tours are delivered by our local team, Alpaca Steps. Your guide will be wearing an Alpaca Steps cap or headband.
    • La Paz, Departamento de La Paz, Bolivia

Check availability

La Paz Food Tour: Understand Local Life Through Food

  • Activity duration is 3 hours3h
    3h
  • English
Language options: English
Starting time: 10:00 AM
Price details
NZ$47.33 x 1 TravellerNZ$47.33
Total
Price is NZ$47.33

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's included
    Guided walking tour with a local cultural expert.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Salteñas ( empanada), only one per person.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Relleno de papa (potato stuffed with meat), only one per person.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Jugo de tumbo, only one per person.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Sopa de fideo ( pasta fried with penut), only one per person.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Cinnamon Sorbet, only one per person.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Cable car tickets return.
  • What's includedWhat's included
    Support for local women vendors and microbusinesses.
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Tips for the guide
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • What's excludedWhat's excluded
    Extra snacks or drinks

Know before you book

  • Not allowed: Alcohol and drugs, Pets, Smoking
  • Not suitable for: Vegans, Wheelchair users

What you can expect

Most food tours show you where to eat.
This experience helps you understand La Paz and El Alto through its food.
Every dish tells a storey.
Every market reveals how the city works.
Every vendor represents generations of knowledge, tradition, and hard work.

By the end of this experience, you won't just know what people eat—you'll understand what food reveals about everyday life in La Paz and El Alto.

Why are salteñas only eaten in the morning?

We'll begin with a Salteña, Bolivia's most iconic baked pastry, filled with a rich and juicy meat filling.
But this stop isn't only about tasting one. We'll discover why locals eat them only in the morning and how a simple snack became part of the cities' daily routine.
(Vegetarian option available.)

How can one tiny street stall become world famous?

Try a Relleno de Papa, a crispy mashed potato stuffed with seasoned meat and vegetables.
We'll visit one of La Paz's best-known street vendors, featured in Netflix's Street Food, and talk about how family recipes and generations of hard work can turn a tiny food stall into a local icon.

Why do so many locals stop for a fresh juice?

Enjoy a glass of Tumbo juice, made from a fruit that grows in the Andes.
While we taste it, we'll discover why fresh fruit juices are part of many people's daily routine and how the caseras (sellers) become familiar faces within their areas.

Cable Car

Ride the cable car like thousands of locals every day and see how this public transport system connects La Paz and El Alto.

Where does the city buy its food?

If you want to understand how a city lives, start with its markets.
We'll explore a working local market where families shop, vendors earn their living, and everyday life unfolds far from the tourist crowds.

Why is Sopa de Fideo such a popular snack?

Try Sopa de Fideo, fresh pasta served with a creamy peanut sauce and topped with meat or egg.
As we eat, we'll meet one of our favourite caseras and discover how small family-run food stalls help support thousands of families across the city.

Why is it called Quita Penas (“Take Away Your Sorrows”)?

We'll finish with a traditional cinnamon sorbet known as Quita Penas.
For generations, people have come here hoping to leave their worries behind, even if only for a few minutes. Sometimes the best stories are hidden in the simplest traditions.

You'll leave with more than a full stomach.
You'll leave understanding La Paz and El Alto a little better.

Important Note:
Do not have breakfast before the tour.
This is a street food tour.
Please be aware that we do not have any formal agreements or partnerships with the vendors featured in the tour. The food and products are selected based on their quality and authenticity.
Food stops may vary depending on what’s happening in the city. During protests, blockades, or holidays, some of our local vendors may not be out or may change locations.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    • La Paz
    • La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    • Plaza Emilio Villanueva, Mercado, La Paz, Bolivia | At the main door of the city hall. Your guide will be wearing a cap or headband displaying the Alpaca Steps logo. This experience is listed under Bolivian Nexus, our official booking operator. In La Paz, all tours are delivered by our local team, Alpaca Steps. Your guide will be wearing an Alpaca Steps cap or headband.
    • La Paz, Departamento de La Paz, Bolivia