Red Line
Up to El Alto.
EEJCC — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marco Ebreo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Parallelepiped09 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Parallelepiped09 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The world's longest urban cable-car network, linking La Paz in the valley floor with the city of El Alto on the plateau above, with ten coloured lines, red, yellow, green, blue, orange and more, which residents ride daily instead of buses on the steep, crowded streets. The ride itself is one of the city's best experiences: small cabins glide over red rooftops, winding roads and football pitches, showing all of La Paz climbing the valley walls, with the snowy summit of towering Mount Illimani behind. The Red and Yellow lines reach the rim of El Alto with stunning views. The best lines for visitors are the Red from the central station up to El Alto, the Yellow along the valley rim, and the Green down towards the greener southern districts. On Thursdays and Sundays El Alto holds a huge street market near the Red Line station. Fares are very cheap and paid at each station. Go by day in clear weather for the views, and just before sunset for the city lights. La Paz sits at about 3,600 metres, so take your first days slowly and drink plenty of water. Bolivia is under a state of emergency with protests and road blockades, so check road conditions and your government's travel advice before the trip.
Up to El Alto.
A snowy summit.
At sunset.
Network across La Paz and El Alto; Red Line central station near downtown
The Red from the central station to El Alto, then the Yellow along the valley rim; each line is cheap.