By day the city is a bustling mishmash of colourful Indian markets, suited businessmen, honking cars and wide-eyed tourists. You could spend days wandering around taking it all in, but when it gets too much, escape to the cool, quiet interiors of some of the city’s numerous museums and art galleries for a taste of Bolivian culture.

Getting around the city is easy, with only one main road which stretches the length of the valley at its lowest point. Most other (smaller) roads veer steeply up the sides of the canyon so, if you get lost, just walk down.

Most of city’s interesting sights are located in what is known as the ‘Centro’, radiating out from Plaza Murillo, home to the 19th-century cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the Congress building. In this area, you will find several museums, including the Museo de la Coca, which presents the chequered history of this illicit plant, and the Museo Nacional de Arqueología.

There is a cluster of five or six small but interesting museums on the Calle Jaén nearby – one of the few streets to have retained most of its colonial buildings. For shopping, head to the calle Sagárnaga, a small street lined with interesting handicraft shops, which stretches up from the Plaza San Francisco.  Further up, and worth the climb, don’t miss the noisy Rodríguez Market, packed with locals busily exchanging food and household goods and a fascinating insight into the area.

Everything they offer is beautiful and really impressive. If you like andean music, a xarango is a good choice to check out.

Each group of items are located in a certain section, so once you find the section you are looking for, just compare the stuff and prices. You may not want to buy anything - but it id definitely interesting to see all the neat items that they have.

You can find skulls, dried frogs, snakes’ skins, remedies for love problems… just imagine! You can also find a lot of nice souvenirs made of stone and some beautiful candies with many colours and huge size.

There is a great variety of fruits, all worth trying. Just walk around and point. And ask how much of course…. Really, you can bargain or just pay, the prices are incredible either way so enjoy them.

It is easy to spend hours walking and trying to find the best things so watch out for your time.

More timid eaters should opt for the pollo dorado (chicken grilled in olive oil). If you’re looking for Bolivian food in a livelier atmosphere, you should head to the newer La Casa de los Paceños in the Zona Sur where there is outdoor seating and live music on the weekends.

The chilindrón de cordero (lamb with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and beer) is another house specialty. All the dishes come with rice and beans, yuca with little bits of pork and onions, or fried bananas. Occasionally, you can hear live Cuban music on Friday nights. Now, if only they served Cuban cigars for dessert.

But Dumbo is also great for full meals: There’s a whole selection of sandwiches, and you can also sample Bolivian specialties here, such as lomito a la paila (filet served in a bowl of soup with potatoes and an egg). The restaurant is very cheerful, with colorful walls, waterfalls, fresh plants, and an enclosed patio in the back. From 8 to 10pm nightly, there is a live piano player and it seems half of La Paz (and their kids) is here.

In contrast, the Zona Sur location looks as if it could be in California, with nice wood floors, stone walls, folksy art, hand-painted chairs, and colorful tablecloths. In the warmer months (Nov-Mar), there’s a huge garden for outdoor dining. Basically, the two restaurants offer the same excellent menu.

For a sampling of typical Bolivian food, order the picante surtido (tongue, chicken, and chopped meat all in a spicy red-chile sauce), served with chuño putti. If tongue isn’t your thing, try the silpancho. You can also order more conventional dishes such as pejerrey (fresh kingfish from Lake Titicaca). All dishes come with a complimentary chicken empanada (nice touch!).