In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Bolivia
Copacabana
Give Copacabana 2 nights: one for the town and Cerro El Calvario, one for Isla del Sol. Skip it only if you have no interest in Lake Titicaca.
Copacabana is a small pilgrimage and resort town on the Bolivian shore of Lake Titicaca, 3.5 h by bus from La Paz. Almost everyone passes through for Isla del Sol, but the town itself — the basilica, the hill climb, the fried trout on the beach — is worth a full day. Two nights is the standard; three if you walk to Yampupata.
- Country
- Bolivia
- Best months
- May–Oct (dry, clear)
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (rain, cold nights)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BOB
- Money
- Currency is the boliviano (BOB, Bs). Cash rules outside larger hotels and restaurants in La Paz and Santa Cruz.
- Daily spend
- Budget Bs 120–200 excl. bed · Mid Bs 250–400 excl. bed · High Bs 500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Entel, Tigo and Viva sell SIMs with passport registration in their own shops.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Some La Paz buildings have 115 V — check.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Round up; about 10% in tourist restaurants.; Uyuni driver and cook: Bs 50–100 per traveller for 3 days, shared.; Guides: Bs 30–70 a day.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Pay a boliviano or two; bring paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Trucha (lake trout) with rice and potatoes | Bs 20–25 |
| Coffee or breakfast | Bs 10–25 |
| Beer at a lakeside bar | Bs 15–25 |
| Museo del Poncho entry | Bs 15 |
| Internet café, per hour | Bs 4–8 |
| Hostel bed | Bs 30–60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LPB · El Alto International, La Paz
- No airport at Copacabana; bus from La Paz, about 3.5 h
Typical fares
- La Paz → Copacabana bus
- about Bs 20–25, 3.5 h (check)
- Tiquina Strait ferry
- Bs 2, a few minutes (check)
- Copacabana → Puno bus
- about Bs 30, 3.5 h (check)
Get around
The town is tiny — walk everywhere. Pedicabs at Plaza 2 de Febrero carry luggage to hotels. Vans and shared cabs to the Peruvian border leave from Plaza Sucre when full.
See and do
Known for
- Basilica and the Dark Virgin pilgrimage
- Isla del Sol boat trips
- Lake trout (trucha)
- Cerro El Calvario sunset climb
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Isla del Sol | Boat from the beach, about 08:30 for the full-day north-and-south tour; half-day afternoon boats usually reach only the southBoat from the beach, about 8:30 AM for the full-day north-and-south tour; half-day afternoon boats usually reach only the south | Full day |
| Yampupata | Walk the dirt road, about 17 km / 4–5 h one way; or take a car/bus/truck out and walk backWalk the dirt road, about 11 mi / 4–5 h one way; or take a car/bus/truck out and walk back | Half to full day |
| Puno, Peru | Bus from Plaza Sucre, about 3.5 h including the border stop | About 4 h |
Sleep
- Av. 6 de Agosto
- The tourist strip from Plaza 2 de Febrero down to the lake: hostels, restaurants, tour agencies.
- Plaza Sucre side
- Quieter, one block off the lake; buses leave from here.
- Lakeside / Costanera
- Mid-range and splurge hotels with lake views, 2 blocks south of Av. 6 de Agosto.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Where is the boat to Isla del Sol? | ¿Dónde sale el barco a la Isla del Sol?DON-de SA-le el BAR-ko |
| I need a room for two nights | Necesito una habitación por dos nochesne-se-SI-to u-na a-bi-ta-SION |
| Is there hot water? | ¿Hay agua caliente?ai A-gwa ka-LYEN-te |
| Help | Ayudaa-YU-da |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'buenos días'; avoid: Rushing into business
- Photos: Ask, and accept a no; avoid: Photographing rituals uninvited
- Sea question: Listen; avoid: Joking about Bolivia's lost coast
- Queues and blockades: Patience; avoid: Arguing with protesters
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude: 3,841 m. Arrive from La Paz slowly, drink water, skip alcohol the first night.
- Money changers at the Peru border crossing quote bad rates: change in town instead.
- Some hostels advertise Wi-Fi but switch the router on only when asked.
- Nights are cold year-round; many budget rooms have no heating.
Copacabana is calm and walkable; the real risks are altitude sickness, cold nights and the money-changing scam at the Peru border. Change money in town and take the first day slowly.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Copacabana yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Basilica and the Dark Virgin pilgrimage
- Isla del Sol boat trips
- Lake trout (trucha)
- Cerro El Calvario sunset climb
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bolivia Ministry of Cultures and Tourism: www.minculturas.gob.bo/
- OpenStreetMap — Copacabana: www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/-16.1656/-69.0856
- Wikivoyage: Copacabana, revision 5300535 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300535
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Copacabana
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Copacabana; most are in La Paz. The US embassy is in La Paz (check the address).
Altitude 3,841 m. Take the first day slowly and drink water.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/copacabana). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.