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Major city · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
BOB
Best months
May–Oct (dry, clear)
avoid Jan–Mar (rain, cold nights)
Airport
LPB
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Bolivia ↗Visa rules depend on your passport (some nationalities need a visa in advance): check with Bolivia's migration authority or a Bolivian consulate.
  • Bolivia ↗Most of the tourist route is above 3,500 m: ascend gradually, rest on arrival, and see a doctor before travel if you have heart or lung conditions.
  • Bolivia ↗Protests and road blockades (bloqueos) are frequent and can close routes and cities for days; watch local news and keep plans flexible.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Copacabana, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or breakfastBs 10–25
  • BeerBeer at a lakeside barBs 15–25
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseo del Poncho entrycheckBs 15
  • Budget bedHostel bed, a night, per personBOB 30
  • Mid-range bedDouble room with private bathroom, a night, per roomBOB 150
  • High-end bedDouble room with private bathroom, a night, per roomBOB 350

A day, not counting the bed: Budget BOB 150 · Mid BOB 300 · High BOB 600

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Basilica and the Dark Virgin pilgrimageIsla del Sol boat tripsLake trout (trucha)Cerro El Calvario sunset climb
Airports
LPB El Alto International, La Paz (No airport at Copacabana; bus from La Paz, about 3.5 h)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Copacabana: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

15°C

5°C

18 rd

Feb

15°C

5°C

15 rd

Mar

15°C

4°C

13 rd

Apr

16°C

3°C

8 rd

May

16°C

1°C

4 rd

Jun

15°C

−1°C

2 rd

Jul

15°C

−1°C

2 rd

Aug

16°C

0°C

3 rd

Sep

17°C

2°C

5 rd

Oct

17°C

3°C

8 rd

Nov

17°C

4°C

10 rd

Dec

16°C

5°C

15 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Isla del Sol

go

Door to door: Full day

Boat from the beach, about 08:30 for the full-day north-and-south tour; half-day afternoon boats usually reach only the south

The reason most people come. Buy the return boat and confirm the departure time before you walk inland.

Yampupata

go

Door to door: Half to full day

Walk the dirt road, about 17 km / 4–5 h one way; or take a car/bus/truck out and walk back

Little traffic, so returning on foot is easier than finding a ride back.

Puno, Peru

go

Door to door: About 4 h

Bus from Plaza Sucre, about 3.5 h including the border stop

Three daily buses; the border is 7.5 km south of town.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Bs 120–200 excl. bed
Mid
Bs 250–400 excl. bed
High
Bs 500+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room with private bathroom1 × 2 nights × BOB 150BOB 300
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × BOB 300BOB 1,200
Isla del Sol return boat2 × BOB 50 · checkBOB 100
La Paz → Copacabana bus, one way2 × BOB 25 · checkBOB 50
Tiquina Strait ferry crossing2 × BOB 2 · checkBOB 4
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeBOB 165
Trip total≈ BOB 455 per person per day, bed includedBOB 1,819

2026 estimate in bolivianos; long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Trucha (lake trout) with rice and potatoesBeach stalls and restaurants; the market stall from 18:00 is cheaper.Bs 20–25
Coffee or breakfastBs 10–25
Beer at a lakeside barBs 15–25
Museo del Poncho entrycheckBs 15
Internet café, per hourcheckBs 4–8
Hostel bedBs 30–60

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Ambulance
118
Fire
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

CopacabanaCopacabana

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Ambulance118
  • Fire119

Embassy

No embassies in Copacabana; most are in La Paz. The US embassy is in La Paz (check the address).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • 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)

Say or show

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-to KWES-ta)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR)
  • ¿Dónde sale el barco a la Isla del Sol? — Where is the boat to Isla del Sol? (DON-de SA-le el BAR-ko)
  • Necesito una habitación por dos noches — I need a room for two nights (ne-se-SI-to u-na a-bi-ta-SION)
  • ¿Hay agua caliente? — Is there hot water? (ai A-gwa ka-LYEN-te)
  • Ayuda — Help (a-YU-da)

Altitude 3,841 m. Take the first day slowly and drink water.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Copacabana. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Oct (dry, clear) · avoid Jan–Mar (rain, cold nights) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for LPB: last bus from La Paz field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Plaza 2 de Febrero, Av. 6 de Agosto, the lakeside and Cerro El Calvario.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (basilica, Museo del Poncho, El Calvario) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Boat-departure fixtures for Isla del Sol so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Bolivia

Sources