---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Cochabamba, Bolivia | Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Cochabamba, ranked and mapped. The Cristo de la Concordia, La Cancha market, Patiño's Palacio Portales, silpancho and pique macho, and Torotoro beyond the valley."
url: https://wimup.com/city/cochabamba
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-22
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Cochabamba

Cochabamba, Bolivia · South America · By Wimup Editorial, 14 min read

Cochabamba is Bolivia's fourth city and its kitchen. It fills a green valley at about 2,560 metres, low enough to escape the altiplano cold, under the Tunari range. Bolivians come here to eat; travellers come for the Cristo, the markets and the road to Torotoro.

## Quick answer

Give Cochabamba three days. Spend the first in the centre: Plaza 14 de Septiembre and the cathedral, the Museo Arqueológico, then the cable car up to the Cristo de la Concordia for the valley at sunset. Give the second to La Cancha in the morning and Palacio Portales after lunch, with silpancho or pique macho in between. Use the third for Quillacollo, Tarata or the Tunari foothills, or leave for two nights at Torotoro.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** Apr · May · Sep · Oct
- **Ideal length:** 3 days
- **Budget per day:** $30–60
- **Language:** Spanish · Quechua
- **Getting around:** Walking & taxis
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.cochabamba.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Cochabamba

### 1. Cristo de la Concordia

Landmark · Cerro San Pedro, Cochabamba

The statue of Christ on Cerro San Pedro stands 34 metres tall, a few metres taller than Rio's, and the city spreads below it on three sides. Ride the cable car up for the late-afternoon light over the valley, then stay for the city lights coming on.

- **Time:** 1.5–2 h
- **Cost:** Cable car fare
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Take the cable car, and walk the long stairway only in daylight and in company

### 2. La Cancha

Market · La Cancha, between the centre and the south of the city

Bolivia's biggest market district: five markets and blocks of street stalls selling everything from potatoes to car parts. Go on a Wednesday or Saturday morning, when the ferias swell it, and eat lunch at the food stalls inside La Pampa.

- **Time:** 2–3 h
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Wednesday or Saturday morning
- **Tip:** Carry little and keep it in a front pocket; the crowds are dense

### 3. Palacio Portales

Palace · Avenida Potosí 1450, Cochabamba

The French-style palace that tin baron Simón I. Patiño built in the 1910s and 1920s and never lived in. The interiors, all imported marble, silk and carved wood, are seen on a guided tour, and the formal gardens are worth the visit on their own.

- **Time:** 1.5 h
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Mid-afternoon
- **Tip:** Tours are in Spanish and run at set times; book ahead with the foundation

Links: [Website](https://www.patino.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Plaza 14 de Septiembre

Square · Plaza 14 de Septiembre, Cochabamba

The main square takes its name from the uprising of 14 September 1810, and the arcades, the cathedral and the shoeshine stands make it the centre's meeting point. Start here: most of the old town is within six blocks.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Early evening
- **Tip:** Look into the Catedral Metropolitana on the square, the valley's oldest church

Links: [Website](https://www.cochabamba.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 5. Torotoro National Park

National park · Torotoro, Potosí department

A canyon, a cave and hundreds of dinosaur footprints in a park three and a half to five hours south of the city on a rough road. It needs at least one night: arrive, then spend a day on the canyon and the Umajalanta cave.

- **Time:** 2 days
- **Cost:** Park fee plus guide
- **Best at:** May to October
- **Tip:** Visits run with a local guide; arrange one at the village office on arrival

Links: [Website](https://www.sernap.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 6. Museo Arqueológico de la UMSS

Museum · Calle Jordán and Nataniel Aguirre, Cochabamba

The state university's museum holds about 40,000 pieces across archaeology, ethnography and palaeontology, with the best Tiwanaku display in the valley. It is the right first stop before Incallajta or Torotoro.

- **Time:** 1–1.5 h
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Weekday mornings
- **Tip:** Ask at the desk about a guided visit in English

Links: [Website](https://www.umss.edu.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Convento de Santa Teresa

Convent · Calles Baptista and Ecuador, Cochabamba

A Carmelite convent from 1760, restored as a museum of sacred art while a small community of cloistered nuns still lives in part of it. The visit takes in the church, the cloister and the murals uncovered during restoration.

- **Time:** 1 h
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Visits are guided and the hours are short, so check them the day before

### 8. Colina San Sebastián and La Coronilla

Monument · Colina San Sebastián, Cochabamba

The hill where the women of Cochabamba fought the royalist army on 27 May 1812, now Mother's Day across Bolivia. The monument to the Heroínas sits on top, with a view back over the centre.

- **Time:** 1 h
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Go in daylight and by taxi or on a guided walk; the slopes are not safe after dark

### 9. Parque Nacional Tunari

National park · Cordillera del Tunari, north of Cochabamba

The range behind the city is a national park of about 3,000 square kilometres, the only one in Bolivia that starts at a city's edge. Day hikes climb from the northern suburbs into puna grassland; the 5,000-metre Cerro Tunari is a long day for the acclimatised.

- **Time:** Half day to full day
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** April to June
- **Tip:** Start early, carry water and warm layers, and hire a guide for the summit

Links: [Website](https://www.sernap.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 10. El Prado and Plaza Colón

Boulevard · Avenida Ballivián, Cochabamba

The tree-lined boulevard north of the centre, known to everyone as El Prado, runs up to Plaza Colón. It is where the city goes for an evening walk, a drink or dinner, and the easiest place to find both.

- **Time:** 1–2 h
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Evening
- **Tip:** Cross the river into Recoleta for the larger restaurants

## Best museums in Cochabamba

Five that cover tin wealth, the colonial church and the valley before the Spanish.

1. **Palacio Portales** (Palace · Ticketed · Queru Queru): Patiño's palace, seen on a guided tour, with formal gardens and a cultural centre. [Website](https://www.patino.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Museo Arqueológico de la UMSS** (Archaeology · Ticketed · Centro): About 40,000 pieces, strongest on Tiwanaku and the Cochabamba valleys. [Website](https://www.umss.edu.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Convento de Santa Teresa** (Sacred art · Ticketed · Centro): A 1760 Carmelite convent turned sacred-art museum, nuns still in residence.
4. **Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d'Orbigny** (Natural history · Ticketed · Avenida Potosí): The valley's natural history museum, named for the French naturalist who mapped Bolivia.
5. **Villa Albina** (House museum · Ticketed · Pairumani, Vinto): The Patiño family's country house at Pairumani, with its rooms and arboretum. Reservations required.

## Best churches and plazas in Cochabamba

Four stops for the colonial centre, all within a short walk of each other.

1. **Catedral Metropolitana** (Church · Free · Plaza 14 de Septiembre): Begun in 1542 and the oldest church in the valley, on the main square.
2. **Iglesia de San Francisco** (Church · Free · Centro): Founded in 1581 and rebuilt in 1782 and 1925; the cloister is the older part.
3. **Iglesia de Santo Domingo** (Church · Free · Avenida Ayacucho): Built from 1778 and left unfinished when its benefactor died.
4. **Plaza Colón** (Square · Free · Plaza Colón): The square at the head of El Prado, busiest on festival days.

## Best markets in Cochabamba

Three markets inside and beside La Cancha, where the valley does its shopping.

1. **Mercado La Pampa** (Market · Free · La Cancha): The biggest of La Cancha's markets, with the cheapest lunch counters in town.
2. **Mercado Calatayud** (Market · Free · La Cancha): Produce and household goods at the corner of San Martín and Uruguay.
3. **Mercado 25 de Mayo** (Market · Free · Centro): A small central market, about 150 stalls, for fruit, juice and breakfast.

## Best restaurants in Cochabamba

Three for the city's classic plates, from silpancho to steak.

1. **Casa de Campo** (Bolivian · $$ · Recoleta): The classic for pique macho, partly open-air, with tables playing cacho dice.
2. **La Estancia** (Grill · $$$ · Recoleta): An Argentine-style grill across the river; order the thick steaks.
3. **Silpancho on Calle Lanza** (Bolivian · $ · Centro): The corner of Lanza and Ecuador, where Celia La Fuente is credited with creating silpancho.

## Best viewpoints and parks in Cochabamba

Four places to see the valley from above or stretch out in it.

1. **Cristo de la Concordia** (Viewpoint · Cable car fare · Cerro San Pedro): The best view of the city, reached by cable car.
2. **La Coronilla** (Viewpoint · Free · Colina San Sebastián): The 1812 battle hill and its monument, with a view across the centre.
3. **Laguna Alalay** (Park · Free · Alalay): The city's lagoon in the southeast, with a shoreline path and waterbirds.
4. **El Prado** (Boulevard · Free · Avenida Ballivián): The city's evening walk, shaded by trees, from the centre to Plaza Colón.

## Best outdoors in Cochabamba

Three hikes into the mountains that ring the valley.

1. **Cerro Tunari** (Hike · Free · Parque Nacional Tunari): The range's namesake peak at about 5,000 metres, a full-day climb with a guide. [Website](https://www.sernap.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Tunari foothills** (Hike · Free · Northern suburbs): Shorter trails from the northern edge of the city into the national park. [Website](https://www.sernap.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Inka Rakay** (Hike · Free · Sipe Sipe): Inca ruins on a ridge above Sipe Sipe, reached on foot from the village.

## Best day trips in Cochabamba

Five trips out of the valley, from colonial towns to jungle.

1. **Torotoro** (Overnight · Park fee · Potosí department): Dinosaur tracks, a canyon and a cave; plan two days, not one. [Website](https://www.sernap.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Quillacollo** (Half day · Free · Quillacollo): The Urkupiña sanctuary town, 13 km west and 40 minutes by Mi Tren.
3. **Tarata** (Half day · Free · Valle Alto): A colonial Valle Alto town, birthplace of the 1810 leader Esteban Arze.
4. **Incallajta** (Full day · Ticketed · Pocona): An Inca fortress near Pocona, about 140 km east and a national monument.
5. **Villa Tunari** (Overnight · Ticketed · Chapare): The Chapare's jungle town, with the Parque Machía monkey sanctuary.

## Festivals & annual events in Cochabamba (2026)

- **Carnaval and the Corso de Corsos** (Feb): The Saturday parade a week after Oruro's carnival, with over a hundred dance groups.
- **Semana Santa** (Mar): Holy Week processions from the cathedral and the colonial churches. Dates follow Easter.
- **Día de la Madre** (May): 27 May, Mother's Day, honours the Heroínas de la Coronilla with a ceremony on the hill.
- **Año Nuevo Andino** (Jun): 21 June, the Andean new year, a national holiday since 2009, greeted at dawn.
- **Virgen de Urkupiña** (Aug): Around 15 August in Quillacollo: nearly a million pilgrims and a huge folkloric entrada.
- **Fundación de Cochabamba** (Aug): 15 August marks the 1571 founding of the Villa de Oropesa, with civic events.
- **Día de Cochabamba** (Sep): 14 September, the anniversary of the 1810 uprising: parades and a holiday.
- **Todos Santos** (Nov): 1 and 2 November, when families build altars and bake t'antawawas for the dead.

## Must-try dishes in Cochabamba, Bolivia

- **Silpancho**: Beef pounded thin over rice and potato, a fried egg and a tomato and onion salsa.
- **Pique macho**: Beef, sausage, chips, egg and locoto chillies, piled high and meant to be shared.
- **Chicharrón**: Pork cooked in its own fat with mote corn, the Sunday dish of the valley.
- **Chicha**: The valley's fermented maize drink, low in alcohol, served in a gourd.
- **Lambreado de conejo**: Rabbit fried in a spiced coating, a valley speciality.
- **Trancapecho**: Silpancho stuffed into a bread roll, the city's street sandwich.
- **Salteña**: A baked pastry with a sweet, juicy beef or chicken filling, eaten mid-morning.
- **Api with pastel**: Hot purple-corn drink with a fried cheese pastry, the market breakfast.

## Cochabamba transport & airports

- **Jorge Wilstermann International Airport** (CBB): On the southwest edge of the city, a short taxi ride from the centre. BoA, based here, flies to La Paz, Santa Cruz, Sucre and Tarija. [Website](https://www.boa.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Mi Tren** (Light rail): The metropolitan light rail opened in 2022. The Green Line runs west to Quillacollo in about 40 minutes; the Red Line runs southeast toward the Valle Alto.
- **Long-distance buses** (Flotas): The terminal is south of the centre, near La Cancha. Flotas run overnight to La Paz and Santa Cruz, and daily to Sucre and Oruro.
- **Micros, trufis and taxis** (City): Numbered minibuses cover the city by day. After dark, call a radio taxi, and agree the fare before you get in.

## Cochabamba at a glance

- **Country:** Bolivia
- **Region:** Cochabamba department, the central valleys
- **Population:** 661,484 at the 2024 census, about 1.1 million metro
- **Founded:** 1571, as the Villa de Oropesa
- **Nickname:** La Llajta, and the city of eternal spring
- **Language:** Spanish, with Quechua widely spoken
- **Currency:** Boliviano (Bs)
- **Time zone:** UTC-4, no daylight saving
- **Calling code:** +591, city code 4
- **Airports:** Jorge Wilstermann International (CBB), southwest edge of the city
- **Power:** 230 V, 50 Hz, plug types A and C
- **Emergency:** 110 police, 118 ambulance, 119 fire

## Interesting facts

- The Cristo de la Concordia, finished in 1994, is a few metres taller than Rio's Christ the Redeemer.
- Silpancho is credited to Celia La Fuente, who served it at her restaurant on Calle Lanza.
- In 2000 the city's Water War reversed the privatisation of its water supply.
- Simón Patiño, once among the world's richest men, built Palacio Portales and never lived in it.
- Bolivia's Mother's Day, 27 May, honours the women who fought on La Coronilla in 1812.

## Cochabamba travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Cochabamba?

Three. One for the centre and the Cristo, one for La Cancha and Palacio Portales, and one for Quillacollo, Tarata or a Tunari hike. Add two nights if you are going on to Torotoro.

### Is the altitude a problem in Cochabamba?

Less than in La Paz. The city sits at about 2,560 metres, so most visitors feel little beyond some breathlessness on stairs. It is a good place to acclimatise before the altiplano.

### When is the best time to visit Cochabamba?

April to October is the dry season, with warm days and cool nights. The rains fall from December to March. Plan around Urkupiña in mid-August and the Corso de Corsos in February if you want the crowds.

### Is Cochabamba safe for travellers?

Mostly, with city precautions. Watch your bag in La Cancha, use radio taxis at night, and visit the Cristo stairway and La Coronilla in daylight, ideally in company.

### How do you get from Cochabamba to Torotoro?

By road, three and a half to five hours south, much of it unpaved. Minibuses leave from the city and tour operators run two- and three-day trips. Stay at least one night in the village.

## Nearby guides

- [Sucre](https://wimup.com/city/sucre.md): Bolivia · 10 picks
- [La Paz](https://wimup.com/city/la-paz.md): Bolivia · 10 picks
- [Santa Cruz de la Sierra](https://wimup.com/city/santa-cruz-bolivia.md): Bolivia · 10 picks
- [All of South America →](https://wimup.com/south-america): 32 cities

Part of the [Bolivia guide](https://wimup.com/country/bolivia.md) · [South America](https://wimup.com/south-america.md)

## Sources

- [Cochabamba tourism board](https://www.cochabamba.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Palacio Portales (official site)](https://www.patino.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Torotoro National Park (official site)](https://www.sernap.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Museo Arqueológico de la UMSS (official site)](https://www.umss.edu.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Jorge Wilstermann International Airport (official site)](https://www.boa.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.