Image: Cochabamba City, Bolivia from Christ la Concordia viewing platform.
Highlights
– What to see and do around Bolivia’s gastronomical capital.
Time of Visit: February 2026
Duration of Visit: Three Nights
Description
The city of Cochabamba is about seven and a half hours drive southeast of Bolivia’s capital city – La Paz. It is a good size city and considered the gastronomical capital of the country. Seems like, everywhere we went, there were street food vendors or restaurants that served tasty local food. Walking some of its city streets was pleasant as it was mostly free of debris.
During our stay, we did not see many tourists which was surprising as the city, in our opinion, is worth a visit. We can tell if a place is not a popular tourist destination by simply finding out if the locals speak English. Almost everyone we talked to in Cochabamba did not.
We ended up in Cochabamba out of necessity rather than being a planned destination. Arlyn had acute mountain sickness (AMS) and nausea in Oruro which sits at 12,000 feet. The medical advice we received was to go down in elevation. So we cut short our Oruro Carnival trip and ended up in Cochabamba which sits at around 8,400 feet. Arlyn’s headache and nausea immediately disappeared as soon as the airplane landed in Cochabamba.
Cochabamba would serve as a good place to acclimatize before heading to the higher elevation destinations around Bolivia such as La Paz, Oruro and Uyuni. There is enough to see and do in three days which is typically what would be needed for higher elevation acclimatization. Here we describe what we were able to see and do in this under the tourist radar destination.
Activities
Cristo de la Concordia
Without a doubt, this would be the number one place to visit while in Cochabamba. The statue of Cristo de la Concordia is taller than Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue sits on top of the mountain which provides panoramic views of the city and the valleys below.
We took a taxi up and the teleferico down to minimize having to climb stairs. The teleferico station is at a lower elevation than the parking lot where our taxi dropped us off. If you do decide to take the teleferico up, there are about 100 steps that you have to tackle to get to the base of the statue. And you are close to about 9,000 feet in elevation, if not higher.
Gastronomy
Cochabamba is most famous for Silpancho which is a large, thin, breaded beef cutlet served over rice and fried potatoes, topped with a fried egg and sarsa. Another iconic dish is Pique Macho, a hearty platter of diced beef, sausages, peppers, onions, and French fries. We did not find any trouble finding these dishes in the restaurants we tried.
Seems like Cochabamba is a meat eater’s paradise. There are many grill places too around the city.
If you are the type who wants to sample something new, try some of the street food vendors or the ones of the stalls at Mercado 27 de Mayo. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you might be interested in popping into Westeros Cafe near the rotunda/park called Plazuela Construction. There you will find a replica of the coveted throne made of swords. Medieval wardrobes are even available to make your souvenir photo realistic.
Jardin Botanico Martin Cardenas
The Jardin Botanico is a nice place to take a break from all the exploring. The park has a collection of flowering shrubs and trees. There are many benches around the park that invite you to just take a break.
Though the road noise can still be heard, it was delightful to listen to some of the song birds that were present. And occasionally one would fly by as well as colorful butterflies. The park’s entrance is at the east end, near the corner of Calle R. Rivero Torrez and Ave Ruben Dario.
Letras de Cochabamba
You cannot leave Cochabamba without taking a selfie at Letras de Cochabamba. The sign is right in front of a small park.
Mercados
There are several markets or mercados in Cochabamba. We visited La Cancha, 25 de Mayo and 27 de Mayo. La Cancha is the biggest of the three. It goes on for blocks in both directions. You will find all kinds of stuff here and will take hours to explore. It is a very busy place and it was totally enjoyable to walk.
Mercado 25 de Mayo is a much smaller version of La Cancha. This market is only a couple of blocks square. There are several stores in the market but the variety of goods sold is nowhere close to what you will find at La Cancha.
Mercado 27 de Mayo is just across 25 de Mayo and is a food court that is about one fourth of a city block square. There are several cafeteria style restaurants here. The place was busy at noon.
Museo Convento de Santa Theresa
The former convent for nuns now turned into a museum is worth the time and visit while you are in the area. The entire convent is a museum. Scheduled guided tours in Spanish are provided which is included with the price of admission.
Our guide walked us through the convent’s different rooms. We went to its library that has a collection of books written in Latin. The guide showed a typical living quarter with its original hard mattress and a clothes chest made out of cow hide. We also visited the chapel, the kitchen and a few more that we could not remember. We even went up to the roof at the base of the cathedral’s dome for some nice city views.
The convent is open six days a week (closed on Sundays). There are set tour times. Our guide said the tour lasts anywhere between one to one and a half hour depending on the number of guests.
Parque dela Familia
Parque dela Familia is a city owned park that is a must visit in Cochabamba. The park has several fountains that are lit up at night so it is very popular in the evening. The water fountains vary in height and shape and are synchronized to music. There is one fountain where people are allowed to get soaked. There are also kiddie rides hence the park’s name.
The park opens at 12:30 PM and closes at 10PM. The evening light show begins at 7PM.
Plaza 14 de Septiembre
Plaza 14 de Septiembre is about a block and half away from Mercados 25 and 27 de Mayo. The park covers about a square city block and is surrounded by colonial style buildings painted in yellow and white. The park has several benches and is well shaded by trees. If you want to feed pigeons, this is the place to be.
At the park’s northeast corner where Calles Bolivar and Estefan Erza meet, there is an inconspicuous art gallery tucked in the building. The name of the gallery is Salon de Exposition Gildon de Expozana. If you love paintings, this gallery has a small collection, mainly portraits. It is free to enter but no photographs are allowed inside.
Ride the Buses and Trains
Cochabamba has colorful buses that go to different parts of the city. We rode the one that took us from Paseo el Prado to La Cancha market (bus number 25). The Cochabamaba station of the Metropolitan Train is not far from the market. The trains are modern and air conditioned much like the trains in Europe.
There are two train lines that leave from the Cochabamba station – red and green. We took the green line which goes all the way to the town of Suticollo to the west. The travel time in one direction takes about 1:15 hrs.
How To Get There
Cochabamba’s airport code is CBB. We found that flights between Bolivian cities are inexpensive and worth paying the extra cost than a long bus journey. Our actual flight time from Oruro to Cochabamba was only 20 minutes and we were able to get tickets the day we flew.
Cochabamba is also connected by several bus lines coming from other cities.
Where To Stay
We stayed in an AirBnB along Paseo el Prado which is a beautiful tree lined park that separates one of the major streets in the city. There are many restaurants within walking distance and even a supermarket (Hipermart) nearby.
How To Get Around
Riding taxis is by far the easiest way of getting around the city. The taxis here have no meter but we felt the drivers were honest and gave us a fair price. We did not feel the need to haggle.
There are minibuses and buses too. We rode a couple of those and it was definitely a new experience.
Expected Expenses
Costs are in Boliviano (Bs) and per person unless indicated otherwise.
Taxi Airport to Paseo El Prado: 35
Taxi Paseo El Prado to Christ La Concordia: 35 (gave the driver 40 as the road to the top of the mountain is cobbled instead of paved)
Christ La Concordia Teleferico: 7 up and 7 down
Parque dela Familia: 10
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Summary
Cochabamba City in Bolivia was such a nice find. We ended up in Cochabamba by necessity instead of being planned. The city sits in a valley at around 8,400 feet and is surrounded by mountains. If you are going to La Paz, Oruro or Uyuni, Cochabamba would be an ideal place to acclimatize.
There is enough to see and do in Cochabamba while acclimatizing. There are parks, plaza, markets, gardens and museums to visit. And you are a food buff, you come to the right place as the city is the gastronomical capital of Bolivia.
Whatever your desire is, whether experiencing something new, nice weather or good food, we are confident that you will have no regrets spending a few days in Cochambamba.