La Paz is a good place to take a city sightseeing tour. It eliminates walking up steep streets and avoids the problems with the minibuses and taxis. One of the better options to get started is to take the city circle tour. This is a double-decker bus that runs on two fixed circuits. If you wish to do the whole sightseeing tour, the operators suggest you start at the Main Stop at the Plaza Isabel la Catolica.
The bus has a very sophisticated audio system which allows a simultaneous narration in 7 languages. Every seat has an individual selector for the language and complementary headphones are included for each passenger.
During the city tour, there are two stops of 10 minutes each: On the Downtown Circuit it is at "Mirador Killi Killi" and on the South Circuit it is at "Moon Valley". Neither is long enough to really see the place but it gives you an idea of where you wish to return to. The cost is BS 50 per circuit
An alternative is to do the four hour Flavour of La Paz tour. This operates in the afternoon. This visits Alonzo de Mendoza Sq, San Francisco church, Miraflores, Murillo Sq, Killi Killi and Moon Valley. Pick-up is from most city hotels and the entrance fee for Moon Valley is included. This operates all year with a bilingual guide.
A further option is the three-hour City Night Tour & Folkloric Show ‘La Paz the Enchanted City’ . This visits Main Plaza, Metropolitan Cathedral, Government Palace, and Mirador Killi Killi. The tour finishes in a restaurant with traditional Bolivian cuisine and a Folkloric show.
Rather than doing any of these we organised a private tour through a local agent. We were picked up at the hotel and then taken to Moon Valley and to a number of places within the city. We had an English-speaking guide and could determine exactly where we wanted to go and how long we stayed there. Naturally we sought the guide’s suggestions but ultimately it was our decision. While this cost more than the standard tour we felt that the advantages were many and would recommend this option highly.