Chacaltaya & Valley of the Moon
4
Chacaltaya & Valley of the Moon
By Buhos Tours
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About
The trip that we made consists of having beautiful memories of the Chacaltaya mountain which facilitated the ascent to this, venturing us in the altitude until reaching the top 5400 msnm later this tour is combined with the Valley of the Moon that we will cross all the city to arrive, once arrived we will feel that we have reached a place like the moon with incredible formations of the eroded earth.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-80, max of 15 per group
Duration: 7h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Shared Tourist Transport
- Bilingual guide
- Entry/Admission - La Paz
- Entry/Admission - La Paz
What's not included- It does not include snack but we make a stop to buy and take what you need.
- Gratuities
- Tickets USD 5. (Cash only)
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- For the meeting point the schedule may vary, where you will receive a confirmation of approximately one hour.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Iglesia San Francisco
- Oficina Buhos Tours
- Iglesia Maria Auxiliadora
- Estacion de buses (terminal)
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 171598P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 171598P2
From
$27.99
per adult
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Itinerary
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Granite J0 contributionsA “do not miss” tour for people who like hiking and being outdoors in exquisite and unusual places!We had an incredible hiking day with our lovely and super capable guide, Patricia! She picked us up from our hotel in the south part of La Paz and drove us to two stunning hiking canyons. The first was Palca Canyon, which is known as the Grand Canyon of Bolivia. The hike was about 1.5 hours (8,000 steps?) We took hiking poles which helped immensely over the rocks of the river bed and the climb down into the dry riverbed. The canyon was majestic and inspiring. The second hike was at the Valle de las Animas (Valley of the Souls), the canyon’s name is based on a legend. (Hike was about an hour and less intense hiking than the first one). It is a place that is so unreal you feel like it is not of this world. The eroding spires were out of a space movie set. Patricia guided our every step. She told us of the history and legends…as well as adding personal antidotes of the area. We highly recommend this half day trip for those you love the outdoors, hiking and seeing the exquisite unbelievable (and highly unusual) beauty of nature. Great day, great tour! Glad we didn’t miss it! We were practically the only people in both canyons!Written February 12, 2025
- 305blerimi0 contributionsHighly recommendedVery good traveling agency. The staff is very friendly. Highly recommended agency. Honest, very professional and veryWritten October 24, 2024
- Z289DTannien0 contributionsAMAZING TRIP!The price was really good and the trip was very organised. In addition, the personnel was amazing and friendly! Lots of memories from Bolivia for sure! Definitely would highly recommend!Written October 24, 2024
- rodentmaniac0 contributionsTiwanaku tourWe were told we would be picked up at our hotel between 845am to 9am. We waited until 920am when our guide Leo finally showed up, but the van is parked somewhere else due to bad traffic jam, so we had to walk 860m (based on GPS) to reach the van where the rest of the guests were already waiting. Overall I find our guide Leo lacking in enthusiasm. He seems to have the knowledge but just doesn't have the passion for this job. The tour was quite rush and it would be better if we can spend more time at the museums to browse through the exhibits in greater details.Written November 15, 2023
- 77lorif0 contributionsTiwanaku worth a visit. Unengaged guide. Crowded small bus.Tiwanaku was worth a visit but we were disappointed with the lack of leadership and engagement from our guide Leo. There was no viewpoint stop as per the itinerary. In the first “scene setting” museum, our guide took us in the exit (so chronologically backwards through the museums and we only saw the big time picture as we exited through the entrance). The story would have fallen in to place had we had we gone the right way around. The English was good but mumbled and so le we couldn’t hear him- he did offer to explain to us on the side after we asked if he could speak louder… Some of the exhibits were labelled in English so we could figure a few things out. We both understand a lot of Spanish but the detail here is important. Outside we also went around the large site backwards (one way only signs) - also it would have been better the right way so we could see the site overview from up high first rather than last… He was knowledgeable but there was no presence… Lunch fine. We arrived back an hour later than expected which was fine for us but may be useful to know if you’re on a tight schedule.Written October 17, 2023
- Hailsk24110 contributionsDO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.Would not recommend this company - Was told to be here at 8am. Guide never turned up. At 845 I asked what was going on. Turns out the tour was never running but he was trying to move me onto another tour that failed. He then refused to give me my money back but said he’d help me find another tour. Why would anyone trust a company that lies so blatantly to people and wastes a day of their holiday because he lies.Written September 4, 2023
- Tara L0 contributionsWorth the watch!The actual show was incredible, lots of theatrics & great entertainment. The cholitas are fun & get the audience involved. I would rate this 5 stars if this only included the wrestling & not the tour company. Pick up was extremely chaotic & confusing, no one really communicated what was going on & we partially wished we had just taken a taxi to the event.Written August 26, 2023
- 745miguels0 contributionsSites to visitThe areas visited were amazingly beautiful, the guide was amazing, my only concern is the travel time spent on the bus to and from the sites from La Paz. Also the the time spent on the boat to and from Copacabana. My suggestion to anyone visiting this sites, stay in Copacabana for a day or two.Written June 15, 2023
- ped_anip0 contributionsGood informative guide. Good value tourWe had a very good day with Omar at Tiwanaku ruins. Pick up was on time, it took us about 1.5h to get to the archeological ruins, then we visit the 2 museums and the ruins later. Omar add a lot of information both in the museums and the ruins. We had plenty of time in every stop and the group was quite small. Do not expect great in depth ruins as only 30% is excavated, but the interesting information that Omar added was decisive to understand the importance of this civilization in this region. The tour is about 6-7h, a short and nice tour from La Paz that we highly recommend. The lunch is in a local restaurant, nice food and not expensive.Written February 26, 2023
- gtuk500 contributionsModerate hike .. but come with suitable clothing as weather at this height is changeableModerate hike but spoilt by the horrible weather - cold, sleet and drizzle. We were given walking poles as aids which were useful. Because of the altitude and weather I didn’t go right to the top - I got slight breathless but was fine. The trip was well organised but it is a very bumpy one hour ride along a track to get to where the walk starts.Written February 6, 2023
- jenseriously0 contributionsGood way to get to the Cholita's showThe Cholita's show is quite far from the city center. Buhos provided easy and reliable transportation to get there, and managed the tickets.Written October 9, 2022
- PaulineURT0 contributionsGreat overall+ : flexible (they pick you up at your hôtel), lunch was great with local good - : really quick (especially the museum parts). We were two people, one speaking fluently spanish and we noticed that the explanations were shorter/not complete in english. It could be better to have a tour in english and one in spanish separated because it was really long when the guide speaks in both langages... (We had lunch at 1.30pm, for a departure of La Paz at 8.30am)Written September 5, 2022
- micheleg5340 contributionsGreat tour, over an hour wait for pick up!The tour itself was excellent, especially the tour guide Teresa. She was very knowledgeable about the site, gave detailed explanations about the history and meaning of the ruins. But there was a communication problem with pickup. I waited for more than an hour and was calling and emailing the agency trying to find out was going on. Apparently, the pick up location was incorrectly communicated to the driver. I would suggest that the agency collect whatsapp numbers from all participants and COMMUNICATE with us if there is a problem or delay.Written June 12, 2022
- LouiseOliveira000 contributionsBad guideDid the Chacaltaya + Moon Valley and Tiwanaku with the guide Leo and he was the worst guide I had in South America. The guy just seemed in a bad mood all the time, like he didn’t want to be there. Didn’t talk or explain much of the places we visited. Not to mention they were 1 hour late for pick up both days (and I was the first pickup both days). For Chacaltaya the bus had no safety belt, and the road up the mountain is quite narrow and windy. The Tiahuanacu tour was 2 hours shorter than what was sold. The pickup was 1 hour late from what I was told (and I was on the first pickup of the day), and we left for La Paz 1 hour earlier than the time I was told we should be getting back. There was virtually no free time in the museum and in the archeological site, and we didn’t visit one of the 3 museum included in the entrance we payed. The guide Leo was rushing all the time with no need, which caused the tour to be shorter than expected. Overall, a very bad guide and a very superficial visit. It would have been better going by myself and hiring a guide in the place.Written March 14, 2020
- YogaDiva0 contributionsGood but could be great.I enjoyed by visit to Tiwanaku. The pickup downtown was on-time and the bus was comfortable. We were a mixed group of Spanish and English speakers and the guide did his best to accommodate both. However, as someone who speaks a little Spanish, I found the Spanish explanations more detailed than the English, where some detail was lost. I enjoyed the 2 museums but wished we had more free time to explore the artifacts. The site itself was small but Interesting. Here, we were given enough time to explore and take photos. Only 30% of the site is excavated and there is still much that is not known, so don’t expect in-depth explanations; archeologists are still exploring. Lunch was great!! Delicious quinoa soup to start, then a meat/fish of your choice and a veggie buffet of tomatoes, plantains, carrots rice, fries, etc. I ate very well. My only disappointment was the drop-off in La Paz where we were left a 15 min walk to the main Plaza and 30 min to the nearest Teleferico. La Paz can be confusing and I didn’t feel we were given enough direction of where to go. I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Overall, I enjoyed the tour, the price was right and I learned more about pre-Incan civilizations. Thank you for a lovely day.Written January 24, 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
28 reviews
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15
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6
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julia s
5 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
No issues at all booking with Buho Tours. Juan was a great guide & the driver carefully made his way up the very poor road to Chacaltaya ‘ghost’ ski resort & we made our way to the top. Be aware that the ‘toilet’ has not been flushed since 2005 & is literally the worst thing ever! Views from the top of the mountain are well worth the huffing to get there (but a fairly easy walk - we are mid fifties & had no problems). Take extra warm clothes obvious. We had a great time
Written October 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa E
Zurich, Switzerland6 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
The views on this tour were quite nice. The group was nice as well, so overall I had a good time.
However I didn't feel like the guide was particularly eager to share any information, and most of the day the group wandered alone in the locations (which is generally not a problem, but then I'd rather not pay for a guided tour).
However I didn't feel like the guide was particularly eager to share any information, and most of the day the group wandered alone in the locations (which is generally not a problem, but then I'd rather not pay for a guided tour).
Written April 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ana Elisa AV
Sao Paulo, SP50 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
An unmissable tour for mountaineers, but we must be warned: the altitude of Chacaltaya makes each step a challenge to reach the top, which is more than 5,400 meters. The wind is freezing up there, so be protected. The visit to Vale da Lua is calmer, as it is around 3 thousand meters, but it is unmissable. The geological formation is incredible. The only warning is regarding the sun, which is inclement. Don't forget to bring a hat or cap.

Written November 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stefrass1991
Wetteren, Belgium3 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Worst trip we did in our 3-month tour in South-America.
Started with the morning. When the 2 vans are full and we're outside the city, Leo then tells the group that the Moon valley is closed, not reachable by car because of a flood (which they knew for weeks). The tour then changed by visiting a snowy mountain (nobody had clothes or shoes for it, nor gloves). We did a lot of dangerous things in our lives but this was the worst! He "leads" you to a mountain which was so slippery and steap it was actually life threatening. By "leading" i mean he points where to go and then stays behind at a safe place. The 1,5h drive to the mountain was as safe and irresponsible as the hike. No seatbelts and very unsafe. Now that everybody's shoes and socks are wet, we go visit some other places to fill up the time. The guide Leo had 2 stuffed vans to guide, which was way to much to have oversight on everybody on the mountain.
We still don't understand why we had to pay 15 bob cash in the busdrive for the entrance of the Moon valley when we didn't even visit it.
Also, the 'what to bring' are totally wrong. Here's for you who still choses this company (reminder, don't!):
Bring: your lunch (instead of snacks), 1 hiking tenue that you wear, sunscreen and -glasses and especially coca leaves. They don't foresee it and just casually mention that it's best that you had brought some (which indeed would help for the nausia on top of the mountain at 5300m).
Tip: if they say to you the Moon valley is closed that day, step out of the car and take a uber home.
What a waste of a day, useless...
Do not take this company!
Started with the morning. When the 2 vans are full and we're outside the city, Leo then tells the group that the Moon valley is closed, not reachable by car because of a flood (which they knew for weeks). The tour then changed by visiting a snowy mountain (nobody had clothes or shoes for it, nor gloves). We did a lot of dangerous things in our lives but this was the worst! He "leads" you to a mountain which was so slippery and steap it was actually life threatening. By "leading" i mean he points where to go and then stays behind at a safe place. The 1,5h drive to the mountain was as safe and irresponsible as the hike. No seatbelts and very unsafe. Now that everybody's shoes and socks are wet, we go visit some other places to fill up the time. The guide Leo had 2 stuffed vans to guide, which was way to much to have oversight on everybody on the mountain.
We still don't understand why we had to pay 15 bob cash in the busdrive for the entrance of the Moon valley when we didn't even visit it.
Also, the 'what to bring' are totally wrong. Here's for you who still choses this company (reminder, don't!):
Bring: your lunch (instead of snacks), 1 hiking tenue that you wear, sunscreen and -glasses and especially coca leaves. They don't foresee it and just casually mention that it's best that you had brought some (which indeed would help for the nausia on top of the mountain at 5300m).
Tip: if they say to you the Moon valley is closed that day, step out of the car and take a uber home.
What a waste of a day, useless...
Do not take this company!
Written March 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zara T
3 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We decided to book with this company based off of the extremely high reviews on Google but that was a mistake. We decided to do the Chacaltaya & Valley of the Moon tour and paid B$120 (€17) each. We were collected on time and everything seemed to be going well until at least half way through the tour, at Chacaltaya, we were informed that the Valley of the Moon was closed today by the government. Our main purpose of doing this tour was to see this landmark so understandably we, along with the rest of the group, were quite annoyed. The tour company tried to salvage this by taking us to the Valley of the Moon after Chacaltaya, even though it was not open. We ended up standing outside the railings looking in for 15 minutes.
Once we got back to La Paz, we went to the tour agency and asked them for a 50% refund (B$60 each). The lady who worked there called her manager and ended up offering us B$20 each - which quite frankly is insulting. We explained that we only received half of the tour so we should only have to pay for half. They told us it’s cheaper to go to Valley of the Moon and you can easily go yourself from La Paz which indicated they were overcharging and generally ripping people off. The lady explained that they had only been notified this morning about it being closed to which we responded that they had our phone numbers and they should have informed us once they received notification of this.
In the end, they told us a manager would come and we could speak to them so we told them we would wait for them to arrive. After 30 minutes, the lady we had been dealing with told us that she could give us B$30 each, to which we refused. We asked if the manager was coming and she said she wasn’t sure. That annoyed us even more to be honest as clearly the management do not care about their customers. The lady we were dealing with was the face of this company but ultimately didn’t make the decisions. She offered us B$40 each which we eventually agreed to as there was no sign of the manager showing up.
Overall I would not recommend this company. They clearly don’t care about their customers and hold no responsibility if things don’t go right. I understand that the closure of the Valley of the Moon was out of their hands but they should have notified us immediately and have offered a part refund straight away. We shouldn’t of had to go to the office and argue about how things were handled so poorly and ultimately stay there until we were part refunded.
Once we got back to La Paz, we went to the tour agency and asked them for a 50% refund (B$60 each). The lady who worked there called her manager and ended up offering us B$20 each - which quite frankly is insulting. We explained that we only received half of the tour so we should only have to pay for half. They told us it’s cheaper to go to Valley of the Moon and you can easily go yourself from La Paz which indicated they were overcharging and generally ripping people off. The lady explained that they had only been notified this morning about it being closed to which we responded that they had our phone numbers and they should have informed us once they received notification of this.
In the end, they told us a manager would come and we could speak to them so we told them we would wait for them to arrive. After 30 minutes, the lady we had been dealing with told us that she could give us B$30 each, to which we refused. We asked if the manager was coming and she said she wasn’t sure. That annoyed us even more to be honest as clearly the management do not care about their customers. The lady we were dealing with was the face of this company but ultimately didn’t make the decisions. She offered us B$40 each which we eventually agreed to as there was no sign of the manager showing up.
Overall I would not recommend this company. They clearly don’t care about their customers and hold no responsibility if things don’t go right. I understand that the closure of the Valley of the Moon was out of their hands but they should have notified us immediately and have offered a part refund straight away. We shouldn’t of had to go to the office and argue about how things were handled so poorly and ultimately stay there until we were part refunded.
Written July 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good afternoon Zaratho,
Inform you that the travel agency cannot control all unforeseen events such as the government that has not notified the tourism companies that they were going to close the Valle de la Luna tourist site, however we took them around Encina giving them a refund, truly a trip not complete but if we took responsibility for the activity and taking you to the place to the valley of the moon that you saw that it was closed.
In any case, we will take action on the matter with the government so that it does not happen again, we are sorry that you have not visited and you can also understand our situation if we comply with the service.
Cordially,
Paolo ROCA
Written July 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rob
3 contributions
Avoid. There’s plenty of other agencies you can book with on the same road. Booked a tour to specifically see The Valley of The Moon and then was told halfway through our tour that it was closed for the day. Most of the group had booked the tour to only see that so we were a pretty unhappy group. We had to argue for 30 minutes once we went to the agency to get some money back, which seemed to be totally the fault of management.
Overall it doesn’t seem like they particularly care about the experience their customers have and it’s more of a cash grab situation. I should say the guide and the staff were nice but it seems like management have final say and are just in it for the money. A shame!
Overall it doesn’t seem like they particularly care about the experience their customers have and it’s more of a cash grab situation. I should say the guide and the staff were nice but it seems like management have final say and are just in it for the money. A shame!
Written July 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good morning Mr Robs,
We are a serious legal company with years of experience, I clarify that day of your trip the municipal government had not notified that they were going to close the tourist attraction, in which we took them to Valle de Luna seeing that if it was indeed closed to compensate we took them to its surroundings. I understand that it is not the same to do the walk inside than only from the outside, however we complied in visiting them to the two attractions without any way of scamming them.
I'm sorry if the attraction was closed but these are things that get out of our hands and I hope you see the situation and understand.
Sincerely,
Paolo ROCA
Written July 24, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sharon
3 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
I took the tour a day after arriving la Paz. It’s not enough time to acclimatize myself to the altitude, not to mention to take this tour without preparation. It’s a great tour if you enjoy hiking and challenging yourself.
Written June 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christian R
39 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
Two extremes! Chacaltaya is a challenge. The altitude must be taken into account. 5400m is reached. By minibus on an unpaved road with very tight bends and considerable shaking, it goes up to 5150m, the rest has to be climbed, I (62) had to stop every 50 meters. At that altitude I still had 50% of the normal air pressure. But I made it and the view is spectacular 360 degrees. A highlight of my trip.
The Valley of the Moon is almost 3000m lower. Bizarre formations. Unusual
The Valley of the Moon is almost 3000m lower. Bizarre formations. Unusual

Written June 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rayssa F. C
1 contribution
May 2023 • Solo
Amazing landscape!! If you are afraid of heights or have problems breathing in high altitudes, don’t go
Written May 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ran G
4 contributions
You travel with a very small local private bus (not 4x4) over a Death-road to the top of 5000 meters. There is only a space of 0,5 meters between the bus and the abyss of 200 meters. thrillseekers from all over the world come to this place to have this thrilling adventure ! The road is very rocky so you get your massage for free !
When you arrive at the abandoned ski resort you have to climb 400 meters more on a steep hill, so adventure again !
We loved this trip 🤛🏻
When you arrive at the abandoned ski resort you have to climb 400 meters more on a steep hill, so adventure again !
We loved this trip 🤛🏻
Written February 17, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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