Cochabamba Department · Bolivia
Cochabamba travel guide
Cochabamba is a city in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia, home to about 632,000 people.
- Best months
- April to November
- Nearest airport
- CBB4 km · Jorge Wilsterman International Airport
- Currency
- BOBboliviano
- Time zone
- America/La Paz
- Language
- Aymara, Guarani, Quechua
About
About Cochabamba
Cochabamba (Aymara and Quechua: Quchapampa) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 661,484 according to the 2024 Bolivian census.
Cochabamba's history is long and colorful with the indigenous population having inhabited the Cochabamba Valley for millennia. Indigenous peoples in the area included Tiwanaku, Tupuraya, Mojocoya, Omereque, and, at the time the Spanish arrived, the Inca. Cochabamba was an important agricultural community, and the Inca used it as a source of maize (corn). During the Spanish colonial era, the city continued to be an agricultural hub, providing food and wood to nearby mining communities. Cochabamba was established as a Spanish city in 1571.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Cochabamba
See
- Cristo de la Concordia
- Martín Cárdenas Botanical Garden
- Medical Museum
- Museo Archeologico
- Museo Convento Santa Teresa
- Natural History Museum "Alcide d'Orbigny"
- Parque de la Familia
- Plaza Colon
- Plaza de Armas, September 14
- Plaza de Las Banderas
- Simón I. Patiño Cultural Center
Do
- Teleférico
- Cinecenter
- mARTadero
- Parque Mariscal Santa Cruz
- Felix Capriles Stadium
- AndeseXtremo
- Tunari National Park
- Laguna La Angostura
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Cochabamba
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Cochabamba are April to November. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 21 °C; January is the wettest, with about 140 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Cochabamba: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Jorge Wilsterman International Airport (CBB), about 3.7 km from the city centre in a straight line; Juan Mendoza International Airport (ORU, 116 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
The terminal is some 10 blocks south of the center, just north of the market called La Cancha. From the north, you can catch several trufi lines to get to the bus terminal. For example, the green 101, the 102, the 103, the 109, all travel along Av. Ayacucho, passing the bus terminal. At the north end of the terminal, there are radio taxis associated with the terminal. These are much more convenient to get to your destination. If you are traveling with a lot of luggage, it is not recommended that you exit the main terminal to catch a bus.
Getting around
Cochabamba has buses (micros), mini-vans (trufis) and shared cabs (taxi-trufis) that run along fixed routes. There are no set stops and in order to get off, you must say "me bajo" (I want to get off) or "esquina" (for stop at the corner). Fares are Bs. 3 (Apr 2026). (Many drivers do not have adequate change, so do not be surprised if you do not receive change). Most cars honking at you are cabs. Ask and negotiate the fare before entering a cab. According to regulations that aren't very well publicized (some mentions in the local press), the price should be Bs.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CBB · Jorge Wilsterman International Airport
ORU · Juan Mendoza International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Cochabamba
Eat
Lunchtime usually consists of a fixed menu at a number of restaurants or pensiones around time. The "almuerzo completo" consists of soup + main dish and often an appetizer and dessert. There are many options to find the menu displayed outside the door, usually consisting of your choice of two soups or 2-3 main dishes. This fixed menu varies in price depending on the part of town, and could run between Bs. 15-25. Silpancho is traditional Bolivian dish that supposedly originates from Cochabamba. Thanks to the city's origin as an agricultural center for mining communities, Cochabamba claims to have the best food in Bolivia.
Drink
The best chicha, fermented corn (or peach) based beverage, is said to come from the Cochabamba region. The small town of Punata, some distance to the southwest, is especially well-known. Please note that not all chicherías have the same hygienic standards.
Stay safe
Cars rarely give preference to pedestrians, even at crosswalks. Don't assume they will stop. When getting into a cab late at night, it is best to call a radio taxi which you can get from friends, a local family, or the hostal you are staying at. If you cannot call a mobile radio to pick you up, make sure to take a taxi with a company name on the side and remember that company in case anything happens so that you can report it to them. It is best to ask a hotel, restaurant, bar, or discoteca to call a taxi for you. Roving gangs of supposed glue sniffers (cleferos) are known to attack and rob people, especially at night. Stay on streets with ample pedestrian traffic.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Cochabamba: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Cochabamba?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Cochabamba are April to November. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 21 °C; January is the wettest, with about 140 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Cochabamba?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Jorge Wilsterman International Airport (CBB), about 3.7 km from the city centre in a straight line; Juan Mendoza International Airport (ORU, 116 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Cochabamba?
boliviano (BOB).
Nearby
Destinations near Cochabamba
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.