Tiwanaku & Puma Punku: UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Pre-Incan Civilizations
4.0
48 Ratings
La Paz
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Tiwanaku and Puma Punku in Bolivia. Discover the pre-Incan civilization, unique artistic style, and mysterious ruins of these ancient sites.
Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Tiwanaku - Itinerary

08:00/09:00 a.m. Hotel pick-up in the downtown area.
10:40 a.m. Tour Start in Tiwanaku, ruins and museums.
02:15 p.m. Lunch.
03:00 p.m. Return to the city.
04:00 p.m. Drop-off San Francisco Church.

Beginning with a visit to the Ceramic and Lithic museums, clients can visit the ancient and enigmatic archaeological ruins such as: Gate of the Sun, Kalasasaya Temple, The Semi-Subterranean Temple with nailed heads, Monoliths, the megalithic and mysterious ancient ruins of Puma Punku and other religious enclosures.

What's Included
  • Drop-off at San Francisco Church.
  • Round-trip transport.
  • Lunch included.
  • Professional bilingual guide (English/Spanish).
  • Entrance Fee to Tiwanaku.
  • Hotel pickup (selected hotels only) or meeting point.
What's Not Included
  • Drinks
  • Hotel drop-off
Additional Information

Tiwanaku is a pre-Incan city located in Bolivia and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The majority of archaeologists consider Tiwanaku as one of the pivotal locations that contributed to the formation of the Incan Empire, and it continues to be a captivating site for contemporary visitors. The distinctive artistic style of Tiwanaku exhibits intriguing figurative works, characterized by oversized heads. This style shares similarities with the Huari style, prevalent in the Andean region, and may have possibly evolved from the preceding Pukara style.

During the tour’s onset, visitors are guided to the Ceramic and Lithic museums before exploring the enigmatic and ancient archaeological sites such as the Gate of the Sun, Kalasasaya Temple, The Semi-Subterranean Temple festooned with nailed heads, monoliths, the enigmatic megalithic ruins of Puma Punku, and other spiritual precincts.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Adult pricing applies to all travelers.
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
Location
Maria Auxiliadora Church
Avenida 16 de Julio
Meeting point with prior announcement. pick up time: 8:30 a.m. The main gate of Maria Auxiliadora Church.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.0
(48 Ratings)
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Anaelisaav
Dec 8, 2023
I would come back every year if I could - This civilization from pre-colonial times is absolutely sensational and unmissable. Remaining and impressive monuments of the Tiwanaku culture. Not to mention that the passage through the Bolivian highlands is wonderful. It's certainly worth the visit. Lunch is a little poor if you include it in the tour. I recommend taking something to eat along the way, such as cookies, fruit and water. The sun is inclement, although it is not that hot, as it is very high there (about 4 thousand meters above sea level).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie_d
May 22, 2024
Interesting. - The departure was a but chaotic but nothing terrible. Overall it was a very interesting trip. The sites we visited had a lot of history and our guide was knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Rainer_g
Feb 8, 2024
Interesting and somewhat amusing - Very interesting tour. Our guide was a little infected by von Däniken, talking about levitation, telepathy, and trade networks to Egypt, Mesopotamia and India. Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing the fabulous masonry skills of the Tiwanaku people who seemed to be less engaged in warfare the the Inkas or Mayans.
Review provided by Viator
Wcitizen
Jan 23, 2024
Good in general but can improve. - Very unpunctual to leave and rigorous with the very limited times in each place. The vehicle needs maintenance because it looks like it is going to fall apart. The driver has no consideration for the passengers, he does not reduce speed enough on bumps or potholes. The guide is generally good, although perhaps it would be advisable for him to pay a little more attention to the tourists' questions or questions or, in his case, answer that he doesn't know. Lunch was good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C2519otismaelc
Jan 2, 2024
It is worth it - Great cultural experience. Very good to learn more about the rich history of pre-Columbian civilizations. Good place to buy handicrafts and have llama meat for lunch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_s
May 8, 2024
Only go if you are really into knowledgable about this site and its something have to see! - My pick up was on time but due to the rush hour traffic the rest were chaos, and after a hour in the bus I was almost back to where I started. I guide was very monotone and not very engaging, a little more enthusiasm wouldn’t have gone a miss as to be fair there is not a lot to see and I could have got out of it what I wanted in an hour (with no lunch) The food was good and plenty of options but my fried chicken did have a tiny bit of blood in it, fortunately it was spotted before I ate it but everyone else’s co looked ok. Again the drive back was through rush hour and prolonged. Not the tour company’s fault. The drop off was at one place maybe thdd ed pickup should have been too. But that is easy for me to say as the drop off was quite near my hotel,
Review provided by Viator
Hugh
Apr 6, 2024
Guide talked more on Spanish than English. - Parts of the tour was rushed. All of the signature was in Spanish so I would have expect our English guide to explain more but he spent more time explaining everything in Spanish, so by the end of the tour we were left wondering due to lack of information in English.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aurelien_t
Mar 28, 2024
Good but rushed - Really interesting site and definitely a must do in Bolivia but the pace was too fast and the whole tour felt rushed. Otherwise good.
Review provided by Viator
Matthew_d
Jan 15, 2024
Interesting historical site. Not an interesting tour. - The site itself was interesting. The tour was not the best. The group was big and for both Spanish and English speakers. This meant that the guide was constantly switching between languages making him hard to follow. The guide was knowledgeable, but seemed uninterested in the subject. At times the day was rushed.
Review provided by Viator
Charlene_s
Jan 19, 2024
Not a good/professional Tour Guide - Unfortunately the worst tour that I have ever had in South America. I bet the small ruins and the museums would have been a little bit more interesting if the tour guide was more enthusiastic. The place has not a lot to offer, but the tour guide seem rushed and not super excited to answer any questions. Do not expect much about the lunch neither. However, the worst thing about the whole tour was that the tour guide got off the bus 20 mins prior to our arrival. We were left on a crowded plaza without any directions or instructions how to get back to our places safe. Definitely not professional at all, if they going to drop us on certain place at least the tour guide should be there with us to provide guidance. The tour guide name was Leo.
Review provided by Viator
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