Tiwanaku & Puma Punku Tour: UNESCO Ruins with Guide

Eight hours to walk through pre-Incan ruins most archaeologists call the key to understanding the Incan Empire

A private eight-hour tour of Tiwanaku and Puma Punku, UNESCO World Heritage sites near La Paz, with a bilingual guide, entrance tickets and hotel pickup. You visit the Ceramic and Lithic museums, then walk the Gate of the Sun, Kalasasaya Temple, the Semi-Subterranean Temple and the massive precisely-cut stones of Puma Punku. Lunch and water are included. The tour runs from 8 a.m. hotel pickup through 4:30 p.m. drop-off.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Tiwanaku ruins and museums

• 08:00 a.m. Hotel pick up
• 09:30 a.m. Start tour at Tiwanaku
• Visit Ceramic and Lithic museums
• See Gate of the Sun
• Explore Puma Punku ruins
• Visit Kalasasaya Temple and Semi-Subterranean Temple
• View monoliths and religious enclosures
• 02:00 p.m. Lunch
• 03:00 p.m. Return to city
• 04:30 p.m. Drop-off at hotel

The experience

Tiwanaku sits on the Altiplano near La Paz as a pre-Incan city archaeologists recognize as one of the foundational sites leading to the Incan Empire. The tour starts with the Ceramic and Lithic museums, where you see the distinctive artistic style Tiwanaku is known for: figurative pieces with exaggerated heads that appear nowhere else. Then you move to the ruins themselves: the Gate of the Sun, a megalithic solid stone arch; the Kalasasaya Temple; and the Semi-Subterranean Temple with its nailed heads carved into the walls. Each site sits within the broader archaeological complex, and your guide explains the layout and the culture that built it.

Puma Punku, whose name translates to Doorway of the Puma, is the second major stop. It is a terraced earthen mound faced with massive stone blocks: 167 metres wide along its north-south axis and 117 metres along its east-west axis. What makes Puma Punku stand apart is the precision of the stone cutting and placement. The blocks fit together with an exactness that still puzzles modern engineers. Your guide walks you through the site and points out how the stones were worked and positioned without the tools later civilizations would have. Lunch happens at 2 p.m., and you're back at your hotel by 4:30 p.m.

The tour is private, so the pace and the time spent at each site follow your interests rather than a group schedule. Your guide speaks English and Spanish, and pickup from your La Paz hotel is included. The entrance tickets to both Tiwanaku and Puma Punku are covered, along with a box lunch that includes water and chocolate.

What’s included

• Private transport round trip from your La Paz hotel.
• entrance tickets to both Tiwanaku and Puma Punku.
• a specialized bilingual guide in English or Spanish.
• a box lunch with water and chocolate.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (5 to 80 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 18 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Inti Travel

Is this one for you?Private service means you set the pace at each ruin and spend as long as you want at Puma Punku's massive stones or the Gate of the Sun, rather than moving with a group schedule. The eight-hour window fits the full day without rushing, and hotel pickup eliminates the need to arrange your own transport to the Altiplano.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What is the Gate of the Sun at Tiwanaku?

The Gate of the Sun is a megalithic solid stone arch constructed by the Tiwanaku culture. It stands as one of the most recognizable structures at the site and is a primary stop on the tour.

How large are the stones at Puma Punku?

Puma Punku is built from massive blocks fitted with extraordinary precision. The site itself spans 167 metres along its north-south axis and 117 metres along its east-west axis, with individual stones cut and placed so exactly that they remain a subject of archaeological study.

What museums do I visit before the ruins?

The tour includes the Ceramic and Lithic museums at the start. These museums hold artifacts that show the distinctive artistic style of Tiwanaku, particularly the figurative pieces with exaggerated heads that define the culture.

Is hotel pickup included in this tour?

Yes, the tour includes private transport and hotel pickup in La Paz. You are picked up at 8 a.m. and dropped back at your hotel at 4:30 p.m.

What is included in the lunch?

Lunch is a box meal that includes water and chocolate. It happens at 2 p.m., roughly midway through the tour.