Tiahuanaco: Travel Guide

If you already decided to visit Tiahuanaco; You must know that its megalithic ruins are one of the archaeological wonders of South America; also the most visited by tourists from all over the world.

This Pre Inca culture; built the city of Tiahuanaco around the 3rd century BC. , becoming one of the most successful cities in the area. For reasons unknown, this civilization collapsed, leaving us incredible traces of its culture that have survived to this day.

Below we will give you all the important information so that you can visit this tourist destination.

What is the weather like in Tiahuanaco?

You should know that the climate in this Archaeological Complex is dry-cold; since it is located in the Bolivian altiplano and at 3,855 m.a.s.l. This allows for sudden changes in temperature throughout the day of your visit. The average temperature during the day varies between 15 ° c and 20 ° c, but after sunset they can drop to 0 ° c.

We recommend that you bundle up when you visit the ruins; We also recommend that you take your precautions with altitude sickness; you must drink plenty of water or have adequate mediation ready; We recommend that before visiting tourist destinations that are at this height, you can acclimatize before visiting them.

How to get to Tiahuanaco?

This archaeological monument; it is located on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca; and the two closest cities to this tourist destination are Puno (Peru) and La Paz (Bolivia).

In order to reach this destination, you can visit it from these 2 cities, depending on which of these cities you are in:

• Visit Tiahuanaco from La Paz (Bolivia): If you are in the city of La Paz; It will be easier to get to you because it is closer to Tiahuanaco; It will be only 1 hour of travel by bus or car to arrive.

From La Paz you can buy tours to visit Tiahuanaco.

If you want to take transportation to Tiahuanaco; There is public transportation and you can do it from the General Cemetery of La Paz; the price to pay will be approximately $ 2.

• Visit Tiahuanaco from Puno (Peru): If you have already visited Puno and the wonders you found there; It is time for you to visit Tiahuanaco and the way to get to this tourist destination is by taking a tour from the city of Puno (through this link).

If you do it on your own; you must travel by public transport or taxi to the border; in the city of Desaguadero and then take a bus to La Paz and this bus will drop you off near the ruins; you can stay in Tiahuanaco.

How long will you need to visit the ruins of Tiahuanaco?

You can visit Tiahuanaco in one day either from Puno or La Paz. You will have enough time to visit this tourist destination without any problem; hiring a FULL DAY tour. This tour will include food, entrance fees and guide, (you can check these two options that we offer you to visit Tiahuanaco)

If you travel on your own, a fact to take into account; it is the opening hours in Tiahuanaco; You should know that this place is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. so we advise you to go early, so you can get to know the whole place; if for some reason you cannot get transportation back to your point of origin; you can stay in the small town next to the ruins.

What can you see in Tiahuanaco?

Kalasasaya Complex: This place was also called the Temple of the Paradas stones, it was a religious place; built in the first centuries of our era. With an extension of 2 hectares, this ceremonial palace houses several of the most important structures of the complex; such as the Puerta del Sol, the Temple of the faces and the Ponce Monolith.

Pumapunku: It is the most interesting and most visited by tourists; Pumapunku is a monumental complex located southwest of Kalasasaya. Colossal structures can be found in Pumapunku, such as a western court without walls, a central esplanade, a mound of megalithic stones and some large walls. The attraction of this area is perfection with carved stones. Some of these rocks are perfectly smooth and form perfect angles.

Cat Museum and Tiahuanaco Lithic Museum: These two museums are located near the town of Tiahuanaco. Here you can see more detailed aspects, which are mainly reflected in their anthropomorphic vessels, they also have ceramics with animal shapes and kero vessels.

What to bring to Tiahuanaco?

There is a lot to see and walk, we can suggest the following basic tools:

• Water bottle.
• Sunscreen, uv-protected glasses, cap, be careful, solar radiation in the highlands is really strong.
• A light raincoat, the weather can change quickly.
• A personal medicine cabinet with altitude sickness and stomach medicine.