Visit Tiwanaku ruins

Explore the extraordinary ruins of a wealthy ancient capital, an important precursor to the later Inca empire.

With Peru’s Incas and Machu Picchu stealing the limelight, the most intriguing and impressive ruins in Bolivia don’t enjoy mainstream fame and attention, but they delight those who come to visit them. The well-preserved archaeological site features impressive stone gateways, statues and walls evocatively adorned with faces.

This ancient city, founded over 2,000 years ago, was the capital of a sprawling empire that very much laid the foundations for the better-known Inca civilisation that came after. Tiwanaku flourished for some 500 years as a ceremonial complex of pyramids and opulent palaces, with a distinct social hierarchy and a mastery of mathematics, art and astronomy that is now thought to have been more advanced than that of the Incas.

Feel Tiwanaku’s history come to life and imagine how it must have looked and felt in its heyday. You can also visit the new museum on the site, housing artifacts uncovered during excavation.

Activity Rating: moderate