Tanka Tanka & Zepita Excursion

Learn about the myths of the ancient Lupaka culture in one of its most representative cities with this excursion to Tanka Tanka & Zepita from Puno. You'll also visit the church of San Pedro and San Pablo in this region of Peru.

Tanka Tanka & Zepita Excursion

After picking you up at your hotel in Puno at 8 am, we'll head southwest and travel 170 kilometers by bus.

Near the border of Peru and Bolivia, we'll stop at the archaeological complex of Tanka Tanka. Here we'll learn about the Lupaka culture, which settled in the southern highlands of Puno around 1100 AD. The Lupaka were among the peoples that emerged after the split of the Tiwanaku empire, like the Qolla, Pacajes and Omasuyos.

As we approach Tanka Tanka, you'll notice its curious shape. The name Tanka Tanka derives from a Quechua word for an insect. There, we will find huge blocks of carved stone, which form a fortress consisting of walls and chulpas, or funerary towers.

We'll admire the chulpas and explore other structures among the remains, including a temple dedicated to the idol Tanka and ancient hydraulic engineering systems. We may also see cave paintings!

After the site visit, we'll stop for a typical lunch consisting of vegetable soup, a first course of meat, fish, or legumes, and herbal tea.

Next, we'll go to the district of Zepita, where we'll visit emblematic sites like the colonial temple of San Pedro and San Pablo, a church with an amazing façade adorned with high reliefs.

Finally, we will return to Puno and take you back to your hotel, arriving between 3 and 4 pm.