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Best ancient ruins destinations in South America

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Cusco
Gateway to the Incan Empire's Heart
8.4
Sacsayhuaman above Cusco is an Inca fortress with three zigzag walls built of giant stone blocks. Some boulders weigh more than 100 tons. Masons fit them together without mortar in tight patterns. Every June the Inti Raymi festival takes place on the wide grassy plaza in front of the walls.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Stroll through Plaza de Armas and admire colonial architecture
  • 🏔️ Take the train or trek to the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu
  • 🧱 Visit the ancient Inca site of Sacsayhuamán overlooking the city
Tiwanaku
Ancient pre-Incan civilization's mysterious ruins
6.5
The Gate of the Sun at Tiwanaku in Bolivia is carved from a single block of andesite stone. It stands about three metres tall and shows a central figure with rays. The site sits at about 3,850 metres near Lake Titicaca. Nearby stands the stepped Akapana pyramid and a temple courtyard.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Visit the Semi-Subterranean Temple with its carved stone faces
  • 🗻 Climb the Akapana pyramid, a terraced ceremonial platform
  • ⛩️ Explore the ancient Gateway of the Sun carved from stone
Easter Island
Mysterious Moai and Volcanic Landscapes
8.1
Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island has fifteen moai standing in a row on a stone platform. A tsunami in 1960 knocked them down and archaeologists restored them in the 1990s. The tallest reaches about nine metres. At sunrise the statues stand dark against the sky and the ocean.
Highlights:
  • ⛏️ Explore the Rano Raraku volcanic quarry of moai
  • 🏖️ Relax on the white sands of Anakena Beach
  • 🗿 Visit the massive moai statues at Ahu Tongariki
Machupicchu Pueblo
Gateway to the Inca wonder
7.7
Huayna Picchu is a steep peak that rises above the Inca citadel and the town of Machu Picchu Pueblo. Narrow stone stairs and cables climb to a small summit at 2,720 metres. Hikers look straight down on the ruins and the Urubamba River. A limited number of permits are issued each day.
Highlights:
  • ⛰️ Climb Huayna Picchu for breathtaking panoramic views
  • 🏯 Explore ancient Incan ruins including Temple of the Sun
  • 🌄 See Machu Picchu from the iconic Guardian’s House viewpoint
Caral-Supe
Americas' Oldest Known Urban Civilization
Caral in Peru is a city about 5,000 years old and one of the oldest known in the Americas. Six stepped pyramids rise from the desert of the Supe Valley. The Great Pyramid is about 28 metres tall. Builders left a plaza with circular courts and no pottery.
Highlights:
  • 🌄 Climb pyramids for panoramic views of Supe Valley
  • 📜 Discover Caral’s quipu artifacts and early record-keeping
  • 🏛️ Explore the Great Pyramid and ancient sunken plazas
Machu Picchu
Lost Inca city among clouds
The Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu has a curved stone wall built with tightly fitted blocks. A trapezoid window inside lines up with the sun at the winter solstice. Below the temple lies a cave with carved steps. The Inca used this place for rituals and astronomy.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Explore the ancient Inca temples and ceremonial sites
  • 🥾 Climb Huayna Picchu for panoramic mountain views
  • 🌅 Watch sunrise from the iconic Guardian’s House viewpoint
Nazca Lines
Mysterious geoglyphs etched across desert skies
The Nazca Lines in Peru are giant drawings cut into the desert floor between 500 BC and 500 AD. A hummingbird spans about 90 metres and a monkey about 100 metres. Small planes fly over the shapes to show their full outlines. A viewing tower beside the highway reveals a few figures.
Highlights:
  • 🏺 Visit the Chauchilla Cemetery to learn ancient burial rituals
  • 🚙 Explore the Nazca Desert on a guided jeep tour
  • ✈️ Fly over Nazca Lines for a breathtaking aerial view
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