Chavín de Huántar Archaeological Monument

A long bus ride from Huaraz (over 2 hours each way) but an incredible experience! We travelled through farmland and into the stunning Huascaran National park. Stopped at a glacial lake (has the second scariest toilet in Peru) and drove some treacherous roads, but the site is a masterpiece of pre-Incan architecture and religious symbolism. We checked out the Lanzón Monolith, underground galleries which we able to walk through, ceremonial plazas and intricate stone carvings. The archeological site is truly amazing but be prepared for a long drive.

Fabulous, well researched and maintained historical site revealing critical insights about the development of civilization in the region. Easily accessed from the town.

Fascinating to explore! The museum leaves a little to be desired

This is a fantastic experience to see the site. 15 soles entry. A few hours from Huaraz by public transport (15 soles each way). Caution: during the long often unnerving, winding route, you reach high altitudes and must take a day or two to adjust to elevation before attempting to cross the mountain. A museum with objects taken from the site is on the other side of town. The site dates from 1500BC, and has been used since long before, though signage explains most the main structures are 800s BC. They do not allow you to climb most stairs or explore a significant portion of the site, and some paths are controlled for continued excavations. You mostly see things from the other side of a fence. But in some moments you get to interact with the site and go down passageways etcetera. The environment is gorgeous, as you're surrounded 360° by mountains. Don't miss out heading down to the creek that surrounds the site on two sides to enjoy the tranquility by the edge of the flowing stream still going 3000 years later.

Fascinating historical site to discover the Chavin people. You’ll need a tour guide to get the most out of it and understand the surroundings. The signs are in Spanish and English. The most fascinating part of the site are the underground tunnels. Several of the tunnels don’t allow photos so the place is even more interesting than the photos you see online would suggest.

Experience the Chavin culture in this historic pre-inca landmark

I can't give this site less than 3 stars because even though it was closed, I'm fairly confident I will rate it 5 stars if/when I revisit and have the opportunity to go inside with a tour guide. Unesco world heritage site 330. Be careful visiting as they seem to close randomly and have weird visiting hours/days. May require a reservation/appointment. 2022.08.20 0429 PET-RMN update: Interesting, I didn't read my own note as we went there on Tuesday 2022.08.16 (~8 hour drive by car from Lima) and it was closed due to a recent landslide in the area (~2 weeks prior). We did not call in advance or attempt to make reservations. However, we were able to see the u shaped complex, main temple (from the outside), and sunken plaza. We could also see the fanged deity from pretty close, taking pictures from over the wall. The fanged deity is much larger than I thought. I anticipated that it would be around 6-8 inches in diameter but it was more like 3-4 feet in diameter. If we have the opportunity, we should revisit to take the tour and see the museum located in the town of Chavin, as it was also closed. Tickets/tours include the ability to go inside the temple and view the several meter high stone rock pillar (obelisk) with partially transformed fanged deity carvings.

One of my most favorite ancient temple in the world. Together with Carnac in Egypt and temples in Malta. Juts breathtaking.