Potosi - Active Mine Tour - Half Day -
4.3

Potosi - Active Mine Tour - Half Day -

By Inti Travel
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Ages 12-65, max of 6 per group
Duration: 3h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More


  • Specialized Bilingual Guide.
  • Transport.
  • Necessary equipment for the mine tour (helmet, boots, pants, jacket and lamp)
  • Entry/Admission - Cerro Rico
What's not included
  • Gifts for miners.
  • Tips.
  • Extra drinks.


Start:
  • National Mint of Bolivia, C66W+C8W, Ayacucho, Villa Imperial de Potosí, Bolivia
    Meeting point, prior announcement. at 9:00 a.m. The main gate of Museum "Casa de la Moneda" on Ayacucho Avenue. +Drop off time 12:00 p.m.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 85529P16

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
    • Most travellers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 85529P16

    From
    AU$62.53
    per adult
    Select date and travellers
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • C66W+C8W, Ayacucho, Villa Imperial de Potosí, Bolivia
      Meeting point, prior announcement. at 9:00 a.m. The main gate of Museum "Casa de la Moneda" on Ayacucho Avenue. +Drop off time 12:00 p.m.
    • 1
      Itinerary After getting picked up from downtown and before reaching the “Cerro Rico” (Rich Hill), make a little stop at the Mining Market, the most attractive in the area. Have some free time to buy some dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves as a present for miners to be visited inside the mine. The mines visited are located at the base of the historical Rich Hill of Potosí. Inside, appreciate the system of miners’ work that has not suffered great changes after so much time of exploitation. Touring the different galleries and interior levels of the mines, visitors can meet some places where the miners built statues that represent to their gods as The Uncle of the Mine (the devil). Visitors also can see the mineral veins that are a group of rocks and chemical formations of minerals, chimneys, apart from having an experiential sharing time with the miners and observing the different work methods that they carry out every day.
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Inti Travel
      4.2 of 5 bubbles88
      La Paz, Bolivia
      Joined in January 2018
    • 253barbc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A long awaited visit! Loved it!
      Juan was an excellent guide. So knowledgeable, passionate and friendly. The lunch was delicious and our time at the sites were wonderful. Possibly could have used a little more ‘free time’ in the museum. Thank you Juan!
      Written 5 February 2025
    • C4732MWroberts
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Out of This World
      I had initially planned to tour Tiwanaku and Puma Punku solo, and save a buck by just hiring a driver for the day… That would have been a huge mistake. The cost to do a private tour solo may sound a bit pricey, but it was a priceless experience. I would have been unbelievably upset with myself to have come all the way down here and skip the guide. Sure, I would have plenty of Instagram worthy photos and settle for making my own conjectures of this magnificent place, but it would have been a hollow experience as Puma Punku in particular has zero signs. I’m sure all the guides at Inti Travel are very well versed in these ancient sites, but I feel that I was extremely lucky to have Teodoro as my guide. His English is perfect as well. He’s so very knowledgeable about these places. *Tip for all Ancient Aliens and Graham Hancock nerds out there… Teodoro is who you want, he believes what we all instinctually feel about this place. It was very refreshing to speak freely about ideas that mainstream science and archaeology love to scoff at. I don’t even open up fully about these topics with my friends and family because they’ll think I’m losing it! Again, I didn’t want to do a tour initially because I wanted to spend the majority of my time at Puma Punku and I also don’t have the patience to deal with other people, full stop. So we went to Puma Punku first and had the place all to ourselves for hours. Having Teodoro’s undivided attention allowed me a tour of this place second to none. Furthermore, I was really floored by the knowledge he had of the main temple at Tiwanaku. I think that’s what really put this tour over the top. If I had self guided I would have missed so many details about deciphering the Iconography, techniques, timeline, the ancient relationship of Lake Titicaca and Tiwanaku, the drainage and irrigation systems, and last but not least… his ability to tie it all together when we went through the museums. Do yourself a favor and get a private tour either for yourself, couple or small group, and be sure to ask for Teodoro. Avoid the randoms, move at your own pace, and soak in an experience like no other. Prepare your mind for lift off…! I myself will continue to digest all of this new information and history that were never told directly. This tour really reinforced the perception I have of our mysterious and hidden past.
      Written 17 November 2024
    • Hugh M
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Guide talked more on Spanish than English.
      Parts of the tour was rushed. All of the signature was in Spanish so I would have expect our English guide to explain more but he spent more time explaining everything in Spanish, so by the end of the tour we were left wondering due to lack of information in English.
      Written 6 April 2024
    • Trail89076
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      DO NOT BOOK THERE!!
      Do not book there! I booked a trip on Friday for Sunday. Received Email confirmation, saying a travel agent would contact me with details. Nobody contacted me. I had to call and write several times via Email, Google and WhatsApp the entire Saturday afternoon. No answer. Then, just the answer: the tour is not operating. No info about this on the website, where you can book. No Email. No Call. No info. I would have lost my Sunday. Fortunately, I could still find last minute another travel agency. They confirmed me everything immediately, Plus are cheaper. FOUR other travelers in my hostel had similar bad experiences with other tours! They will also write bad reviews! Also in my a very big hostel they told me that other travelers had very bad experience with this company before! DO NOT BOOK THERE! (the old good reviews seem fake!).
      Written 16 December 2023
    • 259zmajn
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Avoid
      Awful experience. They packed us in old Toyota van. Was 15 of us in this small van (no more than 8 people can fit comfortable ). Also, group was mixture Spanish - English, so guide needed to switch constantly, which is hard to follow. I would go again to Tiwanaku but with different provider. Site is amazing, long lasting memory!
      Written 6 September 2023
    • Estherzini
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Hotel Palmira Araiza
      WE STAYED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PALMIRA HOTEL IN LA PAZ,THEY LAST STAY WE WHERE DISAPPOINTED,ROOM NOT SO CLEAN , BREAKFAST ALWAYS GOOD.
      Written 30 August 2023
    • Sketchylanding
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing Ciivilization
      We really enjoyed this trip. What might appear initially underwhelming was brought to life by the passion and knowledge of our wonderful guide Theo (forgive any misspelling). His knowledge and enthusiasm made the time here go incredibly quickly. The work of these ancient craftsmen was amazing and the detail would easily be missed had it not been for our guide.
      Written 12 August 2023
    • Marina T
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing site
      The site is amazing! Tour was great, the guide explained the story very well. We enjoyed it very much even though the visit to Puma Punku at the end of the trip was very rushed. Would recomend
      Written 9 April 2023
    • S_London_90
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Absolutely brilliant
      This was such a fun day. The scenery was breathtaking, and the cycling so exhilarating. Our guide Waldo was fantastic along with our driver Pato. We would definitely recommend this experience
      Written 17 March 2023
    • S_London_90
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Absolutely Brilliant
      This was a total highlight of our trip so far (6 weeks in all across South America). Our guide was waldo and our driver pato, they were fab and made the experience even better. The trail is indescribable, the cycle is so adrenaline filled - I recommend it to anyone, you just need a little bit of confidence on a bike, you don't need to be a total expert. It was cloudy and rainy and we still had a great time and got some great photos. It is very cold at the top so I recommend lots of layers/warm jumper, I also wished I'd brought my own gloves to wear under theirs, and maybe a scarf/snood and even a hat. Still, when you get down a bit out warms up, and you aren't doing any exercise really as you're just going downhill so you don't get super sweaty! We didn't do the zip line but it did look fun. Watch out that one you start the actual death road descent you won't have access to water or loos for 2-3 hours. We ended up having a private tour just the two of us, for a group it might be faster or slower I'm not sure.
      Written 17 March 2023
    • Sightsee761000
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great! Please do not miss it!
      Alphy was the best guide I ever met. He spent a lot of time to explain stories both in Spanish and English. I could tell he was repeating the same thing bouncing between two languages. Super! The day was beautiful, the ruins were magnificent, and the lunch was delicious!
      Written 4 February 2023
    • 990ilonav
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome!!
      Waldo, Louis and Jose, you’re the best!! Thank you for the best ride of our lives. What an adventure and you guys took so good care of us. What a day! We recommend this company and staff to all of you who is looking for an adventure with good guids. We wish you all the best and hopefully one day we will meet you again!
      Written 31 December 2022
    • Moises S
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing
      Amazing experience, incredible plan to travel, big and comfortable bus, and excellent food. Uyuni is a destination amazing to visit.
      Written 2 December 2022
    • jukkaa2014
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great trip
      This private tour was excellently arranged by Inti Travels. No hassle drive to Copacabana and a boat over to Isla del Sol. High elevation doesn’t allow us to run around the whole island, but we got to see some Inca sites. Ascent to the local village took a while, but it was worth it. We got to see the beautiful sunset over Lago Titicaca. Our hostess Sonia took good care of us in our accommodation. Next morning the beautiful sunrise over Isla de la Luna started the day. Boat over to Copacabana to see local Saturday life. Our amazing tour guide Juan explained the things and traditions we saw in the local market and by the church, where a wedding was ongoing. After lunch a drive back to La Paz. I can strongly recommend this trip. On the hindsight we could have stayed one night more in Isla del Sol or Copacabana.
      Written 25 September 2022
    • G5274RQverah
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience thanks to a great guide
      We asked for a combination of Lago Titicaca and Tiwanaku and get an offer. Unsure if it will be what we expect, we were picked up at our hotel in La Paz and had the greatest two days of our trip! The bilingual guide (Juan) explained a lot about the cultures in the country and was always here to answer any kind of questions. This was also possible because beside him, we also had a driver. The accomondation was great (very calm on the Isla del Sol) and the food always "muy muy rico". Thanks to our guide for amazing days. Route: La Paz - Copacabana - Isla del Sol (night) - Copacabana - Tiwanaku - La Paz.
      Written 6 July 2022
    See all 88 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


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    4.3
    4.3 of 5 bubbles7 reviews
    Excellent
    5
    Very good
    1
    Average
    0
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    1

    These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
    This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

    Andrea M
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    July 2018 • Couples
    One week ago, we went to UYUNI SALT FLATS, the tour was incredible, a very expert guide and the delicious food.
    I highly recommend this travel agency because it is one of the few companies that provide English speaking guides and pretty hotels.
    10xu.
    Written 13 August 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Cheers! Andrea M.
    Written 13 August 2018
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Tourist295118
    Boisbriand, Canada12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2025 • Friends
    We liked the visit even if sometimes it is difficult to see the working conditions of the miners. The guide is very interesting and meetings with minors are touching.
    Automatically translated
    Written 16 February 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Marie-José W
    Geneva, Switzerland9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2023 • Couples
    An experience of rare intensity thanks to the miner José, who was attentive. To recommend without hesitation.
    Google
    Written 21 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    JerseyJoe53
    Jersey, UK10 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    This trip didn’t happen due to a mix up in local providers in Potosi.
    We were taken on the (absolutely mind blowing trip) by another company who, in fairness, made an error in including us on their tour but these things happen. They were KOALA TOURS.
    The company asked for payment but we said we’d paid and that surely INTI TRAVEL would reimburse.
    No, they would not - which I think is quite disappointing.
    The local cost was 260 BOB for 2 & Viator charged us 442 BOB - so they aren’t losing anything.
    The local guides will have this money deducted from their salary which is terrible.
    I ask that Viator revisit this case and change their minds and pay Koala Travel for taking us on the tour.
    Until then I will steer well clear of them during our travels.
    Please re-look at this case and d do the honourable thing.
    WhatsApp me on +44 7412643359 for further details.
    Written 29 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Potosi - Active Mine Tour - Half Day - provided by Inti Travel

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