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NazcaArchaeology

Our most recommended Nazca Archaeology

From Lima: Nazca Lines and Ica Desert Day Trip with Lunch

1. From Lima: Nazca Lines and Ica Desert Day Trip with Lunch

Begin your journey of the Ica Desert with a bright and early hotel pickup, where you will be greeted by your guide who will take care of you throughout the day.  Head straight to Nazca, whereupon you'll stop at Kilometer 50 of the South Pan-American Highway to enjoy a breakfast consisting of juices or hot drinks, accompanied by artisan breads from the area. Next, head to the airfield in Nazca, where you'll pass through security before boarding a small plane to view the famous Nazca Lines from up above. Sit back and relax on your 45-minute flight, as you view the incredible collection of giant geoglyphs — designs or motifs etched into the ground — that were created by the ancient Nazca culture. Tuck into a delicious traditional lunch upon landing before heading to your final stop, the Huacachina Oasis. This natural lagoon is surrounded by palm trees and desert dunes, from where you can watch the sun setting over the sand. Pump up your adrenaline and hop into sand buggies, and sandboard down the perfect dunes before returning to Lima late in the evening.

From Lima: Ballestas, Nazca Lines, & Huacachina Oasis

2. From Lima: Ballestas, Nazca Lines, & Huacachina Oasis

Start your adventure by departing Lima in the early morning. Travel for around 300 km on the Pan-American highway until you reach Paracas Bay, a very important place for Peruvian history which is full of wildlife.  Enjoy a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands and watch out for birds, sea lions, dolphins, and penguins. Then head to Pisco Airport and take a 1 hour and 45-minute flight over the Palpa desert to see the Nazca Lines. Stop at the Huacachina Oasis, and take some time to eat lunch and walk around. Test your skills at sandboarding for an additional cost or just enjoy free time drinking Pisco Sours. At the end of the adventure, head back to Lima via the same route.

Overflight of the Nazca Lines

3. Overflight of the Nazca Lines

We will pick you up from the bus terminal or hotel in the center of Nazca to take you to the Nazca aerodrome. Upon arrival, we will first go through the necessary procedure, which takes about 45 minutes, and prepare ourselves to soar over these fantastic figures. The Nazca Lines are located in the desert plains between Nazca and Palpa, 447 kilometers from the city of Lima, in one of the driest deserts in the world. The first references to the existence of the lines date back to the year 1547. However, they were discovered by the Peruvian archaeologist Toribio Mejía Xesspe in 1927. The German archaeologist Maria Reiche dedicated her life to the study and preservation of the Nazca Lines from 1946. According to her theory, the lines represent a giant solar and lunar calendar, used by ancient astronomers. There are many theories about the purpose of these drawings. One of them is the possible connection with extraterrestrials, or that the inhabitants created these giant works to be seen by their gods from the sky. To this day, there is no certain information about their purpose. If you chose the 30-minute flight, you will see 13 figures such as the whale, trapezoids, the dog, the astronaut, the monkey, the condor, the compass, the spider, the hummingbird, the parrot, the tree, the hand, and the albatross. If you chose the 1-hour flight (minimum 4 people are required), you will be able to appreciate 21 figures over the beautiful Nazca and Palpa plains. First, you will see the 13 figures mentioned above, and then you will fly over the Palpa plains with new and fantastic lines discovered, like the heron, the crane, the pelican, the seagull, the parrot, the snail, llamas, iguana, lizard, snakes, and various birds. The Nazca culture developed between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, excelling in their polychrome ceramics, textiles, and metalwork. Their ceremonial center is located in Cahuachi, situated in the Nazca River valley. With a network of aqueducts, they managed to fertilize their lands and engage in agriculture. The Nazca Lines are remarkable works of this culture, and theories range from fantastical events to scientific perspectives. After the flight, you will be transferred to your hotel in the city of Nazca or the bus station, according to your itinerary.

Nazca: Scenic Flight Over the Nazca Lines

4. Nazca: Scenic Flight Over the Nazca Lines

You will be picked up from your hotel in Nazca and taken to the aerodrome, where you will board a light aircraft for a memorable flight over the Nazca Lines.  You’ll be able to spot the numerous figures drawn on the stony surface of the Nazca desert, representing animals, plants and people. Made by an ancient civilization, the lines and shapes have been well preserved despite being almost 2000 years old.  These designs, some of them as long as 500 meters, can only be truly appreciated from the sky. At an altitude of 457 meters (1,500 feet), you’ll have the best views of these lines.  The flight lasts 35 minutes. At the end of your flight, you will be dropped back to your hotel in Nazca.

From Lima: Nazca Lines, Huacachina Oasis, & Dune Buggy Tour

5. From Lima: Nazca Lines, Huacachina Oasis, & Dune Buggy Tour

Join this trip from Lima and fly over the Nazca Lines, a collection of giant geoglyphs etched into desert sands attributed to the pre-Inca civilization. See the Huacachina Oasis and add explore the large dunes of Ica on a buggy. Relax in the lap of nature surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Enjoy your day in the desert, taking a dune buggy tour. Soak in the spectacular landscape formed by a lagoon of emerald green waters and large dunes. Then, head to Nazca city to fly around the famous and enigmatic Nazca Lines, an important archaeological site in Peru. The mysterious geoglyphs at the UNESCO World Heritage Site range from geometric shapes and swirls to a hummingbird and monkey.

Lima: Nazca Lines, Winery and Huacachina Oasis Private Tour

6. Lima: Nazca Lines, Winery and Huacachina Oasis Private Tour

Start your tour in the early morning with a freshly prepared breakfast on your journey from your hotel in Lima to Ica. Board a Cessna 208 Caravan and fly over the famous Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the incredible, ancient geoglyphs from above and wonder at their meaning. View and take photos of the whale, the astronaut, the monkey, the hummingbird, and many more of the glyphs. Land and travel to the oasis and sand dunes of Huacachina in V8 modified dune buggies. Push your body to its limits, as you practice sandboarding down the dunes of the desert. Visit a small chocolate factory and taste some of the famous, traditional Peruvian chocolates.  Explore a rural area on the outskirts of Ica. Learn about the production of Pisco, wines, and fruit liqueurs at a local winery and sample as many as you like. Indulge yourself in a traditional Peruvian lunch, made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Try delicious delicacies such as sopa seca and pollo saltado, chicken stir-fry. Following lunch, conclude the trip with a relaxing ride back to your hotel.

Nazca: Scenic Flight over the Nazca Lines

7. Nazca: Scenic Flight over the Nazca Lines

We were born to provide the best overflight tourist service to the Nazca with the confidence, comfort and excellence that characterizes us. We will do the following steps for the overflight of the Nazca lines: Step 1: Pick up from the hotel Step 2 We headed to the Maria Reiche aerodrome Step 3 We fly over the Lines Step 5 We take you back to the hotel Flight recommendations! Eat lightly, bring light clothing, original identification, passports or Dni. Arrive half an hour before the flight itinerary. We will enjoy the overflight of the Enigmatic Nazca Lines with us!

Lima: 3-Day Tour to Paracas, Ballestas Islands & Huacachina

8. Lima: 3-Day Tour to Paracas, Ballestas Islands & Huacachina

Day 1: Lima - Paracas Pickup from your hotel or hostel in Lima, and stop for the chance to try a unique breakfast straight from the bread ovens of Mirasur. Then continue to Paracas, a small beach town, where you will have the rest of the day to explore. Overnight in Paracas. Day 2: Paracas - Ballestas Islands - Huacachina Leave your hotel and embark on a 2-hour boat tour to the Ballestas Islands. These islands are known to be a smaller version of the Galápagos, and you will have the chance to see sea lions, penguins, birds, and even dolphins up close in their natural habitats. After the boat tour, go on a 2-hour tour of the Paracas National Reserve, which is one of South America's largest protected desert regions and home to more than 400 species of flora and fauna. Discover a stunning landscape where the vast desert meets the Pacific Ocean.  After that, it's time to head to Huacachina, the only desert oasis in South America. Experience 2 hours of exhilarating dune buggying and sandboarding on some of the continent's highest sand dunes. Overnight in Huacachina. Day 3: Huacachina - Pisco Vineyard - Lima Join a 2-hour vineyard tour and see how Pisco, Peru's national drink, is made. Follow the process from grape to bottle and try different samples of Pisco. After, you will have the whole day to explore the desert oasis of Huacachina. Later travel by bus back to Lima. 

From Nazca: Cahuachi Pyramids Private Tour

9. From Nazca: Cahuachi Pyramids Private Tour

Explore the Cahuachi Pyramids on a private, guided tour from Nazca. Learn about the pyramids with your English and Spanish-speaking guide, and get a glimpse of the enigmatic Nazca Lines. Meet your guide at your hotel in Nazca, and then drive 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) to the ruins of the Ceremonial Centre of Cahuachi. Pass through a wonderful desert landscape on your way to what is thought to have been a pilgrimage site for the Nazca people. Discover the site's most important sectors, such as the Great Pyramid and Stepped Temple, as well as many other areas besides. Peek at the intriguing archaeological mystery of the Nazca Lines, which Cahuachi overlooks, before returning to your hotel in Nazca.

Lima: Ballestas Islands, Huacachina Oasis & Nazca Lines Tour

10. Lima: Ballestas Islands, Huacachina Oasis & Nazca Lines Tour

Discover the best of the culture, nature, and wildlife of the Ica region on this all-encompassing tour. Start your tour at 4:30 AM with a freshly prepared, delicious breakfast box, on your journey from your hotel in Lima to the Ballestas Islands, where your guided tour begins. See the "chandelier", a geoglyph used as a reference point for travelers and sailors. Observe beautiful native species such as sea lion colonies and Humboldt penguins, as well as several guano birds. Learn about the importance of these islands to the Peruvian coast and observe other species such as cormorants, pelicans, seagulls, and many other unique species. Next, head to the airport for a flight over the Nazca Lines. After watching an informative video about the lines and their mysteries, board a Cessna plane and enjoy a 1.25-hour flight over the area. Your pilot will show you the location of these mysterious geoglyphs and tell you what they represent. After your flight, visit an artisanal winery and learn all about the production process of some of the best wines and piscos of the region. Enjoy samples of wines, piscos, and local liquors. Sit down to a delicious lunch at the winery before heading to your final stop of the day, the Oasis of Huacachina. Practice sandboarding on this unique oasis' sand dunes and get your adrenaline pumping with a V8 buggy ride through the dunes. Get dropped off back at your hotel in Lima at 9 PM.

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What people are saying about Nazca

Overall rating

4.0 / 5

based on 4 reviews

This was smooth as silk. We got picked up at our hotel in a luxury car, and it was just the 2 of us with the driver and our guide for the day. Because of this, we could arrange the day as we wanted. Of course our Nazca flight was a certain time. But we had a flight home that same night and needed to be back at our hotel by a certain time. Our guide arranged everything and we got to do the things we wanted to in a quicker time period. We saw the Nazca lines (as well as a nice flight before and after to the airport). Then went dune buggy riding and sand surfing at a different national park. We didn’t want to do the liquor tasting. So it all worked out. Plus our guide, Jessica, spoke amazing English and was extra helpful in many ways!!!

Jessica was a knowledgeable and friendly guide...the flight from Pisco to Nazca was nice and we had an excellent co-pilot / guide in Jorge...it is a somewhat bumpy ride in a Cessna but highly recommended. The lunch at the winery and the tasting was enjoyable and the buggy ride over the sand dunes was a lot of fun. A long day however well worth the time. Appreciate the team letting us know of the delayed start.

You’ll spend more hours traveling than doing activities but it’s so worth it. The sand dunes were amazing, the buggy drivers are experts, and the flight to see the Nazca lines is amazing as well. Make sure you do the flight on an empty stomach. A lot of people got dizzy on the flight so be careful. Do the sand dunes first before the flights as it can get super hot so doing it early is better.

Very punctual in the pick-up, we went to Ica and had breakfast there and then continued to Nazca where we took the overflight, which was a nice experience. Then a restaurant in Nazca which offered a variety of dishes, mainly fish and shellfish, and we finished with a buggy ride. All well structured, exhausting day.

This was an amazing experience to see so much and have a great time doing it! Very much recommended