The Nazca Lines and Paracas 3d/2n

Visit the enigmatic Nazca Lines, tour the magnificent Ballestas Islands with their colonies of penguins and sea lions, and visit the coastal reserve of Paracas in this 3-day, 2-night tour package. In this all-terrain adventure, you will fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines with an experienced pilot and well-maintained aircraft, board a boat for the Ballestas Islands, and enjoy sea caves and breathtaking beaches in Paracas National Reserve. Tour starts in Lima.

Tour Itinerary

A shuttle will pick you up from your Hotel or Hostel in Lima and transport you to the Cruz del Sur bus terminal for departure to Paracas. After an approximately 4 hour-long bus ride, we will arrive at Paracas and a shuttle will meet us to take us to our hotel in Paracas. After checking in, we will depart for our tour of Paracas National Reserve.

Paracas, Peru’s online marine reserve, contains a variety of marine habitats and natural scenery. We will get a chance to take in the beautiful beaches, natural rock formations, and steep desert cliffs. Also, we will see colonies of sea lions and different bird species.  We will also enjoy lunch at a scenic overlook of the Pacific Ocean, walk through a sea-cave, and visit the Julio C. Tello Museum. Overnight accommodations in the town of Paracas.

Day 2
Ballestas Islands - Nazca

On the 2nd day, we will take a boat ride to the Islands of Ballestas. These islands are easily accessed from the town of Paracas. On the way to embarkation point, we will pass by the impressive geoglyph named “El Candelabro,” thought to have served as a beacon to ancient mariners.

The Ballestas islands act as a sanctuary for marine species such as Humboldt Penguins, Fur Seals, Sea Lions, Blue-footed boobies, and the “Guano” Bird.  Passengers will be serenaded by the wolf-pack cries of the sea lions in what seems to be 360-degree sound (created by echoes off the nearby rocky cliffs). After the 2-½ tour, we will head back to Paracas and board the bus for the town of Nazca, where we will spend the night in preparation for our flight over the Nazca Lines.

Day 3
Nazca Lines - Lima

Today we will head to the Nazca airport and enjoy a stop at the Maria Reiche Museum (Maria Reiche is a German archaeologist credited with preserving and gaining recognition for the Nazca Lines). We will also make a quick stop at an observation tower along the road where we can view the Hand and Tree Geoglyph.  We will then head to the Nazca airport where we will board a small plane for an air-tour over the Nazca Lines.

The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are believed to have been built by the Nazca Culture between 200 BC and 600 AD.  There are various theories as to their existence – including the supernatural. These ancient lines persist due to the nearly constant climate in the Nazca Desert - it is one of the driest on Earth. The area encompassing the geoglyphs is approximately 200 square kilometers - and contains 32 geoglyphs of animals (spiders, monkeys, hummingbirds, and lizards), humans, and geometric figures. From the air, we will appreciate the colossal proportions of the ancient writings the only way they can be seen in their entirety.

After this, we will transfer back to Nazca where we will board the bus for our return trip to Lima.