Nazca Lines Add-on

No-one knows precisely why the inhabitants of these coastal valleys etched thousands of lines plus anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures in the desert some 2,000 years ago.  The Nazca Lines are among the most intriguing of the many remnants of civilizations that prospered along the Pacific coast for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans.  You'll find the coast a fascinating contrast to the highlands and the Amazon.

For individuals and couples, our program is a cost-effective ways to see the coast and fly over the Lines. The trip can operate anytime.  Surcharges and special terms apply for New Year, Easter, and July 28 Peruvian Independence Day holiday packages.  For groups of 5 or more, ask for our group program.

Please specify whether you want Tourist-class accommodation or Superior.  Both hotel levels have swimming pools and similar location in Ica, a pleasant desert oasis town.

Use these Activity Level Ratings as a general guide to help determine which of our adventures is best for you. Your perception of level of difficulty may vary from ours according to your own level of fitness and travel experience. Whether or not you stay in your comfort zone on the trip you select may also be influenced by the pacing we build into the itinerary, and your own preparation for the trip. While relatively high elevations are unavoidable when you're traveling in the Andes Mountains, we may judge a trip as "moderate" so long as passengers have sufficient time for acclimation. Our detailed trip itineraries give much more information about what you can expect. If you are unsure which trip is best for you, please call us. We'll help guide you toward the right fit.

Moderate

These adventures involve fairly easy travel. There is no camping: you sleep in hotels and country inns each evening. Trips may include short hikes and/or walks of two to three hours. Our itineraries include excursions in passenger mini-vans, over roads with many curves and potholes. Elevations rarely exceed 12,600'. At Machu Picchu and other Inca sites, we climb and descend relatively steep stone staircases. Trips to Amazon lodges involve travel by boat and canoe, plus hikes on forest trails at a moderate pace. In the rainforest, you may encounter rain, mud, and pooled water. Trips to the Galapagos include optional hikes on sometimes uneven rocky and/or slippery terrain. Passengers must get into and out of dinghies on beaches and at docks.

Active

These adventures include more hiking than in our moderate trips. You negotiate a variety of terrain, at elevations no more than 15,000'. Some trips include long days of overland travel. You sleep comfortably in hotels each evening.

Strenuous

While we rate all of our treks as strenuous, there is a substantial range of challenge between the easiest and the most demanding of our treks. Expect to hike 6-8 hours each day over steep and rugged terrain. You may hike to elevations of 17,000', with options to hike higher from several camps. Many include camping multiple nights at relatively high elevations. On most treks in the Andes, night-time temperatures can drop below freezing on one or more nights. On our Inn to Inn based treks, you'll spend each evening in a comfortable mountain lodge.

Extreme

Our toughest treks are suitable for those that enjoy a good physical challenge. You trek (and in some cases climb) over steep, rugged terrain at high elevations with substantial altitude gains. Some glacier travel requires knowledge of basic climbing techniques including use of crampons, ice axe, and ropes. These trips are in remote wilderness areas and include camping as high at 17,700'. Successful summit bids top out at 18,871' (Nevado Pisco), 19,347' (Volcan Cotopaxi) and 20,945' (Nevado Ausangate).

Departure year-round, on request

2010 Rates:

No-one knows precisely why the inhabitants of these coastal valleys etched thousands of lines plus anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures in the desert some 2,000 years ago.  The Nazca Lines are among the most intriguing of the many remnants of civilizations that prospered along the Pacific coast for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans.  You'll find the coast a fascinating contrast to the highlands and the Amazon.

For individuals and couples, the following is a most cost-effective ways to see the coast and fly over the Lines. The trip can operate anytime (different rates apply for New Year, Easter, and July 28 Peruvian Independence Day holiday packages).  For groups of 5 or more, ask for our group program.  Please specify whether you want Tourist-class accommodation (Hotel Austria or similar) or Superior (Hotel Las Dunas or similar).  Both facilities have swimming pools and similar location in Ica, a pleasant desert oasis town.   The description below applies to the deluxe package.  For the standard hotel package, transfers are included between the Ica bus station and your hotel.

Day One Ica

We pick you up at your Lima hotel (or from Lima airport, if you’re arriving from Cuzco) and transfer you to the bus station for the deluxe express bus transfer to Ica.  You travel south along the Pan-American Highway through Peru's coastal desert.  To the west, Pacific beaches alternate with rocky headlands; to the east, the arid landscape of sand dunes and rocky plains is punctuated by the lush green of irrigated valleys supporting intensive agriculture.  After four hours of travel you reach Ica, a prosperous cotton and grape-producing oasis.  The bus drops you at the Hotel Las Dunas, a comfortable resort surrounded by towering sand dunes.  There is a large swim¬ming pool, and you may arrange to ride horses or to visit vineyards and other local points of interest.  Our local operator will contact you to reconfirm ground arrangements. If you travel on a morning bus, your afternoon is open to explore Ica.  We warmly recommend the Regional Archeology Museum; at nearby Huacachina resort you can try dune-boarding or dune buggy rides! Overnight, all meals on your own.

Day Two Nazca Lines

With private driver and guide, we depart at 7.00AM and  travel 2.5 hours south along the Pan-American Highway to Nazca.  From the Nazca airport, you board a small aircraft (typically 4-or 6-passenger Cessna) and fly over the Nazca Lines, circling major figures at a height ideal for photography.  You can marvel at the uncanny precision and elegance in the hummingbird, the condor, the spider, the monkey, and many other compelling figures. Far outnumbering these zoomorphic and anthropomorphic elements are the lines them¬selves, criss-crossing the pampa in bewildering abundance. The origin and meaning of these 2,000-year-old figures remains a mystery.   Following your flight, you have time to visit some local points of interest, including a ceramics factory that makes excellent reproductions of pre-Inca ceramics.  Return to Ica for overnight.   Lunch and dinner are on your own.

Day Three Ballestas Islands

Departure for Paracas Bay is around 7 AM.  Reaching the Bay of Paracas, you board a speed¬boat for the two-hour excursion to the offshore Ballestas Islands Reserve.  En route you pass the Candela¬bra, yet another mysterious figure etched in the hillside overlooking the ocean. The up welling cold currents offshore support rich marine life, hence the Ballestas Islands are home to large colonies of sea lions and gannets.  You'll see Inca terns, with elegant red tufts on their cheeks, and, deep in the sea caves, Humboldt penguins.  The thunder of waves crashing on a pebble beach in a narrow, cliff-hung bay occupied by hundreds of roaring, barking sea lions is an unforgettable auditory souvenir.   Return to the mainland, and drive out to the Paracas Peninsula for lunch at a fishing village, prior to catching the afternoon bus back to Lima.  We meet you at the bus station and transfer you to your hotel or to the airport for your evening flight home.

Included:  2 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast, 2 Lima transfers, express bus Lima/Ica/Lima, Ballestas tour and Nazca Lines overflight with local guides.

Excluded:  lunches and dinners, tips,

Lima to Ica 302 km (4 hours)

Ica to Nazca 140 km (2 hours)

Nazca to Arequipa 569 km  (8 hours)

We use comfortable deluxe inter-city buses betwen Lima and Ica.  Local touring to Nazca is by private vehicle.

With additional time on the south coast, we recommend a 2-night stay at the El Cantayo Hacienda and Spa in Nazca

• 3 days, Lima to Lima
• Enjoy the Ica oasis -- horsebacking and dune-buggying
• Fly over the mysterious Lines of Nazca
• Cruise to the offshore Ballestas Islands Wildlife Reserve
• Discover Lagunillas fishing village on Paracas Peninsula
• Superior or tourist-class hotel options