Cahuachi Pyramids Small-Group Tour from Nazca

Ancient adobe pyramids built by the people who carved the Nazca Lines

A small-group tour from Nazca to Cahuachi, the ceremonial center where archaeologists believe the Nazca Lines creators lived and worked. Your bilingual guide leads you through the Great Temple, Great Pyramid and Stepped Temple, then walks you past the Huarango forest to the Ocongalla aqueduct, a stone-walled irrigation channel still in use today. Hotel pickup and entrance fees are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Cahuachi pyramids and aqueduct

• Pickup from hotel in Nazca
• Explore Cahuachi ceremonial temple ruins
• Learn about ancient civilization and rituals
• Pass through Huarango forest
• Visit Ocongalla aqueduct
• Return to hotel

The experience

Cahuachi sits southwest of Nazca as a sprawling complex of ceremonial squares, staggered temples and pyramids built from sun-dried adobe bricks. The site was largely destroyed by ancient floods and has been gradually restored by archaeologist Giuseppe Orefici. Your guide walks you through the Great Temple, the Great Pyramid and the Stepped Temple, explaining how these structures served as places of sacrifice and offering and what they reveal about the spiritual life of the civilization that built them. The proximity to the Nazca Lines (those massive geoglyphs etched into the desert floor) is no accident: archaeologists believe the people of Cahuachi were the ones who created them.

After the pyramids, the tour passes through a Huarango forest, where your guide explains the importance of this tree to the ancient inhabitants. You then reach the Ocongalla aqueduct, an open pit with stone walls still in good condition. The water flowing through it percolates down from the Andes and now irrigates the fields of local farmers, a working link to the engineering that sustained the region centuries ago. The tour ends with a return to your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return.
• bilingual guide in English and Spanish.
• entrance fees to Cahuachi.
• transportation to all stops on the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 15:00

Book up to15h before

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 6 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by IZI PERU

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to understand the connection between Cahuachi and the Nazca Lines, since the small-group format and bilingual guide give you time to ask questions about how these two archaeological mysteries relate to each other.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What exactly will I see at Cahuachi?

Cahuachi contains the Great Temple, the Great Pyramid and the Stepped Temple, along with surrounding ceremonial squares and ruins. These adobe structures were built as sacred spaces for rituals and offerings, and your guide will explain how they functioned in the spiritual and communal life of the ancient Nazca people.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs three hours from hotel pickup to return, including time at the pyramids, the Huarango forest and the Ocongalla aqueduct.

Is the Ocongalla aqueduct still used today?

Yes. The Ocongalla aqueduct is an open pit with stone walls that still carries water from the Andes down to local farmers' fields, making it a functioning example of ancient engineering.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to each site, so the walking is moderate.