Chauchilla Cemetery tour in Nazca: Ancient mummies and tombs

Mummies still wear their original hair and clothing inside the open tombs.

A guided tour of Chauchilla Cemetery near Nazca takes you through open tombs housing well-preserved mummies from the Nazca culture, with an expert guide explaining funerary practices and archaeological techniques. Hotel pickup and return are included. The tour runs roughly two and a half hours and suits all fitness levels. A ceramics workshop stop shows how Nazca artistic traditions continue today.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Chauchilla Cemetery and artisan workshop

• Drive through Nazca desert landscapes
• Guided tour of ancient cemetery
• Observe well-preserved mummies and tombs
• Learn about Nazca funerary practices
• Visit ceramist artisan workshop
• See traditional Nazca ceramics making

The experience

Chauchilla Cemetery sits in the desert south of Nazca, and the tour begins with a panoramic drive through the landscape before you arrive at the site. An expert guide leads you through the cemetery on foot, walking among the tombs themselves: many of them open to view. The mummies inside are remarkably intact, some still dressed in traditional clothing and adorned with their original hair, which makes the scale of preservation immediate and tangible rather than something you read about.

Your guide shares details about how the Nazca people buried their dead, what those burial practices reveal about their beliefs, and how archaeologists have managed to keep these remains in such condition over centuries. The tombs and the objects found inside them (pottery, textiles, tools) tell a story about daily life and ritual that your guide unpacks as you move through the site. The visit is paced for walking, with time to observe and ask questions.

After the cemetery, the tour includes a stop at a ceramics workshop where local artisans work in techniques descended from Nazca ancestors. You'll see the detailed handwork involved in making pottery the traditional way, connecting what you learned at the tombs to a living craft that has survived into the present.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return.
• expert guide in English or Spanish.
• access to Chauchilla Cemetery and the open tombs.
• stop at a ceramics artisan workshop.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 15:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 110

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 25 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 2.29

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Sunside Peru Tours

Is this one for you?The tour is led and paced by a guide, so you move through the cemetery with expert context rather than exploring on your own. This works well if you want the history and significance explained as you walk, and if you prefer not to navigate the site independently.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What exactly will I see inside the tombs at Chauchilla Cemetery?

The tombs are open, and you'll see well-preserved mummies still wearing their original clothing and hair, along with pottery, textiles and other artifacts buried with them. Your guide explains what each object tells you about Nazca funerary practices and beliefs about the afterlife.

How long does the tour take and what's the physical demand?

The tour runs roughly two and a half hours total, including the drive to the site, the walk through the cemetery and the ceramics workshop. It's suitable for all fitness levels, though you'll be walking on uneven ground among the tombs, so comfortable shoes help.

What is the ceramics workshop part of the tour?

After the cemetery, you visit a workshop where local artisans make pottery using techniques passed down from Nazca ancestors. You'll watch them work and see how traditional methods continue in the region today.