Nazca Lines Tour: María Reiche Museum & Aqueducts

See two geoglyphs and four archaeological sites in one day across the Nazca pampas

A full-day small-group tour from Ica to Nazca visits the Hand and Tree geoglyphs at the Metallic viewpoint, the María Reiche Museum where the archaeologist lived and worked, the Cantalloc Aqueducts (40 underground channels built by the Nazca civilization), the Los Paredones adobe structures, and a working ceramics workshop using ancient techniques. Pickup from Ica and a live guide in English or Spanish are included. Entrance fees and meals are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Nazca Lines and Archaeology

• Visit María Reiche House Museum
• See the Hand and Tree geoglyphs
• Explore Cantalloc Aqueducts
• Tour Los Paredones archaeological site
• Observe Gold and Ceramics process
• Return to Ica

The experience

The drive from Ica to Nazca takes 1.5 hours each way, so you spend the middle of the day at the sites themselves. You'll start at the Metallic viewpoint to see two of the geoglyphs etched into the desert floor, then move to the María Reiche Museum, the house where the German archaeologist Maria Reiche lived while she spent decades documenting and protecting the Lines. From there the tour moves to the Cantalloc Aqueducts, a network of 40 underground channels that the Nazca people engineered to manage water in the desert, and then to Los Paredones, an Inca-era adobe complex that once controlled trade between the coast and the highlands.

The final stop is a ceramics workshop where artisans make pottery using the same methods the ancient Nazca used, an economic mainstay of the region today. You return to Ica by late afternoon. The tour runs nine hours total and suits all fitness levels, though the day involves moving between several sites with a guide who speaks English or Spanish.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off from your Ica hotel.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• transport to all four sites (the Metallic viewpoint, María Reiche Museum, Cantalloc Aqueducts, Los Paredones, and the ceramics workshop).

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to16h before

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 29 pickup points.

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

Paid on siteUS$ 6.02

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by IZI PERU

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to visit multiple Nazca sites in one day from Ica, including the museum and viewpoint. Expect a full day of travel and walking between locations.

Traveler reviews

4.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

How far is Nazca from Ica, and how much time do I spend driving?

Nazca is 1.5 hours from Ica by road, and you drive that distance twice (once at the start of the day and once to return), so four hours of the nine-hour tour is travel time.

What are the Nazca Lines, and can I see them from the ground?

The Nazca Lines are giant geoglyphs (the Hand and the Tree among them) drawn into the desert floor by the Nazca civilization centuries ago. You see two of them from the Metallic viewpoint, a ground-level observation platform. The full scale of the figures is visible from the air, but this tour does not include a flight.

Who was María Reiche, and what is her museum?

María Reiche was a German archaeologist who devoted her life to studying and protecting the Nazca Lines. Her museum is the house where she lived and worked. It displays her research and personal effects, giving insight into how she decoded the mysteries of the geoglyphs.

What are the Cantalloc Aqueducts?

The Cantalloc Aqueducts are 40 underground channels built by the Nazca civilization to capture and distribute water in the desert. They represent the engineering skill the Nazca people used to survive in an arid landscape.

Does the tour include meals or entrance fees?

Pickup and guide are included, but entrance fees to the museums and archaeological sites, as well as meals, are not covered and are your own cost.