Caral The First Civilization in America - Full Day From Lima
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Lima, Peru
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Peru has no shortage of archaeological wonders, but the ancient ruins of Caral are among the most significant, believed to be the oldest civilisation in the Americas. This full-day small-group tour from Lima includes a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed ruins, spectacular views over the Supe Valley, and lunch at a local restaurant. Hotel pickup and drop-off is included.
- Marvel at the pyramids and sunken amphitheaters of the Caral Archaeological Site
- Explore the UNESCO-listed ruins with an expert guide
- Great-value tour includes hotel pickup, lunch, and entrance fees
- Small-group tour limited to 10 people ensures a personalized experience
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Private transport
- Entrance tickets to the Archaeological Site of Caral
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All Fees and Taxes
- Gratuities
- LunchLunch is not included but we will help you to organize a meal in one of the typical restaurants, The price is around 35 Nuevos soles main course or 10 USD
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
After being picked up from your central Lima hotel in time for a 7am departure, set out on the around 3-hour journey to the Caral Archaeological Site. On arrival, follow your guide around the vast 148-acre (60-hectare) site in the arid Supe Valley and marvel at the elaborate complex of temples, sunken plazas, and terraced pyramids, some of which rank among the largest in the world.
Along the way, learn more about the fascinating history of the ancient settlement, which was first inhabited between 2600 BCE and 2000 BCE, and hear why some archeologists believe that Caral is the fabled ‘Mother City’ of ancient civilizations in the Americas.
On return to Lima, your tour ends with drop-off back at your hotel.
Along the way, learn more about the fascinating history of the ancient settlement, which was first inhabited between 2600 BCE and 2000 BCE, and hear why some archeologists believe that Caral is the fabled ‘Mother City’ of ancient civilizations in the Americas.
On return to Lima, your tour ends with drop-off back at your hotel.
1
Zona Arqueologica caral
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- We recommend to wear confortable clothes, shoes and take a bottle of water with you
- Bring repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses and water.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 59 reviews
P_W, Dec 2025
Detailed walkthrough of the archeological site
Well worth the long commute
Suitable for late departure (after 8pm)
Nayantara_K, Nov 2025
Caral, the oldest known civilisation in the Americas is a recommended visit especially for history buffs.
While it is a long drive to Caral from Lima, our journey was made enjoyable by Leonardo, our guide and comfortable by Percy who drove us there and back.
Leonardo is knowledgeable and passionate about the subject and kept us engaged throughout with information both about Caral and the other ancient settlements in the neighbouring areas.
His general knowledge about the Peruvian history and economy also made for interesting conversation on the drive.
I believe Caral makes for an interesting rounding-off of the knowledge of ancient South American societies.
EdithLinSiu_L, Jul 2025
Saul, the tour guide who is very professional in explaining details of Caral The First Civilization and information about the continuing excavation there. It is totally worth to play a visit even the long hours of journey from Lima CBD!
CHRISTOPHER_M, Jun 2025
It is hot and dry there year round, so be sure to bring water, and protection for the sun. You will be in it for a couple of hours.
PaulEric_L, May 2025
An amazing history and story. The site is relatively new and you can see archeologists working so it wasn't packed with other tourists. This is off the beaten path and a must visit if you love history. This place is beautiful and contrasted by sand, and rocks one side and a lush valley on the other. Saul our tour guide was great. Engaging and knowledgeable. The stops he organized for us were perfect. All clean and had everything we needed including the perfect cup of coffee and typical lunch amongst the locals in a small town. A great experience.
Roberta_C, May 2025
Caral is impressive and there's a lot still to be discovered. Don't expect to go and have all the answers, site excavation and research are active and at it's infancy. It is worth the visit despite being a 4 hour drive from Lima. Cesar and Paola were our guides and made the trip extra special by sharing their knowledge about Caral as well as other cultures and civilizations. We also chatted about Peru, music and food. They shared tips and great ideas of other places to see and restaurants to enjoy. I would most definitely recommend the tour operator Haku! Tours, they are organized, on time, polite and very helpful, groups are small and vans are good and clean.
Lonnie_D, Nov 2024
Personable and knowledgeable guides on the journey and at this amazing, almost unknown, ancient site. Wonderful experience all the way around. Long drive, especially in Lima’s traffic, but worth every moment if you treasure archeology. Loved our guides, Leonardo and Jose’, and our expert driver.
Greer_P, Aug 2024
Learning about the brilliance and creativity of the first and succeeding settlers of the region is fascinating. As the excavation of the sites continues it will be interesting to learn more about the stories of the people of Peru. This experience is a gift of learning for me.
David_M, Aug 2024
Oldest city in the Americas and the continent’s best kept secret. Fantastico! Credit to Saoul, Arum, and Miguel for getting me there and back (Haku Tours)! Apols if I misspelt names. A great day.
Marylee_H, Jul 2024
Seeing the ancient archaeological ruins was fantastic! It was fascinating to see the 5000-year-old pyramids, and to hear about the sacred buildings. Our guide Natalie and our driver Tony made the experience very enjoyable.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! 🌟
We are glad to hear that you were fascinated by the visit to the archaeological ruins 🙌
It is a pleasure to hear that Natalie and Tony contributed to making your experience so enjoyable. We greatly appreciate your kind words and thank you for choosing us! 😊
Donald_B, Apr 2024
We ended up going from Lima to Caral during Semana Santa week which made the drive to Caral more than 4 hours instead of about 3 hours. However the drive was quite interesting to see the variety of towns, barrios and plots of land along the way as well as the varied terrain.
Caral was quite interesting with good informative signs along the paths to the various ancient structures. Fascinating to see the archeology of a civilization that was 5,000 years old.
Ashley_T, Nov 2023
We took the tour as a couple and as we were the only ones who’d booked it, it became something of a private tour
We had the privilege of traveling with Leonardo, Pablo, and Tony (driver). The three of them were very knowledgeable about the area and incredibly accommodating individuals. Caral is a very interesting site and it is something of an honor to be able to see such an ancient archaeological site still in progress. While there we were able to meet one of the men who had been overseeing the site for 30 years and learned all about what had been discovered about the civilization so far. There are also booths there for gifts, allowing you to get some authentic souvenirs for very low prices. The food stops there and back were solid choices and on the way back we ended up turning the bus into a concert, playing a bunch of American songs that were popular in Peru. Very interesting archaeological site and great people, 5 stars for sure
Nancy_C, Oct 2023
Cesar was very knowledgable and so much fun to be with. We highly recommend him and this Caral tour - a fascinating site!
Haijun_L, May 2023
It was a long drive from Lima to Caral, but the tour was great! The tour guide is very knowledgeable and also provided to us a lot of information about Lima and Peru in general. People should realize that Caral is the earliest civilization in South America AS WELL AS in North America, and was developed at about the same time as the ancient Egypt civilization. Caral is more significant that the well-known Inca culture, for example, Quipu, originally developed in Caral civilization, is the first digital record keeping device, as we know of today. Very interesting tour, from both general tourists and intellectual points of view!
matthew_t, Mar 2022
Caral is such an important historic site few visit as of 2022. While it certainly is a hike to get to, the area is so well maintained, and the site itself is truly inspiring. I would highly recommend going if you have the opportunity!
Joanne_L, Aug 2019
Uncovered in 1995, Caral is a magnificent 5000 year old archaeological site. My husband and I together with our guide from Lima were the only people there! We visited the main sites of 70 hectares (175 acres) where we saw the amazing architectural genius of the inhabitants from 3000 BC. The 3 hour trip from Lima was well worth the long trip. Caral is just as amazing as Machu Picchu.
Response from Host, Aug 2019
¡Hola Joanne!
We want to thank you for your excellent review that makes us feel very proud of all our staff who are always happy to give you the best service and tours.
It´s great to hear that you enjoyed our tour and Caral! It is the oldest city in the Americas and it worths a visit!
¡Muchos saludos!
joannelF2690NB, Aug 2019
Caral was magnificent! We were the only people there looking at buildings/pyramids that date back to 3000 BC. The site of an unknown but technologically advance civilization was amazing. We saw Machu Picchu and Pachucamac and this site at Caral is every bit as exciting to see. The long trip from Lima to Caral was worth the trip!
Response from Host, Aug 2019
Dear Joanne,
Thanks for sharing your review with the TripAdvisor community, we always try our best to bring you an excellent service!
It´s great to hear that you enjoyed our tour and our city. Thank you so much!
Culture774455, Jun 2019
Our guide, Jimmy, was very informative and provided us with great information about the research and work that went into the site. The site itself is still being worked on full time, but there is already a lot to see. I recommend this for any history, archeology, geology and anthropology enthusiasts as well as anyone else curious about ancient civilizations in the Americas.
Response from Host, Jun 2019
Dear Costumer, thanks for your sincere words!
Thank you for taking our Caral tour with us. Jimmy is an excelent guide who is always happy to share our peruvian history.
Caral is one of our most important heritages here. A must in Peru! We are glad to know you enjoyed it!
Kind regards.
Missy, Jul 2017
Wow! This place is impressive. We were picked up in the early am by our private tour guide in a private car and driven 3 hours to Caral. Our guide was knowledgeable and very nice. He answered all of our questions and brought us to lunch in a local town. The food was great. It's best to see this place now before it becomes a tourist hot spot.
Sebastin_M, Dec 2021
Los guías fueron atentos y cordiales con nosotros, una experiencia recomendable para quienes les interese la historia y arqueología!
From $120.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Caral The First Civilization in America - Full Day From Lima
59
12 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$120.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Lima, Peru
- Park of the Reserve (Parque de la Reserva) Tours & Tickets
- Santiago de Surco Tours & Tickets
- Historic Centre of Lima (Centro Historico de Lima) Tours & Tickets
- Lima Chinatown (Barrio Chino) Tours & Tickets
- Larcomar (Centro Comercial Larcomar) Tours & Tickets
- Dédalo Arte y Artesanía Tours & Tickets
- Jiron de la Union Tours & Tickets
- Lima Art Museum (Museo de Arte de Lima - MALI) Tours & Tickets
- Kennedy Park (Parque Kennedy) Tours & Tickets
- Barranco Tours & Tickets
- San Isidro Tours & Tickets
- Huaca Pucllana Tours & Tickets
- Magic Water Circuit Tours & Tickets
- San Pedro Church (Iglesia de San Pedro) Tours & Tickets
- Callao Tours & Tickets
- Love Park (Parque del Amor) Tours & Tickets
- Presidential Palace Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Lima, Peru