All Inclusive Private Tour to Caral Archaeological Site from Lima

We had a great time on this tour. Yes, it is about a 3 1/2 hour drive out of Lima, but it is well worth it. Our guide Alex was great, and a joy to spend the day with. The ruins at Caral are very interesting and like nothing we've seen anywhere else in Peru. You get to see some ancient pyramids with a site expert not a private tour though. The guide spoke only in Spanish, but Alex was able to translate in both directions for us. Lunch in a small town on the way back was also very good. Alex explained to us the various dishes, and what was local and what was not. My husband and I both thought the food was very good the seafood was especially noteworthy. All in all, a very highly recommended tour. Maybe the only thing that would make it better would be to use a SUV type car with better suspension as the road leading up to Caral is pretty rough.

This tour is good if you are interested in history and culture. The drive on the Pan Am highway along the coast provides opportunity to see the countryside: small villages, towns, farms, mining, etc. Snacks, drinks and meal at a lovely 'oasis' restaurant were provided. Site is still under construction, is massive and historically interesting because it is older and large than Machu Pichu. The dessert site gives an excellent perspective of how the culture lived and thrived thousands of years ago. There is still a lot to be learned here. We scheduled a private tour and the driver an owner of the tour agency and the guide provided interesting conversation about Peru making the 3-4 hour one-way drive not so long. Recommend only if you have at least a week in Lima due to the travel distance.

The guys who did the tour were really nice and fun to spend the day with. They chose a great place for lunch where we were the only foreigners - great local food and drinks. We did certainly learn a lot about the country and the culture. Even though I loved the tour I am only giving 4 stars because their knowledge of the site itself was limited. We kind of followed an official tour close enough so that we could hear everything their guide said.

Great informative tour with an excellent guide! Our guide Alex was very knowledgeable and really enjoys what she does. She is well read and always keen to learn more, and this allows her to give a balanced view of events and history - she always separated fact from myth. Both she and the driver had excellent English. We learnt a lot from Alex about the Caral site and its history as well as so much more of the history of Peru, especially under Spanish rule, and how it has developed into the country it is now. The Caral site itself is in a lovely quiet desert valley and is still an active archeological dig. It is still being worked by the archeologist that discovered it and new finds are still being made. It is great to see parts as it was found, how it is being worked, and the restoration showing how the site would have looked 5000 years ago! Only approved guides are allowed at the site and they only speak Spanish which is a bit awkward, but Alex interpreted very well. The tour also included a very tasty lunch. Be aware though that the site is a good 3.5 hour drive from your hotel in Lima Lima traffic is really bad and Caral is far from the city and the tour does take the whole day though your time at Caral is less than 2 hours. The drive itself is very picturesque though - lovely views of the desert.

Unexpected discovery!