Caral, The Oldest Civilization of America: Full-Day Tour from Lima

Lima, Peru

12 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Lima, Peru

Lima Full-Day Experience: Pachacamac, Historic Downtown and Magic Water Circuit

from $155.00

Lima, Peru

Lima's Reality Tour: Shanty Town + Local Lunch + City Tour

from $122.00

Price varies by group size

Lima, Peru

Lima: Water Magic Circuit, Historic Downtown & Catacombs Tour

from $65.00

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

The UNESCO-listed archeological site of Caral, first inhabited between 2600 BCE and 2000 BCE, is among Peru's most impressive ruins. Getting there, however, can be tricky. This small-group tour tour from Lima promises a hassle-free experience. You'll get picked up from your accommodation and taken directly to Caral where your guide will offer insights into its ancient civilization.

Visit Caral: One of the most impressive archaeological sites in Peru
Small-group tour (maximum 10): A more personal experience
Hassle-free pickup and drop-off from your Lima accommodations
Learn all about Caral and its ancient civilization from your guide

What's Included

Private transportation
Air-conditioned vehicle
Bottled water
Snacks
Guided tour in Caral
All Fees and Taxes

Breakfast
Lunch
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

06:30 AM

Pickup details

We pick up all participants from their houses or hotels. To make easy the pick up you should leave your whatsapp number when you complete the booking or a Peruvian number we can call you.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Infants must sit on laps

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

56 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 56 reviews

Caral, historic site

S_M, Apr 2024

Fascinating site. Not to be missed if you have a free day in Lima. Our guide, Jose, was very informative. The site is large, so wear good sturdy shoes. There is no shade on the site, so wear a hat and/or sunscreen. The driver, Hugo, was amazing as he navigated the crazy traffic in Lima. A fun day.

Excellent day trip to Caral

JANET_W, Apr 2024

Jose was a great host and guide for our trip to Caral. He provided good information in an interesting manner, and was good company as well. Caral is definitely a bit of a trek for a day trip from Lima, but well worth it if you have an interest in ancient civilizations. It's mandatory to use the on-site guides for the actual tour of the archeological site, and ours was very knowledgeable. Our driver, Carlos navigated the often chaotic traffic confidently and I felt secure with him at the wheel.

Ok trip to Caral

Thomas_R, Mar 2024

While the guide was pleasant and answered questions, during the long car ride to and from the site the guide should have told us more about Peru and what we were seeing as we drove instead of having extensive conversations with driver in Spanish. Caral was interesting as we like learning about ancient cultures, but it was very hot and the walking was a bit too much for my partner.

Caral

Randi_W, Dec 2023

Jayner was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING… This is a must see… Just as amazing as Machu Pichu… This is a must see that is sadly NOT advertised.

Standing in history

Catherine_L, Nov 2023

My guide was on time to pick me up from the hotel. The journey to the location is a long one so be prepared. roughly 3 hours to the site each way, it'll also be a rough ride due to road conditions. Once there, its like standing in history. Some things to note: It won't be crowded, barely any tourists There are toilets there You will need a guide from the location to take you in, meaning even if you arrive with you and your guide from the agency, if there is no guide from the site you will not be allowed in until one becomes available I thought the 2-3 hour timeframe was an over exaggeration (I was the only one on the tour), but no, the site is huge and there is so much to see and talk about. After the tour, you'll be taken to get food. This is paid separately and not included in your price.

Worth it!!

AnnaMae_D, Jul 2023

Highly recommend as a day trip from Lima! The site is incredible (the buildings are 5,000 years old!!) and not many people visit, so you have a lot of space and peace to ponder the civilization that used to thrive there. Both Carlo and José, the driver and guide, were kind and friendly. José is very experienced with the Caral site, and is a knowledgeable and engaging guide. He also answered my other questions regarding Peru in general, which was wonderful!! It is a bit of a drive, but I thought it was nice to get out of Miraflores and see more of the country. Overall, I really enjoyed this day trip. It's a special place.

Caral tour from Lima

Eric_R, Jun 2023

Our guide José provided great information about the site and along the long drive between Lima and Caral. Our driver Roberto did a great job. The stop at the restaurant in Barroca provides an opportunity to see another coastal town and to walk few minutes on the beach.

Visit Before the Crowds Discover this Unique Archeological Site

Matthew_M, Nov 2022

This is a fascinating archeological site and perhaps one of the best in the world. It provides a relatively new experience that rewrote Peruvian history on civilization. It is an active site so more discoveries will occur. It is one of the few archeological sites where you can visualize how society was organized. There are few visitors now but enjoy now before it truly gets discovered by the crowds. A long day but we’ll worth it for history buffs.

Some good - some bad

Shea_H, Nov 2022

Our tour guide was great - I highly recommend Alejandro! The transportation was miserable - we were crammed three-across in a little Hyundai for 3.5 hours of misery, both directions. Caral was interesting and I would recommend it to anyone who has interest in ancient civilization. If what we experienced was the normal plan for transportation, I could not recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Dear customer, thank you so much for your feedback, it make us improve. We currently have improve our transportation service and use a sedan car for 2 participants, a SUV (with 7 seats) for 3 participants and a Van for 4 customers or more.

Very interesting trip to Caral with very professional guides

Antnio_M, Jul 2022

Very interesting trip to Caral. Guides were very professional and did their best to provide a pleasant experience.

Funny, educational, interactive

Peter_M, Jul 2022

Amazing time. It's a long day but Caral is fascinating and the team is great. Funny, educational, interactive: this is a great way to explore history, Peru, and Peruvian culture.

Great tour

Beverly_V, Jan 2022

My family had a great time visiting Caral. It is a long drive but worth visiting. I recommend any history buff to go on this tour. It is the 2nd oldest archeological site in the world!

The awe of the ruins!

Alan_A, Mar 2020

My second time to Caral. Ever since I first read about this site years ago it has mystified my curiosity. If one is into early global history, this site is comparable to just about anything one will fine in Egypt, Crete and most of The Levant. The researchers have just scratched the surface of this part of the world. The tour guide is very polite and professional.

Outstanding experience

dq1vacation, Jan 2020

Our guide was attentive to our needs. His translation of the local guides at Caral were excellent. He has an outstanding knowledge base about Caral and Peru. We had a lovely Peruvian lunch at a seaside local restaurant in the way back. I highly recommed

The Viator scam

SPENCER_G, Jan 2020

We were not able to go on the trip due to security issues in Lima, Peru and consequently Viator was not able to accommodate the new time frames, We gave Viator the appropriate cancellation notice and Viator refused to credit us for the tour. I would not recommend anyone using Viator for off-ship travel, We are out $300.00 US dollars and no one had any interest in resolving the situation'

Experiencia ancestral

JuanDavid_C, Nov 2023

El recorrido por las ruinas de las pirámides y los centros ceremoniales circulares que son únicos xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx