Lima - Caral - The Oldest Known City in the Americas - Full Day

Lima - Private Caral Tour - The Oldest Known City in the Americas - Full Day (12hrs.) - Pick-up in your Hotel Foyer at 07:00am - Minimum 2 people - Daily Service Year Round - Includes Entrance Tickets, Transport, English / Spanish Guide.

Visit the oldest known city in the Americas on this private day trip to Caral!

From Lima, travel with your guide to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Caral, an archeological site where you’ll see ancient artifacts and structures like bone flutes, dusty temples and a few sunken plazas.  This private tour is designed to introduce you to the history and culture of this ancient Peruvian city.

After pickup from your hotel in Lima, you’ll be driven north 115 miles (185 km) to the ancient ruins of Caral, located in the Supe Valley.  Caral spans more than 150 acres and is considered to be the oldest place of civilization in the Americas.

At the ancient city, you'll see six terraced pyramids that are thought to have been the main center of town.  Surrounding the pyramids sit many residential structures and sunken plazas.  Get a glimpse into how the ancient people of Caral lived as you admire many artifacts and dwellings, including pieces of textile, necklaces, flutes made from animal bones, reed and woven bags, ceremonial burial relics and structures made from adobe and stone. 

You’ll also see evidence of agricultural practices and elaborate religious ceremonies, as well as a design carved into the earth called Chupacigaro, which was used to measure the movements of the stars.

Considering how few people visit Caral, the site is well set out for visitors.  There are plaques in both Spanish and English illustrating points of interest.  The people of Caral-Supe were experts in agriculture, construction, public administration and making calendars and musical instruments. 

Archaeologists at Caral believe that men and women may have enjoyed considerable equality.  A large geoglyph – a design carved into earth – called Chupacigaro attests to the Caral people’s sophisticated measurements of the movements of the stars.  Unesco declared the Sacred City of Caral a World Heritage site in 2009.