Nazca Lines Flight & Tour: The Nazca Mummies Complete Guide

During our two months in Peru we couldn't miss the famous Nazca Lines. The only question we had was whether it was worth getting a Nazca Lines tour & flight over the geoglyphs or to just visit the dedicated viewpoints along the Panamericana Highway.

Our trip to the Nazca Lines also sparked our interest in the topic. We were keen to see the Nazca Mummies and Paracas skulls, which have particularly strange shapes and what some claim to be a link to the extra-terrestrial!

Deep in the desert of southern Peru, Nazca is a small town that has perhaps seen better days, but you won't be spending long here. A couple of days max to soak up the deep history and mystery behind this place.

We ended up taking a Nazca Lines flight which is arguably the best way to see the scale, detail and mammoth undertaking it would have been to create these symmetrical drawings that have left so many puzzled.

If you're wondering how to spend your time in Nazca, whether a flight over the Nazca Lines is worth it, or where to see some pre-Inca mummies, you're in the right place. Below we share our full experience visiting the area and our Nazca Lines flight.

Contents

Why Visit Nazca, Peru?

How Long to Spend in Nazca

What Are the Nazca Lines? 

Taking a Flight Over the Nazca Lines

Nazca Lines Photos 

Viewpoints Along the Panamericana Highway 

How to Plan Your Nazca Lines Tour 

The Nazca Mummies

The Paracas Skulls 

How To Get To Nazca?

Why Visit Nazca, Peru?

The dusty town of Nazca has drawn millions of visitors from around the world thanks to the enormous geoglyphs etched into the desert, known as the Nazca Lines.

There's no doubt this area of southern Peru has a deep history, archaeologists are still trying to unravel it to this day. 

The Nazca Lines were created over 2,000 years ago by the ancient Nazca culture, somewhere between 500 BC and 500 AD, and cover an astonishing 450 square kilometres of desert plateau. 

Some individual geoglyphs stretch over 370 metres in length, longer than the Empire State Building is tall, which makes standing on the ground beside them almost incomprehensible, and is exactly why a flight over the Nazca Lines changes everything. 

There are many theories about the Nazca Lines from ancient calendars to astronomical maps and when you visit yourself, it's hard not to get drawn down the rabbit hole of theories and speculation.

Alongside the famous Nazca Lines, there are also mummies, skeletons and a rich pre-Inca history to discover through the local museums and the Chauchilla Cemetery, which is home to the famous Nazca Mummies. Below the photo shows our wild camp spot in Nazca, high in the dunes and with a fabulous sunset!

How Long to Spend in Nazca

Two days is enough for a trip to the Nazca Lines. It's enough time for a flight over the geoglyphs, a visit to Chauchilla Cemetery and the local museums, without overstaying in a town that has limited options. Once you’ve finished in Nazca we’d recommend visiting Paracas National Park, an incredible stretch of Peru’s coastline. 

What Are the Nazca Lines? 

The Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs etched into the surface of the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. Created by removing the reddish-brown pebbles to reveal the lighter ground beneath, the lines form hundreds of distinct figures.

The most famous Nazca Lines include the hummingbird, the spider, the condor and the astronaut. Each one so large it can only be fully appreciated from the air, which is why a flight over the Nazca Lines remains the most popular way to experience them fully. 

Despite decades of research, nobody knows for certain why they were made. The leading theories range from ceremonial walking paths and offerings to the gods, to astronomical calendars aligned with the stars. That mystery is a huge part of what draws visitors to Nazca.

Taking a Flight Over the Nazca Lines - Is It Worth It? 

While in Nazca we took a flight over the Nazca Lines with Alas Peruanas who have over 12 years of experience. They can pick you up from your hotel, or if you're overlanding like us, you can drive straight to the airport.

As we pulled up alongside the runway and saw the tiny planes lined up in a row, the nerves kicked in. We'd never flown in a plane this small, first time for everything!

Our plane was the first to take off that morning. Strapped into a 6-seater Cessna, it suddenly started to feel very real. Flying in a small plane like this had always been on the bucket list!

The take-off was smooth and we adjusted our headphones to hear the pilot and co-pilot throughout the flight. To spot each geoglyph, the pilot tilts the plane and positions the line beneath the wingtip. Kate missed the first one (the Whale) but after that got the hang of it quickly.

The Nazca Lines flight takes around 30-45 minutes in total and covers over 20 different geoglyphs. A few of our favourites included the Astronaut, Hummingbird, Monkey and Spider. 

The pilots kept us informed throughout, not just pointing out the lines but also highlighting other features in the surrounding landscape, and regularly checking in on us, since the banking movements can bring on motion sickness. The trick? Only look out of your own window.

With Alas Peruanas, the pilots fly over each geoglyph twice so both sides of the plane get a clear view.

We came in to land over the town, smooth considering the size of the aircraft, and trundled to our parking spot where we thanked the pilots before heading straight to the gift shop. You absolutely have to get a magnet after an experience like that.

After being up in the air there's no question, a flight over the Nazca Lines is the best way to see them. The perspective lets you take in each geoglyph in its entirety, and you'll see far more from the air than you ever could from the roadside viewpoints.

Nazca Lines Photos 

Viewpoints Along the Panamericana Highway 

If you want to see the lines closer up or you don’t have the budget for a flight then there are a few viewing towers dotted along the Panamericana Highway where you pay a couple of soles to climb up and view the lines. From the main mirador you can see the Hands and the Tree as well as the Lizard which the roads cut right through. Small buses and colectivos heading north can drop you at the tower in around 30 minutes from town. 

This is great if you have your own vehicle, but remember you will only see a few of the geoglyphs and it’s not the same as a flight. 

If you’re overlanding, keep your eyes peeled as you can spot different drawings along the way! 

How to Plan Your Nazca Lines Tour 

It’s easy to sort out a flight! You want a clear day if possible so check the forecast then send Alas Peruanas a message on WhatsApp (+51 956 640 619) to arrange your flight time. 

We were offered a morning flight or an afternoon, we chose to morning as we heard that’s when the sun shines on the lines best. 

The Nazca Mummies - What You Need to Know 

Alongside your visit to the Nazca lines don’t miss Chauchilla Cemetery, just a 10 minute drive from the town. These open-air graves showcase the Nazca Mummies which have been preserved over thousands of years partly due to the dryness of the desert. 

We visited in the afternoon and had the whole Cemetery to ourselves. There is a shaded path which guides you around the graves which hold the mummies and artifacts they were buried with.

There is also a small museum on site displaying a mummified child, which honestly I found a little disturbing.

The Paracas Skulls 

We’d also heard stories about the Paracas Skulls from our Machu Picchu guide Nate. Elongated human skulls discovered along the Peruvian coast. One theory by archaeologists was that they occurred due to head binding, a way to deliberately cause deformation and a way to show off knowledge and power. 

Others however believe in a more alien explanation, whatever you believe it’s definitely a cool part of history that is still shrouded in mystery. 

How To Get To Nazca?

Nazca is most commonly visited as part of a longer Peru itinerary, sitting roughly halfway between Lima and Cusco along the Panamericana Highway. 

From Lima

Nazca is around 450km south of Lima, making it an easy bus journey of 6-8 hours. Cruz del Sur and Oltursa both run comfortable overnight and daytime services directly to Nazca, making it a straightforward first stop heading south.

From Cusco

The overland route from Cusco takes around 12-14 hours by bus, typically routing through Abancay. It's a long ride but the scenery is dramatic. Many travellers break the journey with a stop in Arequipa.

By Car

If you're overlanding like us, Nazca sits right on the Panamericana Highway making it an easy stop on your way north or south. We chose to drive across from Cusco which although is a long drive is through some beautiful mountain passes.

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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Peru adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!

*We experienced the Nazca Lines Flight with a discount in exchange for this blog. As always, all opinions are our own.