Bus and tickets from Ica to Nasca

All about the bus from Ica to Nasca

Taking the bus from Ica to Nasca is efficient, affordable, and easy. Peruvian bus transportation is really cheap considering the surprisingly good quality of both the vehicles and onboard service. Plus, it allows you to get about Peru at your own pace without being cramped by a tour schedule.

What are the buses like in Peru?

Peruvians take a good amount of pride in their bus network, and they know that travelers from around the world will be spending a lot of time on them. Therefore, making sure that you take home a good impression, feel safe, and have a fun experience is paramount. There are both economy and luxury bus coaches in Peru, so it all comes down to where you want to go and what budget you have. If your budget is low, amenities like toilets or reclining seats might not be available. Often, the economy option is just a different floor on the same bus as a luxury cabin, so if you want to have wider seats, more personal attention, and a quieter set of neighbors, for only a few dollars more you can get that on the same route as you would the economy price.

What is the distance from Ica to Nasca?

The overall distance between Nasca and Ica is 120 km. However, some routes take detours to pick up passengers in smaller towns on the way, which may end up making the distance 142 km. That’s not a massive difference, but it will add 10-20 minutes to your trip. It will take an hour, maybe an hour and a half for the bus from Ica to Nasca to reach its destination. That will depend on the road conditions and other factors.

How much will it cost?

The price of the bus ticket from Ica to Nasca or reverse is determined by each carrier or bus company, but they will not be too far apart from each other’s average price if you are comparing similar classes and the quality of buses. The Peruvian currency is the Sol, which is what you will use when in Peru, but the price in Soles is bound to be less stable for us to give you a number that is the same today as it is tomorrow. Therefore, in US dollars, you can expect at the low end the price to be around USD $8 to make the trip in a no-frills bus making several stops, and the high end around $20 for a direct and more pampered ride.

Like all South American countries, there are high seasons that cause the price for a period of a few months, and then there are holidays and weekends in Peru that will not only be costlier times to travel but be more crowded and frantic. To avoid all this, click on the Reserve Now button above and you’ll be presented a calendar that shows you the days that are the best bargain because the demand will be low, and those that are more premium because of the demand on the bus system will be higher.

How far in advance should I book?

The optimal timeframe is to book your tickets about 20-30 days in advance just to be on the safe side. It will help you from running into sold-out departures and finding less red tape to deal with if you book any earlier than that. Do not wait until the last minute or think you can just show up at the bus station. The list is long when it comes to accounts of stranded travelers, long waiting lines, and ruined travel plans because they didn’t plan or reserve in advance.

Where can I book tickets for the bus from Ica to Nasca?

Booking online is the best way to secure your spot on the bus and avoid spending your vacation time running around doing paperwork. The online process helps both you and the bus companies plan ahead for each other, so it has quickly caught on as the preferred method to make scheduled services run smoothly. To book, just click on the Reserve Now button on the top of the page, and from there you can select the day you want to travel on the bus from Ica to Nasca. Then select the departure time and price, purchase with a credit card or PayPal, and you’re done! You’ll receive a ticket back by email within six hours and you can focus on the more meaningful parts of your trip, like museums, pisco vineyard tours, or soaring above the Nasca lines.

Things to do in Nasca, Peru

Sublime and other-worldly tranquility awaits travelers who visit the quiet desert of Nasca (equally spelled as Nasca). Home to the world-famous Nasca Lines, the region appeals to artists and spiritualists from around the world. But the beauty of this travel destination goes beyond the geometrical geoglyphs. There are many other sights and things to do in Nasca that will give you fascinating insights into the mysterious Nasca culture. These attractions include pre-dated mummies, pyramids, and more!

#1 - Get the Aerial View of the Nasca Lines and Palpa Lines

Nasca is world-famous for its iconic geoglyphs. Spread across over 500 sq. km, these rock-strewn drawings are one of the world’s greatest mysteries. The site boasts over 800 straight lines, 300 geoglyphs, 70 animals, and biomorphs.

Be it the famous Astronaut or hummingbird geoglyph, the best way to decipher them all is from the air. Luckily, there is a fleet of light aircraft parked near the site to meet the demand. The airborne tour lasts over 20 minutes and passes through all major geoglyphs. The sweeping aerial views are unparalleled!

Located next to the Nasca Lines is another set of perplexing geoglyphs called the Palpa Lines. Often overshadowed by their famous sister, the Palpa Lines nonetheless flaunt a profusion of human forms. The most magnificent of them all is a drawing of an eight-member family called the Familia Real de Paracas.

If you were to take an aerial tour, make sure you book a combined flight that will fly you over both Nasca and Palpa.

#2 - Observe the Nasca Geoglyphs from a Tall Tower

If you are on a budget and cannot splurge on an airborne tour, there is an alternative. Pegged along the highway that borders the geoglyphs are a series of observation towers. A climb to their viewing platforms will offer a bird’s eye view of the Nasca lines.

#3 - Come Face-to-Face with Nasca Mummies

Situated 30km south of Nasca is the 3rd-century Chauchilla Cemetery. It is home to many well-preserved pre-Hispanic mummies. The ancient burial ground was plundered and left asunder by tomb raiders. Later, it was painstakingly restored and opened to tourists. Many will recognize the cemetery from the Indiana Jones saga, where the cemetery’s actual necropolis provided the setting for the episode Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

#4 - Visit the Cahuachi Pyramids

Also known as Nasca Pyramids, Cahuachi was a major pilgrimage site for the Nasca natives from 1 AD through 500 AD. Unfortunately, this is another site that has been and continues to be ravaged by looters. Sprawling across 370 acres, the ceremonial center consists of over 40 pyramids. The ongoing excavation of the complex continues to deliver mummies, jewelry, and artifacts. It is believed that Cahuachi holds key to many mysteries surrounding this ancient civilization, including the Nasca Lines.

#5 - Trek the Cerro Blanco Sand Dune

An excursion to Nasca will be incomplete if you don’t conquer its tallest dune, Cerro Blanco. With an elevation that reaches up to 1,176 meters, it rises higher than the tallest summit in England. Climb to its peak to get a sweeping view of the entire Nasca Valley. If you are lucky and the weather is clear, you will even get a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Intrepid travelers can zip up in a 4x4 dune buggy. But the most fun is gliding down. The 1,176-feet slide lasts up to 4 minutes!

#6 - Marvel at pre-Inca Aqueducts

Still existing today but no longer being used are the amazing Cantalloc Aqueducts, known as puquios. They were built about 1,500 years ago by the Nazca civilization and can be easily accessed just a few kilometers outside of town. Puquios are unique to southern Peru as they had to meet the challenge of distributing groundwater to feed crops in an otherwise harshly arid climate, without losing water to natural evaporation. Looking like massive holes drilled into the earth with a screw, the wells of the system are called "ojos" or eyes and are up to 15 meters wide! The system allowed the Nazca people to survive and flourish in the desert, channeling underground water through a variety of channels both to the city for drinking and cleaning, and other irrigation channels to fields.

Conclusion

Ica and Nasca are a perfect pair for a few days away from the hustle of nearby Lima. You will get treated to a LOT of sand, but with it comes oases, dune buggies, vineyards, flamingoes, and glimpses into ancient civilizations and the imprints on the land they left behind.

Lucky for you, getting between Ica and Nasca is accessible with several bus departures, and you can beat the tourists to a seat by reserving a seat online in no time at all. Just click the Reserve Now button at the top of the page and plan your adventure today!