Located four hours south of Lima, the sandy desert town of Ica has been inhabited for over 2,000 years and both the Inca and the Nazcans called this region home.

Spanish conquistadors arrived here in the 1500s and decided to establish a town. The fertile valley - although near the outskirts of the desert - was perfect for growing grapes, paprika, and pecans.

Our city tour begins with a visit to the nearby desert oasis Huacachina. Here, you'll feel like you are visiting the Sahara Desert in Africa. The gigantic sand dunes of this region, and the desert oasis surrounded by palm trees, are an unexpected but very pleasant surprise.

Then we will visit Ica's Archaeology Museum (museo regional de Ica), a small but exquisite museum that contains a wide range of beautiful ceramics, intricate fabrics, and fascinating mummies and skulls. Some of the textiles were so valuable that thieves stole them during a night time robbery, and they have never been found. In their place are high-resolution photographs to show you what the originals look like. Fortunately other original textiles remain. After leaving the museum, we'll see the Cathedral of the Lord of Luren, a major regional cathedral that was damaged in the 2007 earthquake.

Finally we will walk around at the Plaza de Armas, the main square in Ica. Almost every town in South America that a main square, which acts as the heart of the city's economic and social identity.
The City Tour and Museum Visit can be combined with a winery tour, which will show you how Peru's famous drink pisco (peruvian brandy) is created.