Paracas & Huacachina Tour: Ballestas Islands Desert Buggy

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/18

Duration17h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

Boat through a marine reserve, then buggy across desert dunes in one long day from Lima

A full-day tour from Lima to Paracas, the Ballestas Islands, a pisco vineyard and Huacachina Oasis, with a professional guide leading the route and managing all logistics. The tour departs at 4 a.m. from Miraflores and returns around 10:30 p.m., covering roughly 17 hours. Three experience levels are available—Essential, Premium and Private—with different inclusions; the Premium option adds hotel pickup, the Ballestas Islands boat, buggy and sandboard at the oasis, and sunset time there. A small backpack or suitcase up to 10 kg per person is included; larger luggage can be added for an extra fee.

17h

Step-by-step itinerary

Paracas and Huacachina desert tour

Meet at Ibis Larco Miraflores at 4:00 a.m.
Travel Lima to Paracas (3 hours)
Breakfast and rest at Paracas port
Board boat at El Chaco port
Visit Ballestas Islands (1.5 hours)
Visit Culturpisco Winery and taste pisco
Arrive at Huacachina Oasis, free time
Buggies and sandboard at Huacachina (2 hours)
Return from Ica to Lima (4 hours)

The Experience

The day starts before dawn at the Ibis Larco Miraflores hotel in Lima at 4 a.m., where your guide and air-conditioned transport are waiting. The three-hour drive south takes you to Paracas port by 8 a.m., leaving time for a quick breakfast (at your own cost) before boarding a modern vessel at El Chaco. The Ballestas Islands boat trip lasts about an hour and a half—you'll move through waters thick with marine life, spot exotic birds in their habitat and see the islands' rocky formations up close. The boat returns to port by early afternoon.

From there the tour moves inland to Culturpisco, a working vineyard in the Ica region where you taste pisco, Peru's grape distillate, and learn how it's made from harvest through distillation. By mid-afternoon you arrive at Huacachina Oasis, a lagoon ringed by high sand dunes about 5 km from Ica's center. You get roughly 40 minutes to walk the perimeter, photograph the water and dunes, then spend about two hours on buggy and sandboard rides across the desert itself—the buggy portion and sandboarding together make up that stretch. The oasis sits at sunset, which is part of the Premium experience.

The return drive to Lima takes about three hours, with arrival between 10:30 and 11 p.m. A professional guide in English or Spanish travels with the group throughout, handling the boat boarding, vineyard tour, timing at each stop and the route back. The tour is designed for small groups, and the vehicle has limited luggage space—only a small backpack or suitcase up to 10 kg per person fits in the hold. If you're staying on in Huacachina and need to bring more, you can add a large suitcase for an additional cost.

What’s included

A professional guide in English or Spanish throughout the day.
comfortable air-conditioned transport from Lima.
the Ballestas Islands boat experience.
a traditional vineyard tour with pisco tasting at Culturpisco.
free time and sunset at Huacachina Oasis.
buggy and sandboard rides across the desert dunes (Premium option and above).
hotel pickup from Miraflores, Barranco or San Isidro (Premium option and above).

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Inca Trilogy Tours S.A.C

Is this one for you?Choose the Premium option if you want the Ballestas Islands boat, buggy rides and hotel pickup included—the guide and fixed schedule handle the logistics so you move through three regions and four activities without arranging transport or timing yourself. The Essential option works if you're comfortable with fewer inclusions and can arrange your own breakfast and lunch; the Private option suits groups who want the full experience without sharing the vehicle.