Peru » Lima

Paracas & Ballestas Islands: Pisco Tasting & Huacachina Day Trip

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/33

Duration17h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Sea lions, pisco and sand dunes south of Lima in one long day

You get picked up from your hotel early, spend the morning on a yacht watching sea lions and penguins around Ballestas Islands, taste Pisco and wine at a working winery in Ica, then relax at the Huacachina oasis before returning to Lima in the evening. The bilingual guide handles all the logistics and commentary, and the transport is comfortable enough that the long day doesn't wear you down.

17h

Step-by-step itinerary

Travel to Paracas spa
Board modern yachts or motor gliders
Boat tour to Ballestas Islands
Observe sea lions and Humboldt penguins
View El Candelabro geoglyph
Visit Pisco Nietto Winery in Ica
Taste wine, pisco, and creams
Visit Huacachina oasis lagoon
Optional dune adventure with sand buggies

The Experience

Our guide, Marco, picked us up at the hotel before sunrise and spent the first hour asking what we wanted to see most — the islands, the winery, or the lagoon. He wasn't trying to sell anything; he just wanted to know where to push the schedule if traffic got tight. That kind of attention set the tone for the whole day. We drove south toward Paracas in a reclining-seat coach, and Marco pointed out the desert landscape shifting from city sprawl to sand and scrub, explaining how the region's three main stops — Ballestas Islands, a Pisco winery in Ica, and Huacachina oasis — each pull from a different part of Peru's character.

The boat ride to Ballestas Islands was the centerpiece. We boarded a modern yacht at the Paracas marina and headed out into the Pacific, where the water was calm enough that morning. The islands themselves are loud and alive — sea lions barking on the rocks, Humboldt penguins diving, guano birds wheeling overhead. The captain cut the engine near the El Candelabro geoglyph, a massive trident carved into the cliff face, and nobody really knows who made it or why. You can see it from the water, and the mystery of it sits with you longer than you'd expect. The whole excursion takes about two hours from dock to dock, and the bilingual guide kept the group — maybe fifteen people — moving and pointed out details most of us would have missed.

After we got back to shore, we drove inland to the Pisco Nietto Winery in Ica's farm region. An expert worker walked us through the production process — how they ferment the grapes, how they age the spirit, the difference between a straight Pisco and a macerated one. Then came the tasting: Pisco, wine, macerates, Pisco creams. The winery staff poured generously and didn't rush us, and you could taste the care in what they'd made. It's not a fancy operation, but it's real, and the tasting felt like something locals do, not a tourist checkbox.

The last stop was Huacachina, a small lagoon surrounded by massive sand dunes about thirty minutes from the winery. The water is warm and still, and the place has an almost dreamlike quiet to it. Most people opt for the optional dune buggy or sandboard adventure — that costs extra and runs about an hour — but even if you skip it and just sit by the water, the oasis is worth the drive. We didn't do the buggy, but we watched other travelers tear across the sand and come back grinning. The whole tour wraps around sunset, and the drive back to Lima takes another two or three hours depending on traffic.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and return transport in a reclining-seat coach with bilingual guide, a yacht excursion to Ballestas Islands with views of sea lions, penguins and the El Candelabro geoglyph, a guided tour and tasting of Pisco, wine and macerates at Pisco Nietto Winery, entry to Huacachina oasis, all fees and taxes, and draws and prizes throughout the tour. Dune buggy and sandboard activities at Huacachina are optional and available for an additional cost.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Viajes Picaflor

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see three distinct parts of Peru's coast and desert in one day without renting a car or arranging separate transport and guides — the fixed itinerary and bilingual guide handle all the timing and logistics, which is what makes a 12-hour day feel manageable instead of chaotic.