Paracas & Ballestas Islands tour: Pisco tasting, dunes

A working winery, a natural sanctuary and sand dunes in a single day

This guided tour from Lima visits Paracas, the Ballestas Islands, a pisco winery and Huacachina over 17 hours with a bilingual guide and private transport. You sail to see sea lions and Humboldt penguins in their habitat, taste pisco and wines at the Nietto Winery with a specialist, ride the dunes by tubular and sandboard, and finish with Afro-Peruvian dances and contests at Racimo de Uva. The tour includes all entry fees, transport between sites, tastings and equipment for the dune activities.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour Paracas, Ballestas, Ica, Huacachina

• Start tour in Paracas resort
• Board motor yacht at Paracas marina
• Sail to Ballestas Islands
• Observe El Candelabra geoglyph
• See sea lions and Humboldt penguins
• Visit Pisco Nietto Winery
• Learn pisco production and taste wines
• Explore Huacachina lagoon and dunes
• Optional dune tubular tour and sandboarding
• Attend Afro-Peruvian dance show at Racimo de Uva
• Join contests and enjoy cultural flavors

The experience

The day starts at the Paracas resort, where you board a modern motor yacht at Marina Turística and head out to the Ballestas Islands. On the water you'll pass the El Candelabra geoglyph etched into the cliff face, then spend time circling the islands' rock formations to watch sea lions, Humboldt penguins and seabirds in their natural habitat up close. The boat ride itself is the access. You're not hiking to a viewpoint or looking through binoculars from shore.

After the islands, the group moves inland to the Ica countryside and the Nietto Winery, where a specialist walks you through how traditional Peruvian pisco is made. You taste their range: pisco, wines, macerates and pisco creams, all served by the producers themselves. Then comes Huacachina, the lagoon surrounded by massive sand dunes. If you want to sit by the water, you can. If you want to ride a tubular down the dunes or try sandboarding, the equipment is there and included. It's optional, not mandatory.

The tour ends at Racimo de Uva, another winery where Afro-Peruvian dancers perform live. You eat typical food, watch the show and can enter contests for prizes if you choose. A bilingual guide stays with the group the whole time, and private transport moves everyone between each stop. The whole day runs 17 hours from start to finish.

What’s included

• Private transport between all sites.
• a bilingual guide for the full day.
• boat ride to the Ballestas Islands with wildlife viewing.
• entry to the Nietto Winery with a specialist-led production tour and tastings of pisco, wines, macerates and pisco creams.
• access to Huacachina lagoon with tubulars and sandboards included.
• entry to Racimo de Uva with Afro-Peruvian dance performance, typical food and contest participation.
• all tourist taxes for the Ballestas Islands and Huacachina.
• photography throughout the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesUp to age 65

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Viaja Ahora Perú

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour with a fixed itinerary and schedule, so the day is built for you: no need to coordinate transport between Paracas, the winery and the dunes yourself. Choose it if you want to see multiple regions in one long day and prefer a guide handling the logistics and the details at each stop.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What animals will I see on the Ballestas Islands?

The Ballestas Islands are home to sea lions, Humboldt penguins and various seabirds. The boat circles the rock formations so you can watch them in their natural habitat up close rather than from a distance.

Is the dune activity at Huacachina included or do I pay extra?

Tubulars and sandboarding at Huacachina are included in the tour price, along with the equipment. Participation is optional. You can relax by the lagoon instead if you prefer.

How many wineries do we visit and what do we taste?

You visit two wineries. At Nietto Winery in the Ica countryside, a specialist guides you through pisco production and you taste pisco, wines, macerates and pisco creams. At Racimo de Uva, you eat typical food while watching Afro-Peruvian dances and can enter contests.

Does the tour include meals?

The tour includes tastings at both wineries and typical food at Racimo de Uva. Breakfast and lunch are not included, so plan to eat before the day starts or bring snacks for the midday hours.