Paracas & Huacachina Day Trip: Ballestas Islands, Pisco Tasting

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/20

Duration16h

GroupUp to 40

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Ride dune buggies at sunset, sandboard down, and toast the desert from the top of the dunes.

A 16-hour day trip from Lima visits Peru's "Mini-Galápagos" at Ballestas Islands by speedboat, a traditional pisco vineyard for tasting, and Huacachina oasis for a 2-hour dune buggy and sandboarding adventure timed for sunset. Hotel pickup and drop-off, onboard Wi-Fi, a bilingual host, and all entry fees are included; lunch is on your own. The bus is larger than competitors' vans and carries an onboard restroom for the long journey.

16h

Step-by-step itinerary

Paracas and Huacachina Day Trip

Pick up from accommodation in Lima
Travel to Paracas by luxury bus
Arrive in Paracas and get snacks
Boat tour to Ballestas Islands
Visit Pisco vineyard and taste pisco
Free time for lunch at vineyard
Travel to Huacachina oasis
Dune buggy and sandboarding adventure
Sunset toast in the desert
Dinner time in Huacachina
Return to Lima by luxury bus
Drop off at accommodation in Lima

The Experience

Sixteen hours from Lima means you leave early and return late, but the route packs three distinct stops into one day. The Peru Hop bus picks you up from your hotel in Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro or downtown Lima, and the journey to Paracas takes the morning. You'll have high-speed Wi-Fi onboard and semi-bed reclining seats—the operator notes this bus is nearly double the size of other companies' vans, and it's the only one on this route with an onboard restroom. Arrive in Paracas around 9:30 am with time for snacks before heading to the port.

The speedboat tour to Ballestas Islands lasts about two hours and puts you on the water watching sea lions, penguins, and seabirds in their natural habitat. After returning to shore, you'll travel inland to a traditional pisco vineyard where a guide walks you through how Peruvian pisco is made and you taste the different varieties produced there. Lunch is your own choice and cost at this stop. Then the bus continues to Huacachina, the desert oasis where the afternoon's main event waits.

The dune buggy and sandboarding tour runs for two hours—longer than what most companies offer—and is timed to finish at sunset. You'll ride up the massive sand dunes in the buggy, then sandboard back down (the operator recommends lying face down on the board). A sunset toast happens once you're back at the top of the dunes. Dinner before the return journey is also on your own. The ride back to Lima takes the evening; the bus shows movies and hands out free popcorn. You'll arrive around 11:30 pm and be dropped at your accommodation.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Lima.
2-hour speedboat tour to Ballestas Islands.
guided pisco vineyard visit with tasting of different varieties.
2-hour dune buggy ride up the sand dunes.
sandboarding down the dunes with sunset toast at the top.
free time to explore Huacachina oasis.
onboard high-speed Wi-Fi for the entire journey.
bilingual host to assist throughout the day.
all entry fees and taxes.
onboard restroom and luxury semi-bed seats on the return bus to Lima.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Peru Hop

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a full day combining wildlife viewing, pisco tasting, and dune activities in one trip from Lima—the larger bus with Wi-Fi makes the long journey more comfortable than standard vans.