ATV Riding from Lima: Buggy & Sandboarding in Huacachina

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1/39

Duration17h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Two hours on the dunes, no experience needed—a driver handles the buggy while you feel the speed.

A full-day trip from Lima to Huacachina combines a two-hour dune buggy ride with sandboarding, a sunset picnic in the desert, a visit to La Caravedo vineyard with Peruvian lunch and pisco tasting, and a two-hour boat trip to the Ballestas Islands to see sea lions, penguins and the Candelabra formation. Pickup starts at 4:20 a.m. from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco; return to Lima around 11 p.m. A certified English-speaking guide leads the group in a luxury bus with air conditioning and restroom. The buggy tour includes helmets and safety briefing; a driver operates the vehicle for safety reasons on both private and shared bookings.

17h

Step-by-step itinerary

Paracas and Huacachina day trip

Pick up from accommodation early morning
Travel 3 hours to Paracas
Breakfast before boat tour
2-hour Ballestas Islands boat tour
Visit La Caravedo vineyard and pisco tasting
Enjoy authentic Peruvian lunch
Explore Huacachina Oasis at leisure
2-hour dune buggy and sandboarding tour
Sunset picnic on the dunes
Return bus trip to Lima and drop off

The Experience

The day starts in darkness. Pickup runs from 4:20 a.m. across Lima's main districts—San Isidro, Miraflores, Barranco—or at a central Starbucks if you're elsewhere. You'll be added to a WhatsApp group the night before with exact times and tips. The three-hour drive south takes you to Paracas, where you have breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m., then board a shared boat for two hours on the water. The Ballestas Islands trip is the one shared element even if you book privately; the rest of the day stays with your group alone. You'll see sea lions, penguins and birds, plus the Candelabra—a massive rock formation carved into the cliff face.

After the boat returns, you drive inland to La Caravedo, Peru's oldest vineyard. This stop is exclusive to this tour; no other operator brings groups here. You'll have two hours: an optional pisco tasting where you sample Peru's signature spirit, and an included Peruvian lunch (vegetarian options available) that sits at the heart of the day. Then comes 40 minutes of free time at Huacachina itself, the oasis hidden inside towering dunes where you can walk the sand and take photos before the main event.

The dune buggy runs for two hours. A driver operates the vehicle for safety—you're a passenger, not the pilot—which means you can focus on the ride itself: the buggy climbs and drops the highest dunes in Peru like a rollercoaster, and you'll try sandboarding on your stomach on the way down. Helmets are mandatory; the company is the only one in Peru offering them as standard. A safety briefing happens before you start, and you'll sign a responsibility form. As the sun sets, the group moves to a spot on the open dunes for a picnic—no other tour offers this experience. You eat, watch the light fade, and then the bus takes you back north. Arrival in Lima is around 11 p.m., with drop-off at your accommodation or the same Starbucks where outside-district pickups began.

What’s included

Pickup and drop-off from Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro or Lima downtown in a luxury bus with air conditioning, clean restroom, USB ports and storage.
two-hour Ballestas Islands boat trip with all fees.
breakfast at Paracas.
Peruvian lunch at La Caravedo vineyard with one drink and pisco tasting.
two-hour dune buggy ride with helmets, sandboarding and all fees.
sunset picnic in the desert.
certified guide fluent in English and Spanish.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Lima Experience

Is this one for you?Book this if you want three distinct destinations in one day: the driver handles the buggy so you experience the dune speed without off-road skills, and the early departure lets you fit Ballestas Islands, La Caravedo vineyard, and Huacachina's sunset picnic into a single trip from Lima.