Paracas & Huacachina Day Trip: Ballestas Islands & Dune Buggy

Speedboat through penguin colonies, then sandboard down South America's biggest dunes

A full-day tour from Lima combines a speedboat ride to the Ballestas Islands in Paracas National Reserve with an afternoon in Huacachina oasis. You board a boat around 9:45 am to watch penguins, sea lions and native birds in their habitat for roughly two and a half hours, then travel inland to the desert where you ride a dune buggy up the largest sand dunes in South America and sandboard back down. Hotel pickup and a bilingual guide are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Ballestas Islands2h · entry included
2. Paracas National Reserve4h · entry included

Paracas and Huacachina day trip

• Pick up from Lima accommodation
• Travel by bus to Paracas
• Arrive in Paracas and go to port
• Take speedboat to Ballestas Islands
• Observe penguins and sea lions
• Return to Paracas
• Travel from Paracas to Huacachina
• Free time in Huacachina
• Dune buggy and sandboarding tour
• Return by bus to Lima

The experience

The day starts with a pickup at your Lima hotel and a direct bus ride to the coastal town of Paracas, arriving around 9:45 am. From there you board a speedboat and head out to the Ballestas Islands, a protected reserve where you'll spend about two and a half hours watching penguins, sea lions, and seabirds in their natural habitat. Your guide narrates the animals' behavior and the ecosystem while you photograph the colonies and the rocky outcrops where they live.

After returning to Paracas, you have free time to explore the town before departing for Huacachina at 1:30 pm. The oasis sits in the Ica Desert roughly 90 minutes inland, and you arrive around 2:45 pm. You have until 4:00 pm to walk around the lagoon and the settlement before the dune activities begin. The dune buggy tour takes you up the biggest sand dunes in South America. The vehicle does the climbing work so you arrive at the top with energy left for sandboarding back down. After the buggy and board session, you board the bus for the four-hour return to Lima, arriving at your hotel in the evening.

The tour operates with a live guide who speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and several other languages. All transportation (the initial bus from Lima, the speedboat, the dune buggy and the return bus) is included, as is entry to the Ballestas Islands. You'll want to bring sunscreen, a hat, a camera and a light jacket for the boat, since the ocean spray can cool you down even on a warm day.

What’s included

• Round-trip bus transportation from your hotel.
• pickup and drop-off at your accommodation.
• a bilingual guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and additional languages.
• the speedboat tour to Ballestas Islands.
• entry to the reserve.
• free time to explore Huacachina oasis.
• the dune buggy ride and sandboarding session.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 04:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (17 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 90 years) · Youth (6 to 16 years) · Child (2 to 5 years) · Infant (under 2)

GroupUp to 35

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Japanese, Polish and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Happy Gringo Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see the Ballestas Islands, oasis, and dunes in one day with a group: the shared schedule and early morning start pack three regions into a single itinerary, but you'll spend significant time traveling between locations.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Danish and Dutch.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 16 years); Child (2 to 5 years); Infant (under 2).

What animals will I see on the Ballestas Islands boat tour?

The Ballestas Islands are home to penguins, sea lions, and native seabirds that live on the rocky outcrops and in the surrounding waters of Paracas National Reserve. Your guide explains their behavior and habitat during the roughly two-and-a-half-hour boat ride.

How does the dune buggy tour work at Huacachina?

The dune buggy carries you up the largest sand dunes in South America, saving your energy for the sandboarding descent. You ride up in the buggy, then sandboard back down the dunes during the two-hour activity session that starts at 4:00 pm.

What is included in the day trip price?

The tour includes round-trip bus transportation from your Lima hotel, the speedboat to Ballestas Islands, entry to the reserve, a bilingual guide, the dune buggy and sandboarding session, and hotel drop-off at the end of the day. Food and drinks are not included.

How much free time do I have at Huacachina before the buggy tour starts?

You arrive at the oasis around 2:45 pm and have free time until 4:00 pm, giving you roughly two hours to walk around the lagoon and explore the desert settlement before the dune buggy and sandboarding activities begin.

What's the total length of the day from pickup to drop-off?

The full tour runs about 15 hours from hotel pickup in Lima through the return drop-off, including the bus ride to Paracas, the boat tour, free time at Huacachina, the dune activities, and the four-hour bus ride back to the city.