Paracas & Huacachina Day Trip: Ballestas Islands & Sandboarding

Speedboat through a wildlife sanctuary, then sand dunes tall enough to slide down.

A 12-hour day trip from Lima combines a guided boat tour of the Ballestas Islands (a reserve teeming with sea lions, penguins and seabirds) with dune buggy and sandboarding in Huacachina, a natural desert oasis. Hotel pickup and drop-off, the national reserve ticket, air-conditioned transport, and a bilingual guide are included. Food and drinks are at your own expense.

Step-by-step itinerary

Paracas and Huacachina day trip

• Pickup from hotel in Lima
• Bus ride to Paracas
• Boat tour of Ballestas Islands
• Travel to Huacachina oasis
• Free time and lunch in Huacachina
• Dune buggy ride and sandboarding

The experience

The day starts with an early pickup from your Lima hotel or hostel, then a 4-hour drive south to Paracas, a coastal town on the Pacific. Once there, you board a speedboat for a 2-hour tour of the Ballestas Islands, a protected reserve where sea lions haul out on rocks, penguins nest in crevices, and cormorants and other seabirds wheel overhead. The boat moves close enough to see them without disturbing the colony. This is the wildlife viewing part of the day, and it is the reason many travelers book this tour.

After the boat returns to shore, you drive inland to Huacachina, which sits in the middle of the Ica Desert and is the only natural desert oasis in South America. You have free time to walk around the lagoon and eat lunch at a local restaurant (not included). Then comes the adrenaline part: a 2-hour session of dune buggy rides and sandboarding. The buggy hauls you up the massive sand dunes, and then you strap a board to your feet and slide back down. The dunes here are the largest in South America, so the runs are long and steep. By late afternoon, you're back in the air-conditioned vehicle for the 4-hour return to Lima.

A bilingual guide (English and Spanish) stays with the group throughout the day and handles the logistics: timing, tickets to the national reserve, and the route. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you don't arrange your own transport to the coast. The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters on a 12-hour day in the desert heat.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off.
• entry ticket to the Ballestas Islands national reserve.
• 2-hour guided boat tour of the Ballestas Islands.
• 2-hour dune buggy and sandboarding session in Huacachina.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• bilingual guide in English and Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesDaily · 06:00

Ages4 to 80 years · Under 4 — No ticket type: can't be added to a booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup9 pickup points to choose from.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Local Tours Expert E.I.R.L.

Is this one for you?Book this tour for a first or middle day in Lima when you want to see wildlife and try sandboarding without arranging separate transport to the coast: the pickup, timing and guide handle the whole day so you only show up at your hotel.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What will I see on the Ballestas Islands boat tour?

The Ballestas Islands boat tour lasts 2 hours and passes through a reserve where sea lions, penguins, and seabirds live in their natural habitat. The boat gets close enough to observe them clearly without disturbing the colony.

How much time do I spend sandboarding and on the dune buggy?

You have 2 hours total for dune buggy rides and sandboarding in Huacachina. The buggy takes you up the dunes, and then you sandboard down them.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included. You have free time in Huacachina to eat at one of the local restaurants around the oasis at your own expense.

How long is the drive from Lima to Paracas?

The drive from Lima to Paracas takes 4 hours in an air-conditioned vehicle. The return drive is also 4 hours, making the total day about 12 hours including all activities.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel?

Yes, hotel or hostel pickup in Lima is included, as is drop-off at the end of the day.