Lima : Paracas & Huacachina- Day to Islas Ballestas & Sandboard
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Lima, Peru
- 14 to 15 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the Ballestas Islands, Peru’s answer to the Galapagos Islands, and ride the sand dunes of Huacachina on this action-packed day tour from Lima—which saves you the hassle of booking multiple activities separately. Increase your chances of spotting wildlife during a boat tour of the Ballestas Islands, taste Peru’s national drink, and enjoy an exhilarating afternoon of sandboarding and a dune buggy ride.
- Go beyond Lima’s city limits with ease on a stress-free day trip
- Spot wildlife during a 2-hour boat ride around the Ballestas Islands
- Sit back and relax as someone else transports you between attractions
- This experience is ideal for thrill seekers
What's Included
- No hidden fees
- 2-hour boat ride to Isla Ballestas
- Dune buggy
- Sandboarding
- Bilingual guide EN / SP
- Pick up & Drop Off hotel
- Lunch
- Local taxesPEN25.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- JW Marriott Hotel LimaMal. de la Reserva 615, Miraflores Lima 18, Peru
Near Larcomar , in Front of the Marriot hotel. Our bus will be there at the pickup time. In exceptional situation, the meeting point may vary to avoid traffic or closing road (In Saga Falabella de Miraflores), we will let you know the day before
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.5:00 am
Itinerary
1
Paracas
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Las Islas Ballestas
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
3
Pisco Nietto
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
4
Huacachina Oasis
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Huacachina Oasis
1 minute • Admission Ticket Included
Lima (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- The total duration includes travel time.
- It sometimes happens that the sea is too rough to visit the Ballestas Islands by boat. If a weather report announcing a storm, we may cancel the boat tour around the Ballestas Islands for security reasons. In this case a financial reimbursement will be refunded to you ($10 per person) or another activity will be proposed
- Baby under 1 year old can come, but cannot participate in activities of the day
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Stephany_A
This was a full day of incredible views and really fun activities. It starts early and ends late but it is so worth it. We had a lot of fun at the dunes, lunch was great, pisco tasting was fun and boat ride was really nice. We were able to sleep on the bus because the places are far from Lima. Our guide was great, super informative and helpful. They were very professional and every place we visited was beautiful.
Reviews
4.5
based on 118 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Amanda_C, May 2026
Amazing experience , just do it and slide down the sand dunes, also the drivers were professional and knowledgeable
Melissa_O, Mar 2026
Our family of four took this tour (during our first trip to Lima). We were picked up at the JW Marriot. We were told to meet there at 5:00, but the bus did not arrive until closer to 5:30 (you will get a message the day before stating the bus may arrive later than the scheduled pick-up time, so don't be worried). Christopher was our tour guide and he was friendly, professional, and trustworthy (he spoke in English and Spanish).
I overpacked based on reviews I read. You really do not need to take a lot. You can buy drinks and snacks at every stop.
Your first stop is at a roadside 'restaurant' in which you can get breakfast. You then drive to Paracas where you will take a boat ride. People here will try to sell you hats, gators, and sunglasses. If you do not have them for the sand dunes, buy them here, as nobody will be selling them at the dunes. After the boat ride, you will go into a store (they gave us cookie samples that they then try to sell you) will have a little time to shop. From there you will drive to lunch and Pisco tasting. Your guide will send you a menu on the bus ride and you will text him your lunch order. The lunch spot (Tres Niettos/Nietto) was a nice/clean/upscale vibe. We enjoyed our food. After you eat, you do some Pisco tasting (about 5 different kinds). My daughters were a little bored at the tasting, but it was pretty quick (if you do not want to do the tasting you can walk around during that time, you do not have to participate).
After this stop, you then drive to what we thought was the most fun part of the day, the sand dunes. There is a small food stand/store front you park at. From there, you will be assigned a dune buggy. You go for a short ride, then you stop and have to climb up the hill from which you can look down at the oasis and take pictures (you get about 5 minutes). After that, you will drive around a little longer. Your guide will park up at the top of a sand dune and will take pictures of you on your dune buggy if you would like. Then you will get your boards to sandboard down the dune on. This was thrilling and exciting all at the same time. After this, you go on one last ride around the dunes before you head back to the bus. You can buy drinks/snacks and use the restroom before boarding the bus for the 4 1/2 hour drive back to Lima. We arrived back at 10:30pm. The seats on our bus were comfortable and reclined nicely which was nice since you spend majority of the day on the bus. Our bus did not have a restroom for use and it did not have charging ports for phones (so bring your portable chargers). Every stop has restrooms to use (as well as toilet paper) but you must pay for almost all of them, so bring coins for that.
Overall, the highlight of our trip was the sand dunes. I wish we could have gone down into the oasis. If there was an excursion to just go to the sand dunes and oasis, although it's a long drive, I would have done that.
Arash_K, Aug 2025
We were picked up at 5am in front of a Marriott hotel. couple of hours to the boats for the sea lion and penguin viewing. Then lunch and then to Huacachina. It was great. The tour guides were great. The only disappointment was when we found out we wouldn't actually be visiting Huacachina; You see it from the top of the sand dunes. In order to do that you have to book a hotel and stay over night. It is a 20 hour day. up at 3:45am and returned home around 11:30pm.
Yira_M, Mar 2025
Excellent experience and very organized tour, Diana and Christopher were great. The bus, boat and everything related with the tour was great. Also the restaurant Pisco Nietto the food was delicious
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🌟
We're thrilled to hear you had an excellent experience and that everything—from the transportation to the food—was well organized and enjoyable. Diana and Christopher will be so happy to know they made a positive impact on your day!
And yes, Pisco Nietto is a delicious stop — we're glad you loved it!
Warm greetings from the entire Izi Peru team 🇵🇪✨
MariaJose_D, Mar 2025
It was the most incredible experience I have ever lived. Sand boarding, buggy ride on the dunes. I 100% recommend. Diana and Mar are INCREDIBLE guides and made sure everything was explained to my partner in English. They are very friendly and caring and can crack some good jokes! Very patient and amazing people. Definitely book this experience is unbelievable.
Thuy_N, Jan 2025
If you are ready for an all day adventure then this trip is for you ! We only had 3 hours of sleep because of our flight. But it was worth it. The bus they picked us was very comfortable. You can lean back and take a nap on this long journey. The tour guides Davi and Mar was very nice and professional. The Driver Marco drove us around safely ! The day started at 5am till 11ish pm. We went to three different locations. First was Paracas visiting the island. Which I think was ok because the boat ride was a bit rough. I’m not a water person. You might like it ! Then we went to wine tasting. I’m not much of a drinker so that was ok for as well. It was a beautiful area. We also had lunch there. Food was delicious! My favorite was going to Huacachina ! You get to ride in the Dune Buggy( felt like you were in a roller coaster ! ) and sand board! The view was spectacular. Seeing a small little town in the middle of the dessert was amazing. Love every bit of. I highly recommend this tour if you’re visiting Lima.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We love knowing that you created unforgettable memories with us. Thank you for your trust, and safe travels. Hope to see you soon!
Peter_E, Jan 2025
What was promised was delivered: The island boat tour; lunch stop with pisco tasting; sand buggy tour, etc.
However.... 1/ The guide did not send a message on WhatsApp before the lunch was being ordered. 2/ The toilet in the coach was not working, however, there were toilet stops at various times. 3/ We were expecting to have a recognition system for the attendees, say a sticker or wrist band. This would have helped in the busy venues. 4/ The driver needed breaks, and one toilet stop getting back to Lima gave him a few minutes of down time. 5/ There was no instruction (that WE got) to say where to wait for the pick-up at the Marriott Hotel, which has 4 sides and 2 street-faces. We joined up with others on the tour, including some who said they were there for a "Spanish" tour. The 2nd guide was not able to understand what we were saying and walked off without asking us to follow him. We had to call out to ask for his instructions. We could have been left behind! 6/ The coach had tinted windows and no way to view through the front window, and some guests kept their curtains closed ahead of us. So, the views to the outside were very limited. So, we were prevented from full views of the countryside.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We loved being part of your journey! May you continue discovering amazing places, and we hope to see you on another tour soon.
Raymond_P, Jan 2025
Tour was as described. have in mind this is a long trip but its worth the long ride. We loved it especially the buggy ride in the sand dunes our driver was a mad man we had so much fun
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We’re thrilled to hear that your experience with us was unforgettable! Thank you for choosing us and sharing your feedback. We look forward to seeing you on another adventure soon!
Ryan_S, Dec 2024
It is a very long day. 5AM-10PM. Pick up was easy, but they make several stops in such a small area and it chewed up 1.5 hours just driving around in circles picking people up before leaving Miraflores. It was so close to where it would make much more sense to ask everyone to meet at one spot.
The bus was comfortable, which was good because most of the day is spent here. There were two guides, one Spanish speaking and one english, although her english was limited. The spanish guide went much more in depth on historical things, so I had my translate app open most of the time listening.
The boat was fun, pisco tasting was just ok, and the dune buggy ride was definitely a highlight of the trip.
The group was relatively small. Around 20ish people(this was on Christmas). Larger groups will definitely experience more waiting and probably won’t get back until 11-12ish so be ready for that. Overall, was fun but a little disorganized and not the greatest if you don’t speak fluent spanish.
Sara_C, Dec 2024
It was a very complete day filled with adventure! From the boat ride seeing the sea lions to the desert sand boarding and buggy tour. I loved it all and would definitely recommend it
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for recommending us! We’re happy to know your tour was a success. We hope to see you again for more amazing experiences.
Lottie_l, Nov 2024
Please bring sunscreen, bottled water & a hat.
This trip was door to door service. You just show up and enjoy the day. It's a FULL day, 5am-10pm
Scott and diana were my guides. I couldn't ask for more from them. I had an allergic reaction mid trip and they got me the medical attention I needed. Jesus was our driver and he did great in the craziness of Peru's small streets.
The food options were also good. Stop researching and just book the trip
Response from Host, Feb 2025
It was a pleasure having you on our tour. We love sharing the beauty of Peru with travelers like you. See you next time!
John_B, Oct 2024
This was a great FULL -DAY adventure!! The service was EXCELLENT and the added stops were both FUN and ENTERTAINING! The boat ride to the see the sea lions was great, and the dunes buggy-ride and sand dunes boarding was OFF THE CHART!! It was a LONG DAY, starting at 5 am and finishing back at the pickup about 10:30 pm, but WELL WORTH THE TIME SPENT!
Cansu_K, Oct 2024
All tour was incredible. Our guide was so kind. We saw penguins, sea lions, lots of birds and also blue footed bobby. La candelabro was impressive. Dune buggy was unbelievable, we had so much fun. Sand boarding is very funny and we do that 3 times. Huachachina oasis was excellent. So much good things in one day. We do that tour with 2,5 years old daughter. She also liked everything.
RolandObi_E, Sep 2024
Long day but worth it. Enjoyed the island and the sand dunes and views of the oasis. The Bodega and pisco tasting was awesome
keka201, Sep 2024
Amazing tour and places. Must see it. Great tour guy and driver.
We had a safe and great trip. 100% recommend
Mirely_P, Sep 2024
Everything. We enjoyed our visit to paracas and of course we enjoyed our visit Huacachina . We loved the people and the food we got to try. Everything was organized and on time!
Susan_T, Jul 2024
Very action packed tour at 2 stops: Bellasta island & Huachachina desert Oasis. The guides don't speak good English and are disorganized with the bus location pick-ups at each stop. I had to walk a half mile up a sand dune hill to find the final bus at the last stop in Huachachina. Would prefer if lunch is also included so I can avoid having to find my own lunch in a crowded lunch rush hour with so many other tour groups on a holiday Independence Day weekend. The sand buggy tour guide was very skilled in driving and teaching how to sand board down a big hill. I didn't like that the bus passengers all switched seats at each stop and the tour guides need to enforce rules for all passengers. Most of the trip was spent on the 10-hour roundtrip bus ride. A good day trip from Lima!
Lance_R, Jul 2024
1st and Foremost - Tour guide Scott Diaz was amazing.
Not only did he make sure we arrived for the meet (we were late), he made the ride and tour great.
Not only was it Fun but it was Educational and Scott also gave prizes and gifts.
On top of that, with my wife and I being the only non-spanish speaking couple on the tour- Scott never once allowed us to feel left out.
With that out of the way, the food was amazing, the subsequent stops up to Paracas were amazing, the boat ride to see Penguins, Sea Lions, and Birds was amazing, and the Buggy ride on the sand dunes might literally be THE FUNNEST THING IVE EVER DONE...
It's literally like a roller coaster. The mountainous STEEP sand slopes were a wild ride, and our driver was a ton of fun...
This was 10/10, 5 stars out of 5 stars, highly recommended, and fulfilling as hell...after this, I'm more willing to try all tours.
The tour, Scott, the team, and Viator were all amazing and my wife and I left very happy customers...we still talk about that tour weeks later.
Stephany_A, Jun 2024
This was a full day of incredible views and really fun activities. It starts early and ends late but it is so worth it. We had a lot of fun at the dunes, lunch was great, pisco tasting was fun and boat ride was really nice. We were able to sleep on the bus because the places are far from Lima. Our guide was great, super informative and helpful. They were very professional and every place we visited was beautiful.
Janelle_L, May 2024
A long day because of the distance and the amount of people, but truly well worth it! Like most tours, the general amount of time will depend on the number of people in the group and how fast people look around, shop during stops, etc. The guides do try to keep people together and stay on schedule.
All views were amazing! And lunch was plentiful and delicious! The bus was spacious and comfortable with seats that semi reclined for napping between locations.
Totally recommend.
Nikhil_A, May 2024
Had a great time. Pick up was as scheduled at marriot. Long day so be prepared. It was cold so have a jacket. Our guide zeta kept us on track and knew english so it was easy to communicate. Our driver was sleepy in the drive back so that was a little scary but zeta kept him awake and brought us back home safely. All in all I would recommend this trip.
Eric_A, May 2024
The trip was a lot of fun. Everyone was very knowledgeable. Sand boarding was the highlight of the trip
Patrice_S, May 2024
Both locations were memorable yet different and the excitement of not knowing what you will see and the thrill of the rides were fulfilling
Jacqueline_W, Apr 2024
We had a great time on this tour! The price was fantastic and both the guide and our bus operator were experienced and professional. My only suggestion: Carry extra cash with you. There are points in the tour when you will need small amounts of the local currency.
Emma_H, Apr 2024
The tour started with a really early pick up which was chaotic. Despite being told to be on time (or early!), we waiting 20minutes at the Marriott on the bus, presumably for late passengers with no explanation. The coach was full - we were about 50 people. At one point in the day, 2 guests got on the wrong bus and despite us telling the guide they didn't seem that bothered. Luckily, the 2 passengers realised and the bus they had mistakenly taken brought them back so they could rejoin our group. Didn't fill us with confidence!
There were two guides with the main guide shouting into a megaphone for much of the day. It felt very much like we were being herded from place to place - not personalised, no good information, and they were quite rude / unfriendly.
Paracas part was fine. 30min boat trip out to sea for a 10min trip around the rocks where you can see penguins and seals (from a distance) and then 30min boat trip back. Boat had no shade cover (other operator boats did) so make sure to bring sun protection.
Quite a few up-sell points (in Paracas we stopped for 15mins in a souvenir shop to "taste chocolate" which was a small piece of chocolate followed by waiting there for 15mins while staff tried to get you to buy it. Second upsell was after lunch with a pisco tasting and then another sell to try and get you to buy the products).
Lunch was tasty but isn't included so keep this in mind.
Huacachina was very cool but the sandboarding "experience" we were only allowed to do twice - not very much at all! Back on the bus after not a huge amount of time and we were back to Lima by 10pm.
Overall, we'd recommend going to Huacachina but not doing this tour which had lots of other things that weren't very interesting / good and made the day incredibly long.
Mandy_B, Apr 2024
The sights themselves were absolutely incredible. The bus was quite comfortable, though the on board toilet was out of order, making it a bit difficult for such a lot of driving. Our tour guides were excellent and made sure to take great care of us. We loved the lunch options and Pisco tasting. Huachacina is incredible. We did find that we did not have enough time there. It was a bit too rushed.
Darron_A, Apr 2024
Tony was very good. He showed us a good time. Very attentive and knowledgeable fun . Everyone was excited. We really enjoyed it
Jean_R, Apr 2024
Everything, the most stand out part was watching my daughter coming down the sand slide, and stopping halfway down. I never seen anything like it before. 😂😂😂
Joshua_R, Apr 2024
The tour was amazing. The agency staff picked you up from the hotel meeting point and brought you back. Fantastic staff members, I recommend the tour too everyone.
rennae_c, Mar 2024
We had an amazing time. We were on the road for a total of 18 hours. It was an actioned packed Day. At Paracas, we visited the sea lions, did wine tasting and ended our day at Haucachina which was the highlight of the entire trip. Our tour guide Victor and Carlos were amazing and very patient with us.
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