From Lima: Ballestas Islands + Huacachina & Dune Buggy

Recommended by 93% of travelers

Lima, Peru

14 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore the amazing ecosystems of Peru’s Ballestas Islands during this 15-hour small group day trip from Lima. Scout for sea lions, tiny penguins, and a range of bird life during a visit to the Ballestas. Then head to the isolated Huacachina Oasis, located in the middle of the dessert surrounded by palm trees. Admire the sund dunes and have fun on a buggy or sandboarding!

Experience Peru's Ballestas Islands
Scout for sea lions, penguins and sea birds on the Ballestas Islands
Entrance fees, plus hotel pickup and drop-off included
Small group is limited to no more than 10 guests

What's Included

Professional Guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Ballestas Islands tour by boat
Sandboarding
Dune Buggy Ride

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Hotel pickup and drop-off service is included only for guests staying in Miraflores, San Isidro, or Barranco. If you are located outside of these areas, we kindly request that you pay a small fee for the pickup and drop-off service at your hotel. Please keep in mind that this is a shared tour, so your pickup time may vary depending on your location and the number of scheduled pickups for that day.

Operating hours
.4:30 am

Itinerary

Receive a very early morning pickup from your Lima hotel, after which you’ll transfer for 3.5 hours to Pisco town to board a boat to the Ballestas Islands.

During the next 2.5 hours you’ll get an up-close look at this majestic wildlife paradise as you observe the numerous colonies of penguins, sea lions, and seabirds that call its rocky shores home. The unique shape of the rocky formations that make up the island’s coastline only add to its visual appeal and natural beauty.

After leaving the Ballestas Islands, proceed to Paracas National Reserve. This arid coastal region has been named one of the “driest spots on earth” by the Guinness Book of World Records. Explore reserve’s unique desert landscapes and visit the oasis lakes used by migratory birds as they pass by on their trips north and south. You might even spot a Great Pink flamingo in the area.

At the end of your wildlife and outdoors-themed day, transfer back to Lima and receive a drop-off back at your hotel.

Las Islas Ballestas

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Huacachina

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Pisco Nietto

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Children must be accompanied by an adult
It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothes and shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat, take a bottle of water with you
This is a shred tour with 15 participants. Only on special occasions may we have a maximum of 17 participants.
Your pick-up time may vary depending on your location and the number of scheduled pickups for that day.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.7

based on 15 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Junior was very...

David_B, Oct 2022

Junior was very knowledgeable and fun to travel with. Antonio our driver made us feel safe in the crazy traffic of Lima. Highly recommend both of them.

What an amazing trip!

Mary_D, Sep 2019

I booked this because it looked like an interesting way to spend a day out from Lima. After a really early pickup at our hotel (4:30), we set off for the 3-1/2 hour drive down the coast to Paracas, with a stop for breakfast at a roadside restaurant. Once in Paracas, we boarded our boat, and off to the Ballestas Islands. What a feast of animals! We saw Humboldt penguins, sea lions (including a newborn), and thousands of birds of numerous types—Peruvian pelicans, cormorants, Inka terns, etc. After the boat trip, we took a short drive to the Paracas National Reserve. What an incredible contrast to have the 2nd driest place in the world right next to the Pacific Ocean! This trip was presented as a small group trip with up to 6 people. However, we were the only ones booked, so it was basically a private tour. As a result, our excellent guide, Amadeo, was able to indulge our request to visit the small museum by the harbor in Paracas and view its collection of archeological artifacts. After lunch, we were back on the road to Lima. A truly incredible day! Would be good for teens also. Young children would probably like the animals, but might be bored otherwise, but the trip is in fairly small boats.

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Hi Mary! You made a really great decision when booking this awesome trip, honestly it's a good way for getting distracted and spend your vacations. Our dear friend Amadeo will be always willing to give you a good experience! Haku Regards!!

Ballestas Island & Paracas Reserve daytrip

DayTrip24030997025, Jun 2019

Amazing Experience. Guide was very knowledgeable and spoke good English. We are Vegetarian and he helped cater to that for our meals.

Response from Host, Jun 2019

Dear passenger, thank you very much for your kind comment! We trained all our guides to give the best service and a very sincere friendliness to our customers and we are very happy to hear that you enjoyed the best of Lima with us! Don't forget that you are also helping to run our social projects in the poor communities of Lima since we work as a non profit organization. ¡Muchas gracias!

Ballestas Islands Full-Day Trip Including Paracas National Reserve

AMIT_M, May 2019

Fair, the guide and driver along with the tour itself was great however the transportation left a lot to be desired. An hour into the trip the car started knocking and on the way back it got worse as we have to travel without A/C and @ slow speeds.

Great day tour from Lima! Fun and...

Rickey J, Apr 2016

Great day tour from Lima! Fun and interesting activities. Recommended if staying in Lima for a few days.

This was a truly memorable...

Iain S, Feb 2016

This was a truly memorable experience. Be prepared for an early rise - 4am - but it's all in the interests in making it down to Paracas in time for the 8:10am trip out to sea. First the boat took us alongside the Paracas peninsula, to view the Candelabro de Paracas, before speeding off to the Islas Ballestas. On approaching the first island, we got a sense of the scale of what we were seeing. Cormorants were stood atop the cliff, too numerous to count. Dozens of sea lions loafed around or play-fought on the rocks below. After a slow cruise around the islands, we headed back, tracked most of the way by a flock of five pelicans, who were matching, even exceeding, the speedboat's speed! We then headed to the Paracas National Reserve. A harsh but beautiful place, it was brought to life by our excellent guide, José of San Juan in Lima, who shared his knowledge and showed us some of the more exclusive areas of the park. I won't go into more specifics as Paracas is a unique experience and the extent to which you enjoy it will depend on your guide and your own inquisitiveness. The Paracas museum was our final stop. Everything in the museum can be seen in half an hour to an hour but the content is fascinating. Again, José provided us with interesting background going far beyond the descriptions on offer. Then it was off to a local restaurant for lunch - although not included in the price, the cost of a meal is, as advertised, around S/. 35, so very reasonable. In summary - a day that really has everything. A group of islands teeming with life. A desolate and somehow awe-inspiring landscape. A chance to learn about it all at the local museum. A great guide with lots of knowledge and excellent company. Thoroughly enjoyable, I will remember it for a long time.