Epic Paracas & Huacachina - Day Trip From Lima
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Lima, Peru
- 17 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Hotel or Hostel Pick-up Barranco / Miraflores/ San Isidro. From 5am to 5.45am
- Comfortable Bus with Air Conditioning, clean restroom, USB Ports, and a large storage room.
- Dune Buggy and Sandboarding. Artesanal Sandboard included
- Wine and Pisco Tour/Tasting at CULTUR PISCO one of the best vineyards in Peru
- 2 hour Ballestas Islands Boat Trip.
- Pickup & Drop off (according your choice)
- Local Taxes (16 soles / $4 USD Ballestas Island and 9 soles / $3 USD Huacachina) Total Soles 25
- Rental Stand sandboard / Ski. USD 15.00 per person$15.00 per person
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and drinks. Bring local currency
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Calle Tarata 252, If you are into the pick up locations, meet us here at 5am
Operating hours.5:00 am
Itinerary
1
Lima
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Paracas
4 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
Ica Region
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
4
Huacachina
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
5
Lima
4 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- BEFORE YOUR TOUR To help everything run smoothly from the very beginning, please make sure to confirm your pick-up location and WhatsApp number with us before your tour date. We’ll do a final check at 8:00 PM the day before your tour, so having your correct details allows us to organize everything properly and avoid any last-minute issues. At that same time (8:00 PM), we’ll send you all the important information for your trip, including your exact pickup time and the group link, directly to the WhatsApp number you provided during your booking. Since WhatsApp is our main and only communication channel, we kindly ask you to have it downloaded, active, and working at least one day in advance. This helps us keep everything clear, connected, and running smoothly for everyone.
- PICK UP INFORMATION: Your exact pickup time and group link will be sent via WhatsApp at 8:00 PM the night before your tour. Please make sure you have WhatsApp downloaded, active, and working, as this is our main and only communication channel before and during the tour. Pickup times may vary depending on the day and number of scheduled pickups. Due to traffic and logistics, there may be delays of 15–20 minutes. We kindly ask for your patience and understanding.
- RETURN TO LIMA: Your return to Lima is estimated around 11:30 PM, but this may be later depending on traffic and other external factors. For this reason, we strongly recommend not booking flights on the same day, as we cannot guarantee an exact arrival time. The company is not responsible for missed flights.
- TOUR DURATION & FLEXIBILITY: Get ready for a full-day adventure (17+ hours). This is a dynamic experience, and timings may vary due to: Traffic (especially in Lima) Weather conditions Operational factors We truly appreciate your flexibility, good attitude, and patience throughout the day.
- RETURN & DROP-OFF: We will re-enter Lima through: Barranco → Miraflores → San Isidro Drop-off times may be later than expected, especially on weekends due to heavy traffic.
- SPECIAL DATES: On holidays such as Easter Weekend from April 6 to 9 and from July 28 to 30, celebration of Independence Day in Peru: Pick-ups will be made 1 hour before usual hours. The activities of the Ballestas Islands will be only 1 hour and 30 minutes (all operators) and Dune buggy & Sandboard (Huacachina) only 1 hour (all operators)
- HUACACHINA EXPERIENCE: The dune buggy and sandboarding are a combined 2-hour experience, including stops for photos and to enjoy the landscape. Please note that this takes place in a natural desert environment. It is not recommended for people with reduced mobility, as walking on sand dunes is part of the experience and can be physically demanding.
- BALLESTAS ISLAND TOUR: This is a shared group experience on a speedboat with other travelers. It’s mainly a scenic and photographic tour, lasting around 2 hours. The guide onboard is officially certified and bilingual, but due to the nature of the experience (boat speed, wind, and noise), audio clarity may sometimes be limited.
- WHAT TO BRING: To make the most of your day, we recommend bringing a few essentials: Sunscreen (the sun is strong all year round ☀️), Sunglasses, A bandana (very helpful for the desert wind), Closed shoes for sandboarding Light, comfortable clothing for warm weather, A light jacket for the boat ride (it can get windy and a bit cold). If you forget anything, don’t worry — you’ll have the chance to purchase some of these items in Paracas or Huacachina along the way
- SANDBOARDING EXPERIENCE: Please note that sandboarding takes place in a natural desert environment. It is not recommended for individuals with reduced mobility, as walking on sand dunes is part of the experience and can be physically demanding.
- FOOD & CASH: Please bring cash (local currency). We’ll stop for breakfast on the way to Paracas or before the boat tour, and you may need cash for meals or personal expenses during the day.
- OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. Please make sure to carry the same identification document (passport) you used to enter Peru during the tour, as it may be required for verification at highway checkpoints.(Police)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 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
Michael_M
Rose was the one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had! She was super awesome the day was incredible everything went smoothly and I can’t thank her enough high recommend! It was literally life changing
Reviews
4.8
based on 1,102 reviews
Gino_P, Apr 2026
Had so much fun. Diego was very knowledgeable of the trip. He kept us very well informed of our next move.
Michael_M, Mar 2026
Rose was the one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had! She was super awesome the day was incredible everything went smoothly and I can’t thank her enough high recommend! It was literally life changing
Berlin_B, Mar 2026
This was truly a great experience worth every dollar. Seeing the sea lions was a nice touch. What really made this trip the experience was writing the doom buggies, and the desert and boarding down the hill. To top it off we ended the trip with the beautiful sunset in the middle of the desert
Robert_D, Mar 2026
Excellent full day tour. Great value for money. Communication via Whatsapp was convenient and all times were accurate. Our guide, Rose, was very informative and entertaining. Highly recommended.
Samantha_S, Mar 2026
The experience was excellent. It was a small group with a big bus. We were able to recline our seats as the bus was extremely comfortable. We enjoyed all three tours Ballestas Island, pisco and wine tour as well as Huachachina which was the best. Book with them for the best experience. We got a Hostel if we needed to change and freshen up as well....Great tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hello Samantha,
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re very happy to hear you enjoyed the full experience — from the Ballestas Islands and the wine & pisco tasting to the adventure in Huacachina.
It’s great to know the transportation and facilities made the journey even more comfortable. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Warm regards,
Peru Bucket List Team
Jingeon_K, Feb 2026
It was great trip program!!!
I joined with my boys, all of us had a beutiful moments.
I will take my dauther later.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
HellonJingeon,
Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you and your boys had such a great time and created beautiful moments during the trip.
It’s always special to share travel experiences with family, and we’re glad the tour was enjoyable for all of you. We would be more than happy to welcome you again in the future — it would be wonderful if your daughter could join next time as well.
Warm regards,
Peru Bucket List Team
Diana_K, Feb 2026
Great experience and adventure! Last activity requires a bit of stamina since you will be walking uphill in sand for approximately 5min. Read the providers information they send . They have very helpful suggestions. Overall, strongly recommend. Ask for Rose.
Roy_G, Feb 2026
It’s a lot of fun an excitement great to get the stress off I strongly recommend it an I’m going to do it again family had so much fun an laughter
Julio_S, Feb 2026
The tour was fine. We really enjoyed the boat ride around the Natural Reserve at the Ballestas Islands and we especially liked Huacachina (the oasis). It was so much fun to do the belly surfing on the dunes and the buggy ride was a hoot! Our guide, JD, was great, very informative and always taking care of all our needs. The only downfall was that, on the way back, our bus broke down in the middle of the Panamericana Highway, and we were stuck there for an hour and a half. By the time we got back in Lima was 2 am. It was a very long day. Other than that, the excursion and the guide were lovely.
Melanie_D, Jan 2026
I loved this tour so much! It was well organized and the activities were even more fun than I thought. Really worth it.
Juan_C, Jan 2026
Its a full day experience, indeed! Kicking off super early and finishing almost at midnight but it's understandable given the distances and the huge amount of activities planned (and greatly executed, as well). Just one thing we'd recommend for future tours is the bus with a better AC system as it felt extremely cold back on the bus.
Heena_A, Dec 2025
Amazing experience on the cruise -saw whales, penguins, sea-lions, variety of birds, and sand dunes with buggy riding, sand boarding, sunset view. Well organized stops for lunch and bio breaks at clean facilities. Great value for price but be aware that it is a very long day of 19 hours with 10 of those in the transportation van.
Christine_C, Dec 2025
We had a great trip to Paracas, pisco tasting, and to Huacachina oasis. It was a long day because of the distance, but the bus was comfortable and our driver was great. Paracas was busy because it was a holiday. That made it crowded but our guide Rose navigated us through very smoothly. The Pisco tasting was amazing and The lunch was delicious. The Oasis was BEAUTIFUL! Sunset over the desert was a memory we will have for our lifetime. We did not do the belly boards because my husband has an injury but everyone looked like it was fun. We just rode in the dune buggy the whole time. Which was SOOOOOOO FUN! The only thing I would do differently is bring my own bandana. We bought them there and they were stretchy so sand would go through the weave. I wish I had own cotton bandanas to block the sand. Our guide Rose was such a delight! She was fun and spunky. She made sure everyone was having a good time. The majority of our tour was Spanish speaking but she still made sure to include us in everything. Rose made the trip top notch. The communication was good throughout the booking process and pickup/drop off was smooth. We would definitely use this company again ESPECIALLY if we could always be with Rose! This adventure was the last one of our Peruvian trip and it lived up to everything we could want. Thanks to the team at Peru Bucket list and special thanks to Rose! Highly recommend this company for this excursion.
Lei_G, Dec 2025
Absolutely worth it. I wish we spent more on the Paracas islands. Buggy ride and sand boardings are a blast. Good price. If you are in Lima don’t miss this
Maria_D, Nov 2025
JD was such an amazing tour guide! He was knowledgeable, patient and took us on an awesome day adventure. Highly recommend!
Manjit_S, Nov 2025
It was a great exhilarating experience. The entire day was full of fun filled exciting activities that included boat trip to watch penguins and other birds. One thing I found was that the islands export road salt to countries such as Canada and the US. The sand boarding at the Oasis was once in a life-time experience. The trip from Lima was also an experience to gain that normally is missing if you are only involved with activities in the city itself. Overall, the trip was fantastic and I would recommend to others.
Pieter_M, Oct 2025
Had a very fun day was great value for money to see a lot in a short time span. Most stunning was seeing sunset in the dessert. Thanks Rose for her help getting it all organized in a nice way :))
Walter_S, Oct 2025
The experience was amazing and so was our tour guide Juan Diego! They picked us up on time and took us to every stop timely. During the trip Juan took the time to explain everything about the tour and also interesting facts about everything town and department that we passed by and the Peruvian in general
The only reason I don’t give a full five star is because our van did not have AC which made it unbearable and difficult to relax inside the van.
Erin_A, Oct 2025
My spouse children and I traveled to Peru from Colorado for fall break. This was on our list and did not dissappoint. JD was fantastic as our guide. He was so patient, so knowledgeable and was so passionate about sharing his knowledge of his country. I have a 12 and 15 year old and even they were laughing out loud with excitement at the sand dunes. It was magical. No one in our dune buggy spoke the same language but the language of laughter is translatable to all. It was phenominal
miklos_p, Oct 2025
great tour
enjoyable
The boat tour is nice, but you will be wet and work hard to keep the plastic cover over your head
Sand dunes are nice, fast driving, keep your back safe !!
Shaira_P, Sep 2025
Although it was a long-day-tour, it was well-planned and organized. We were very comfortable in the bus. We love the ala carte meals vs the buffet meals that most tour companies offer. We didn’t expect much of Paracas but we got excited seeing the penguins & sea lions in their natural habitat. The pisco tasting and quick visit to the vineyards was lovely. Huacachina was everything we hoped for and maybe more. Shoutout to our guide Juan Diego for being the best!
Michelle_H, Sep 2025
This was such a great day trip and the perfect choice for restless teens or young adults. My boys had an absolute blast - and honestly, so did I.
What stood out right away was how well everything was communicated. From meeting points to meal options and bathroom breaks, all the little details were covered. I never had to guess or wonder what was happening next, which made the day feel easy and stress-free.
The guides and drivers were excellent. In Paracas, our boat guide was knowledgeable, passionate, and spoke flawless English. The boat driver amazed us with how close he could maneuver to the rocks so that everyone got a good look at the sea lions. In Ica, the pisco tasting was lively and fun, with toasts all around and drinks poured as heavy or as light as you wanted. And the dune buggy ride in Huacachina was exactly what my boys were hoping for - fast, exciting, with plenty of photo stops and a gorgeous sunset. At the same time, the driver made sure we were strapped in and safe, and that everyone sandboarded correctly.
All in all, yes it was a long day but it was also an excellent one. Highly recommend!
Rosmery_M, Sep 2025
I loved everything about it, everything was super organized and easy to follow. And the guide was great.
Asha_A, Sep 2025
This excursion was fun, however, myself and many of the other folks in the group felt Paracas was too long. It shouldn’t take close to 3 hours being on a speed boat. The tour guide was nice, but he came to the tour really sick and didn’t wear a mask and I ended up getting sick a couple of days later into my trip :/. Overall the highlight was definitely the sand dunes!
Edel_M, Sep 2025
Great day trip. It’s long but worth it. Wrap up well for the boat trip as it was very cold. Highly recommend. Highlight was the sand dune buggy’s.
HiuChing_Y, Sep 2025
This was honestly the worst tour I have ever joined. The entire day was full of delays, poor communication, and a complete lack of professionalism from the guide.
• Pickup chaos: The tour advertised a morning pickup, but only at the scheduled time did the guide announce in the WhatsApp group that there would be a delay. Then, instead of coming to get us, he asked the entire group to take taxis to a hotel to meet him (yes, we could claim back the taxi fare, but it was still unacceptable). We waited a long time at his hotel until the bus finally arrived. When boarding, he didn’t even check names, and only after someone pointed out in the chat that a passenger was missing did he turn the bus around to pick them up. There was never a proper apology—just excuses about “incidents in downtown.”
• Lack of guiding: During the drive and at each destination, the guide did almost nothing. There was minimal explanation about the sites, no head counts, and no effort to keep the group together. At every stop, he simply dropped a live location in WhatsApp and told us to find him, instead of waiting for everyone and leading us as a group.
• Cancelled activity without apology: My friend and I had specifically booked extra for the upgraded stand-up sandboarding in Huacachina (the highlight of the trip for us). Because of the guide’s delays, he suddenly canceled it at the last minute. No apology, no accountability. Just a broken promise.
• Meals cut short: Due to his poor time management, the originally included breakfast and dinner arrangements were also canceled. We were rushed to buy takeaway instead.
• End of the tour: On the return trip, he again left without counting passengers. Only after everyone shouted that someone was missing did he turn back. Once again—no explanation, no apology.
Overall, most of the day was wasted waiting around, with our activities being cut short or canceled because of the guide’s mismanagement. The lack of care, responsibility, and communication made this a truly disappointing experience. I would strongly advise others to avoid this tour or at least avoid this guide.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your recent tour to Huacachina. We sincerely apologize for the experience you had, as it falls far short of the standard of service we strive to provide. We take all feedback seriously and have reviewed the events of that day.
We would like to address the specific points you raised:
Firstly, regarding the delays and pickup issues, we sincerely apologize for the significant inconvenience. We deeply regret everything that happened, although we would like to mention that the initial trigger was a traffic accident, an unforeseen circumstance that unfortunately escapes our control. Our guide did inform the group via WhatsApp that the bus was unexpectedly obstructed by this incident on its way to begin pickups. To prevent further delays for the entire group, a decision was made to coordinate a meeting point. After reviewing the WhatsApp messages from that day, we observed that our guide provided continuous updates and coordinated the meeting point to manage the situation. We understand that requesting guests to take a taxi, even with reimbursement, is not ideal and we deeply regret the frustration and wait this caused.
Concerning the stand-up sandboarding activity, we understand your disappointment with the cancellation, especially if it was one of the most important activities for you. However, regarding this optional activity, as you were aware, our company, as is our standard practice, clearly explained the conditions before confirmation. It was explicitly stated that its availability depended on the overall schedule of the day and the pace of the group activities, since it is a shared tour with other travelers following a fixed itinerary. We deeply regret the unforeseen circumstances that caused the program alteration, but it was a situation we could not have predicted. We understand your frustration, but our guide followed all necessary protocols by prioritizing the main itinerary for the group under these difficult circumstances.
Regarding the meal arrangements, the time management issues stemming from the initial delay also impacted the scheduled stops for breakfast and dinner. We apologize that this resulted in a rushed experience rather than the relaxed meal that was included.
Finally, pertaining to the conclusion of the tour, we can confirm that the refund for the taxi fares was processed for all affected travelers on the return journey to Lima, and all passengers were dropped off at their respective locations.
Regarding your comments on the lack of guidance and headcounts, we are surprised to read this, as we did not receive any other reports of this nature from the rest of the travelers on your tour. On the contrary, we received positive feedback from many of them, specifically about our guide's work and handling of the situation on that particular day. Therefore, your comment is unexpected for us.
Nevertheless, all feedback is always welcome and valued. We will address your observations internally as part of our continuous commitment to improvement. We constantly strive to enhance our service for all our passengers.
Sincerely,
Peru Bucket List Team
John_M, Sep 2025
The tour guide forgot to pick me up (or deliberately chose not to). He confirmed my reservation via WhatsApp the night before, giving a pickup time of 5:25am at my hotel. I got up at 4:55am and waited outside until 6am. I sent multiple WhatsApp messages asking if he was picking me up. (I also tried to call him.) He didn't respond and then removed me from the WhatsApp group. I never heard from him again. I am requesting a refund.
Marissa_R, Sep 2025
Our tour guide Rose is absolutely awesome. She always made sure we were well taken care of and kept the energy high with her cheerful personality—even singing to keep the vibe fun and lively. Our driver Steve was also fantastic, making us feel safe and comfortable throughout the trip. Couldn’t have asked for a better team to explore with.
Martine_S, Aug 2025
Great activity. Long day but comfortable ride. I would suggest purchasing the optional dinner for the 4 hour ride back to Lima.
Traci_S, Aug 2025
This was an amazing experience! It was well organized, and our guide (Juan Diego) was fantastic! He was extremely helpful and explained everything very well. The use of WhatsApp made communication very thorough.
The food choices throughout the day were yummy and preordering through your guide made it quick and easy.
10/10 recommend!
Just a few tips:
Bring cash so you can pay the taxes, pay for your food, and tip your guide!
Make sure you have a bandana for the sand activity (you can buy them when you get off the bus). I also suggest goggles as glasses did not keep sand out of our eyes!
Make sure you have WhatsApp and that you join the group when the link is sent!
We had a slight issue with our pickup. We walked to the designated area, and as we were waiting, I was thinking “how are they going to get a bus down this tiny street?” We received a call advising that they’d like I us to walk to a different location because they couldn’t get the bus down the street. We could see the bus from where we were, so it was not a big deal.
Get ready for an unforgettable day!
From $55.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Epic Paracas & Huacachina - Day Trip From Lima
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