Paracas & Huacachina day trip from Lima: our experience
Paracas and Huacachina are two incredible destinations located a few hours south of Lima, and they are easy to combine in one day. From Paracas, you can take a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, while Huacachina is famous for its dune buggy rides and sandboarding adventures. The two destinations couldn't be more different, which is exactly what makes a Paracas and Huacachina day trip from Lima such a fun addition to your stay in Peru's capital.
Can you visit Paracas and Huacachina in one day?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, there are plenty of tours from Lima that combine Paracas and Huacachina in a single day. However, Peru is a huge country and neither destination is exactly around the corner. Be prepared for a very long day. We had to be ready at our pick-up point at 5:30 AM and weren't dropped off back in Lima until around 11:00–11:15 PM.
Since you'll spend quite a few hours on the bus, choosing a comfortable tour company makes a big difference. That's one of the reasons we chose a Peru Hop day trip through GetYourGuide.
They use large and comfortable coaches with reclining seats and a toilet on board, which definitely made the long journey more enjoyable.
What does a Paracas and Huacachina day trip from Lima look like?
Lima to Paracas
Before our tour, we were told to be at our pick-up point at 5:30 AM. Luckily, it was right next to our hotel, so we only had to walk for about two minutes. The drive from Lima to Paracas takes approximately 3.5 hours. Our guide gave everyone plenty of time to get some extra sleep and woke us up about 15 minutes before arriving in Paracas to explain what we would be doing during our first excursion.
Ballestas Islands and El Candelabro
Once we arrived in Paracas, we had a few minutes to use the restroom or grab a coffee before boarding a small boat. The Ballestas Islands are sometimes referred to as the “Galápagos of Peru” because of the huge variety of wildlife found here. The boat tour takes approximately two hours and starts with a visit to one of the area's famous geoglyphs.
El Candelabro is an enormous geoglyph carved into the side of a hill and is clearly visible from the water. Its exact origins and meaning are still unknown.
After seeing El Candelabro, the boat continues towards the Ballestas Islands. You'll find an incredible number of birds here, including gulls and pelicans. You can also spot penguins and sea lions, and if you're lucky, you might even see dolphins.
Pisco tasting
After leaving Paracas, you'll continue to the restaurant where lunch is served. During the bus ride, you'll be asked to choose your meal in advance so that everything is ready by the time you arrive. There wasn't a huge selection when we visited, but the food was very tasty.
After lunch, we had a short pisco tasting. Pisco is a strong spirit made from grapes and is considered Peru's national drink. It's also the main ingredient in the country's famous Pisco Sour cocktail. We tasted four different types of pisco: the original version and three flavored varieties.
Huacachina: what is there to do?
After lunch and the pisco tasting, it's time to continue to Huacachina, a small oasis surrounded by enormous sand dunes. When you arrive, you'll first have some free time to explore. Huacachina is tiny, so you can walk around the entire oasis in approximately 20 minutes. There are several restaurants and bars around the water where you can grab a drink. You'll also see plenty of street vendors selling sunglasses and scarves, which can come in handy for the dune buggy tour that follows.
After your free time, you'll be assigned a dune buggy, which you'll share with several other travelers and a driver. And then the fun really begins! You'll race across the enormous dunes surrounding Huacachina before stopping at the top of one of them for sandboarding.
Everyone gets their own sandboard. Don't expect an actual snowboard, though. It's essentially a wooden board with handles, and instead of standing on it, you'll lie on your stomach and slide down the dune. The tour follows a set route through the desert, stopping at around three or four different dunes for sandboarding before everyone gets back into the buggy for the final stop.
The final stop is at a beautiful viewpoint in the desert, where you can watch the sunset over the dunes. We were all given another pisco and had plenty of time to take photos while watching the sun disappear behind the desert. One important tip: it can get surprisingly cold after sunset, even in the desert. Make sure to bring a warm sweater or jacket.
Returning from Huacachina to Lima
After sunset, you'll collect your dinner from a restaurant in Huacachina. Just like lunch, you'll choose your meal beforehand on the bus so that it's ready when you arrive. Depending on the timing, you'll either have some time to eat in Huacachina or take your dinner with you on the bus. The drive from Huacachina back to Lima takes more than four hours, and you'll arrive back near your hotel late in the evening.
What is the best time to visit Paracas and Huacachina?
Paracas and Huacachina can generally be visited throughout the year. Both destinations are located in a very dry part of Peru, so the rainy season is much less of a concern here than in other parts of the country.
However, temperatures can vary quite a bit throughout the day. Our boat trip around the Ballestas Islands was considerably cooler than our afternoon in the desert around Huacachina. Wearing layers is therefore a good idea, as you can easily add or remove clothing throughout the day.
How much does a Paracas and Huacachina day trip from Lima cost?
The price depends on which tour company you choose. On GetYourGuide, we saw several tours for around €20–€25 per person. However, with some of these cheaper options, the boat trip in Paracas and activities in Huacachina have to be paid for separately.
Our tour was slightly more expensive at around €80 per person, but it included transportation in a spacious and comfortable coach as well as the Ballestas Islands boat tour, pisco tasting, dune buggy tour and sandboarding. The only things we had to pay for separately were lunch and dinner, which cost around €7.50–€10 per person.
What should you bring on a Paracas and Huacachina day trip?
Since you'll be away from early morning until late at night, it's worth bringing a few essentials. Make sure to pack sunscreen, sunglasses and possibly a cap or hat. The sun can be particularly strong in the middle of the desert around Huacachina.
We also recommend bringing a warm sweater or jacket. Temperatures can drop quickly after sunset in Huacachina, and the air conditioning on the bus can get quite cold as well.
For the dune buggy tour, wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Trust us: the sand gets absolutely everywhere. A scarf can also be useful for covering your face while driving through the dunes. Finally, bring some cash for food, drinks and other small expenses throughout the day.
Should you visit Paracas independently or book a tour?
If you want to visit both Paracas and Huacachina in a single day, we strongly recommend booking an organized tour. Everything is arranged for you, so all you really have to do is get on and off the bus and enjoy the different activities.
We were also really impressed with the communication from our tour company. Before the trip, we were added to a group chat where they clearly explained what time they would arrive at each hotel for the morning pick-up. They also shared additional information about the destinations and even sent us the lunch and dinner menus in advance.
Although you could rent a car and drive yourself, we wouldn't recommend it for this particular day trip. It's a long journey and traffic can be hectic. Another option is to arrange a private driver for the day, but this will generally be considerably more expensive than joining a group tour.
If you have more time, you could also travel to Paracas and spend a few nights there instead.
This allows you to visit the Ballestas Islands at a slower pace and take a separate day trip to Huacachina. We personally didn't find Paracas itself particularly exciting as a town — we preferred Lima — but spreading the activities across several days obviously makes the experience much more relaxed.
Want to know what you need to arrange before traveling to Peru? Read our complete Peru travel guide.
Is a Paracas and Huacachina day trip worth it?
In short: yes, definitely! Beforehand, we were slightly worried about just how long the tour would be. In reality, however, it wasn't nearly as tiring as we expected. We really enjoyed every stop and thought this Paracas and Huacachina day trip from Lima was a fantastic addition to our trip through Peru and our stay in Lima.
What we particularly loved was the variety. In the morning, you're cruising around the Ballestas Islands spotting wildlife, and just a few hours later you're racing across enormous sand dunes in a buggy. Because the activities are so different, the day doesn't feel like you're simply sitting on a bus for hours on end.
If you have a few days in Lima and would like to explore more of the surrounding area, we think a day trip from Lima to Paracas and Huacachina is absolutely worth it.
