This full-day trip from Lima brings together three very different sides of Peru’s coast: a speedboat tour of the wildlife-rich Ballestas Islands, a wine and pisco tasting in Ica, and an afternoon of dunes at the Huacachina oasis. It is a strong pick if your days in Peru are limited and you want range – nature, culture, and desert adventure – all in one trip, without changing hotels.
It is a long, full day with an early start, and that is the point: you will be on the water before the crowds and back in Lima the same night with a lot to show for it.
Suitable for all ages.
Long. Pickup in Miraflores is between 04:30 and 05:00 and you are back at your hotel around 22:30, so roughly 18 hours door to door. Paracas is about three and a half hours south of Lima and Ica another hour beyond that, which means a good part of the day is spent on the road. Bring something to sleep on during the early drive; most people do.
Two entrance fees in cash and in soles: S/ 16 for the Ballestas Islands and S/ 3.60 for Huacachina. Meals are also not included, so budget for lunch at the winery stop in Ica. Everything else, including transport, the speedboat, the wine and pisco tasting, and the dune buggy and sandboarding, is covered by the tour price.
Around two hours in an open speedboat, leaving from the pier at Paracas. The Pacific is cold and often choppy, so expect wind and spray: a windproof jacket makes a real difference, and sunglasses keep the salt out of your eyes. If you are prone to motion sickness, take something before boarding rather than after. In exchange you get close views of sea lion colonies, Humboldt penguins and, with luck, dolphins.
The buggy ride across the Ica dunes is fast and genuinely bumpy, with sharp drops over the crests. It is the highlight for most people, but it is not advisable if you have back or neck problems, are pregnant, or have recently had surgery. Sandboarding is done lying down on the board rather than standing, so no experience is needed, and you can sit out either activity and wait at the oasis.
Travellers with limited days in Peru who want range in a single day: marine wildlife in the morning, wine and pisco at midday, desert dunes in the afternoon. If your schedule allows two days on the coast, staying overnight in Paracas or Ica is far more comfortable and you see the same places without the eighteen-hour day. If it does not, this covers all of it in one go.
