Ballestas, Paracas & Huacachina
Ballestas, Paracas Reserve & Huacachina Buggy Group Tour
If you’re short on time but want to experience the best of southern Peru in a single day, this group tour is your perfect choice. Visit the stunning Ballestas Islands, often called “the poor man’s Galapagos,” where you’ll witness incredible marine wildlife such as sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and seabirds. Then, explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Paracas National Reserve, with its dramatic cliffs, red beaches, and vast desert scenery. Finally, head to the legendary Huacachina Oasis to enjoy a thrilling dune buggy ride and sandboarding adventure through the towering golden dunes. This all-in-one tour is ideal for travellers with a tight schedule who want to see three must-visit destinations without rushing through the experience. With expert guides, modern transport, and efficient planning, this tour offers maximum adventure in minimal time — making it one of the best short group tours in Peru for nature and adrenaline lovers alike.
Top Highlights
- Explore Ballestas Islands and spot sea lions, penguins, and seabirds in their natural habitat.
- Discover the stunning landscapes of Paracas National Reserve in a guided group experience.
- Enjoy an adrenaline-filled buggy ride and sandboarding at the Huacachina desert oasis.
- Perfect day tour for travellers with limited time — visit 3 top destinations in one day.
- Includes expert guides, safe transport, and an unforgettable adventure through Peru’s coast and desert.
Tour Level: Easy – suitable for all ages.
Departure: 8:00 AM from our office in Paracas.
Duration: Full-day tour (approx. 10 hours).
Tour Type: Nature & Adventure.
Type Service: Group tour – ONE WAY .
Your adventure begins at 8:00 AM from our Paracas office, where you’ll meet your group and guide. We’ll start the day with a scenic boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, located just 30 minutes from the dock. Here, you’ll witness an incredible variety of marine life including sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and seabirds, as well as the mysterious Candelabro geoglyph carved into the cliffside. After returning to Paracas, we’ll take a 30-minute break so you can use the facilities and grab a quick snack. At 11:00 AM, we’ll head into the Paracas National Reserve, just 15 minutes away by vehicle. Inside the reserve, you’ll explore stunning viewpoints like the Cathedral, Supay Beach lookout, the Red Beach, and Lagunillas Bay. Around 1:30 PM, we’ll stop for lunch at a local seaside restaurant (meal not included). After lunch, we’ll travel approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to the desert oasis of Huacachina. Once there, we’ll walk over the dunes for about 10 minutes to reach our buggy boarding point. At 5:00 PM, we’ll hop into the dune buggies for an exhilarating one-hour ride across the golden dunes, with sandboarding included. The experience ends with a breathtaking sunset over the desert. We then return to Huacachina, where our full-day group tour concludes. This itinerary is perfect for travellers who want to explore three of Peru’s top coastal and desert destinations in one unforgettable day.
Included:
- Boat tour to the Ballestas Islands.
- Guided visit to Paracas National Reserve.
- Dune buggy ride and sandboarding in Huacachina.
- Professional bilingual tour guide (English/Spanish).
- Group transport between Paracas and Huacachina.
- Safety equipment: life jackets, helmets, goggles.
- Bottled water during the tour.
Not Included:
- Meals and personal snacks.
- Entrance fees to the Ballestas, Paracas and Huacachina (26 soles or 8 USD per person)
- Tips for guides and drivers.
- Travel insurance.
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off.
Note:
The entrance fee to Ballestas, Paracas and Huacachina is not included in the tour price and must be paid directly in cash or card at the control point, in Peruvian soles.
✅ Allowed:
- Taking photos and videos throughout the tour.
- Bringing small backpacks with personal items.
- Wearing hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
- Bringing water bottles and light snacks.
- Using GoPro or cameras during buggy and boat rides (securely fastened).
❌ Not Allowed:
- Littering or removing natural elements (e.g. shells, rocks).
- Drones (without prior permit).
- Loud music or disruptive behaviour.
- Smoking in protected areas.
- Feeding or disturbing wildlife.
- Swimming or touching wildlife at the Ballestas Islands.
- Consuming alcohol or smoking during any part of the tour.
- Wearing flip-flops or sandals during the dune buggy ride.
- Joining the tour under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
🎒 What to Bring:
- Cash in soles for entrance fee.
- Sunglasses, hat, and high-SPF sunscreen.
- Comfortable clothes for warm and windy conditions.
- Refillable water bottle.
- Camera or smartphone.
- Light snacks (optional).
- Windbreaker or light jacket (optional – coastal breeze).
The meeting point for this tour is our office in Paracas. Please make sure to arrive at least 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Our staff will provide you with all necessary travel instructions and guidance before the tour begins.
Please note that the Ballestas Islands tour is weather-dependent. In case of rough sea conditions, we offer three flexible options:
Join an alternative land-based tour
Reschedule the Ballestas tour for another day
Continue with the rest of the itinerary and receive a partial refund for the missed boat tour
If you’re travelling with luggage, you may safely store your bags in our Paracas office. After the Paracas Reserve tour, you will take your luggage to Huacachina in our vehicle. Once in Huacachina, it will be kept securely at our office, where you can collect it after the buggy tour and continue with your journey.
To ensure smooth coordination and real-time updates during the tour, it is strongly recommended that you have WhatsApp installed and accessible throughout the day.
Please note that this is a one-way tour ending in Huacachina. If you wish to return to Paracas the same day, you must inform us several days in advance so we can arrange and quote the return transport for you accordingly. Return transfers are not included by default and must be requested in advance.
This helps us ensure availability and offer you the most convenient and cost-effective option for your return journey.
This tour is not suitable for cruise ship passengers arriving at San Martín Port, as the timings and logistics do not match cruise schedules. Please note that this is a land-based tour with fixed departure times and we are unable to offer custom pickups from the port.
For the best experience, we recommend this tour for visitors who are staying overnight or arriving independently in Paracas.
Your tour is confirmed immediately upon booking, and you will receive an official confirmation by email or WhatsApp. We accept all major credit and debit cards and offer secure online payment options for your convenience.
You may cancel or reschedule your tour up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time at no additional cost. If you fail to show up on the day of the tour (No Show), no refunds or rescheduling will be offered.
We are committed to providing flexibility and transparency, ensuring your experience in Paracas is enjoyable, safe, and fair under all circumstances.
Why Book This Tour
Why Book With Us?
To see more Tours in Paracas
To see more Tours in Peru
What Our Customers Say
Our clients consistently praise our tours for their professionalism, punctuality, and exceptional service. Many highlight the knowledgeable bilingual guides, the comfort and safety of our boats, and the unforgettable wildlife sightings. With thousands of positive reviews, travellers recommend us as the top choice for Paracas tours, ensuring a memorable and hassle-free experience every time.
Trevor Berceau2025-06-27Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We did the half day tour, starting with a boat tour of the islas ballestas, and then going on a driving tour through the reserve. The whole tour was excellent. The boat tour was good and we saw many types of birds, penguins, sea lions, and dolphins. the driving tour through the desert far exceeded expectations. Olenka was an amazing guide, she did a great job explaining things at every point along the way, adapted the tour to our interests, and was great at engaging our whole family. She had excellent English and a lot of knowledge about the area, both geography and history. I highly recommend this trip. Hugo Desjardins2025-06-21Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent service de José, réponds très rapidement et nous avons passé une très belle excursion sans imprévus. Michelle Castaneda2025-06-20Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. JD Travel did an amazing job coordinating this Nazca flight/transfers. Jose went above and beyond to make sure we could participate in this activity. It did not disappoint! The flight time was moved by the airline and Jose made every effort to help us with this change. I could not recommend this activity or JD Travel more. Jose is the best! Martin Kollmann2025-06-19Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. It was an outstanding experience organized by a skilled local entrepreneur and his team. Thank you, Jose for the hospitality! Delia Spiegl2025-06-13Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 100 % recommendation friendly tour guide, everything well organised Felix2025-06-08Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very helpful & friendly! Helped us organize direct transport from Paracas to Huacachina. Highly recommend JD 🙏🏽 Edwin Cannon2025-05-29Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Archeological dig sites at Huaca del Sol and Luna (moon) Chan Chan were fascinating. It's amazing that these painted petroglyphs have been buried for centuries. They appeared like they were just carved. Chan Chan stone carvings as well. I particularly was fascinated by the Luna Pool (moon pool) where worship was conducted towards the Moon God and often times involved human sacrifice. Your tour was the only tour to conclude at the Peru surf capital Playa de Huanchaco (Huanchaco beach). The Sombrero restaurant was fabulous drinking juice carafes, eating shrimp and watching surfing. What a wonderful day. T J2025-05-28Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very good tour guides and tour. The owner is very helpful and I had a nice chat with him. Highly recommended! Spoorti Shivamurthy2025-05-25Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jose and his team were fantastic. All the guides were knowledgeable, especially Augustino in Machupicchu. Jose takes personal attention to all the activities and our experience. Extremely clean vehicles for all transfers. Highly recommend his company for your Peru trip.
Michelle C2025-06-20Verified Fantastic Tour Provider JD Travel did an amazing job coordinating this Nazca flight/transfers. Jose went above and beyond to make sure we could participate in this activity. It did not disappoint! The flight time was moved by the airline and Jose made every effort to help us with this change. I could not recommend this activity or JD Travel more. Jose is the best! gabrielBZ2025-03-24Verified Precise islands full of pelagic birds and some, unique. Beautiful and essential visit to the Ballestas Islands, you sail 1/2 hour in a speedboat. First you visit the coastal area and see the spectacular “Candelabra” figure made on the ground of the pre-Inca era. Then you're headed to the islands. My interest was to see birds. And my interest was filled. I wanted to see the spectacular Inca terns. The boat handling is fabulous. You are in the Pacific and you have to know how to drive very well because they come very close to the islands. The seascape or rock formations are also unique and spectacular. It's a lovely ride. And absolutely recommended. Yris yaneth M2025-03-10Verified Nice experiences We were given a tour of the skies through the Nazca Lines this is a very important site of interest in Peru is company IZI organizes very well transfers to the airport and flights to see them independently this is a challenge that thrills the view from above the sky enjoying its beautiful landscapes the condor, hands, spider and tree among othersHERBERT SOLORZANO Linda B2025-01-04Verified Don’t miss this! Trip was fantastic and we had logistics issues on our end and they found a way to make the trip happen despite that! Wonderful customer service and the natural beauty of the islands was stunning! fossil12024-12-15Verified Outstanding trip, great value and excellent service Booked the tour about a month before the cruise and the trip could not go any more smoothly. Price was outstanding and was about $200 less per person than the same tour offeered by Princess. Jose and his staff were at the pier as promised and took us for a short drive to the boat in Paracas for the tour bypassing several other groups that were waiting for their boat. His staff was excellent inculding our guide Olinka (sp?) who knew her stuff and was easy to understand. I must confess some apprehension as Princess warned us that independent operators could not enter the port area (false) though they alerted us to the same situation in Lima (Callao). He and his staff met us at the gangway in Paracas as promised. We did not see any independnet operators in Lima. Jose and his saff ushered through the entire boarding process and did the same when our boat returned.The boat carrying approximately 40 people was in great condition and the cpatain did a wonderful job showing us the wildlife and guano fields. He made certain that both sides of the boat had ample opportunity to see the wildlife and take pictures. We had a brilliant sunny day and the canopy on the boat shielded us from the sun.Highly recommended as Jose was responsive to several emails with detailed explanations. At the conclusion of the tours my wife decided to return back to the ship with their return transfer whike I stayed in gthe small town for lunch and shopping. His restaurant recommendation as spot on as well--Muna.My only recommendation to the tour operator is that they encourage people to provide voluntary tips to both the guide and the boat captain. I was surprised that very few people and I mean very few people gave tips.The trip was outstanding and I highly recommend the company--job very well done. If I return, I would book them again for other trips without any hesitation.For those arriving by ship, book them! djackley2024-11-29Verified Paracas and Ballestas Islands A little rough to start off with as the company took us early to the wrong meet up location. 30 minutes later we joined the group. Boat trip was wonderful and the guide spoke in clear English as she described history, birds and sea life of the area and the islands. Great photos and wonderful day. Bring sunscreen and a hat! Linda F2024-11-05Verified This is a must do in Paracas This was definitely a tour that you should take while in Paracas. It was absolutely fantastic, first you sail to the candelabra to take pictures from the boat. They turn the boat so that each side can see it and take pictures. Then you go to Ballestas which was absolutely fantastic. We do recommend you bring a wind breaker since you will get wet.We highly recommend this tour Linda F2024-11-05Verified Great and exciting tour This tour was great, we had an excellent guide. It is a well organized tour with three short stops to take pictures. It is an amazing place to see and the dune buggy was a great way to see it. I highly recommend doing it, take the extended route.