2-Day Paracas and Huacachina Tour with Pisco Vineyard

The 2-day Paracas and Huacachina tour from Lima stretches the classic day trip so you can stay overnight in the desert oasis instead of rushing back. Day one starts early with hotel pickup and a bus ride of about four hours down the coast to Paracas, on a luxury coach with an onboard restroom.

In Paracas a speedboat spends two hours around the Ballestas Islands, passing the Candelabra geoglyph on the cliffs and looking for sea lions, Humboldt penguins, seabirds and, with luck, dolphins. Next comes a traditional pisco vineyard near Ica, where you follow the spirit from the grape through fermentation and distillation and taste several artisanal pisco varieties with a guide.

• Huacachina, a palm-lined lagoon framed by dunes
• A two-hour dune buggy ride and sandboarding
• A toast at sunset up on the dunes

You then check into the hostel or hotel you have booked yourself, since accommodation is not included, and spend the evening at your own pace. On day two the time is free for the dunes, the town or the lagoon. In the late afternoon the bus takes you back to Lima, with drop-off at your hotel late in the evening. A bilingual guide travels with you. Food and drinks are extra, and the tour is not suitable for children under 7, pregnant women or people with mobility impairments.