PERU
The trips worth crossing Peru for.
The 15 most popular ballestas & paracas tours in Peru. The ones travellers rate highest, with prices, how long they take and who runs them.
See Peru’s wildlife on Ballestas Islands, then ride through Paracas National Reserve’s red beaches and desert cliffs in 5 hours.
Most Popular
Morning speedboat from Paracas to Ballestas Islands and El Candelabro. See penguins, sea lions, birds, and the Andes Candelabra.
Paracas day trip: Candelabro boat cruise, Islas Ballestas wildlife, and Paracas Reserve stops at La Catedral, Playa Roja, and Lagunillas.
Half-day Isla Palomino tour from Lima: speedboat cruise, Humboldt penguins, and a sea-lion swim with wetsuit and hotel transfers.
“Loved it! Just as described. Water is cold, and there is an odor at the island, but it is worth the experience.”
Lima to Ballestas, a Nazca Lines flight, and Huacachina Oasis in one huge day with wildlife, desert views, and a guided plan.
Full-day Lima trip to Paracas, Islas Ballestas, and Huacachina: boat wildlife, pisco tasting, dune buggy, and sandboarding.
“We were picked up at 5am in front of a Marriott hotel. couple of hours to the boats for the sea lion and penguin viewing. Then lunch and then to Huacachina. It was great. The tour guides were great. The only disappointment was when we found out we wouldn't actually be visiting Huacachina; You see…”
From Lima, see Ballestas wildlife by boat, sip pisco in Ica, then blast through Huacachina dunes at sunset on one long day trip.
Drive your own mini buggy across Paracas desert to Yumaque Beach, Playa Roja, and a high viewpoint on a 2-hour thrill ride.
2-hour Ballestas Islands boat cruise from Puerto San Martín in Paracas. See the Candelabra, sea lions, birds, and penguins.
“Besides the very confusing information about the pick up location and time, we enjoyed the trip itself very much.”
Private paragliding over Paracas National Reserve with round-trip transfers, bilingual guidance, and standout coastline views in about 1.5 hours.
“Great guys and great experience. Took my 58 year old mom and 14 year old son. Both enjoyed it. Great views”
Lima to Ballestas, a Nazca Lines overflight, and Huacachina dunes. Early start, shared boat/plane rides, and big wildlife-and-sky payoff.
“Pickup for us was 3:30 am. A little over three hours drive for the boat ride. Miguel definitely had us moving because of how far you had to drive from place to place. We got there bathroom coffee and on the boat. Once we were done it was another 3-4 hours to the airport. Bathroom…”
One ultra-early day from Lima to Paracas for Ballestas Islands, then a Cessna flight over the Nazca Lines from Pisco.
“Only a couple of things to point out — the bus was super comfy with seats that leaned way back, which made the ride really chill. The tour reps were great too, meeting me at every stop and making sure I got to the next place with zero hassle. Just a heads-up if you're going…”
Ballestas Islands and Paracas National Reserve from Pisco. Speedboat Candelabro views, penguins, sea lions, desert beaches.
“The tour company made sure we got picked up inside the port, right beside our cruise. The island tour is great, the captain made sure passengers from both sides of the boat got a chance to see penguins, sea lions, birds etc.”
Ride a scooter through Paracas National Reserve. Helmet and map included. Hits Yumaque, Playa Roja, cathedral, mine, lagoon.
“Flexible and let us change dates due to illness. Flexible about timings of starting. Good instructions on where to go.”
Ballestas Islands boat trip plus Paracas National Reserve beaches and viewpoints, all starting from Ica around 6:30am for about 7–8 hours.
“The islands are great. This is NOT a Spanish/English tour. It’s entirely in Spanish with maybe 1 sentience in English for full 10+ sentences in Spanish. The return is extremely unorganized. As mentioned by other reviewers, we picked up random people on the way back. The tour also stops at random places in Ica. Our…”
From the Inca heartland to the coast and the cloud forest, and every way to reach it.
