Peru
5 Day Best of Lima Tour PackageActive
Lima
From
US$685
≈ €587 · billed in US$ ≈ £502 · billed in US$ per person
Ica · Peru
Huacachina
In short
Huacachina is a real oasis around a lagoon in the dunes outside Ica, four hours south of Lima. It takes an afternoon: a dune buggy at speed, sandboarding down the faces, and sunset from the top of the highest dune.
The village is a ring of hotels and restaurants around a natural lagoon, surrounded on all sides by dunes that run to 100 m. It is small enough to walk in ten minutes, which is why nobody stays longer than a night.
The buggy ride is the activity and it is genuinely fast — drivers take the dunes like a rollercoaster and stop at the top of each face so you can board down it, head first on a waxed plank.
It pairs with the Ballestas islands at Paracas and with the Nazca Lines further south, which is the standard three-day loop out of Lima along the coast.
What Huacachina is known for
- Dune buggies at speed across 100 m faces
- Sandboarding, head first, down the big dunes
- Sunset from the highest dune over the lagoon
- The Ballestas islands at Paracas, an hour north
- The Nazca Lines, two hours south
Practical detail
- How long you need
- One afternoon and a night
- From Lima
- 4 hours by road
- Best time
- Late afternoon for the buggy and the sunset
- Combines with
- Paracas, the Ballestas islands and Nazca
What a trip to Huacachina costs
Per person, including hotels, transfers and the guided days each trip lists. International flights are never included.
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| Package | Length | Price p/p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Day Best of Lima Tour PackageActive | 5 days | US$685 | Book |
| 6 Day Best of Lima Tour Package | 6 days | US$859 | Book |
| 8 Days Best of Peru: Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu Tour Package | 8 days | US$1,740 | Book |
| Lima Historical City Center Half Day Tour | 4 hours | US$36 | Book |
| Ceviche Cooking Workshop | 2 hours | US$40 | Book |
| Lima Shanty Towns Half-Day Tour | 4 hours | US$40 | Book |
No package matches that search.
Frequently asked
Is Huacachina worth visiting?
For one afternoon on the way south from Lima, yes — the buggy ride is genuinely good and there is nowhere else like it in Peru. It does not hold a second day.
How do you get to Huacachina from Lima?
Four hours by road to Ica, then five minutes. Most people do it as part of a coastal loop with Paracas and Nazca rather than as a return trip.
Is sandboarding in Huacachina safe?
On the standard runs, yes — you go down head first lying on a waxed board rather than standing. The buggy ride is the part that surprises people.