Peru · TOURS IN PARACAS
A fishing town with a bird island offshore and a red-sand reserve behind it. These 15 compare the Ballestas boats, the reserve circuits and the buggy runs on to Huacachina, with prices and sailing times.
Leave Lima early for a full day in Paracas and Huacachina. You’ll cruise to the Ballestas Islands for sea lions and penguins, taste pisco at a vineyard, then ride a dune buggy and sandboard near the oasis. Guides such as Franklin, Aymeth, Fio, and Diego are praised for clear English, good organization, and helpful Peru tips.
“Everything went as expected, very happy with my trip :)”
Join a five-hour bilingual tour from Paracas to the Ballestas Islands and Paracas National Reserve. You’ll see the Candelabro, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, and blue-footed boobies, then visit Playa Roja and Lagunillas Beach. Guides such as Olenka and Pablo are praised for clear explanations and flexible pacing.
“The tour to the Islas Ballestas was a little bit chaotic, especially the way to the boat. The guide definitely did his best to entertain us all. After a break we had private visit to the National Reserve. Our guide knew a lot about the history and the places we visited. I loved the second part of the tour the most.”
From Muelle El Chaco, you’ll ride a covered speedboat to El Candelabro and the Ballestas Islands. English and Spanish guides explain the geoglyph, rock formations, penguins, sea lions, and seabirds. Daphne and Mario are among the guides praised for spotting wildlife and helping passengers follow the action.
“Pros: - detailed visit around the Ballestas Islands - amazing nature and wildlife Cons: - it started with a 25 mins delay without communication”
Start with a morning boat cruise past the Candelabro geoglyph and around the Ballestas Islands, where you can see sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and seabirds. After free time in El Chaco, ride into Paracas National Reserve for La Catedral, Playa Roja, flamingo views, and a swim at Lagunillas Beach. English and Spanish guides are available.
“El tour se divide en 2 partes: primero fuimos en speedboat a las Islas Ballestas, donde vimos pingüinos y lobos marinos y El Candelabro. Tras volver a Paracas, nos recogieron para la segunda parte a la Reserva Natural de Paracas, donde hicimos paradas en varios spots para ver el paisaje. En la penúltima parada había opción de bañarse en el mar y en la última podías comer en un restaurante frente al mar. El tiempo para la parada de la comida fue muy limitado, debería ser algo más de tiempo. Andrea, la chica de la agencia fue muy amable con nosotros en todo momento, gracias!”
From Paracas, you’ll cruise to the Candelabro geoglyph and Ballestas Islands with an English or Spanish guide. Expect a two-hour boat trip, Humboldt penguins, sea lions, seabirds, dramatic rock formations, prepaid dock fees, hotel or bus-station transfer, and luggage storage. Guide Lucio has earned special praise for his clear English and enthusiasm.
“It was incredible. Everything worked perfectly well and Lucio, our guide, was amazing! He is clearly passionate about his job and loves the Island. His English is also very good!”
This 17-hour trip links Peru’s Pacific wildlife with the Ica Desert. You’ll take a boat to the Ballestas Islands, taste pisco, ride a dune buggy, try beginner sandboarding, and watch sunset at Huacachina. Guides such as Oswaldo and David are known for lively explanations and careful coordination. Hotel pickup is available only in San Isidro, Miraflores, and Barranco.
“Wonderful experience. Great value for the money. would do it over and over again. Best tour ever!”
Take the wheel of a two-person mini buggy for a two-hour ride through Paracas National Reserve. An English- or Spanish-speaking instructor handles the safety briefing while you drive to Yumaque Beach, Red Beach, and the reserve’s upper viewpoint. This is a driving adventure, not a cultural tour, so expect brief photo stops and plenty of desert scenery.
“Liked most: Guide offered to take pictures so we had an impromptu photoshoot. Easy to learn how to drive on it. Improvement: a bit bigger buggy. A bit of an explanation at each stop and why it's interesting/special about it would've been appreciated. More control over the group, one driver decided to overpass another and went into the next lane while on the actual road, could've been dangerous.”
Board a covered speedboat at Puerto San Martín for a 2-hour trip to the Ballestas Islands. Stop at the Paracas Candelabra, then cruise past arches, caves, sea lions, Humboldt penguins, pelicans, boobies, crabs, vultures, and other seabirds. Lifejackets and fees are included. The boat can carry up to 45 people.
“Besides the very confusing information about the pick up location and time, we enjoyed the trip itself very much.”
Meet Paracas es Aventura in town, ride to the flying zone, and take a tandem paragliding flight over Paracas National Reserve. Your pilot handles the flying while you walk, launch, and enjoy 5 to 10 minutes in the air. Instruction is available in English and Spanish, with a private booking for your group.
“Great guys and great experience. Took my 58 year old mom and 14 year old son. Both enjoyed it. Great views”
Join JD Adventure Travel for a half-day shore excursion from San Martín Port. A speedboat takes you past the Candelabra geoglyph to sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and seabirds, followed by a guided drive through Paracas National Reserve. Guides such as Olenka, Olinka, Fabio, and Brenda may lead the tour.
“Excellent half-day excursion from the cruise port. No worries, the guide/bus was waiting for us when we got off the boat. Excellent guide Olinka and driver, very attentive and professional. Two parts: first by high-speed boat to Balasta Island where we saw penguins, seals, birds, and starfish—it was WOW. Then in the National Park (desert) we visited beautiful beaches. Very comfortable bus, really a very nice tour. Strongly recommend.”
Rent a scooter from Playa Roja Tours in Paracas and follow a marked map through the National Reserve. You drive yourself to Yumaque, Playa Roja, the Cathedral, the mine, and a lagoon, with a helmet, glasses, and route map included. A valid driver’s license and riding experience are required.
“Great place to hire scooters! Very friendly and helpful staff.”
Spend five hours exploring Paracas National Reserve by vehicle and on foot. Stop at Playa Roja, the Itmos viewpoint, La Catedral, and a pink lagoon before a 1-kilometer sunset walk from El Playon to Mendieta Beach. English and Spanish guides may include Shantal, Alejandro, or Micki.
“It was a great experience overall, the trekking was light, but the views were breathtaking! There was a bit of fog initially, but when the weather cleared everything was great”
Spend about three and a half hours exploring Paracas National Reserve by private Jeep or SUV. Your English or Spanish guide takes you to the information center, flamingo viewing area, Catedral, Istmo viewpoint, Playa Roja, and Lagunillas. Guides such as Lucio, Alberto, and Luis are praised for their bird knowledge, patience, and cultural insight.
“Our guide was the best. He showed us hidden gems, explained everything, while the most tours go to some commercial places, we got to see things other people couldn’t. Laguna Rosada was great and when I thought it couldn’t get any better - our guide took us to see flamingos! Mind you, we ditched the other tour because they told us that there are no flamingos in Peru at this time of year. Here everything was perfect, our guide was very patient with me taking thousands of photos, he was actually very helpful, interested and engaged himself - had the app with birds voices and materials with birds and even…”
Start at 8 a.m. with a two-hour boat trip to Ballestas Islands and the Chandelier geoglyph, then spend five hours exploring Paracas National Reserve by vehicle. Expect bilingual guiding, sea lions, penguins, desert views, Red Beach, and a maximum group of 45.
“Informative and fun experience. The animals that we saw were super unique to the area. The landscapes shown in the land portion were beautiful.”
Spend four hours exploring Paracas National Reserve with a bilingual guide, visiting the Salar de Otuma, Playón, and Mendieta Beach. The 1-hour-35-minute walk is relaxed rather than strenuous, with coastal cliffs, desert scenery, wildlife, and sunset views. Pickup and return transport from Playa Roja Tours or a nearby hotel are included.
“It was great, the place is incredibly beautiful, the guide was great, the only thing I believe could improve is the sunset being watched at the cliffs, the scenery would be outstanding!”
Pick a ruin, a ridge, a river or a table.
