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Things to do in Ica

Our most recommended things to do in Ica

From Lima: Paracas and Huacachina Full Day Guided Tour

1. From Lima: Paracas and Huacachina Full Day Guided Tour

Start with pickup from your hotel in Lima at around 05:00 AM, all depends your location in Lima, where you will board the coach for a 03:30-hour journey to Paracas town. Before getting to Paracas, we will stop to have breakfast. On your arrival in Paracas, make your way to the dock where you will board a speedboat to the Ballestas Islands. During your journey to Ballestas, see the enigmatic figure of the Candelabro, a stunning design drawn on the side of a hill in the Peninsula. There are many hypotheses regarding its origin, some believe it is related to the Nazca Lines but still found no proof or evidence that can define its creation. In the Ballestas Islands, you will see a stunningly rugged world filled with birds and sea lions. You will navigate around the islands at a distance allowed, and depending on the sea conditions, visit nearby caves. Return to the port at 11 am, and spend some time in Paracas where you will have free time for restrooms or a short time to relax. Then, continue to the next destination, Huacachina oasis. Have a small break to prepare for your desert tour; then board a buggy for 1-hour adventure across the sand dunes that surround the water source. Return to Huacachina and have time for refreshment. Continue towards to traditional vineyard and taste the best of the local wine and Pisco or lunch at the vineyard restaurant, then Drive back to Lima arriving and dropping off at your hotel. At around 21:30 or 22 pm On this one-day tour, you will have an assistant guide on the trip who will help you with your concerns on your trip.

From Lima: Full-Day Paracas and Huacachina Bus Tour

2. From Lima: Full-Day Paracas and Huacachina Bus Tour

Discover the serene landscapes of the Peruvian countryside on a day trip from Lima to Paracas and Huacachina with hotel transfers included. See Humboldt penguins and sea lions on the Ballestas Islands and slide down the Huacachina dunes by sandboarding and dune buggy ride.  Your adventure begins with an early-morning pickup from your hostel or hotel. From here, travel to Paracas, a beautiful small town by the sea, on a spacious bus where you'll be able to relax for the 4-hour ride. Once in Paracas, begin a 2-hour boat tour of the Ballestas Islands, a smaller version of the Galapagos. Spot sea lions, penguins, and plenty of birds up close and all in their natural habitats. You may even get the chance to see a dolphin or two. Around lunchtime, it's time to move on from Paracas to Huacachina, a natural oasis located in the Ica Desert, home to the biggest sand dunes in South America. Enjoy some free time here. Explore and have lunch (at your own expense) in one of the local restaurants around the oasis. Following lunch, it will be time for 2 hours of exhilarating dune buggy rides and sandboarding. Dune buggy up the sand dunes and sandboard down these giant hills of sand, a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the only natural desert oasis in South America. In the evening, board your bus back to Lima. Once onboard, sit back and relax on the comfortable seats while you enjoy a movie on board. You will later be dropped off directly at your hotel/hostel upon arrival in Lima.

From Ica or Huacachina: Dune Buggy at Sunset & Sandboarding

3. From Ica or Huacachina: Dune Buggy at Sunset & Sandboarding

Explore Huacachina, the only oasis in Peru, in a truly thrilling way. Ride over the sand dunes in a 4x4 buggy before then taking part in a sandboarding session. Start with pickup from Ica or Huacachina. Head to the oasis, and get the adrenaline pumping with a dune buggy ride. Feel as if you’re on a rollercoaster as you go up and down dunes of up to 30 meters in height. Take stops to snap photos of the desert landscape and the small lake surrounded by palm trees. Next, try your hand at sandboarding down those same dunes. This experience is suitable for all skill levels, as you’ll be learning the best techniques from your driver. Afterward visit one of the highlights of Huacachinha, the sunset over the desert. Enjoy incredible views of the sun going down, and find the best spot to snap photos with the help of your driver. Choose the private option if you’d like to tailor the tour to your group’s preferences. Select a different route, explore other areas, and adjust the starting time.

From Ica or Huacachina: Wine and Pisco Vineyards Tour

4. From Ica or Huacachina: Wine and Pisco Vineyards Tour

Discover the wine region surrounding Ica, that is known as the most important wine region in Peru for red wine and the popular local drink pisco. Visit the oldest vineyard in Peru and a traditional pisco winery and learn about how the wine and Pisco are made and, of course, taste Pisco and wine at both wineries. Start with pickup from Ica or Huacachina. Head to your first stop, the Tacama vineyard, considered one of the oldest ones in South America and first in Peru, established in the 16th century. Visit the old hacienda and tower where you will get the best view and see acres of grapes. Then you will visit the old and new factory and see how Tacama produces wines and Piscos using the industrial process. Afterward, you will taste their Piscos and wines. Head to the second vineyard called El Catador, known for its pisco. Pisco is a strong liquor known as the national drink of Peru. Learn about the traditional process to make Pisco and the clay jars known as “botijas” where the juice of crushed grapes is fermenting during March month, (harvest time). Visit the distillery and learn about the last seps to produce the famous drink. After, time to taste the Pisco and wine made here. You will have the opportunity to have lunch (not included) at one of the wineries that prepare typical dishes from this region.

Lima: 2-Day Tour to Paracas, Pisco Vineyards, and Huacachina

5. Lima: 2-Day Tour to Paracas, Pisco Vineyards, and Huacachina

Day 1: Lima - Ballestas Islands - Huacachina Start with early pickup from your hotel in Lima or meeting point. Travel to Paracas, beautiful small town by the sea, on a 4-hour journey. Upon arrival in Paracas, begin a 2-hour boat tour of the Ballestas Islands. These islands are said to be a smaller version of the Galápagos. See sea lions, penguins, birds, and even dolphins up close in their natural habitats. After the boat tour, head to Huacachina, the only desert oasis in South America. Spend 2 hours getting your thrills with dune buggying and sandboarding on some of the highest sand dunes. Then, transfer to your accommodation in Huacachina. Use your free time to grab some food or maybe a beer. Relax after an adrenaline-filled evening and rest up for the next day. Day 2: Huacachina - Lima Leave Huacachina and head off to a 2-hour pisco vineyard tour. See how pisco, Peru's national drink, is made from the grape to the bottle and try lots of free samples. Spend the whole day enjoying Huacachina. Catch some sun by the pool or grab some lunch around the oasis for the perfect end to this trip. Travel by air-conditioned bus back to Lima, and get dropped off either at your hotel or the original meeting point.

From Ica or Huacachina: Pisco and Wine Tour with Desert Trip

6. From Ica or Huacachina: Pisco and Wine Tour with Desert Trip

Truly discover Peru on a wine and pisco tour, with extra adventures including a dune buggy rise and a desert sunset. And of course, taste Peru’s national licor yourself as you learn all about it.  Start with your hotel pickup from Ica or Huacachina. Then head to your first stop, the Tacama Vineyard, considered one of the oldest in South America and the first in Peru. Visit the old hacienda and tower, where you will get the best views over acres of vines.  Then, visit the old and new factory to see how Tacama produces wines and piscos on an industrial scale. And, obviously, try some of their piscos and wines before your next stop. Head to the second vineyard, El Catador, famous for its pisco. Learn about how the licor is traditionally made in clay jars, known as “botijas”, where the juice of crushed grapes are left to ferment.  Visit the distillery next and learn about the last steps to produce the famous drink before trying some of the produce yourself.  Enjoy free time to try some food at one of the wineries that prepare typical dishes from this region, of your own volition. Next up, head to the Huacachina oasis and get your adrenaline pumping with a dune buggy ride, with dunes of up to 30 meters in height. Even try your hand at sandboarding down those same dunes. Learn the best techniques and tricks from your driver.  Last but not least, view an unforgettable sunset in the desert. Be transferred back to your accommodation at the end of the trip.

Huacachina: Desert Buggy Tour and Sandboarding

7. Huacachina: Desert Buggy Tour and Sandboarding

Discover the desertic town of Huacachina, with a beautiful oasis surrounded by giant dunes. Take an adventurous ride on a 4WD vehicle through the desert and experience the thrill of sandboarding, then stop to watch the colorful sunset. Visit the oasis by yourself before heading into the desert, and snap great pictures of the landscape as you do. Hop on your buggy and feel like you are on a rollercoaster as you go up and down huge dunes. Feel the fresh air while your expert driver makes exhilarating turns. Test your sandboarding skills at every stop and start gaining some speed as you get better and better. Before your journey comes to an end, head over to a perfect spot to enjoy the sun setting over the desert and take in the beautiful colors.

Lima: Private Nazca Lines & Huacachina Oasis with Lunch

8. Lima: Private Nazca Lines & Huacachina Oasis with Lunch

Start your tour in the early morning with a freshly prepared breakfast on your journey from your hotel in Lima to Ica. Board a Cessna 208 Caravan and fly over the famous Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the incredible, ancient geoglyphs from above and wonder at their meaning. View and take photos of the whale, the astronaut, the monkey, the hummingbird, and many more of the glyphs. Land and travel to the oasis and sand dunes of Huacachina in V8 modified dune buggies. Push your body to its limits, as you practice sandboarding down the dunes of the desert. Visit a small chocolate factory and taste some of the famous, traditional Peruvian chocolates.  Explore a rural area on the outskirts of Ica. Learn about the production of Pisco, wines, and fruit liqueurs at a local winery and sample as many as you like. Indulge yourself in a traditional Peruvian lunch, made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Try delicious delicacies such as sopa seca and pollo saltado, chicken stir-fry. Following lunch, conclude the trip with a relaxing ride back to your hotel.

From Huacachina: Ballestas Island and Paracas Reserve Tour

9. From Huacachina: Ballestas Island and Paracas Reserve Tour

Start with pickup from your hotel within Ica/Huacachina and drive towards the Marina Turistica to begin your adventure. Board a speedboat with your guide, and jet out onto the sea towards the stunning Ballestas. Stop at the Paracas Peninsula to see the Candelabro, an enigmatic glyph carved into the side of the island, whose purpose, and creator, remain a mystery to this day. Continue onwards towards the marine sanctuary of Ballestas. Gaze upon the rocky shores filled to the brim with sunbathing seals, and penguins diving into the turbid waters to hunt underneath the surface. See other beautiful specimens, like majestic pelicans, and colorful blue-footed boobies. Return to the Marina Turistica for a drive to Paracas National Reserve. Discover the almost alien landscape of the Paracas National Reserve, with vast sprawling deserts and high sandstone cliffs. Driving through the reserve, see the Cathedral, an area where a vast rock formation once stood before being destroyed by a cataclysmic earthquake. Visit the stunning maroon-sand beaches of Playa Roja and Lagunillas Beach. Having seen some of the world's most unique natural features, flora, and fauna, At the end of the tour drive back to your hotel in Ica/Huacachina or in Paracas.

From Lima: Ballestas Islands, Nazca Lines, & Huacachina Tour

10. From Lima: Ballestas Islands, Nazca Lines, & Huacachina Tour

This day trip starts early in the morning to avoid the traffic. It takes around 3 hours until the arrival in Paracas from where the Ballestas island boat tour will start. The duration of this tour is 2 hours and you will be face to face to amazing marine species such as sea lions, guano birds and humboldt penguins. After the Ballestas islands tour you go to Pisco airport (located 15 minutes away) to jump into a plane and fly over the Nazca lines. This flight takes 45 minutes and you will see many geoglyphs that will blow your mind. When the Nazca lines flight is done, you go straight to Huacachina Oasis. In Huacachina you will have a delicious Peruvian lunch in a restaurant in front of the beautiful oasis. After lunch you will take a dune buggy tour through Huacachina‘s desert. The vehicle goes up and down the huge dunes and make many stops for you to surf the sand with a sandboard.

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What people are saying about Ica

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 776 reviews

What a fantastic tour. It's a long day but totally worth it. Pick up at the hotel was on time. The coach was really comfortable if you wanted to sleep. In Paracas there were toilets at the hotel meeting point. Short walk to the port to get the boat. Saw lots of birds and sea lions with a very informative and humorous guide. Lunch was organised at a local restaurant, this was probably the worst bit. Very rushed and nothing special. I would have gone elsewhere but you don't have long here. Another drive to Huacachina where you get the buggy. Great fun, excellent drivers. Then you sand board down some dunes. Lots of opportunities for photos and finally we watched the sunset. Just epic. One of my best days!

El tour fue increíble!! Chemo muchas gracias por todo!! Tuvimos un problema en carretera y nos atrasamos un poco, Chemo se encargó que nos recogieran, nos guardaron el equipaje y pudimos hacer el tour completo y sin problemas. El conductor (Yuca) fue excelente, muy comunicativo y amable. Esta es la segunda vez que hago el tour pero sin duda esta fue una experiencia inmejorable en todo sentido.

I was very satisfied. We saw very beautiful places Paracas with the a lot spices of animal, wonderful. We visited dune in Huacachina also perfect places. Company and our guide was very professional, i can recommend very much. Sanboarding was excellent, our driver on the sand dunes was profesionall also. If i visite Peru in the future probably i can check it again.

An amazing experience! The boat ride was beautiful and the wildlife was so cool to see. And the sand boarding! Scary but also so amazing that it was worth it! The bus rides were comfortable and the pick up and drop off was stress free. Lastly, the tour guides, especially Mari, were so nice and helpful that they really enhanced the experience.

This was a really fun day! Well worth the cost and early morning start to see some highlights of the south coast with everything organized smoothly for you