The Huacachina oasis is a truly mesmerizing site, and one that all travelers heading to Peru should try and visit.
Now you may be wondering whether it’s best to visit Huacachina as a day trip from Lima, and how to manage the logistics of visiting this popular desert destination from the capital of Peru.
In this guide we’ll explore everything you need to know about how you can plan a Huacachina day trip from Lima. This includes the distance between the two, and the various transport methods you can use to make the trip. We’ll also look at the advantages of heading with a private organized tour, as well as the bonuses that are included.
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Huacachina is known for its giant towering sand dunes, which are known to be some of the largest in all of South America.
What’s awesome about this destination is that it’s only a 3-5 hour drive from Lima, making it a very doable day trip from the capital. Now if you only have a day then we would say it’s 100% worth visiting, given it’s a unique desert site that’s otherwise difficult to see elsewhere in the continent.
What’s important to remember however are the logistics of undertaking a day trip, and using your time efficiently. This is where heading on a Private Guided Day Tour From Lima is much more advantageous, given you will minimize transport times and also get to visit extra sites within the day (such as the Ballestas Islands near Paracas as well as a Pisco Winery).
Huacachina is located in the arid desert region of Ica, which borders Lima to the south. The total distance is roughly 308 km from the capital, which takes between 3-5 hours driving to make the trip (depending on the travel option you choose).
It’s important to mention that if taking public transportation, this time doesn’t factor in the mandatory stop you’ll need to make in the city of Ica along the way (where you’ll then need to hail an additional taxi or mototaxi to reach Huacachina).
Many will be wondering why not instead stay in the desert town instead of heading on a day tour. It’s definitely possible, as there are hotels located around the small town as well as restaurants catering to all budgets.
However it’s important to remember that Huacachina is a very small destination, and all of the major highlights can easily be seen in just one day. This includes going Sandboarding, visiting a Pisco Winery and also climbing a dune for those epic oasis town photo shots, which means you may start to get bored if you spend extra time here.
It really depends on you and the time you have free, however you may feel your days are best being used back in Lima where you can also visit epic ruins such as Huaca Pucllana and Pachacamac, as well as heading on an ultimate Peruvian Food Tour.
Below we’ll now take a look at your different options of getting from Lima to Huacachina, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
Using public transportation is definitely the cheapest option of all, and there are various bus companies that make the route from Lima to Ica daily. These include PerúBus, however to make the most of a day trip you’ll need to leave Lima around 6:00am.
The buses take around 5 hours, and you’ll also want to bring an extra layer or blanket since they can get quite cold (especially since you’ll be traveling early in the morning). It’s also important to remember that to be back in Lima the same day, you’ll need to leave Huacachina around 4/5pm. This will unfortunately limit what you’ll be able to see and do here, and you’ll be rushing to fit everything in.
There are a variety of large group tours that depart Lima on varying schedules, and also use large buses as their usual transport method. Whilst it’s definitely a more social experience, you may find there are delays in leaving and arriving since you’ll need to wait for all passengers to arrive.
If this is something you would want to do, then you will need to browse around since many operators can vary in cost. It’s important to remember that whilst logistics will be included for you, you won’t necessarily have much flexibility in what you can choose to see and do during your day here (unless you choose to stay longer in Huacachina independently after).
Lastly we have the option of visiting the desert oasis town with a private tour, which we think is the overall best option. Not only will you be able to fully relax in a private shuttle, you’ll also ride comfortably and not get as cold as you would using public transportation.
On our day tour from Lima you’ll get to go Sandboarding, visit a local Pisco Winery and even visit the stunning Ballestas Islands too all in one day! You’ll have all logistics provided between all activities, and also have an awesome guide to lead your memorable day here in Huacachina.
And that’s all for this guide on how you can plan a day trip from Lima to Huacachina.
Whilst best-known for its Sandboarding and unforgettable desert landscapes, Huacachina also has some other worthy sites nearby too such as Pisco Wineries and the Ballestas Islands. This is why it’s better to consider your options of heading on a day trip, and choosing one that maximizes what you can do in a day here from Lima.
Here at TravelBuddiesPeru we offer an unforgettable Huacachina Day Tour From Lima, where you will go Sandboarding, head on a Dune Buggy Ride, visit a Pisco Winery and also get to fly over the ancient Nazca Lines – all in one day! You’ll also have all logistics and comfortable private transport between all destinations included too.
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