Huacachina is a desert oasis near the much larger town of Ica, Peru. The town is small and there’s not a lot to do, but one thing that every visitor does is a desert tour. There’s a few options for a Huacachina Desert Tour, but the most popular combines dune buggies, sand boarding, and a sunset over the dunes of the Huacachina Desert.
Here’s what to expect on your Huacachina Desert Tour.
Huacachina Desert Tour
All Huacachina Desert Tour operators will vary slightly, but in general, everyone offers the exact same tour. Pick a reputable company (the dune buggy drivers can be insane) and get ready for some fun.
Meet Up
Even if the tour company you book with offers pick up, you’ll probably just meet in a central location within Huacachina. Huacachina is tiny and it takes at most ten minutes to walk from one side of town to the other. So, it’s not really a big deal to meet at the tour office (or some other central location within Huacachina).
I signed in at my tour office and was given a buff. This was included for free with the tour and you can keep it afterwards. This was great because while I had a buff, I rushed out of my hotel in a bit of a hurry and forgot to grab mine. You’ll definitely want one though as it helps to prevent the sand from getting into your nose and mouth.
If your tour company doesn’t provide one and you don’t have a buff already, walk back out to the main street. There are plenty of people selling buffs for cheap.
Entering the Reserve
From the tour office, you’ll walk out onto the dunes to reach your dune buggy. During this process, you’ll also stop to pay for entrance fee. For foreigners, this is 8.10 soles (though they were happy to ignore the extra ten cents) and it’s not included in your tour price. Pay for fee (cash only) and follow your guide to the dune buggies. Note that it’s a bit of an uphill walk through sand to reach them.
Here we got separated into two groups: those who wanted a crazy driver and those who were last in line and didn’t get a choice. I was at the back of the line so that was unfortunate. However, at the time, I didn’t realize how unfortunate it would be.
Buckle up and before you know it, you’ll head off into the sand dunes of Huacachina.
Dune Buggies
I was in the buggy with the “not crazy” driver, much to my disappointment. To make matters worse, we started driving and there was none of the chaos that I had read about. Literally none at all. It was a calm ride and I was feeling disappointment, much like several of the other people in my vehicle.
Then we came to a dead stop in the dunes. This was odd. Turns out, there was a problem with our dune buggy. So, we sat there, waiting for a replacement and feeling a real sense of missing out. Around us, we could hear the shrieks of delight as dune buggy drivers took their tourists through crazy routes. We just sat there waiting.
A replacement buggy came and we moved into the new one. This dune buggy took us to meet the other group and while it was a bit more adrenaline filled than the first ride, it still wasn’t great. When we arrived at the meeting point, someone in my group must have said something because they immediately took us back out on the dunes and we got a taste of that crazy driving. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fun. I just wish we could have had more of it.
We had a chance to take a few photos, though quite honestly, those in my dune buggy didn’t need them. We took our photos of the dunes while waiting for a replacement buggy. However, they had us all get out because we had to transfer to a third dune buggy. I don’t know what the issue was with dune buggy #2, but into the third one we went.
Some more crazy driving and we arrived at the spot to start our sand boarding.
Sandboarding
Huacachina would not be my first sand boarding experience, though it would be most people’s. A few years prior, I had taken a Colorado road trip and where I rented a sandboard for a day. On that trip, the sand board was more like a snowboard and I rode the sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park standing up.
Here in Huacachina, that is an option, but you’ll pay more for it. Nearly all tourists ride the sand boards down like a sled. I think this is much easier and you have much less potential for crashing (though I did witness two people loose control and tumble down the sand dunes).
So once at the top, your guide will position your board. You’ll lay down and grip the handles and the guides will tip your board forward. Hold on tight as you ride down the dune before dragging your feet to come to a stop.
It’s a lot of fun, you but get sand everywhere. Going into this, I knew to expect that I’d have sand everywhere, but it was worse than expected. The pockets on my shorts filled with sand. My arms were covered in sand. My shoes ended up full of sand. Thankfully, the buff protected my face from much of the sand.
You’ll then wait at the bottom for everyone to finish. Then the guides bring the dune buggies down and you load up to drive to the next dune. No walking up steep sand dunes required. Woohoo!
We were told that there were going to be five levels of sandboarding, with each run we did getting progressively larger and steeper. Due to the dune buggy issues earlier and the fast approaching sunset, we only got to do three runs which was a bit unfortunate.
Watching the Sunset
Before we knew it, it was time for sunset. It was a great one and our guides even brought out beer and bottled water. I didn’t realize that was included in the tour, but I wasn’t going to complain. I got talking with some other solo travelers and we watched the sun set over the dunes of the Huacachina Desert.
I couldn’t help but think back to the last time I watched the sand dunes in a desert. While this sunset was nice, I don’t know if anything will ever top sunset after a camel ride in the Sahara Desert.
Back to Huacachina
With the sun set and darkness quickly approaching, it was time to head back to Huacachina. We buckled in and thankfully we did. It was another very chaotic (but fun) ride back to our starting point. Thankfully, there were no breakdowns this time and we were able to enjoy the ride in its entirety.
We took in a view of Huacachina at night and walked the short distance back to town. I recommend stopping here and emptying your shoes before heading to your hotel. You’ll be surprised by how much sand you managed to gather in your shoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Bring on a Huacachina Desert Tour?
Pack light on your Huacachina Desert Tour. You don’t need much. I’d recommend applying sunscreen before you come and potentially bringing a light layer. Once the sun goes down, the temperature drops quickly. I was fine in just shorts and a T-shirt since I knew I’d be back at my hotel shortly after the tour ended.
Keep in mind that everything you’ll need to hold on to everything you bring. There aren’t doors on the dune buggies and anything left unsecured will go flying.
How Do You Book a Huacachina Desert Tour?
There are numerous operators in town and anyone would be happy to help you book your tour the Huacachina Desert. If you walk around in the small town, you’ll no doubt be approached by someone who’s trying to sell you tours.
I booked my tour online. I likely paid a bit more for the tour, but since the total tour cost just $24, I’m not that upset about the few extra dollars. By booking online, I was able to make sure I booked with a reputable company. The drivers can get a little crazy on the sand dunes and while I wanted adrenaline, I didn’t want an injury.
How Do You Get to Huacachina?
You’ll need to first get to Ica, Peru before you can get to Huacachina. Ica has great bus connections to much of Peru (though be prepared for some long journeys depending on where you’re heading).
Once in Ica, you’ll want to catch a taxi (or tuktuk) to Huacachina. Expect this to be between 15 and 20 soles and take about 20 to 25 minutes. One girl I met was told there was no Uber in Ica, but that’s not true. I used Uber in both directions (Ica to Huacachina and Huacachina to Ica) and had no issues.
Final Thoughts
Huacachina is a great addition to your Peru itinerary. While I recommend spending the night to get the full experience, it’s also easy to visit on a day trip from Lima or Paracas, so it definitely deserves a spot on your itinerary.
