Departure times
- Departure: 5:00 AM
- Back around 7:00 PM
Essentials at a glance
- Duration
- 14 h
- Type
- Private
- Departures
- 07:00
- Pickup
- Hotels in Miraflores, San Isidro & Barranco
- Languages
- English & Spanish
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before
The experience
Why you’ll love this
Head south along the coast to Paracas and sail out to the Ballestas Islands — on a shared speedboat — for sea lions, Humboldt penguins and the Candelabro geoglyph. In the afternoon you tour the Paracas National Reserve privately, just your group with your own guide and vehicle: the Julio C. Tello Museum, the fossil area, the La Catedral viewpoint, Yumaque beach and Playa Roja.
Tip: bring a light jacket for the morning boat ride.
- Cruise to the Ballestas Islands
- See sea lions, penguins and the Candelabro geoglyph
- Explore the Paracas National Reserve
- Breakfast, lunch and all fees included
Step by step
Your route
Hotel pickup
Your driver collects you and heads south on the Panamericana: three and a half hours along the coast, desert on one side and the Pacific on the other.
Light breakfast
A stop on the road to eat and stretch your legs before reaching the port of Paracas.
Ballestas Islands
A shared speedboat ride around the islands: sea lions, Humboldt penguins and thousands of birds. On the way you pass the Candelabro, carved into the bay’s hillside.
Paracas waterfront
Free time by the bay, among fishing boats and craft stalls, for a drink before heading into the reserve.
Julio C. Tello Museum
Named after the archaeologist who excavated the Paracas funerary bundles here. Inside: textiles, ceramics and the elongated skulls this culture is known for.
Fossil area
Marine remains set into the desert rock: millions of years ago all of this lay under the sea.
La Catedral viewpoint
A formation carved by wind and surf. It lost its arch in the 2007 earthquake, but it is still the most striking viewpoint in the reserve.
Yumaque Beach
A long strip of golden sand between desert hills and the deep blue of the Pacific.
Red Beach
Its sand is reddish because it comes from the pink granodiorite cliffs around it, ground down by wind and sea.
Lunch
Regional cooking at a selected restaurant, with time to sit and eat without rushing.
Return to Lima
Back up the Panamericana. Four hours to rest and watch the desert go by.
Hotel arrival
We drop you at your hotel door in Lima, with the evening still ahead of you.
Everything taken care of
What’s included
- Private transport from Lima
- Official bilingual guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Light breakfast and lunch
- Ballestas boat trip and entrance fees
- Private visit to the Paracas Reserve
- Taxes included
Not included
- Additional meals and drinks
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Good to know before you go
Plan your day with confidence
Pickup and return
- Hotels in Miraflores, San Isidro and Barranco
- Elsewhere in Lima? Ask us for a quote.
- We’ll confirm your exact pickup time.
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- A light jacket for the boat
- Water
- A charged phone or camera
Important information
- What’s private and what’s shared: the speedboat to the Ballestas Islands is shared with other visitors, because that is how the service runs. The tour of the Paracas National Reserve is private: just your group, with your guide and vehicle at your disposal all day.
- Minimum 2 travelers.
- 50% surcharge on Peruvian national holidays.
- Dietary or mobility needs? Tell us in advance.
- Itinerary times are approximate. They may run earlier or later depending on traffic, weather and the pace of each group.
- Card declined? Ask your bank to enable international online purchases. If it still fails, write to us and we will give you another payment method.
Clear before you confirm
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour, with a 95% refund (the remaining 5% is kept by your bank or the payment gateway when the charge is reversed). If the Port Authority tells us in advance that the sea is closed, we reschedule your date at no cost. You will get your confirmation by email within 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What does the day look like? It starts very early
It is a full day of about 14 hours. Pickup at your hotel is at 5:00 a.m. and it is roughly three and a half hours down the coast to Paracas. We sail to the Ballestas in the morning, tour the Reserve at midday, and drop you back at your hotel around 7:00 p.m.
Which meals are included?
A light breakfast on the road, before we reach the port of Paracas, and a regional lunch at a selected restaurant, with time to sit down and eat without rushing. Tell us when you book if you have any dietary restrictions.
What happens if the tour is cancelled because of bad weather or sea conditions?
The decision is made by the Port Authority, not by us, and it is always a safety call. If we are told in advance, we write to you and reschedule your date at no cost; if you prefer not to reschedule, we refund what you paid minus the share your bank keeps when the charge is reversed, around 5%. When the closure happens on the day itself, once you are already in Paracas, we sail to Isla Blanca instead: it is smaller than the Ballestas, it has the same wildlife of the bay, and the ride is about 30 minutes shorter. In that case the service counts as delivered and there is no refund. The tour of the Paracas Reserve is unchanged.
Can I cancel or change my booking?
Yes. Cancel more than 24 hours before the tour and we refund 95% of what you paid; the remaining 5% is kept by your bank or the payment gateway when the transaction is reversed. Within 24 hours, or if you do not show up, there is no refund. Changing your date is free more than 24 hours in advance, subject to availability. Write to booking@apullaytours.com or WhatsApp +51 986 273 595 with your name, tour date and booking number.
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Book your date online, or message our local team on WhatsApp for help planning your day in Lima.