Lima: Paracas Reserve, Slave Tunnels & Ballestas Islands Full Day





Description
Make the most of a full day from Lima: cruise the wildlife-rich Ballestas Islands on a guided boat tour to look for sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and soaring seabirds, then continue into the dramatic Paracas National Reserve where desert drops into the Pacific. Close the day with a powerful visit to the historic Chincha Slave Tunnels. • Full-day tour from Lima: Ballestas Islands cruise & Paracas Reserve • Wildlife viewing opportunities - sea lions, penguins, and seabird cliffs • Iconic desert-meets-ocean viewpoints inside Paracas National Reserve • Guided visit to the Chincha Slave Tunnels; hotel pickup and drop-off included
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin with an early pickup from your hotel in Miraflores, San Isidro, or Barranco. Board your Peru Hop bus with onboard high-speed Wi-Fi and settle into a premium, air-conditioned coach with reclining semi-bed seats and an onboard restroom. Your friendly Peruvian host shares stories and tips as you trace the scenic Pan-American Highway toward Paracas, a peaceful fishing town on the Pacific.
From 10:00 to 12:00, board a fast, comfortable boat for a 2-hour wildlife cruise. Skim past towering rock arches and the mysterious Candelabra geoglyph while watching for sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and a kaleidoscope of seabirds - and, with luck, playful dolphins. Skippers keep a respectful distance so you can enjoy natural behavior (wildlife sightings vary seasonally).
From 12:00 to 14:00, enjoy free time along the Paracas boardwalk. Stroll the marina, browse local craft stalls, or sit down for fresh ceviche or grilled catch of the day overlooking the ocean (lunch at own expense). Your host can point you to great local favorites.
Join a guided bus tour inside one of South America’s largest protected desert reserves. Photograph red-sand cliffs, wind-carved headlands, and sweeping Pacific views where dunes meet turquoise water. Short walks to lookouts are rewarded with unforgettable panoramas.
Travel north aboard your Peru Hop bus to a historic hacienda to explore its underground tunnels, once used during the slave-trading era. Your guide shares context and stories that bring this difficult history to life. Some passages are narrow and have low ceilings; guests should be comfortable with enclosed spaces.
Relax aboard your comfortable Peru Hop bus with onboard high-speed Wi-Fi for the drive back to Lima - ideal for sharing your best Ballestas and Paracas photos on the way. Enjoy direct drop-off at your hotel in Miraflores, San Isidro, or Barranco. Typical arrival is around 11:00 PM (traffic and sea conditions can affect timing; Downtown/Airport drop-offs may be slightly later).
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
View the pickup list when booking to see if your hotel is included among the pickup points. If it is not on the list, choose “I'll decide later" or "My hotel is not on the list" and after booking let us know where you are staying. We will inform you whether we can pick you up directly at your hotel, or the nearest alternative. -Pick ups from hotels/hostels in San Isidro: between 4:50 am and 5:00 am -Pick ups from hotels/hostels in Miraflores: between 5:00 am and 5:40 am -Pick ups from hotels/hostels in Barranco: between 5:45 am and 6:00 am
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The bus will arrive back in Lima around 11:30 pm - midnight
- The Only company with Luxury Buses for the long journey, others use small vans
- Minimum age: 8 years old – Must have parents permission
- Recommended: Treking or tennis Shoes (no flipflops allowed), Sunglasses, Hat, Sunscreen, Drinking water, Windbreaker jacket & warm clothes.
- The tour runs with slight adjustments during the following holidays: Easter weekend (April 2-5) and Peru's Independence Day celebrations (July 27-29). The pick-up time will be 1 hour before the usual time.
Reviews(792)
José Carlos and Nina were excellent throughout the whole experience — very caring, passionate, and attentive to every detail. Their knowledge and enthusiasm made the visit even more special. Highly recommended!
Outstanding trip with Marjorie and Elmer! These guys made sure we had an awesome experience, with great insights into Peruvian wildlife, history, and culture, all condensed into one day. I couldn’t have spent my time better.
Amazing trip with Marjorie in the morning to the Ballestas Islands and Elmer in the afternoon. Great organization, both guides did an excellent job! The buses were very comfortable.
Elmer is the funnest guide! He was very knowledgeable of Peru and gave so many recommendations. Also, so funny and entertaining!!!
Elmer was a great tour guide, very sincere and knowledgeable. I recommend this trip, especially the tour of Hacienda San Jose, as understanding the history of imperialism is essential.
The guides are very attentive, patient, and approachable. For my part, it is pleasant that they want to build connections and share their stories with the tourists in their care. As recommendations... 1. A traditional game could perhaps be added to the activities, maybe a brief and specific one at the beginning that serves as a bonding experience. 2. In our group, we have been the only Spanish-speaking individuals, and it would have been beneficial to be in a group that spoke the same language, in addition to facilitating communication and the guide's time, who would only have to speak one language. Perhaps a language section on the website would help with grouping (within reason). 3. I understand that the WhatsApp group is created each day with the people in the respective group, so ideally, each person should be added at the start of the tour. In our case, sometimes we joined at the end of the day, and we missed out on some photos that we had to request. I hope this helps you! These are just ideas or details that, if possible, could make a difference. Thank you for everything :)
Really well organized, long but worthwhile, you get to see the animals up close in their natural habitat, try local dishes and pisco sour and learn more about the history. We shared lunch with our guide Julio and loved chatting. The views in the Paracas desert are incredible. And finally we really enjoyed historical details we learned at the hacienda. Of course, all thanks to Julio who really made an effort to share every piece of information he had about the place. Strong recommendation.
Hi Ivan, Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your experience with us. We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed getting up close with the wildlife, trying the local dishes, and learning about the fascinating history of the area with Julio as your guide. We’ll make sure he receives your feedback. Warm regards, Peru Hop
The experience was very beautiful, accompanied by the guides Lui and Julio Cesar, who are very pleasant people that make your tours very joyful. I loved sharing this experience with them, as they treated us like family. We enjoyed all the activities to the fullest; it was a good choice to travel with PERU HOP 😊🥰
Hola Jennifer, ¡Muchas gracias por compartir tu experiencia tan especial con nosotros! Nos alegra mucho saber que Lui y Julio César ayudaron a crear recuerdos tan bonitos y que te sentiste como en familia durante tus recorridos. Elegirnos para tu viaje es un honor, y tus palabras nos animan a seguir dando lo mejor cada día. Saludos Peru Hop
Staying at San José was exciting; getting to know its history through the guide JC, who has developed and described it in an engaging manner, was wonderful. Thank you for your attention.
Hola Patricia, ¡Muchas gracias por compartir tu experiencia! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste la visita a Estancia San José y que JC logró transmitir la historia de una manera amena y detallada. Valoramos mucho tus palabras y tu reconocimiento a nuestro equipo. Saludos Peru Hop
Our experience with our guide Julio was wonderful... the quality of information about Peru that he conveys is spectacular... it is clear that he is passionate about the history of his country! It has been a true pleasure to meet him!
Hola, ¡Muchas gracias por compartir este comentario tan positivo sobre Julio! Nos alegra mucho saber que disfrutaron de la pasión y el conocimiento de nuestro guía, y que su experiencia en Perú fue tan especial. Transmitiremos sus palabras a Julio, ya que comentarios como el suyo son la mejor recompensa para su trabajo. Saludos Peru Hop



