We had been in Peru for a week and realised we had done nothing really adventurous or fun. Megan was demanding a fun activity, and I did a bit of research and saw we could go sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru. I asked her if she was interested; she said she was, and we booked and made our way from Lima to Ica and then onto Huacachina. This is how we got on sandboarding as a family in Huacachina, Peru.
The details are correct as of May 2024.
Where is Huacachina, Peru?
Huacachina is located about 15 minutes from the city of Ica and around 4.5 hours south of Lima.
Getting to Ica from Lima was simple, with frequent buses leaving throughout the day by different providers. Once in Ica, we used one of the taxis outside of the station. Uber doesn’t exist in Ica, so check with your hotel for a rough price.
Cost of a sandboarding tour in Huacachina.
If you want to do a tour as described below these will vary in price from $17 to $60. We booked a company via ‘Get My Guide‘ and paid $55.80 for 3 of us. However, to be honest, I wouldn’t bother and would just book from one of the many guides on the Oasis or at your hotel/hostel as we got speaking to a couple on our buggy and they paid half the price we did on the street. You may also need just under 4 sols each to go onto the dunes, some companies include this in their ticket price, others like ours walk you to the other side of the Oasis to pay it. They only take cash.
We also seen people going on the dunes themselves for a walk/sandboard. For this option you will just need to hire the gear from one of the many shops and pay your entry fee onto the dunes. However, take into account time, as it will be roasting during the day, hence why the tours are early morning or at sunset when it cools down.
How long does Huacachina Sandboarding tour last.
The tour we purchased was described as two hours. Our guide told us at the meeting spot we would be going in 30 minutes, which would leave us with 90 minutes for dune buggy and sandboarding. I was annoyed as this didn’t feel like enough time, but we had plenty of time for the dune buggy ride, sandboarding, and watching the sunset. Any longer wouldn’t be needed.
What to bring on your Huacachina Sandboarding tour.
- Entry fee If your company doesn’t provide it, you will be told how much you need to bring.
- For photos, bring a phone. I did see people with big cameras, but they could get damaged by bouncing on the dunes or sand.
- Something with zips to put your valuables in. It’s better to just bring as little as possible.
- Sun cream or put it on before you go.
- Hats and sunglasses, but take into account that these could fly off and they won’t be seen again.
- Water; it gets very dry out there, so you will need it.
What to expect on your Huacachina Sandboarding tour.
Pick up.
Depending on who you choose to do your tour with, you will be given a pick-up location. The majority of locations will be outside of hostels or hotels, so it is probably best to pick one from your accommodation. However, Huacachina is small, so if you get a good deal, go to another pickup point instead. Our booking was for pickup outside our hotel; we hadn’t actually planned this; it just happened.
We met at our hotel and walked to the entrance to the dunes to pay our entry fee. (Be careful with the sellers around the entry; some are chancing their arms. Prices can be double or triple for a mask, depending on who you ask).
Our guide apparently spoke English, but we got nothing from her the entire time, from pick-up to the buggy. Although, to be honest, there wasn’t much she needed to say.
Dune Buggy Ride – Initial.
After we entered the dunes, we had to walk up a slight incline to the buggy meeting place. Nothing major, but I believe there are other tours available for people who are not great on their feet.
Here we were given a driver and put into a buggy with around 10–12 people. Our guide came around and gave our belts a quick glimpse to see if they were on. Mine wasn’t correct, and he didn’t notice I did! Once the brief safety check was done, we headed to the location where we were to do the sandboarding.
The drive there isn’t chilled out; well, it might be depending on your driver. Ours wasn’t; we bashed through dunes, over the side of high drops, and done some doughnuts. My phone didn’t show this madness, it made out it was a chilled drive through the dunes.
It was really good fun, and everyone was laughing and smiling, although my heart rate was through the roof.
Sandboarding.
There are different locations all over the dunes, so it is unlikely that if you are reading this, you will be taken to the same one as us.
We were taken to a location with three hills, which worked out great for us in the end.
After we were given our boards and wax, everyone apart from me and Megan was shoved face first over the edge of a very high slope. Megan refused to go down, and I wouldn’t let her go with the driver on her own, so I stayed with her.
I was gutted to not go down the hill, but the driver told me there were two other hills we would be using, so we would definitely get to Sandboard.
We met up with Nicola and the next hill and had a great time going down the other 2 hills. While the slopes look daunting, you aren’t actually going that fast, as your feet are dragging behind you.
After about 30 minutes on the slopes, we headed back to our buggy in time for sunset.
Sunset.
I love a good sunset, but our driver went a bit crazy and hit a few jumps a bit hard, and I didn’t feel in the best of moods when we arrived at the location for the sunset.
None the less, we had a great time watching the sunset in a lovely atmosphere.
Dune Buggy Ride – Final.
I’m not sure if every driver does this, but ours certainly went mad on the way back. We hit a dune so hard that when we landed, it sounded like the suspension had broken. He then took us to another slope, narrowly missing some boarders, and went down it twice. The buggy fell silent on the way back, and I don’t think anyone enjoyed it. When we got dropped off at the final viewing point, this was clear, as no one tipped him or said thank you.
We spent a bit of time at the top of the hill before walking back in silence to Huacachina.
Would we recommend a sandboarding tour in Huacachina?
Michael – I’m not a thrill-seeker. I don’t like rollercoaster rides, so the dune buggy was a bit ropey for me, and honestly, I thought I was going to throw up, but that was due to our driver taking it too far at times. The sunset was amazing, and the sandboarding was great fun. It was a great experience, just what we needed.
Nicola – I really enjoyed the experience from start to finish. Unlike Michael, I don’t mind rollercoasters, but the driver did take it too far, and I hurt my back. The sunset was amazing, and going down the dunes on a board was great fun.
Megan – Amazing fun from start to finish; I don’t think I have laughed and screamed so much. I didn’t do the sandboarding from the top hill, but I did from the other smaller ones, and it was good fun.
Overall, it is a recommendation from us.
Other things to do in Huacachina.
I was disappointed in Huacachina. I had heard it was a party town at night. Honestly, that was far from the truth. Perhaps the ‘Wild Rover’ hostel offers that atmosphere. However, we couldn’t enter during the day without an ID. Other hostels were relaxed, and the bars around the Oasis were very quiet.
There are other tours available in the area; they are sold by the many vendors on the street. I wouldn’t suggest staying more than one night in Huacachina and, if possible, moving on after the sandboarding tour like many others did.
Don’t get me wrong, it is nice to sit by the Oasis and chill, but it felt like spending that night and an extra day was a bit of a waste of time for us.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our time sandboarding as a family in Huacachina, Peru.
The Lewis family.