Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: The Perfect Day in Peru’s Desert Oasis

Looking for the perfect Huacachina 1 day itinerary? This tiny desert oasis in Peru is famous for its golden sand dunes, thrilling adventures, and stunning sunsets. Even with just one day, you can experience the best that Huacachina has to offer.

From adrenaline-pumping sandboarding and dune buggy tours to relaxing by the oasis, there’s no shortage of things to do. Whether you're visiting on a day trip from Lima or stopping over while exploring southern Peru, this guide will help you make the most of your time.

Ready to explore this unique desert paradise? Here’s everything you need to know to plan an unforgettable Huacachina day trip from Lima or anywhere else in Peru!

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: What to Expect

Huacachina is a small oasis packed with fun activities! Most Huacachina 1 day itineraries typically including the top things to do in Huacachina, which include:

• Dune buggy tour with sand boarding
• Sunset on the dunes
• Boat ride in the oasis
• Enjoying a nearby pisco winery
• Experiencing a fun night with activities at a party hostel

There are a variety of ways to organize your Huacachina 1 day itinerary, whether you are looking to take a day trip from Lima to Huacachina, or if you want to spend a night.

In this guide we're going to give you a variety of Huacachina 1 day itineraries to choose from, with various options to play around with, and alternatives for whatever type of traveler you are.

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary (The Different Options)

The five main options of Huacachina 1 day itineraries are:

• Visiting Huacachina on your own with a car, and spending a night
• Going to Huacachina on a day trip with a car, and returning to Lima
• Taking a day trip from Lima to Huacachina on a tour
• Visiting Huacachina with public transportation, and spending a night
• Going to Huacachina for the day with a bus and returning to Lima

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: Waking Up in Huacachina (Option #1)

If you're driving to Huacachina or taking the bus, we highly recommend spending the night so that you can wake up early and enjoy a full day of adventure in Huacachina.

We got there the night before, and this is what our Huacachina 1 day itinerary looked like.

5:30 AM-6:30 AM (OPTIONAL) Sunrise on the Dunes

Are you an early riser? Well, if you are then start off your perfect day in Huacachina with a magical sunrise. Head over to the back end of the city and climb the dunes where you can enjoy beautiful views of the sun rising above the oasis.

If you watch the sunrise then you can go for breakfast right after, or head back to bed for a little before the rest of the town wakes up.

8:00-8:45 Wake Up & Get Ready for the Day

It's time for an exciting Huacachina 1 day itinerary! Wash up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for a fun-filled day.

8:45-10:00 Buggy Tour

Head over the center and have one of the locals put you on the first dune buggy tours. Get there 15 minutes before so you can pay for your ticket. The guide will then walk everyone over the entrance of the dunes where visitors have to pay a small conservation fee.

The buggy tour is a full hour of a thrilling ride going up and down the dunes with a stop of photos, and then finishing off with some sandboarding. Make sure to get the earliest ride out, as the dunes get REALLY hot by 10 AM.

Want to learn more about buddy tours in Huacachina? We have a full guide coming up, so make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get our updates on guides and exclusive content.

10:00-10:30 Walk Back to Town

The dune buggy will drop you off on the dunes west of the town. We enjoyed the views and took a quick picture, before our short walk back down to town.

10:30-11:30/12 Breakfast

After a wild ride, you're probably ready for a bite to eat! Sit down and enjoy a nice breakfast in town under the shade to cool off and reenergize.

12:00-1:30 Boat Ride at the Lake/ Enjoying the Town

The next part of our Huachina 1 day itinerary is to enjoy inside the oasis itself. Go on a short boat ride to pedal off a bit of breakfast, and enjoy a serene ride with views of the palms lining the waters and the dunes in the background.

After you can have a leisurely stroll with an icecream and browse the small shops for a souvenir. I got some handmade earrings that were beautiful!

1:30-3:00 Swimming at the Hotel

It's the middle of the day, and Huacachina is at its peak heat. Head to the pool in your hotel to cool off, and simply relax for a bit.

3:00-4:00 Lunch

After swimming you're probably ready for another bite to eat! Have lunch at your hotel for convenience and some cool air.

4:00-4:30 Stop at the Convenience Shop

The next part of our Huacachina 1 day itinerary is to get you ready for a magical afternoon! Head over to the convenience store and grab some cold drinks and snacks to enjoy for a nice sunset experience.

4:30-7:00 Sunset

It's time to enjoy our favorite part of the Huacachina 1 day itinerary, which is to enjoy the stunning views of Huacachina Oasis from the dunes surrounding it.

There are various entrances to the dunes, and you can enjoy all different areas. We decided to walk along the rim with Ice on one side and Huacachina on the other and take some pictures there first.

Then we went to the area of the dunes to enjoy the sun setting from there. We'd recommend bringing some snacks and drinks and a blanket or towel to relax and enjoy the views. Be prepared, as it also may be a bit windy at the top!

We stayed until the lights started to come on, enjoying the view from the west side of the dunes facing east for views of the city below, and then went down the dunes from that side to go back to the town.

We also spent some moments simply enjoying the views of the lake as it started to get dark, and all of the boat rides were finishing.

7:00-8:00 Go Back to the Hotel and Shower

After a day full of sun and sand, you'll be ready to refresh! Go for a shower and get ready for a fun evening.

8:00-9:00 Dinner

We were absolutely starving, so decided to order dinner at our hotel, but there are also plenty of options in town. Simply walk around the center and there will be plenty of options.

9:00 - (Late) Party at Wild Rover Hostel

After dinner get ready to enjoy a fun night out!

Wild Rover Hostel has a few events each night, so depending on the day of the week you might enjoy a cultural show, karaoke, a salsa class, beer pong tournament, or another one of the fun events that have planned.

Head over to the bar area, grab a drink, and join in on the fun! The party sometimes goes all night long, so get ready for a wild night to finish off the perfect Huacachina 1 day itinerary.

 Option #1 Alternative Itinerary

You don't need to start your adventure first thing in the morning! The first time we went to Huacachina we actually go there at about 4:00 and started with enjoying the sunset there. We did the same night itinerary, and spent the next half of the day in Huacachina doing the rest of the itinerary.

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: Waking Up in Huacachina (Option #2)

Another option that you can do, is to swap your morning buggy ride for a sunset one! There are a variety of options, most of them which are 2-3 hours, starting between 4 and 5 pm.

Personally, we'd recommend the Dinner in the Desert Tour, which starts at 4:30, and is around 6 hours. It includes a buggy ride along the dunes with sand boarding, sunset in the desert, and then a romantic dinner at a desert camp with sparkling wine and a delicious bbq dinner (can be swapped for veggies or fish upon request).

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: The Perfect Day Trip from Lima

If you're coming from Lima on a day trip, your itinerary may look a bit different. There are a variety of tours offered - some start early and go to Ballestas Islands before, some bring you for lunch at a winery in Ica, and a few leave later and go straight to Huacachina for sunset.

You can even find tours that also include flights over the Nazca lines for the ultimate day trip!

Most tours to Huacachina include buggies for sunset, and return back to Lima late at night.

Huacachina Day Trip Excursion Recommendations

• Paracas & Huacachina Oasis 18 hrs - $64
• Day Trip to Paracas, Ica, & Huacachina Oasis 17.5 hrs - $75
• Ballestas Islands, Huacachina, & Wine Route Trip $75
• Huacachina Oasis, Ballestas Islands, & Paracas Tour $79
• Huacachina & Paracas Adventure Tour All Included $88
• Huacachina Oasis Day Trip with Buggy Ride $95
• Huacachina Sandboarding and Wine Tasting Day Trip 14 hrs - $105
• Pro Sandboarding or Skiing in Huacachina from Lima 14 hrs - $105
• Sunset in Huacachina Oasis & Vineyard with Lunch 12 hrs - $129
• Ballestas Islands, Huacachina, & Vineyard Tour - 14.5 hrs - $190
• Full Day Nasca Lines & Huacachina - 16 hrs $450
• Ballestas & Huacachina Day Trip w/ Nazca Lines Flight 17 hrs - $650
• Nazca Lines, Winery, & Huacachina 14 hrs - $660

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: The Perfect Day Trip from Lima (On Your Own)

Don't want to do a tour and would rather experience and epic Huacachina 1 day itinerary on your own clock? Well, here's what your itinerary can look like:

Option #1: Islas Ballestas + Huacachina

6:00 AM: Leave Lima (or go a bit earlier to give yourself a bit more time)

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Take an Islas Ballestas tour

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch in Paracas or at a pisco winery

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Drive to Huacachina

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk around Huacachina & take a boat ride

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Take a buggy tour for sunset

7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Drive back to Lima

Option #2: Winery + Huacachina

8:00 AM: Leave Lima 

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch at a pisco winery

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Drive to Huacachina

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk around Huacachina & take a boat ride

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Take a buggy tour for sunset

7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Drive back to Lima

Option # 3: Take Public Transportation to Go on a Day Trip to Huacachina

There are buses from Lima to Ica each hour on the hour, and they take about 4 1/2 hours. From Ica, you can then get a tuk tuk to take you to Huacachina Oasis, which takes about 10 minutes. 

All in all, a day trip will take you 9-9 1/2 hours of traveling, which is why many people opt to spend a night, or to leave very early in the morning.

We'd recommend getting a bus at the latest 11:00 AM, so that you can get there in time to do a sunset buggy ride, and spend at least 3 hours in Huacachina. If you do leave later, you'll also have to bring your own food for the day, or you can have dinner after sunset before heading back to Lima.

Huacachina 1 Day Itinerary: How to Prepare

Here are some of the things we recommend bringing with you to Huacachina on a 1-day itinerary:

Is a Day Trip to Huacachina Worth it?

Huacachina is the perfect place for a day trip! Both times we visited, we decided to do a 1 day itinerary in Huacachina, which let us enjoy all of the highlights.

The only really difference between a day trip and spending the night is the long travel times, as well as not being able to enjoy the nightlife. But if you're not a partier, then a day trip from Lima will be sufficient to experience Huacachina.

If after reading about Huacachina and seeing the pictures you think the travel time is too long, then we'd definitely suggest signing up for one of the tours that include Ballestas Islands or a pisco winery for a more dynamic day trip.

So are you ready to experience a truly unique oasis town? We hope our Huacachina 1 day itinerary has helped you plan for the ultimate 24 hour adventure.

Want to see other cool places in Peru? We have plenty of other Peru travel guides, as well as plenty of others coming up, so make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for all of the updates, and for exclusive content we have each week.

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