Ballestas Islands: Wildlife and History Tour

Escape the city and explore the wonders of the Ballestas Islands and Paracas National Reserve on this full-day tour from Lima. Perfect for couples, solo travelers, and big groups.

Duration: 18 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Miraflores - Start your day with an early pickup from your hotel in Miraflores, San Isidro, or Barranco. Board the Peru Hop bus, equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, and relax in a premium, air-conditioned coach featuring reclining semi-bed seats and an onboard restroom. Your welcoming Peruvian host will share stories and tips as you travel along the…
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Miraflores, San Isidro, or Barranco
  • Stay connected with high-speed onboard Wi-Fi (Only available through Peru Hop)
  • Exclusive comfort - the only operator using luxury buses (others use small vans)
  • All taxes and entrance fees included - no hidden charges
  • Guided visit to the Chincha Slave Tunnels (Hacienda San José)
    -…
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information

Experience a full day adventure from Lima: embark on a guided boat tour to the wildlife-rich Ballestas Islands, where you can spot sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and majestic seabirds. Then, journey into the stunning Paracas National Reserve, where the desert meets the Pacific Ocean. Conclude the day with a meaningful visit to the historic Chincha Slave…

Location
Miraflores
Miraflores District,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(693 Ratings)
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1 star
Kellyaviles
Mar 18, 2026
Sergio and Peru Hop are ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I can’t say enough incredible things about our Peru Hop tour guide, Sergio Tarazona. From the very beginning, we were always informed, organized, and completely taken care of—but what truly set him apart was everything beyond that. He didn’t just guide us from place to place; he brought Peru to life. Every stop came with rich stories, local insight, food recommendations, cultural context, and genuine passion. You could feel how much he cared about making sure we didn’t just see Peru, but actually experienced it. He anticipated needs before we even had them, went above and beyond in ways big and small, and made every moment feel effortless and meaningful. At one point, I left a bag on a shuttle—and not even a Peru Hop bus. I honestly thought it was gone for good. Sergio somehow tracked it down and arranged for it to be brought back to me the very next day. I still can’t believe it. That level of care and follow-through says everything about who he is. What made this experience even more special is that I never felt like I just had a tour guide—I felt like I had a friend looking out for me the entire time. What I didn’t expect was how much this trip would impact me personally. He created an environment that brought people together, and somehow turned a group of strangers into real, lasting friendships. That’s rare—and it speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. This wasn’t just a great tour. It was the most memorable trip of my life. If you have the chance to travel with Sergio, take it. It will be something you carry with you long after you leave Peru.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marcotj1797hp
Mar 14, 2026
Full day, full experience - Angela is the best guide. Ready, friendly, fun and always available. You never feel alone. Thanks for everything!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kassandra
Mar 13, 2026
Great Tour Option!! - The tour was great. Bo was very informative, helpful and funny celebrated my boyfriend‘s birthday and Bo made it very special. Definitely would recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explorer05592979936
Mar 12, 2026
A unique experience - Raul was wonderful, he knew relevant historical facts, and was more than willing to answer any questions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michellebs7617kp
Mar 10, 2026
Beautiful Tour- worth the long drive! - Early morning pickup, Great wildlife experience, a lot of local info, great views of the cliffs and ocean, and you see the Paracas candelabra from the sea. The Paracas Sea cliffs were breathtaking, and the slave plantation tunnels was presented with dignity regarding a difficult subject. Neil Mesias and Luis were our guides and they were fantastic. They explained clearly and with interesting info. Completely bilingual. Very responsible and friendly. It was worth the four hours each way bus ride to do this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Derek
Mar 6, 2026
Well organised. Well led by Boris. Very informative. - See below. Boris led a well informed trip.
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T9942pbpilarv
Mar 6, 2026
Unknown history from my country - BORIS, was our gya tours, he is very nice and explained all about this ancient story, he is very awesome person and recommend as a guide, thank for all the things that he did for us.love it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inescsob
Mar 3, 2026
Excellent support and great energy throughout - Josselyn Cornejo was an outstanding guide and made the whole experience feel easy and well organised from the start. Jossy has a warm, genuine energy and was always attentive, making sure everyone felt comfortable and included. She explains things clearly and you can see she truly cares about what she does. When I realised I had not booked one activity online in time, she stepped in immediately and fixed it without any stress. Her support was quick and efficient. I’m very grateful to have had her as our guide and would happily recommend this tour with Jossy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lurdys_g
Mar 10, 2026
Long Day But Worth it! - As others have stated there was some confusion at the beginning of the tour because there are 2-3 different itineraries being managed at the same time but once you get your bus assignment, everything else falls into place. The Ballastas islands were beautiful as well as the Paracas Reserve. Anna, our guide for this portion was sweet, helpful, and informative. While I enjoyed visiting the hacienda, I don’t think it was a necessary part of the trip —despite our visit I’m still going to have to use Google to understand the “slave tunnel” reference. Also, we didn’t stay that long because it was approaching sunset by the time we arrived. Perhaps it could be combined with the Paracas Reserve visit as a separate excursion and extended to include a meal as the grounds are very beautiful, often hosting weddings, quinceañeras, etc.
Review provided by Viator
Andrew_f
Mar 9, 2026
Ballestas and Paracas must for nature lovers - This is a very long day with lots of time in a bus. The Ballestras and Paracas preserve were worth going, but again it was a very long drive and much of it not on a highway. Peru Hop, Diego and Anna were excellent at guiding us that day. Know that there are different tours on the bus, which can be confusing but the guides are there to help, I would not also do the hacienda and slave tunnels on this trip, it made the day too long.
Review provided by Viator
From $99
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).