Huacachina, Peru Travel Guide

Located in the arid region of Ica, Huacachina, Peru is famous for its giant dunes that surround the small town.

It’s been described by many travelers as a true desert oasis, with its picturesque lake sitting in the middle.

As a result, Huacachina has since become one of the most popular photo ops destinations in all of Peru.

Many also head here to try out some of the more extreme sports made possible by the towering dunes.

Huacachina, Peru

In this short but sweet guide, we’ll explore Huacachina, why you must visit, the best things to do, when to go as well as many more backpacking tips.

If you are still planning things to do before or after Huacachina, read more on Peru in our backpacking South America guide for more ideas on where to go.

Why Travel to Huacachina?

Huacachina really is a unique destination to visit in Peru.

Located in the Ica desert, it’s located close to some of the tallest dunes in South America. This makes for some really stunning photos, as well as climbing the dunes around Huacachina for some awesome aerial shots.

As mentioned, those who love adrenaline-fuelled activities will love this place, with many exciting adventures to be had which we’ll cover later in this guide.

Whilst this town is small, increases in tourism has resulted in Huacachina having a “resort” style vibe, with many cool hostels, restaurants, bars and tour agencies no more than a 1 minute walk away from wherever you’re staying.

How to Get to Huacachina From Lima

Huacachina is located some 300km south of Lima. There’s no direct bus to Huacachina from the capital, however, it’s still pretty easy to get to.

First you’ll want to take a bus from Lima to Ica, which takes roughly 5 hours. From here, Huacachina is only a 10/15 minute taxi ride, with the gem lying just on the outskirts of the capital of the region.

If coming from the south of Peru, you can take buses to Ica from Nazca and Paracas which only take a couple of hours each.

Those interested in the Nazca Lines can also head on this reverse day trip to see this breathtaking sight.

There’s also buses from the further afield destinations of Arequipa and Cusco to Ica, although these will be long, overnight hauls.

Things to do in Huacachina

Although Huacachina itself is pretty tiny, there’s a lot of cool activities and things to do in and around the town. Now let’s explore some of the very best.

Go Sandboarding

The ultimate bucket list activity to do in Huacachina, Sandboarding is one of the main reasons tourists flock to this oasis town.

With the massive dunes of the Ica Desert within touching distance, many daredevils grab a board and fly down the side of them.

And with the sheer size of these dunes, you’ll reach pretty fast speeds, so it’s definitely not for the faint of heart!

You can easily arrange a tour by asking your hostel or accommodation, or the numerous vendors located around the town.

Make sure to wear long clothing as the sand can make your skin sore, as well as anything you don’t mind getting completely covered in sand (because let’s face it – you’re going to get covered in sand).

Ride a Buggy through the Dunes

Another popular activity to do in Huacachina is to do a Sand Buggy Tour.

Strapped into a Carro Tubular (like a giant sized buggy with massive wheels), you’ll get the ride of your life as the experienced driver takes you for a spin through the dunes.

Aside from the pure thrills this tour will provide, it’s also great to see a more arid part of the desert, and for taking stunning photos of the scenery.

Most tours from Huacachina combine the buggy tour with the Sandboarding, so if you want to do both it’ll be more economical this way. If not you can also choose to jump on the sand buggy tour alone.

Hike up to the Mirador

Usually a mirador is located on a hill or vantage point above a city to give the best views.

In Huacachina though, the sheer size of the surrounding dunes do just fine!

The more popular dune is located to the south of the town, and is best to climb to watch the sunset.

Likewise, the north-side dune is also great for views, and heading here early in the morning will give some great sunrise vistas too.

Be sure to carry lots of water, and take your time! Hiking up the dunes is pretty difficult (and yes – your shoes will get absolutely soaked in sand).

Explore Ica

Of course we can’t forget about the large city of Ica.

Connecting Huacachina by just one thin strip of road, this major city will be where you’ll first arrive when heading here.

One of the best things to do here includes heading to Tacama, a winery renowned for making some of the best wine in the entire country!

You can join a tour and learn about the process, as well as try out many different specialties.

The regional museum of Ica is another good stop here, where you can see a well-kept collection of mummies and textiles, giving a great insight into the many indigenous cultures that once lived in Peru, and their ways of life.

Where to Stay in Huacachina

As already mentioned, Huacachina really is tiny so there’s no need to discuss neighborhoods or areas.

Some travelers choose to stay in nearby Ica but to be honest there’s not much there, so you’re better of staying in Huacachina.

There’s one street that runs around the town, where there are lots of hostels and hotels dotted along.

We recommend staying at Bananas Adventure which is a hostel that has a pool and on-site bar. It’s also really easy to organize a sandboarding or buggy tour from here too.

Best time to visit Huacachina

We’ve spoken a lot about the best time to visit South America on this blog (George is absolutely obsessed with checking the weather when we travel).

Huacachina has a very arid climate, with hot days and very cool nights which are typical of the desert.

There is hardly any rain throughout the year, although it seems there’s a tiny possibility of some during February and March.

January until March is the hottest time to visit Huacachina, where daily temperature range from 81-83°F (however with the glare of the sand as well as no wind, it can be surprising how hot and thirsty you get. So always take lots of water with you). The lows during these months drop to between 68-70°F at night, meaning these are the best months to visit overall.

July and August are the coolest months to visit, with daytime highs of 68°F, and lows of a nippy 57°F. As you can imagine it’s a better time to explore the desert during the day, however these months can get quite chilly at night so bring an extra layer.

The rest of the year really ranges in between, with highs of 70-77°F during the day and lows of 59-68°F.

In terms of visiting for sand-based activities, these happen every day year-round, although its a personal preference as some months will be hotter than others, so it depends on what you’re comfortable with.

Huacachina Backpacking Tips

Here we’ll take a look at our top tips and recommendations for getting the most out of a trip to Huacachina.

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Things to do in Huacachina

That’s all for our guide to backpacking Huacachina.

Known for its super-sized dunes, this small oasis town is great for those looking to do some high-octane adventure sports, or to simply marvel at and take photos of the incredible scenery.

In this guide, we’ve covered everything you need to know about Huacachina, including the best time to visit, what to do, how to get there as well as our own recommendations based off our own experience.

We hope you enjoyed reading this guide! Read our Peru itinerary and feel free to drop a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.

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