10 Best Day Trips from Lima, Peru
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Lima is the perfect base for some of the best things to experience in Peru. While there are plenty of wonderful things to do in Lima, stepping away from the capital for a day will allow you to see coastal wildlife, desert oases, and archaeological sites that pre-date the Inca Empire. If you want to experience Peru’s diverse landscapes beyond the capital, then a day trip may be the perfect activity for you. In this post, I cover 10 of the best Lima day trips.
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<3 Dominique
1) Huacachina
Have you ever been to a natural oasis in the middle of a desert? Located about four hours away from Lima is Huacachina. Huacachina is the only known desert oasis in all of South America. The tiny, natural desert oasis village is built around a small lagoon. It truly is an interesting site to see from the sand dunes that surround and dwarf the village.
An excursion to Huacachina is one of the most popular Lima day trips! Visitors flock here for dune buggy rides through the towering sand dunes around the desert oasis. From up there, you will get the best views of Huacachina and its barren surroundings. The excursions to Huacachina are also popular for sandboarding and sandboarding lessons.
How to get to Huacachina
- By public transportation, go to any bus depot in Lima and you will find a bus headed to Ica. There are multiple bus companies that run this route with several departures scheduled daily. Once in Ica, you will need to take a taxi to get to Huacachina.
- If you were interested in the dune buggy + sandboarding experience, you can book them through any of the tour operators in the main plaza or book online here or this alternate Huacachina tour operator.
- By private bus, you can book a pass with Peru Hop. Peru Hop is a bus line that caters to tourists. They have guides on board that are ready to answer your questions and provide context on things you encounter on the road as you travel with them from city-to-city.
- For a hassle free excursion to Ica, check out this highly-rated tour that will not only take you from Lima and back but will also take you to Paracas, Ballestas Islands, and Ica for some pisco tasting. Alternatively, this tour offers an identical itinerary.
Where to stay in Huacachina
Should you decide to extend your visit to Huacachina, below are some local, highly-rated hotels:
- For budget travellers, check out Viajero Huacachina Hostel.
- If you have a mid-ranged budget, check out Hotel Curasi.
- For a more luxurious experience, check out Senoma Hotel – Adults only.
2) Ica
Ica is a city located in southern Peru. It is about four hours away from Lima. Ica is famous for its wineries and pisco distilleries. In addition, Ica is close to Huacachina and the Nazca lines. So if time permits, staying a night or two in Ica to experience more of the nearby natural and cultural wonders might be worth it.
How to get to Ica
- By public transportation, go to any bus depot in Lima and you will find a bus headed to Ica. There are multiple bus companies that run this route with several departures scheduled daily.
- By private bus, you can book a pass with Peru Hop.
- For a hassle free excursion to Ica, check out this highly-rated tour that will not only take you from Lima and back but will also take you to Paracas, Ballestas Islands, and Huacachina. Alternatively, this tour offers an identical itinerary.
Where to stay in Ica
Should you decide to extend your visit to Ica, below are some local, highly-rated hotels:
- For budget travellers, check out El Huerto Hostel.
- If you have a mid-ranged budget, check out Hotel Sol de Ica.
- For a more luxurious experience, check out Hotel Viñas Queirolo.
Tours departing from Ica
In a post about the best Lima day trips, it may seem odd to talk about day trips departing from another city. But stuff happens and sometimes you may end up deciding to stay in a different city to make the long road trips less daunting. If you end up staying in Ica for a couple nights, check out the following excursions that depart from Ica:
- Buggy and Sandboarding Tour at Sunset.
- Winery and Pisco Distillery Tour.
- Guided Hike to Canyon of the Lost.
- Flight Over the Nazca Lines + Buggy Tour in Huacachina. Alternatively, this tour is just to Fly Over the Nazca Lines.
- Ballestas Islands and Paracas Natural Reserve
3) Paracas
Paracas is a scenic coastal town located about four hours away from Lima. The big draw to the region is Paracas National Reserve – a protected area featuring red sand beaches and dramatic cliffs that end at the Pacific Ocean. You can literally see where the desert meets the deep blue ocean here.
How to get to Paracas
From Lima:
- By public transportation, go to any bus depot in Lima and you will find a bus headed to Paracas.There are multiple bus companies (Cruz del Sur, Civa, Oltursa, PeruBus to name a few) that run this route with several departures scheduled daily.
- By private bus, you can book a pass with Peru Hop.
- For a hassle free excursion to Paracas, check out this highly-rated tour that will not only take you from Lima and back but will also take you to Ballestas Islands, Ica for some pisco tastings, and Huacachina. Alternatively, this tour offers an identical itinerary.
From Ica:
- By private bus,you can catch the bus from Hotel Las Dunas, which costs 6-15 USD.
- For a hassle free excursion to Paracas, check out this highly-rated day trip departing from Ica.
Where to stay in Paracas
Should you decide to extend your visit to Paracas, below are some local, highly-rated hotels:
- If you have a mid-ranged budget, check out Coco Lodge Paracas or Mystic Paracas Hotel & Glamping.
- For a more luxurious experience, check out Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort, Paracas.
4) Ballestas Islands
A short boat ride away from Paracas are the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas Islands are a group of protected rocky islands. Because the islands are part of a strictly protected ecological reserve, visitors are not allowed to disembark the boat.
The nutrient-rich waters around the Ballestas Islands support the abundant wildlife for which they are famous for. Dubbed as “Peruvian Galápagos”, you can expect to see sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and other seabirds during your 2ish hour boat tour around the islands.
How to get to Ballestas Islands
From Lima:
- By public transportation, go to any bus depot in Lima and you will find a bus headed to Paracas.There are multiple bus companies (Cruz del Sur, Civa, Oltursa, PeruBus to name a few) that run this route with several departures scheduled daily.
- Once in Paracas, you can easily find a local tour company that offers Ballestas Islands tours on the town’s main road or the main pier.
- By private bus, you can book a pass with Peru Hop.
- For a hassle free excursion to Ballestas Islands, check out this highly-rated tour that will not only take you from Lima and back but will also take you to Paracas, Ica for some pisco tastings, and Huacachina. Alternatively, this tour offers an identical itinerary.
From Ica:
- By private bus,you can catch the bus from Hotel Las Dunas heading towards Paracas.
- Once in Paracas, you can easily find a local tour company that offers Ballestas Islands tours on the town’s main road or the main pier.
- For a hassle-free excursion to Paracas, check out this highly-rated day trip departing from Ica.
Where to stay in Paracas
Should you decide to extend your visit to Paracas (the closest town to the Ballestas Islands), below are some local, highly-rated hotels:
- If you have a mid-ranged budget, check out Coco Lodge Paracas or Mystic Paracas Hotel & Glamping.
- For a more luxurious experience, check out Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort, Paracas.
5) Nazca lines
The Nazca lines are a group of ancient geoglyphs that are etched in the sands of the Nazca desert of southern Peru. On the ground, it’s hard to get a full appreciation of the pictures that these desert depressions form. But from up in the air, you are able to see figures such as a spider, hummingbird, and a monkey.
This is all impressive even before considering that these lines were created between 500 BC and 500 AD! The Nazca lines are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Expect the excursion to see the Nazca lines to be pricey but also expect the excursion to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Note, if you only have enough time in your itinerary for a day trip to Nazca from Lima, expect it to be a very long travel day. For this reason, I listed the Nazca lines to be one the very best Lima day trips.
How to get to the Nazca lines
From Lima:
- By public transportation, you can take a bus from Lima to either either Ica (approx. 4 hours) or Nazca (approx. 7 hours).
- Once in any of these towns, you can easily find a local tour company that offers Nazca line tours.
- By private bus, you can book a pass with Peru Hop which will take you to Ica or Paracas.
- For a hassle-free excursion to Nazca lines departing from Lima, check out this highly-rated tour. Alternatively, you can book with this tour operator with an identical itinerary.
From Ica:
- If you’re coming from Ica and want to pre-book your excursion to the Nazca lines, check out this highly-rated day trip departing from Ica. Alternatively, there is this no frills tour departing from Ica that is more affordable.
If you are staying in Nazca:
- If you’re coming directly to Nazca and want to pre-book your excursion to the Nazca lines, check out this highly-rated tour. If you want to see the Nazca lines by land, check out this tour that will take you to some miradores where you can see these fascinating geoglyphs.
Where to stay in Nasca
Should you decide to extend your visit to Nasca, below are some local, best-rated hotels:
- For budget travellers, check out Hospedaje Sol de Oro.
- If you have a mid-ranged budget, check out DM Hoteles Nasca.
- For a more luxurious experience, check out Casa Hacienda Nasca Oasis.
6) Caral-Supe
Caral is the oldest civilisation in the Americas. Dating back 5,000 years, Caral is as old as the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Caral offers a glimpse into early urban planning by one of the the world’s six independent cradles of civilisation.
Caral-Supe is about three to four hours away from Lima. If hiring a guide on site, Spanish-only tours are usually the only option. However, if pre-booking a tour online or in Lima, bilingual tours are available.
Caral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site but it is one of the least visited archaeological sites of Peru. Nevertheless, for those who love ancient history, Caral-Supe would be a fantastic Lima day trip.
Travel tip: check out this highly-rated tour to Caral and some other surprise stops. Alternatively, there is this well-reviewed tour that will only go to Caral from Lima that is slightly more affordable.
7) Lomas de Lachay
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city, consider taking a day trip to Lachay National Reserve. Located about three hours north of Lima, Lachay National Reserve is famous for its unique ecosystem.
The lomas (Spanish for hills) of Lachay get covered in the same garúa (oceanic fog) that cover Lima for a majority of the year. The condensation from the garúa on the hills create an oasis of seasonal vegetation in the middle of the arid desert. Lomas de Lachay gets very green. The flowering season in Lachay runs from June to September.
The most popular activity in Lomas de Lachay is hiking. While hiking, you can spot the unique flora and fauna such as foxes, owls, and falcons.
How to get to Lomas de Lachay
- By public transportation, catch the bus from the Great North Lima Land Terminal that is heading to Huacho. The drop-off point is kilometer 105 of the North Pan-American Highway.
- From kilometer 105, you can take a taxi to the entry point to Lachay National Reserve.
- Entrance fee to Lachay National Reserve is 30 S/.
- From kilometer 105, you can take a taxi to the entry point to Lachay National Reserve.
- For a hassle free excursion to Lomas de Lachay departing from Lima, check out this well-rated tour.
8) Marcahuasi
Marcahuasi is a granite plateau located in the Andes Mountains. It is known for a stone forest where you can find gigantic and mysterious rock formations. Many people say they feel an energy being emitted from the stones and go there to neutralize their bodies. Marcahuasi is off the mainstream tourist route and those that have ventured say it was worth the journey. It is a mystical place that is rich in natural wonders, history and Peruvian folklore.
Travel tip: for a hassle free experience, check out this day trip to Marcahuasi departing from Lima.
9) Lomas de Ancón
Lomas de Ancón National Reserve is located a little over an hour north of Lima. It is a newly designated natural reserve that is maintained directly by the community that lives there.
Proceeds from Lomas de Ancón excursions go directly to ecosystem conservation, youth training, and support for the local community. The most popular activity at Lomas de Ancón is sandboarding but there also scenic hikes and kayaking available.
Travel tip: check out this sandboarding tour that will take you to Lomas de Ancón. Alternatively, there is also this sand skiing + off roading excursion that will take you to Lomas de Ancón.
10) Pachacamac
About an hour’s drive southeast of Lima is Pachacamac – the largest archaeological site in Lima. Pachacamac served as a sacred site to many pre-Inca cultures. The site predates the Inca Empire by a millenia. Pachacamac flourished for about 1,300 years until the Spanish conquest. The site was defiled by the conquistadors, tearing down its walls to use for their colonial structures.
The site was rediscovered in the late 19th century. And while the site was heavily looted over the years, archaeologists continuously find treasures in its ancient plazas, temples, and pyramids.
Travel tip: for a hassle-free experience, check out this Pachacamac small group tour that offers hotel pickup and drop-off. Alternatively, this Pachacamac tour is also well-reviewed.
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Did I miss any Lima day trips that you would recommend to friends? Do you have any questions about your upcoming excursion? I would love to hear from you in the comments below…
