Huacachina: must-know tips for your Peru trip
- Climate: Huacachina enjoys around 26°C year-round, making it easy to include in your Peru itinerary at any time.
- Transport: From Lima, it’s about a 5-hour bus ride to Ica, followed by a 10-minute taxi to Huacachina. From Ica, you’re at a crossroads: you can continue south by bus to Nazca and Arequipa or take an overnight bus (around 17 hours) directly to Cusco.
- Tours: The most popular is the dune buggy tour in the late afternoon, which usually includes sandboarding. A stroll along the boulevard reveals many tour options—don’t forget to negotiate, as prices range between 50 and 100 soles per person. Many Huacachina accommodations also offer tours that can be booked for the same morning or afternoon.
- Hotels: Our favorites are Ecocamp—perfect if you enjoy tented accommodation and don’t mind shared toilets and showers—and Curasi, located directly on the oasis with a large, inviting pool. For a slightly more luxurious stay with dune views and tranquility, we recommend Villa Jazmin, in an upscale Ica neighborhood with two pools. Here you can also stay in a tent with your own bathroom, or—if traveling with children—choose the apartments with multiple bedrooms.
- Restaurants: There are many good restaurants around the oasis, but our top pick is Wild Olive Trattoria: delicious pasta dishes at reasonable prices, lively atmosphere, and a cozy spot right by the lagoon.
- Length of stay: We recommend 1–2 nights. In one day, you can travel from Lima to Huacachina and even book an afternoon desert tour. For a more relaxed pace, spend two nights enjoying the sun, pool, and charming village atmosphere.
- Combination possibilities: From Huacachina, you can also book tours to the Nazca Lines or the Islas Ballestas. This way, you can save a separate trip to Paracas or Pisco (for the Islas Ballestas) and Nazca (for the Nazca Lines) and continue directly by overnight bus to Arequipa (around 12 hours).
Trails
You want to visit Machu Picchu, but how do you get there? The Incas once had only one option: walking the ancient Trail. Today, you can still follow in their footsteps. And did you know there are even more routes leading to Machu Picchu?
Tours & Day Trips
Besides the Inca Trail and a visit to Machu Picchu, you can enjoy a variety of great day trips from Cusco.
