You can imagine our surprise when a fellow traveller recommended we visit the giant sand dunes of Huacachina, located south of Lima on the Pacific coast of Peru.

“Sandboarding in Peru?” we replied. What was this guy talking about?

It turns out, the Huacachina sand dunes are the highest sand dunes in South America, reaching a height of up to 500 meters. What better way to experience these dunes, than to go sand boarding?

If you’ve never been sand boarding before and think you’d like to give it a try, read on to learn about our experience and how you can do this thrilling activity in Peru!

Where Can I Go Sandboarding Peru?

When we thought of Peru, images of Machu Picchu and the Amazon Rainforest came to mind. Not sand dunes and dry barren desert.

It turns out that Huacachina is not only the best place to go sand boarding, but the only place. It’s the only known desert oasis in South America, and is located 4.5 hours away from Lima by bus.

We were told the sand boarding was excellent, but we weren’t convinced until our new friend reached into his pocket and pulled out his digital camera.

The photos didn’t lie.

There he was, standing in front of a placid desert lake with enormous sand dunes towering in the backdrop.

It didn’t take much further convincing. Sand boarding, dune buggy rides and poolside lounging was right up our alley.

How to Get to Huacachina

There are many ways to get to Huacachina, but you must first reach the nearby city of Ica, which is just a 10-minute taxi ride from Huacachina.

This is where you can base yourself in civilization before heading out for a day trip on the dunes.

Most people opt to take the 4.5 hour bus from Lima, Peru’s Capital, but you can also take an overnight bus from Arequipa, which is what we did.

From Cusco, you can take a 20 hour bus ride to Huacachina.

We opted for first class seating with Oltursa (tourist class bus company) but you can also take a public bus for a cheaper price.

The overnight bus arrived at the larger city of Ica (the hub for Huacachina) about 10 hours later.

Our Experience Sand Boarding in Huacachina

The village of Huacachina is built around a small natural lake in the Peruvian desert. It’s become an increasingly popular tourist attraction for adventurers drawn to sand boarding and high speed dune buggy rides.

Though we thoroughly enjoy lazy afternoons by the pool, our objective for Huacachina was to play in the sand.

There are several tour operators located right in the village, offering morning and evening trips into the dunes when the sand is cooler.

We decided to pick a tour that had a sand boarding and dune buggy combo. Opting for a dune buggy ride is a great way to experience several dunes to sand board, since you can drive along and stop when you see a good spot to take your board.

The thrill of the dune buggy is a rush like no other. It was more than just a thrill ride, but a way to scout out good sandboarding spots.

Our buggy driver loved his job. His evil yet gentile grin was unmistakable. He thoroughly enjoyed scary the crap out of his guests!

Have you ever been in a vehicle that speeds up as it approaches a cliff drop?

We hadn’t.

The feeling is similar to the feeling you get when on a roller coaster that is slowly climbing up its first peak, just before you’re about to descend.

Only in the desert, it’s the real deal.

Our lives were placed in the hands of our driver. Though skilled at his craft, the element of danger is undoubtedly present, adding to the thrill.

We explored the sand dunes at high speeds, stopping periodically to test out the sand boards.

If you’re like us and enjoy big mountain snowboarding, ease your expectations when sand boarding.

Though some of the dunes were quite steep, it’s still quite difficult to get the kind of speed that a skier or snowboarder is accustomed to.

Nevertheless, it’s a great way to spend an evening!

That is, until you bail and tumble down the sand dune, covering your sweaty body with sand from head to toe.

The only downside was having to walk back up the sandy slopes.

If you find that you’re struggling to stay standing on your board, no worries, just lie on your stomach and go sand sledding instead!

You can also, if you don’t like having your feet strapped together, try skiing instead. We heard that sand skis are a little harder to manoeuvre in the sand, but plenty of people prefer it to sand boarding.

Best Time to Go Sand Boarding in Huacachina

Sandboarding tours operate all year round, but the best time to visit is from May through to November.

This is during the winter months in Peru and is when you will find cooler temperatures and less rain.

Sunset is the most popular time of day to go sand boarding since the sun is less strong.

What to Bring Sandboarding Huacachina

If you’re not sure what to take with you, or what to wear, then here’s what we suggest:

• Sunglasses. Even if you opt for a sunset tour, the sun reflecting off the golden sand is dazzling. Plus, it helps keep sand out of your eyes when the dune buggy is going full speed.
• A GoPro. This neat little adventure sport camera is going to help you get the best shots of you sliding down the dunes without the photos coming out blurry.
• Sunscreen. It can get quite cool in the desert at night, but in the day time the sun is strong. Protect yourself and put on sunscreen.
• Loose fitting clothes. It will help you manouver on the board.
• Sturdy shoes. You will need to be strapped into your sand board with your shoes on so make sure you have trainers, not flip flops or sandals.
• Long socks. If you are renting shoes for sand boarding, you’ll want long socks to protect your ankles from rubbing against the boots.

FAQs About Sandboarding in Huacachina

Here’s what visitors usually ask us about sandboarding in Huacachina…

Final Thoughts on Sandboarding in Huacachina

Although we didn’t expect it, sand boarding in Huacachina was one of the highlights on our Peru itinerary.

The Huacachina Oasis is gorgeous, and offers a combination of relaxation with a freshwater pool, and adrenaline, with the thrilling sandboarding experience.

Our lesson learned, there’s a lot more to Peru than the Incan Lost City of Machu Picchu!

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My husband and I have been working the 9 to 5 and traveling to amazing places for the past 12 years. We have used our vacation days to see some of the world’s most sought after places, including a Peru trip.

We understand the challenge of only having a few vacation days, but when that is all you have to work with you find a way to make it work.

I have heard from many people that planning to visit Peru for only 10 days would be “too rushed” and we would be “unable to enjoy it”.

I usually counter this with, “Have you traveled to Peru for 10 days?” and this is usually followed by a shameful “well… no”. It is possible to take 10 days, travel to Peru, see amazing things, not feel rushed and have the time of your life.

Things to Do in Peru

The best way to plan Peru travel is to create Peru trip pillars.

Your pillars represent the things you are not willing to miss on your Peru trip. Peru travel has many pillars and it is not possible to see them all in 10 days in Peru. So identifying your Peru must-sees is very important in the planning process.

Common Peru pillars include:

• Lima
• Nazca Lines
• Lake Titicaca
• Machu Picchu
• Sacred Valley
• Cusco
• Amazon Rainforest
• Colca Canyon
• Ballestas Islands
• and Huacachina Sand Dunes.

You could spend months exploring all the nooks and crannies of Peru but with 10 days, pick your pillars and then plan things to do in Peru around them.

This will make the best use of your time and budget.

My biggest piece of advice is to accept that you can’t see it all and trying to WILL lead to a rushed, unpleasant travel to Peru.

Peru Itinerary 10 days – make a plan

When making flight arrangements to Peru you will likely fly into the capital city of Lima arriving late at night.

This city is a vibrant, busy and crowded Third World capital and I wouldn’t plan on too many days here.

If you plan your very first day in Lima you will have plenty of time to catch up on some sleep from your late arrival the night before and hit the highlights of the city.

From Lima, you can reach the Nazca Lines, Ballestas Islands and Huacachina Sand Dunes by bus. To visit these areas you need to plan a minimum of 2 days with an overnight.

A day trip to the Nazca lines can be done if you are really short on time and can’t live without them. It will be a long day and it isn’t feasible to combine Ballestas Islands and Huacachina with the Nazca Lines on a day trip.

After your time in Lima, you’ll want to head to the next pillar area. For us, it was Puerto Maldonado to spend 4 days in the Amazon Rainforest.

You could also head to Lake Titicaca, Cusco or Colca Canyon at this point depending on what you have chosen for your Peru itinerary.

There is no set way to put your Peru trip together, so be creative and plan in the things you are excited to see.

Some things to keep in mind while planning:

• What time of year are you going?
• What will the weather be like?
• Should you plan for altitude adjustment?

Little things you should be aware of that have a significant effect on your plans.

Getting Around Peru

Due to your limited number of days, flying becomes your most logical option. The only exception is taking the bus to visit to the Nazca lines, Ballestas Islands and Huacachina Sand Dunes.

Bus rides are available throughout Peru that will get you to and from Cuzco, Lake Titicaca and Colca Canyon but they take many hours, think 30+, due to the terrain. Those beautiful mountains you came to see make cross country travel difficult and slow.

With only 10 days in Peru, that leaves flying as your best option.

Luckily, Peru operates a few different airlines within the country that you can pick up for cheap prices if you plan ahead. The three airlines to search are:

• Star Peru
• TACA
• LAN

We used Star Peru for all of our inter-country flights which included: Lima-Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado-Cuzco and Cuzco-Lima. The tickets ranged from $55-$150 per person for each leg.

HOT TIP for Peru 

Do not try to book tickets that are designated for Peruvians only – it will be tempting as they are significantly cheaper – but they will not honor your ticket at the airport during check in.

When we arrived in each new place we utilized the local transportation. Taxis in Lima and Cuzco, Tuk Tuk’s in Puerto Maldonado and put many miles on our feet.

Local prices are pretty reasonable and easy to find while you are out and about. If we needed to get from a major place like the airport to the city center, we hailed a taxi but if we wanted to see another site nearby, we walked.

Where to Stay in Peru

With only 10 days in Peru, choosing your accommodation location in Peru is really important.

You want to make sure you are in the thick of things and close to the main attractions to maximize your days.

This alone will help you to not feel rushed and despite what you may hear from people, it is possible to find reasonably priced accommodation in the main areas of each city in Peru.

Speaking from our experience, I would recommend the following places to stay in Peru (all private rooms with bath):

Lima

Miraflores is a clean area with many attractions. You can get a room at a guesthouse or hostel for around $20 per night.

Puerto Maldonado

We stayed at a property near the Madre de Dios as part of the adventure package we booked for the Amazon. However, we researched many independent hostels that were in good locations, near the river for around $10-$25 per night.

Cusco

We stayed at the Hostal Inti Wasi and the location was amazing. We were right next to the Plaza de Armas. You will be in the heart of Cusco if you stay here, within easy walking distance to many shops, food and sights. They also stored our excess stuff when we went to Machu Picchu. Cost was $35 per night.

Aguas Calientes

This little town is loaded with places to stay on any budget. You are at the foot of Machu Picchu and that comes with a price.

We ended up at a small hotel near the train station for $50 per night. Your other option is hiking the Inca Trail. On a 10 day Peru itinerary you have time to do the 2 day / 1 night hike and lodging is included when you book.

For more places to stay in Peru choose from the largest range of hotels, apartments, and guesthouses with our partner Booking.com. You get free cancelation on most rooms, and in most cases you only pay when you stay.

What Does it Cost to Travel in Peru?

This topic is subjective. Everyone’s tastes and opinions of the perfect vacation are different.

The single most important thing is to plan the Peru trip you want around the money you want to spend. We planned a busy 10 day Peru itinerary for ourselves with many activities.

Our budget was $4,000 total for 2 people over 10 days.

We spent:

• $1,020 getting to Peru
• $700 on inter-country flights
• $115 on 4 nights of accommodation
• $1,279 on tours that included 4 nights of accommodation
• We spent our last night in the airport and when it was all said and done, we came home with $500
• Our total spent was $3500, $1750 per person.

Our Peru itinerary 10 Days

Day 1– Arrived in Lima at 11pm and overnight at B&B Miraflores Wasi.

Day 2 – Slept in then explored Lima, including open top bus tour of the city sights.

Day 3 – Early flight to Puerto Maldonado – delayed due to fog arrived late afternoon. This was the first day of our 4 day adventure with Wasai. Evening spent walking the streets and relaxing in our bungalow overlooking the Madre de Dios River.

Day 4 – Wake up at 4am to visit a Parrot Clay lick, then late morning 4 hour boat ride to the Wasai Tambopata Eco lodge deep in the Amazon Rainforest.

Day 5 – Adventure Package in Amazon Rainforest at Eco Lodge – Macaw clay lick, hiking and kayaking.

Day 6 – Adventure Package in Amazon Rainforest at Eco Lodge – zip lining, tree climbing and hiking.

Day 7 – Early boat ride back to Puerto Maldonado from Eco Lodge to catch our afternoon flight to Cusco. Spent the rest of the day exploring Cusco and adjusting to the altitude

Day 8 – Tour of the Sacred Valley including the Pisaq market, hiking the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo. Late afternoon train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes overnight at Pachamama Inn.

Day 9 – Machu Picchu! Late evening return trip to Cusco and overnight at Hostal Inti Wasi.

Day 10 – Morning flight to Lima where we Left our bags in a locker and spent the day at one of the parks. Late night departure home.

Book a Trip to Peru

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Lina from Divergent Travelers has been traveling for 12+ years, solo and with her partner David, while working full time. They have visited 31 countries and are hoping their stories will not only inspire those of you that are thinking about the jump, but also become a place you can visit for support and information in planning and realizing your dreams! You can follow their adventures on their blog and on social media with Facebook and Twitter.