Ballestas island & Paracas reserve from PISCO CRUISESHIP TERMINAL
Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
This exclusive Ballestas Islands tour and Paracas National Reserve is designed specifically for cruise ship passengers arriving at San Martín Port. By booking this amazing tour with us, you avoid the stress and uncertainty of last-minute arrangements—we provide a seamless, port-to-port service, with pick-up and drop-off just steps from your ship. Our team has extensive experience handling shore excursions with precision and care, ensuring you’re back on time and fully satisfied. Forget about crowded cruise tours and overpriced options—we offer a smooth, efficient, and professional experience, tailored to your ship’s schedule.
Book with confidence and enjoy a worry-free adventure with a trusted local operator.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Islas Ballestas
Our Ballestas Islands tour starts with pick-up directly at San Martín Port, just metres from your ship. From there, we’ll transfer you to the tourist pier in Paracas for the boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, including a view of the famous Candelabro geoglyph. During the boat ride, you'll observe incredible wildlife such as sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and a variety of seabirds. Please note this is a natural reserve, and wildlife sightings are not controlled or guaranteed. Before boarding the boat, there is a mandatory tourist entrance fee of $7 USD per person. After the boat tour, we’ll take a short 40-minute break for restrooms and refreshments.
Paracas National Reserve
The Paracas National Reserve land tour lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes and begins after a short break following the Ballestas Islands tour. We’ll explore the most iconic sites of the reserve, including ancient marine fossils, the dramatic Supay viewpoint, the remains of the famous Cathedral rock formation, the panoramic Isthmus of the Peninsula, and the stunning Red and Yumaque beaches. You’ll also have the option to visit the Paracas museum (entrance not included). This tour involves some light walking, so please inform us in advance of any physical limitations. We guarantee a timely and stress-free return to San Martín Port.
What‘s Included
Modern Speedboat for Ballestas Islands
Transportation for land tour.
Bottle of Water
English speaking tour guide
Modern Bus for all transfers.
Pickup and drop-off from/to San Martin Port Pisco
Life jacket and aall safety equipment.
Personal travel insurance
Food and drinks, unless specified
Islas Ballestas & Paracas Reserve
Tips are not include
Options
Ballestas island & Paracas reserve from PISCO CRUISESHIP TERMINAL
Pickup included
Reviews
71 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The tour company made...
YI L,,Dec 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The tour company made sure we got picked up inside the port, right beside our cruise. The island tour is great, the captain made sure passengers from both sides of the boat got a chance to see penguins, sea lions, birds etc. The landscaping at the national park is amazing, looks like Mars. We had a couple stops along the way.
Beautiful experience — especially the penguins and sea lions
Julie T,,Dec 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The tour of ballestas island and national reserve was beautiful and worthwhile. I struggled to understand our tour guide whose English was very difficult to understand. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about all the areas and history, but I wasn’t able to get as much out of the tour as I’d hoped.
Great tour from the port!
SYLVIE M,,Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent half-day excursion from the cruise port. No worries, the guide/bus was waiting for us when we got off the boat. Excellent guide Olinka and driver, very attentive and professional. Two parts: first by high-speed boat to Balasta Island where we saw penguins, seals, birds, and starfish—it was WOW. Then in the National Park (desert) we visited beautiful beaches. Very comfortable bus, really a very nice tour. Strongly recommend.
Boat and bus tour from Pisco.
jkedzuf,,Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The combined boat and bus tour was great. Our tour guide was Olenka and she did a very nice job discussing and answering questions from the group of about 25. We saw numerous penguins and sea loins.
Absolutely brilliant.
Terence C,,Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Absolutely brilliant. Early start, which meant we were at the islands before the wind got strong. The mix of wonderful wildlife (we got really close in the boat to see everything) and visiting the desert wonders was great. To sum up, a great trip, beating expectations.
Ballestas
Murray M,,Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Ballestas Island was interesting. The boat operator was able to get us close to the sea lions and penguins. The boat ride was smooth and safe.
Sea lions, penguins and birds
Simon P,,Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Take sea-sickness tablets before departure. You will see lots of sea lions, penguins and birds. Binoculars are beneficial. The islands are uninhabited except for wildlife, which is viewed from your speedboat.
Sea and Sand adventure
lindafindlay,,Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great excursion from our cruise ship. Seamless pickup and Brenda, our guide, was informative and friendly. The boat trip to Ballestas Islands was fantastic and the Captain, Brian, was a wizard at getting us as close to the wildlife as possible, always aware not to intrude or disturb them. Having the opportunity to walk the Malecon in Paracas was a bonus. We wandered further down than most and were met with great hospitality and warmth. The adventure into the Paracas dessert was wonderful with Brenda providing information as we traveled. Seeing the Rd Beach was a thrill. For those with trouble traveling on open ocean for the 20 mile voyage to the islands be warned that the waters can be choppy and very windy, particularly when returning to shore. As people who spend a fair amount of time on the water we can confidently say you will be in good hands as the captain was very seasoned in these waters and we were so impressed with his skills. All in all a very enjoyable way to spend the better part of the day with return to the ship in time for a late lunch. Thanks again, Brenda!!
Great excursion perfect pick up
Nancy F,,Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Great excursion, Fabio was a wealth of information. The pick up was perfect at the port right outside the ship. The tour described it as small group tour. There were more people on this tour.
Amazing day would highly recommend
Wendy C,,Sep 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing day our guide was very experienced and her knowledge and enthusiasm of the area was great. Highly recommend thus tour
From US$100.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by JD ADVENTURE TRAVEL