Sandboarding & Dune Buggies Tours in South America: The 13 We Recommend

1.Huacachina: Buggy en las Dunas al Atardecer y Sandboarding

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 299 reviews · 2 hours · from $17Our pick

From Ica or Huacachina, you’ll ride a 4x4 buggy across dunes as high as 30 meters, stop for oasis photos, try sandboarding, and finish with sunset views. English- and Spanish-speaking drivers lead small groups of up to 10. Drivers such as Frank, Jorge, and Riccardo have earned praise for skilled driving and helpful photos.

“Riccardo our driver was incredibly skilled and fun! We had a great time, the buggy drive was amazing and the sandboarding was super fun! Highly recommended. Riccardo you are a star!”

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2.Lima : Paracas & Huacachina- Day to Islas Ballestas & Sandboard

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 115 reviews · 14 to 15 hours (approx.) · from $79

Leave Lima at 5 a.m. for Paracas, a two-hour Ballestas Islands boat ride, a Pisco Nietto tasting and lunch stop, then Huacachina’s dune-buggy and sandboarding run. Guides such as Diana, Mar, Scott, and Renzo have led past departures. Expect a bilingual group tour, long bus rides, and a return near 10:30 p.m.

“The tour was amazing. The agency staff picked you up from the hotel meeting point and brought you back. Fantastic staff members, I recommend the tour too everyone.”

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3.Guided Buggy Tour Through the Desert

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 99 reviews · 3 hours · from $130Top rated

Join Juan Pablo, also known as JP, for a three-hour buggy ride from San Pedro de Atacama. You will cross dunes, riverbeds, mountain trails, and the salt range, stopping at remote viewpoints and two archaeological sites. Hotel pickup, safety gear, water, trail mix, fuel, and English or Spanish guiding are included.

“This tour was so much fun and way different than most others as you were able to actually feel the wind in your face and go places where most tours wouldn't be able too! JP was absolutely amazing and knowledgeable about the Atacama desert. He is the sole owner/operator of this tour which makes it better being able to support a small business! We would absolutely do something like this again!”

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4.Mini Buggy GO KART in Paracas National Reserve

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 98 reviews · 2 hours

You drive your own two-person mini buggy through Paracas National Reserve with a Spanish or English-speaking driver instructor. The route includes Yumaque Beach, Red Beach, and an upper viewpoint, with short photo stops. This is a driving adventure, not a cultural tour, so expect safety guidance and scenery rather than detailed history.

“Le premier départ du matin permet d'avoir le désert pour soi.”

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5.Professional Sandboard & Sandski Tour in Ica, Peru

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · 3 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $55

Meet Dito Sand Xsports at Huacachina for a three-hour sandboarding or sandski lesson, then ride a dune buggy to the desert’s higher dunes for about four or five runs. Guides such as Dito, Juan, Tony, Antonio, and Aldahir provide instruction, wax, equipment, and GoPro photos and videos before returning at sunset.

“Instructors were great! Dito took his time to help. Buggy rides were a blast. (Make sure you buckle up quick cause they take off. ) Unique experience in a beautiful setting. Sunset was spectacular!”

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6.Sandboarding Tour in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 77 reviews · 3h 30m · from $89

Ride Atacama dunes in a group of up to six with guides such as Nacho, Dani, and Sofía. You get a 30-minute lesson, professional board gear, 2.5 hours on the sand, 4x4 transport, high-definition videos, and a healthy snack. Morning and afternoon sessions suit first-timers and experienced riders.

“I had the luck to be the only guest to this experience. Nacho did a phenomenal job in making this experience a memorable one with his attentive guidance and great personality! I recommend it to everyone, one of my highlights of my stay in Atacama Desert!”

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7.Nazca Lines and Dune Buggy (Huacachina) from Ica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 11 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $180

Start at 6:30 am with hotel or bus station pickup in Ica. Ride to Nasca Airport, fly over the famous geoglyphs for 30 to 35 minutes, then return to Huacachina for dune buggy rides, sandboarding, and sunset. Guides such as Jorge, Irving, and Sam help with transport, timing, and local fees.

“An amazing experience. Everything went smoothly and we had a great time. Would recommend for anyone interested.”

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8.Huacachina: Sandboarding and 4×4 Desert Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 52 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $22

Meet at the Huacachina Oasis office for a small-group 4x4 ride into the dunes. Your English or Spanish-speaking guide and driver explain basic sandboarding technique, then stop at several dune slopes for practice. The $22 price includes the buggy, board, entry fees, and instructor, but not drinks, food, or hotel transfers.

“Bei Ankunft in der Agentur herrschte erst einmal etwas Verwirrung. Man hatte uns wohl nicht erwartet (haben aber auch erst ein paar Stunden zuvor gebucht). Man geht dann durch den Ort zum Eingang der Dünen und weiter zu den Buggys. Insgesamt hat die Aktivität genau eine Stunde gedauert, also mit Wartezeit, Fussweg, Fahrt zum Aussichtspunkt, Pause, Sandboarding, Rückfahrt.”

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9.Sandboard and SandSki Experience in Huacachina

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · 3 hours 20 minutes (approx.) · from $58

Meet at Hospedaje Claudia PeruIca around 2:40 PM for equipment, then ride a buggy into Huacachina’s dunes. Choose sandboarding or sand skiing with an instructor, usually across several runs, while guides take photos and videos. Finish with sunset in the desert and return around 6:30 PM. Ski experience helps, but beginners can start on smaller slopes.

“This was the highlight of our two week trip to Peru! We chose this company because they specifically mentioned they do sand skiing in addition to sandboarding. They do ask that you have some snow skiing history, since it’s a bit harder than sand boarding. I’m no where near an expert at skiing and I was able to manage just fine. Our group of 7 had mixed skills but it was so fun to cheer each other on and watch the progress over the 6-7 runs that we did. Our guides were phenomenal at taking photos and videos of us as we went, we didn’t even have to ask. The…”

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10.Paracas or Pisco: Private Huacachina Oasis Tour & Buggy Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 43 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

Travel from Paracas to Ica by private vehicle, visit a traditional winery for wine and pisco tasting, then explore Huacachina Oasis. A one-hour dune buggy ride includes sandboarding and a stop on a high dune for sunset. Transport is private, but the buggy portion may be operated with other visitors.

“Lo único privado es el transporte desde y hacia el Oasis, el resto del tour no es privado, sino tercerizado con otras empresas en donde hay más turistas. El tour está bien, pero demasiado caro para lo que fue.”

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11.Dune buggy in Huacachina

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $25

Start at La Casa de Bamboo by Huacachina Oasis, pay the local tax in cash, then climb aboard a buggy for dune runs, photo stops, and sandboarding. Sam Travel Experiences limits the group to 10 people. The 4pm departure offers the full two-hour outing and sunset views, while other departures may last only about an hour.

“My husband and I had an amazing time on this dune buggy ride through the Huacachina oasis. Our driver drifted off of sand dunes and made our buggy ride a real thriller!! We also stopped a few times and went down on the sandboards on our bellies. Going later in the day was great as we got to watch a beautiful sunset as well. Worth the money, so much fun!!”

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12.Professional Sandboarding and Sandskiing Tour, Ica, Peru

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 2 hours 45 minutes (approx.) · from $57

Meet the SandSquad team in Huacachina at 2:45pm for a small-group sandboarding or sandskiing lesson. Guides including Jhayr and Luis provide equipment, patient coaching, buggy transport, and GoPro or iPhone photos and videos. You will practice on several dunes and finish with a sunset session before returning at about 6:15pm.

“Well organised trip, private trip, boots, board and helmet provided. We travelled in a sand buggy to various dunes to learn sandboarding, the teaching was excellent! We really enjoyed the sandboarding and was one of our highlights of our trip to Peru.”

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13.Cartagena ATV Buggy and Horseback riding Beach and Barrio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews

Drive an ATV buggy along Cartagena’s shoreline, cross a bridge over La Cienega, pass through a local fishing barrio, then ride a horse beside the sea. A guide leads the route, which combines beach scenery, community life, and two very different ways to get around in about two hours.

“This was a great experience and I would absolutely do this one again. The on road and off road drive was awesome. Riding along the beach was amazing. The one downside was one of the buggies has some mechanical issues and we had to wait for 30 to 40 minutes wiRead more”

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