Lima to La Paz: Sandboarding & Sunsets

G Adventures · 21 days

4.2

20 Reviews

Duration

21 days

Tour Type

Small Group

Accommodations

Basic

Physical Rating

Demanding

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

Take the party to new heights in the crisp mountain air of the Andes. With other young travellers not afraid to try new things, you'll journey from the enigmatic Nazca Lines to the lost city of Machu Picchu and onward to incredible La Paz.

Includes

Activities

Your G for Good Moment: Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op visit, Ccaccaccollo Your G for Good Moment: Handmade Biodegradable Soap Products Your G for Good Moment: Lake Titicaca Homestay, Lake Titicaca Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your First Night Out Moment: Connect With New Friends Your Foodie Moment: Pachamanca, Nazca Your Discover Moment: Cusco Your Foodie Moment: Sacred Valley Brewery, Ollantaytambo Your Big Night Out Moment: Cusco
Sunset sandboarding & dune buggies (Huacachina)
Pachamanca-style dinner (Nazca)
Colca Canyon excursion
Lares trek with a local guide, cook, and porters (3 days)
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Guided Lake Titicaca excursion with overnight family homestay
All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodation

Simple hotels (11 nts), hostel (4 nts, multi-share), overnight buses (2 nts), camping (2 nts), homestay (1 nt).

15 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners

Transport

Local bus, train, hiking.

Group Leader

CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, specialist Lares Trek CEO on hike, local guides.

Highlights

Go sandboarding in the oasis of Huacachina
Hike the Lares trek
Discover Machu Picchu with a local expert
Spot condors at Colca Canyon
Meet the locals at a Lake Titicaca homestay
Sample the delicious Peruvian cuisine.

Trip Details

Duration

21 days

Transportation

Local bus, train, hiking.

Guide Language

English

Starts

Lima, Peru

Finishes

La Paz, Bolivia

Accommodations

Basic

Travel Style

18 - 39 Year Olds Only, Budget

Physical Rating

Demanding

Itinerary

Day 1: Lima

Arrive at any time. Get to know your group tonight as you head out to one of the many bars and restaurants in the bohemian neighbourhood of Barranco. Enjoy a local craft beer with your fellow travellers as you get excited for the adventure to come.
Arrive at any time. There are no planned activities, so check into the hotel and enjoy the city.

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.Activity - Connect with new friends on your first night out in a new destination. Only available on 18-to-Thirtysomethings tours.Accommodation - Hotel Gemina

Day 2: Lima/Huacachina

Travel along Peru's breathtaking coast to the oasis of Huacachina where you can sandboard on the desert dunes while watching the sun go down.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.Activity - Get your adrenaline pumping in a dune buggy on the desert dunes, ride the ups and downs in these desert mountains. Strap on a board and try out sandboarding, just like it sounds like snowboarding, but on sand. Enjoy the softer landings and the warmer temps. After, head back to the oasis of Huacachina through the stunning dunes and watch the sunset in the distance.Accommodation - Viajero Huacachina

Day 3: Huacachina/Nazca

Wake up and make the most of your time in Huacachina before your adventure continues on to Nazca. There is time in the morning for an optional excursion to the Ballestas Islands, home to a lively colony of sea lions, pelicans, and other varieties of birds. Later, catch a bus to Nazca. Stop along the way at a Pisco winery and try the country's national drink!

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Learn about the wine and pisco production in the area and enjoy a tasting of different varieties, which are all available for purchase. Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Accommodation - Hotel Hacienda San Marcelo

Day 4: Nazca/Arequipa

Choose to soar over the iconic Nazca Lines today with a pre-bookable flight, or take a tour of the Nazca Desert Cemetery and Pottery Studio. For lunch today experience pachamanca, a traditional way to prepare Andean foods by slow cooking them in an underground oven. Tonight, catch some z's on an overnight bus to Arequipa.

Meals included: Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Enjoy some free time during the day.Transport - Curl up and catch a snooze en route to the next stop.Activity - Enjoy a traditional meal. Assist in the preparation of a thousand-year-old tradition: "Pachamanca," an ancient ceremony akin to the Polynesian meal of burying a variety of delicious treats wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooking them with pre-heated rocks buried in the ground.

Day 5: Arequipa

Welcome to Arequipa! Take the day to explore what is known as the 'white city.' If you're into history and architecture, visit the Santa Catalina Monastery, where you'll get a unique glimpse into a bygone way of life. For spicy food lovers, visiting one of the 'picanterías' is a must. Satisfy your craving with a variety of local regional foods: alpaca, shrimp, pork, lots of soups, and spicy sauces.

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Make the most of your time here.Accommodation - Terra Mistica Casa Consuelo

Day 6: Arequipa/Colca Canyon

Enjoy a full-day tour of the spectacular Colca Valley and venture to the impressive Colca Canyon — one of the deepest canyons in the world — on an overnight excursion. With a little luck, you'll spot some unusual Andean animals such as vicuñas, and alpacas. Give your body some much needed relaxation by taking an optional dip in the the hot springs.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Spot condors on this guided tour, and keep your eyes peeled for other unusual animals. Look for three different species of camelids: alpaca, llama, and vicuña, which are all typical of Peru.Accommodation - Vita Colca Hotel

Day 7: Colca Canyon/Arequipa

Get an early start to be on the look out for condors. Travel from Chivay town to a condor viewpoint to get a glimpse of these magnificent birds in the air. On the way back, stop in local villages, and see old terraces. Later, head out for a drink in the Calle Zela area – restaurant, bar, or club, there's something for everyone!

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Spot condors on this guided tour, and keep your eyes peeled for other unusual animals. Look for three different species of camelids: alpaca, llama, and vicuña, which are all typical of Peru.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Accommodation - Terra Mistica Casa Consuelo

Day 8: Arequipa/Cusco

Explore Arequipa – take a city tour if you want or check out a monastery or museum. Later, sit back and relax on an overnight bus to Cusco.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Get out and explore more of this beautiful colonial city.Transport - Curl up and catch a snooze en route to the next stop.

Day 9: Cusco

Explore the city on your own today or choose from a variety of activities that will help you discover the magic of Cusco. Wander the narrow cobblestone streets and plazas or choose to take a half-day tour of the city. Or, pre-book the Cusco cooking class if you want to learn to prepare delicious local specialties!

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Make the most of your time in Cusco.Accommodation - Hostelworld Viajero Cusco

Day 10: Cusco

Today is another free day to explore all that Cusco has to offer. Feeling active? Take on the Rainbow Mountain trek or go mountain biking. Prefer to stay local? Take it easy with a visit to the Inka Museum and hit up some of the many great cafes, restaurants and bars.
To arrange the hike to the famed Rainbow Mountain, pre-book on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Make the most of your time in Cusco.Accommodation - Hostelworld Viajero Cusco

Day 11: Cusco/Ollantaytambo

Head into the Sacred Valley today to visit the G-Adventures supported women's weaving co-op in the Ccaccaccollo community. Learn about weaving, and meet the adorable resident llamas. If you see a knitted item you like, buy it — a perfect keepsake from your journey. Stop and sample some craft beer at a brewery on your way to Ollantaytambo.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management. Activity - Delight your tastebuds and sample high-quality beer with the breathtaking Sacred Valley as a backdrop. This craft brewery uses local ingredients to make award-winning brews and gives back to the surrounding communities. What's not to like? Accommodation - Las Orquideas Ollantaytambo

Day 12: Ollantaytambo/Cuncani

Depart Ollantaytambo by van to Lares town where your hike begins! Spend the first night in a G Adventures-supported campsite in Cuncani.
The Lares Trek is a scenic, less touristic route to hike through the Andes. It is one day shorter than the Inca Trail but higher in elevation. Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products for use on the Lares Trek.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Start early and drive (3 hrs) to Lares town where the hike will start with a leisurely pace through the valley of Cuncani. Hike 4km (2.5 mi) to Chancachaca then stop for lunch. Be sure to rest and rehydrate because the altitude here is around 3480m (11,417 ft). Continue trekking along rocky mountain paths 4.7km (3 mi) to the isolated village of Cuncani. Camp here for the night at 3872m (12,703 ft) at the G Adventures-supported community run campsite. Activity - Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products, for use on our treks. This G Adventures for Good project empowered local Cusqueña women to start their own business in order to reduce the environmental impact of treks in the region. Planeterra provided $10,000 of seed funding for two young entrepreneurs to register their biodegradable products in order to sell them to the tourism industry. "Esencia Andina" is now a successful business that produces biodegradable soaps, detergents, and natural products for travellers, guides, porters, and cooks on our treks.Accommodation - Cuncani Camp Site

Day 13: Cuncani/Kuyoc

Wake up and get an early start today to hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain to its high pass (4,750m/15,583 ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods. After the morning hike, stop to rest and take in the amazing view. Continue hiking downhill to our second campsite near the stream for the night.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain 12.2km (7.6 mi) to its high pass at 4,800m (15,748ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods. Hike downhill another 2.2km (1.3 mi) to QuencaPata, for lunch and to take in the amazing view. Continue hiking downhill another 2.6km (1.6 mi) to our second campsite near a stream. Sleep tonight at about 4,114m (13,497 ft) elevation.Accommodation - Suttoq Pacchaq Camp Site

Day 14: Kuyoc/Aguas Calientes

Enjoy the last few hours of hiking before travelling by van to Ollantaytambo and train to Aguas Calientes to enjoy a good night's rest at your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Follow the trail to see typical Andean flora and fauna, llamas and alpacas. Descend through the valley of Pumahuanca and meet friendly local Quechua people and explore some Inca storehouses along the way. Trek 3-4 hrs to reach the town of Pumahuanca. Enjoy lunch then hop a van to Ollantaytambo. Continue by train to Aguas Calientes.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Transport - Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.Accommodation - Machu Picchu Inn

Day 15: Aguas Calientes/Cusco

Enjoy a guided visit to Machu Picchu. Later, travel back to Cusco. Tonight, dance the night away at a popular night club.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.Activity - Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.Transport - Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.Transport - Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Whether it’s a pub crawl, drink specials or a bonfire on the beach, celebrate late into the night with your new best friends.Accommodation - Hostelworld Viajero Cusco

Day 16: Cusco

Today is another free day to get the most out of Cusco and to do anything you may not have done yet. Continue to explore and be active or relax and watch the world go by from one of they many bars and restaurants on the main plaza.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Get out there and see it all – or just chill out to your heart's content.Accommodation - Hostelworld Viajero Cusco

Day 17: Cusco/Puno

Sit back, relax, and soak in the impressive views as you travel by bus through the Altiplano on your way to Puno on Lake Titicaca.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.Accommodation - Hostal Milagros Inn

Day 18: Puno/Lake Titicaca

This morning, you will board a boat on Lake Titicaca and head to Taquile Island. Opt to have lunch in a local restaurant and shop in the afternoon at the local weaving cooperatives. Later, cruise to another village for an overnight homestay to live like a local on the shores of the lake. Learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and create unforgettable memories with the family and fellow travellers.

Meals included: Breakfast,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Board a boat on Lake Titicaca and head to Taquile Island for an optional delicious Peruvian lunch at a restaurant followed by some shopping at the local weaving cooperatives. Taquileños are known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing, men are taught how to knit around age five and they create the majority of the textiles. After, enjoy an overnight stay with a host family and a chance to learn about life on the islands.Activity - Accommodation on the islands may be multi-share.

Day 19: Lake Titicaca/Puno

Say goodbye to your homestay family and stop at the Uros Islands on your way back to Puno. If you want, you can check out the spectacular chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani, a pre-Inca archaeological site. Or kayak on Lake Titicaca.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Spend the morning with the homestay families, then depart after lunch. Visit the floating islands of Uros on the way back, and learn about the unique lifestyle of the locals. Meet residents and learn how they built the islands with totora reeds, which are also used to make their homes, boats, crafts (and are also edible!). Free_time - Make the most of one last afternoon in Puno.Accommodation - Hostal Milagros Inn

Day 20: Puno/La Paz

Today, enjoy a full-day drive around the picturesque lake and through the Altiplano to La Paz. Cross over into Bolivia and catch your breath before a night out in the highest city of the trip. Check out the area of Sopocachi for cool bohemian vibes.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.Activity - Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.Transport - Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.Accommodation - Hotel Las Brisas

Day 21: La Paz

Depart at any time.

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.

Exclusions

Flights to and from origin and destinations
Airport transfers (unless otherwise stated)
Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
Recommended gratuities/tipping
Optional activities/tours
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.

Important Information

Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We will do our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling.

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.

Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.

From
AUD $4919

AUD $3,935

(Tour only)

Offer ends 01 Apr, 2026 Per Person Standard

Duration: 21 days

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Demanding

Check Availability Brochure

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 05 Jun 2026

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Customer Reviews

Overall Rating

Excellent

4.5

Guide

Excellent

4.5

Itinerary

Excellent

4.5

Accommodations

Excellent

4.5

Transportation

Excellent

4.5

Tour Operator

Excellent

4.5

Food

Excellent

4.5

Kate R.

Traveled, December 2023

12/23/2023

it's was super easy to have everything organised for me and all I had to do was relax and had fun. The only reason why I put 9 instead of 10 is sometimes I felt like the trip moved too quickly and I would have liked more time in some places such as huacachina

4.5

Pietra K.

Traveled, December 2023

12/21/2023

I was able to have experiences on my trip that I would not otherwise have. The homestay or unique experiences that our guide showed us made the trip incredible. The pace was perfect and I felt safe and didn't have the hassle of planning my trip alone. The size of the group was also perfect (there were 9 of us).

Tour Operator

G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.

In Business Since 1990

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