Ballestas Islands private tours: choose the private part
Ballestas Islands private tours are useful for keeping your party together at sea or linking a specific mainland arrival point with the boat excursion. The distinction matters in Paracas: an exclusive boat, a shared speedboat followed by a private reserve vehicle, and private transport from General San Martín cruise terminal solve different problems. Only the exclusive-boat option reserves the vessel for your group.
Ballestas is a wildlife outing around rocky islands, with observation from the water throughout. Passengers do not land on the islands. A private booking buys the stated boat or transport arrangement; sea lions, seabirds and the coastal scenery remain the focus of the visit. The private sailing also includes the Candelabra viewed from the sea, keeping the peninsula landmark separate from the islands themselves.
For a party wanting its own vessel, choose the two-hour private boat; for a longer boat-and-land outing, choose the shared sailing with a private reserve vehicle; for a cruise call, choose the General San Martín transport option. The broader Ballestas boat-tour comparison helps if sharing the boat suits your plans.
Our picks: private options
For an exclusive boat, choose the private group trip. The other options offer private transport on land, with a shared boat or no stated boat exclusivity.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Private Ballestas boat trip at sunrise
- Private boat exclusive to your group
- Bilingual tour guide
- Life jackets
Private group price for up to 20 people; the islands ticket is extra. Pickup is from the named bus station or selected El Chaco hotels.
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Ballestas boat and private Paracas Reserve tour
- Shared speedboat tour
- Private reserve transportation
- Islands and reserve entrance fees
The boat is shared; the reserve transport is private. Agree the pickup time and place in advance.
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Ballestas boat trip from San Martín port
- Private transportation
- All entrance fees
- English speaking tour guide
The port transfer is private; an exclusive boat is not specified. The price is per person.
Check availability →Private boats and private mainland transport
An exclusive sailing, a shared boat paired with a private reserve vehicle, and a cruise-terminal transfer each serve a different starting plan.
An exclusive boat for up to 20 passengers
The private sunrise sailing lasts two hours and takes up to 20 people in a boat reserved for the group. Pickup is from the bus station in Paracas or selected hotels in El Chaco. The programme includes sailing around Ballestas, observing sea lions and seabirds, and seeing the Candelabra on the Paracas Peninsula from the water.
A local captain, an English- and Spanish-speaking guide, life jackets and a bottle of mineral water for each passenger are included. Assistance during the experience is also part of the package. This is the choice for friends or an extended family whose main reason for paying privately is to occupy the boat together, rather than adding a mainland sightseeing circuit.
The starting price recorded in November 2026 is 402 USD per group for up to 20 passengers. The Ballestas entrance ticket is extra at 5 USD per person in this particular offer. Keep the group charge and the separate admission distinct when comparing the private sailing with individually priced boat places. The group maximum describes capacity, rather than a target number of passengers to assemble.
A shared boat with a private reserve vehicle
The boat-and-reserve combination lasts 5.5 hours and pairs a shared Ballestas speedboat with private transportation for the Paracas National Reserve tour. Pickup and return cover selected hotels or the bus station in Paracas. The private element is the mainland vehicle, while the island visit takes place alongside other boat passengers.
The package includes the captain and crew, a bilingual English- and Spanish-speaking guide, life jacket, entrance fees for Ballestas and the Paracas National Reserve, and office luggage storage. Meals and drinks are extra. At a recorded starting price of 68 USD per person, this suits travellers who want the marine visit and a separate land excursion in the same programme.
Ballestas belongs to the RNSIIPG island reserve; the land circuit visits the separate Reserva Nacional de Paracas. Combining them adds mainland scenery to the boat visit. Read the Ballestas and Paracas reserve guide for the distinction between the protected areas and the coastal landscapes, rather than treating the whole outing as one private cruise.
Private transport from General San Martín cruise terminal
The General San Martín excursion starts and finishes at the cruise terminal and lists a duration of two hours. Private transport connects that starting point with the Ballestas speedboat visit. This is a useful arrangement for cruise passengers whose arrival point differs from the central Paracas hotel and bus-station departures.
The offer includes a modern speedboat, entrance fees, a life jacket and safety equipment, an English-speaking guide and bottled water. Its recorded starting price is 60 USD per person. The private service is the land transport to and from the port. Choose this option around its terminal pickup rather than around the exclusive-boat arrangement of the sunrise sailing.
General San Martín, El Chaco and Marina Turística are distinct starting locations. Keep the terminal return as part of your day plan and leave space around any onward commitments. The arrival guide explains why an address in Paracas and the check-in point for a particular boat need separate attention.
Departure points, admission and shared alternatives
Ballestas private arrangements differ most clearly in their departure points and included fees. The sunrise boat uses selected El Chaco hotels or the Paracas bus station and charges island admission separately. The reserve combination includes both protected-area entrances. The cruise-terminal offer includes entrance fees and private port transport. Match those features with the place where your day actually begins.
A shared boat place is the practical alternative for a solo traveller or couple mainly interested in wildlife observation, with no need to reserve a whole vessel. Shared sailing also works within the reserve combination, where the private vehicle serves the land visit. Use the term small group only when a stated passenger limit supports it; the explicit capacity here is up to 20 on the exclusive boat.
Ballestas sailing depends on weather and navigation safety, including when the boat is private. Wear the life jacket throughout, remain seated, avoid sudden movements and keep food away from wildlife. For a stay before the departure, the mainland accommodation guide distinguishes El Chaco from other Paracas and Pisco locations.
Ballestas private-tour questions
How much is the exclusive boat?
402 USD per group is the recorded starting price for the two-hour Ballestas private sailing, accommodating up to 20 passengers. The island ticket is extra at 5 USD per person for this offer. Pickup covers the Paracas bus station or selected El Chaco hotels.
How long is the boat-and-reserve combination?
5.5 hours is the listed duration for the Ballestas shared speedboat and private reserve-vehicle combination. The offer includes bilingual guiding, a life jacket, both protected-area entrance fees and pickup from selected hotels or the Paracas bus station. Meals and drinks are paid separately.
Which option starts at the cruise terminal?
The two-hour Ballestas excursion from General San Martín includes private transport from and back to the cruise terminal. The recorded starting price is 60 USD per person, with speedboat, entrance fees, English-speaking guide, bottled water and safety equipment included. Its private component is the port transport.
Can a group of 20 reserve the same boat?
Yes. The Ballestas private sunrise sailing accommodates up to 20 passengers in an exclusive boat for the group. Its listed duration is two hours, with a captain, bilingual guide, life jackets and bottled water included. Island admission is a separate charge within that offer.