Huacachina UTV, sandboarding and sunset: a group plan

Yes, you can combine a UTV ride, sandboarding and sunset in Huacachina in one group outing, but it isn't a fixed package: sandboarding is requested when you book and we build the afternoon around your group. The order that works best is UTV first, sandboarding on a dune the guide picks while the light is still good, sunset from the top, and a ride back to the oasis planned for daylight. Whether it goes well or badly depends mostly on how you coordinate a group where everyone's at a different level. The scenery takes care of itself.

Here's how we put it together, in what order, what everyone should bring, and what to do with the friend who wants to stand up on the board straight away and the aunt who only wants to watch.

Can you add sandboarding to a Huacachina dune buggy tour?

Yes, on request. Our UTV tour is the base: factory-built vehicles, you drive with the guide in front, and groups take turns at the wheel. Sandboarding is an add-on we ask you to mention in your very first message, for a practical reason: it changes the day. We need to bring boards, choose dunes that work for riding down and not just for driving past, and leave enough daylight to do everything without rushing.

When you write to us, this is what helps:

• How many of you there are and rough ages, especially if there are kids.
• Who wants to sandboard, who has tried it before, and who would rather watch.
• Who wants to drive and who prefers to ride along.
• Whether anyone has back, knee or wrist problems.
• Which hotel you're staying at. Hotel transfer isn't included, but we can look into it with you.

With that, we can tell you whether the combination makes sense for your group as it actually is. Sometimes the honest answer is something else: if you're a big group and half of you don't care about sandboarding, UTV plus sunset might suit you better, with boards only for those who really want them. For larger parties, also read how a group UTV tour works.

The logical order of the day: why sandboarding comes before sunset

We've tried other orders, and this is the one that works best:

1. Meeting point and briefing. Vehicle check, a walk-through of the controls, a practice run on flat ground until every driver feels comfortable. Helmet, harness and footwear, person by person.
2. UTV out into the dunes. Marked route, guide in front, radios between vehicles. This is where the group loosens up and first-time drivers build confidence.
3. Sandboarding on a dune the guide chooses. While the light is still high, for a safety reason almost nobody thinks of: the rider needs to see the landing zone, and whoever is at the bottom needs to see the rider coming.
4. Sunset from a high dune. By then the group is tired and happy, which is the perfect state for sitting down and watching.
5. Back to the oasis on a route we already know, planned so you return in daylight. The guide calls the moment.

Why not sandboard last, with the sun going down? Because in low light the sand loses contrast. You can't read the dips properly, or spot the person at the bottom picking up their board. And after climbing the dune on foot a few times, your legs don't respond the same way at the wheel. We'd rather you drive the last stretch rested.

For the sunset itself, and how the sand and afternoon wind change, see Huacachina UTV tour at sunset: what to expect.

Mixed-ability groups: keeping everyone happy and nobody scared

This is the part that really decides the day.

Almost every group has someone who snowboards back home and wants to stand up on the highest dune, and next to them someone who's never been on a board and is more nervous than they'll admit. Sometimes there's also a person who came for the company and the sunset and has no intention of touching a board. Everyone fits, if it's organised properly.

What we do:

Everyone starts the same way. First run on a moderate slope, lying face down with your feet behind you. Yes, the snowboarder too. It's how each person feels how the sand runs that day, which is nothing like snow and changes from one afternoon to the next. Sliding down sitting or lying on your belly is common practice, as Wikipedia notes, and in Ica it's how nearly everyone begins.

Then, everyone at their own pace. Whoever wants to try standing does it on the same dune, now that they know it. The nervous one repeats lying down as many times as they like. Nobody pushes anybody.

One at a time, always. Nobody goes until the previous rider has cleared the landing zone. It's the hardest rule to hold when the group is buzzing, and the one that prevents the most injuries. We go into it properly in group sandboarding without injuries.

The person who doesn't ride still has a job. Taking photos, minding bags, calling out from the top. There's nothing worse than someone sitting alone off to the side, feeling left out.

In the UTV it works the same way: the convoy's pace is set by the least experienced driver, not the boldest. If someone wants to switch to passenger halfway through, we swap and move on. Nobody has to prove anything.

One thing we always settle at the start, and that we suggest you ask any operator: who decides whether a dune is fit to ride? It should be the guide, looking at the slope, the sand and what's at the bottom. Not the group, and not whoever is most excited.

What to bring for UTV, sandboarding and sunset as a group

Less than you think, but well chosen:

• Closed shoes. We check footwear for every driver. The person who turns up in flip-flops ends up barefoot on the dune, and the afternoon sand still burns.
• Clothes you don't mind filling with sand. Light long trousers beat shorts, because riding face down rubs your knees.
• A warm layer in your bag. When the sun goes, the desert cools fast.
• Water for everyone. Climbing a dune on foot with a board under your arm is harder than it looks. The NHS lists dizziness, headache and nausea as signs of heat exhaustion, and drinking more while you're active as the first line of prevention.
• Sunscreen, a cap and sunglasses that stay on.
• A zip-lock bag for your phone. Sand gets into the charging port on the first run, and then the hotel charger won't connect.

Meals and drinks aren't included. If group photos are half the reason you're coming, read group photos at sunset in the dunes. For basic board technique, see sandboarding on a UTV tour: a first-timer's guide.

Everything we check before starting the engine, and why a trip gets rescheduled when the wind picks up, is on our safety page.

Message us on WhatsApp at +51 967 564 701 with your date, how many of you there are, ages, who wants to sandboard, who would rather not drive, and which hotel you're in. We'll reply with a plan for your group, not a fixed package.

Frequently asked questions

Is sandboarding included in the Huacachina dune buggy tour? Not by default. You request it when booking and we set it up for your group, choosing suitable dunes and leaving enough light to do it calmly.

Can I sandboard in Huacachina if I have never tried it? Yes. The first run is lying face down on a moderate slope, and from there each person decides whether to keep riding that way or try standing up.

What if someone in the group doesn't want to sandboard? They still come in the UTV, drive or ride along, and stay at the top of the dune with everyone else. Plenty of groups have someone who's only there for the sunset, and that's completely fine.