From Ica or Huacachina: Tour to Tacama Vineyard and Artisanal Winery.

The best part of this outing is its range. In five hours, you move from Hacienda Tacama, billed as South America’s oldest winery, to a fourth-generation family bodega and then to an artisan producer with Spanish-era cellars. It gives you more than one polished tasting room and shows how wine and pisco are made at different scales.

I like the mix of wine, pisco, cachina, and pisco creams, and I like that English and Spanish tours are available. The $25 price is fair for transport, guiding, and tastings, but you must add Tacama’s entrance fee, and lunch is extra.

Key points to know

• Tacama is the main stop: Plan two hours for the historic winery, guided visit, and tastings.
• Mondays use a backup winery: Tacama closes for its weekly break, so the tour visits Hacienda Vista Alegre instead.
• Lovera is family-run: La Vieja Bodega Lovera has been linked to the same family since 1867.
• Cutur includes old cellars: The artisan winery keeps Spanish cellars from the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Lunch is not included: You get about an hour to eat regional dishes at the vineyard restaurant.
• The tour is easy to arrange: Hotel pickup and return in Ica or Huacachina are included, with a 15-minute early pickup for the group departure.

Why Ica’s Pisco Route is worth your morning

Ica is Peru’s main pisco country, and this tour gives you a useful introduction without requiring a full day. You are not simply tasting one house’s products. You compare a large historic winery, a long-running family operation, and an artisan bodega.

That comparison matters. Wine and pisco can be made from the same broad agricultural setting, but each producer presents the work differently. At the stops, you can taste wines, piscos, cachinas, sparkling wines, and pisco creams. The tasting is the fun part, but the visits also help explain why pisco is such a central product in the Ica Region.

The tour lasts five hours, including the short drives. That makes it a sensible choice after a morning in Huacachina, or as a half-day outing from Ica. You still have time afterward for other plans.

The main tradeoff is pace. Three wineries in one morning means you will see a good range, but no stop can become a long, private wine seminar. This is a group tour, so expect a shared schedule and a practical introduction rather than a slow, highly personal tasting.

Starting from Ica or Huacachina

Pickup is included from your hotel in Ica or Huacachina. The stated pickup time is 15 minutes before the activity begins, which matters on a group outing. Be ready early, since the van may collect other people before leaving town.

The drive to the first winery takes about 20 minutes. Transport is also provided for the return journey, which saves you the trouble of arranging taxis between bodegas. That is a real part of the tour’s value, especially if you are staying in Huacachina and do not want to coordinate several separate rides.

Bring cash. You may need it for the Tacama entrance fee, lunch, and drinks. Comfortable clothes and shoes are sensible, and biodegradable sunscreen and insect repellent are specifically recommended. A charged smartphone and camera are useful for the vineyard visits and old cellar areas.

Two hours at Hacienda Tacama

Tacama is the headline stop. The winery is described as the oldest in South America and uses fine grapes to make wine, pisco, and sparkling wine. You get about two hours here, making it the longest visit of the morning.

Expect a guided tour, time for photographs, sightseeing, and tastings. The point is not only to sample finished bottles. You also get a look at a major winery whose products include several categories of Ica’s best-known drinks.

The longer stop gives you room to compare styles. A wine may taste very different from a pisco, while pisco cream offers a sweeter finish. You can approach the tasting as a chance to find what you actually like, rather than treating every sample as a test of expertise.

Tacama’s entrance fee is not included in the tour price. The listed cost is 25 soles, with an additional 5 soles on holidays. That extra charge can change the value calculation, so include it when comparing this trip with other Ica activities.

Tacama closes on Mondays for a break. On that day, the visit is replaced by Hacienda Vista Alegre, described as a winery of the same category. If Tacama is the chief reason you want to book, check the day before reserving. If you are mainly interested in wine and pisco production, the Monday replacement still keeps the basic shape of the outing.

La Vieja Bodega Lovera and a family story

The second winery is La Vieja Bodega Lovera, also called Lovera Winery. It was founded by Francisco Lovera and Ursula Moreno in 1867, and the fourth generation of the family currently runs the operation.

That family connection changes the feel of the stop. Instead of seeing only a large commercial producer, you get a look at a bodega built around a continuing family trade. The visit lasts about an hour, with a guided tour, sightseeing, and tasting.

The principal products here are piscos, wines, and cachinas. Cachina is part of the traditional Ica wine culture, and sampling it alongside pisco gives you a wider picture of local production. If you prefer tasting several regional drinks instead of focusing on one polished wine flight, this stop should suit you.

There is also a practical limit. One hour goes quickly, especially if the group is moving between the tour and the tasting. Use the time to ask about the products that interest you most, and keep notes on names or flavors if you plan to buy something later.

Cutur Pisco and the old Spanish cellars

The third visit takes you to the tourist winery Cutur Pisco at Fundo, Hotel El Arrabal. It is described as an artisan winery where traditional wine and pisco production continues through the years.

The most unusual feature is below ground, or at least within the historic winery structure: authentic Spanish cellars from the 16th and 17th centuries are kept inside the property. That gives this stop a different focus from Tacama. Tacama is the large historic name, while Cutur offers a smaller-scale setting tied to old cellar spaces.

Piscos, wines, and cachinas remain the main attraction, so another tasting is part of the visit. The repetition is useful if you pay attention to differences between producers, but it may feel like too many samples if you are not particularly interested in alcohol.

The scheduled winery visit takes one hour. Afterward, the same location provides free time for lunch in its restaurant. The lunch period is also one hour, so you have a chance to sit down rather than eating between stops.

Lunch with food from the Ica Region

Lunch is not included in the $25 tour price, and drinks are not included either. You can use the hour at the vineyard restaurant to order typical dishes from the Ica Region.

This arrangement keeps the base price down and gives you control over what you spend. It also means you should not assume a meal is covered. Bring cash, and ask about the cost of dishes and drinks before ordering if you are watching your budget.

The lunch break is a welcome pause after several tastings. If you are drinking alcohol, eat properly and take the break seriously. You may want to pace yourself at the tastings, since the tour includes wine, pisco, and pisco creams at more than one stop.

What the $25 price really covers

At $25 per person, the tour offers a solid half-day package. You receive hotel pickup and return in Ica or Huacachina, transport between the wineries, a live guide in English or Spanish, and pisco and wine tastings.

The price does not cover Tacama’s admission, lunch, or drinks. Tacama’s fee is 25 soles, plus 5 soles on holidays. Once you add that cost and a meal, your final spending will be higher than the advertised tour price.

Still, the transport has real value. Visiting three wineries independently could mean arranging several rides and working out opening schedules. Here, the route is organized, and you can focus on the tastings and tours.

The value is strongest for someone who wants a broad introduction to Ica’s wine country. It is less compelling if you want a single winery visit with a long private tasting, or if you do not drink alcohol. The tour’s main content is centered on wineries and alcoholic products.

A group tour with useful flexibility

This is a group outing, not a private car and guide. That usually means the start time and movement between stops follow a shared schedule. The five-hour duration is fixed enough to help with planning, but you should avoid booking another activity too close to the stated return time.

The tour offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and a reserve-now, pay-later option. These terms help if your Ica plans depend on weather, transport, or changes to your wider Peru route.

English and Spanish guiding is available. Some content may appear in its original language, so ask the guide to clarify if a tasting explanation or historical detail is not clear.

The experience is listed as wheelchair accessible. At the same time, the tour is not suitable for people with epilepsy, visual impairments, recent surgeries, or insect allergies. Those restrictions matter because the activity takes place across winery properties and includes outdoor areas. If any of these conditions apply to you, confirm the practical setup before booking.

How to get more from the tastings

You do not need to know anything about pisco before arriving. A few simple habits will make the day better:

• Taste slowly and note which drinks you prefer.
• Ask which samples are wine, pisco, cachina, sparkling wine, or pisco cream.
• Keep some water with you, even though it is not listed as an inclusion.
• Eat during the lunch break rather than treating the tastings as a meal.
• Use the camera for the winery buildings, cellar spaces, and vineyard views, but follow each property’s instructions.

Because several stops offer similar products, comparison is your best tool. Try to remember how one producer’s pisco differs from another’s, or whether you prefer a dry wine to a sweet pisco cream. That turns a string of samples into a clearer picture of Ica’s drinks.

Who should book this winery tour?

I would recommend it to first-time visitors who want an efficient introduction to Ica’s Pisco Route. It also fits people staying in Huacachina who would rather have transport arranged than negotiate several local rides.

The tour suits couples, friends, and families with adults interested in food and drink. The English and Spanish guide options make it accessible to a wider range of visitors, and the lunch stop adds a regional food element.

I would think twice if you dislike group tours, do not drink, or want a quiet day with plenty of time at one property. The route is active, with three winery visits in succession. The tasting focus is central, not an optional extra.

FAQ

How long does the Tacama and winery tour last?

The tour lasts five hours, including transport between Ica or Huacachina and the wineries.

Where does pickup take place?

Pickup and return are provided at hotels in Ica or Huacachina. Pickup is scheduled 15 minutes before the activity time.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

No. Lunch is not included. You receive about one hour of free time to eat at the restaurant at Fundo, Hotel El Arrabal.

Is the Tacama entrance fee included?

No. Entry to Bodega Tacama costs 25 soles, with an additional 5 soles on holidays.

What happens if I visit on a Monday?

Tacama takes its weekly break on Mondays. The tour replaces the Tacama visit with Hacienda Vista Alegre, described as being in the same category.

Which languages are available?

The live guide is available in English or Spanish. Some content may be presented in its original language.

Are wine and pisco tastings included?

Yes. Pisco and wine tastings are included. The tour also features tastings of products such as cachina, sparkling wine, and pisco creams.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Hotel pickup and return in Ica or Huacachina are included, along with the van transfers between the stops.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes, a camera, biodegradable sunscreen, cash, a charged smartphone, and biodegradable insect repellent.

Should you book the Tacama and Lovera route?

Book this tour if you want three different winery experiences in one half-day and value having transport handled for you. Tacama provides the major historic name, Lovera adds a fourth-generation family story, and Cutur Pisco brings artisan production and old Spanish cellars into the picture.

Before booking, budget for Tacama’s entrance fee, lunch, and drinks. Check the day of the week if Tacama itself matters to you, and keep your schedule flexible enough for a group return.

For many visitors in Ica or Huacachina, this is a practical way to understand the region through its drinks, food, and working bodegas. It is not a private tasting or a slow rural retreat, but at $25 before extras, it offers a useful and well-packed introduction to Ica’s wine and pisco tradition.