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

Tacama is the main draw here: South America’s oldest winery gives you a direct link to Peru’s long wine and pisco tradition, not just another tasting room with a few bottles on display. You’ll tour its grounds, sample several products, and then continue to two smaller family and artisan wineries.

I like the mix of polished and traditional stops. I also like that pickup and return are included from Ica or Huacachina, making this a simple half-day outing. The main catch is cost control: Tacama’s entry fee and lunch are extra, so the advertised price is not the full amount you will spend.

Key points to know before booking

• Tacama is the centerpiece: Allow two hours for the historic winery, guided visit, and tastings.
• Three winery stops give the tour variety: You visit Tacama, La Vieja Bodega Lovera, and Cutur Pisco.
• The final stop includes lunch time: Regional dishes are available, but food and drinks are not included.
• Monday plans change: Tacama is closed for its weekly break, so the visit moves to Hacienda Vista Alegre.
• Pickup is practical: The group van collects you from your Ica or Huacachina hotel about 15 minutes before departure.
• Budget for extra fees: Tacama entry costs 25 soles, or 30 soles on holidays.

Why Tacama makes this half-day worthwhile

Peru is best known internationally for pisco, but Ica is where the drink becomes part of the local setting. Vineyards, old haciendas, family cellars, wine, cachina, and pisco all meet here. This tour gives you three different views of that tradition in about five hours.

Tacama provides the grand opening. The winery uses fine grapes for wine, pisco, and sparkling wine, and the visit includes a guided tour and tastings. You get time for photographs, too, which matters because this is more than a quick drink at a counter.

I like the way the tour moves from a large historic producer to smaller operations. Tacama offers the broadest introduction, while Lovera and Cutur Pisco let you see how family and artisan production fit into the Ica wine route.

The tour costs $25 per person, but you need to treat that as the base price. Entry to Tacama is not included, and lunch is separate. If you choose regional dishes at the last stop, your final cost will rise. Even so, the price can make sense if you want transport, a guide, and several tastings without arranging taxis between wineries.

Getting started from Ica or Huacachina

Pickup is included from your hotel in Ica or Huacachina. The van ride to the first stop takes about 20 minutes, and pickup is scheduled around 15 minutes before the activity time. Since this is a group tour, keep your morning flexible and be ready at the hotel entrance.

English and Spanish tours are available. The guide leads the visits and tastings, but some content may be presented in its original language. If you need every explanation in English, confirm the language when booking.

The tour lasts about five hours, including transport, visits, tastings, and lunch time. Wear comfortable shoes and light, comfortable clothing. Bring a charged phone, a camera, cash for entry and food, biodegradable sunscreen, and insect repellent.

Two hours at Hacienda Tacama

Tacama is the most important stop on the route. It is described as the oldest winery in South America, and the tour uses that setting to explain the production of wine, pisco, and sparkling wine.

You spend about two hours here, including a guided visit, sightseeing, photographs, and tastings. That is a useful amount of time. It gives you room to look around instead of rushing from one sample to the next.

The tasting is part of the experience, not an optional extra. You can expect samples from the winery’s different products, including wine and pisco. Pisco creams are also part of the broader tasting program on the day, depending on the products being presented at each stop.

For me, Tacama works best as the historical anchor of the tour. It helps you understand why Ica is important to Peru’s wine and pisco culture before you move on to smaller producers. The drawback is the separate entry fee. Budget 25 soles, with an additional 5 soles charged on holidays.

Tacama closes on Mondays. If your tour falls on that day, the visit is replaced by Hacienda Vista Alegre, described as a winery of the same category. That change keeps the route going, but it means you will not see Tacama itself. Check the day of the week before booking if Tacama is your main reason for coming.

La Vieja Bodega Lovera and the family story

The second winery is La Vieja Bodega Lovera, also called Lovera Winery. The stop lasts about one hour and shifts the tone from a major historic producer to a family operation.

The winery was founded by Francisco Lovera and Ursula Moreno in 1867. It remains under the care of the fourth generation of the family. That detail gives the visit a personal angle: you are not only tasting a product, you are seeing a business passed through several generations.

Pisco, wine, and cachina are the main attractions here. Cachina is a young, fermented grape drink associated with the Ica region, and its presence helps show that local production is broader than the better-known pisco alone.

I like this stop because it gives the route a human scale. Tacama introduces the major name, while Lovera helps you see how family knowledge and production continue side by side. The one-hour visit is long enough for a tour and tasting, but not so long that the half-day schedule drags.

Do not expect a full meal here. The planned lunch time comes later, at the final winery. If you want to buy products along the way, carry cash, since cash is specifically recommended for the outing.

Cutur Pisco and old Spanish cellars

The final winery stop is the tourist winery Cutur Pisco, located at Fundo Hotel El Arrabal. It is an artisan winery where traditional wine and pisco production continues.

The most unusual detail here is the presence of authentic Spanish cellars dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. That makes this more than another tasting stop. The cellars connect the winery to an older period of grape production in Peru and give you something distinctive to look at between samples.

Piscos, wines, and cachinas again form the center of the visit. You also get free time for lunch at the restaurant. Regional dishes from Ica are available, which makes this a good chance to try local food rather than treating the outing as a string of tastings.

Lunch and drinks are not included in the tour price. Keep that in mind when comparing this outing with a more expensive package that includes food. Here, you choose what to order and pay separately, which gives you some control but requires extra cash.

After the final stop, the van returns you to your hotel in Ica. The return ride takes about 20 minutes. If you are staying in Huacachina, pickup and return to your hotel are included, according to the tour details.

What the tastings are really like

The tasting program covers wine, pisco, and pisco creams, with pisco, wine, and cachina highlighted at the individual wineries. You are not paying only for transportation to a vineyard. The tastings are central to the visit.

Still, pacing matters. Three stops can feel full for someone who wants a slow, detailed winery visit. The benefit is variety. You can compare a major historic winery, a fourth-generation family bodega, and an artisan producer in one morning or afternoon.

I recommend eating a proper breakfast before departure. Lunch comes at the final stop and is not included, so you should not count on food early in the route. If you do not drink alcohol, the tour may feel less rewarding because tasting is a major part of each visit.

Drink responsibly and follow the guide’s instructions. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed beyond the permitted tasting context, and fireworks and explosive substances are prohibited.

Who will get the most from this tour

I would choose this outing if you are based in Ica or Huacachina and want a straightforward introduction to the local wine route. It suits you especially well if you enjoy learning how regional drinks are produced, comparing different kinds of wineries, and sampling without arranging separate transport.

It is also a good fit for visitors with only half a day. Five hours is long enough to include three stops, but short enough to leave part of the day free. The included hotel pickup removes the hassle of finding transport between wineries.

The tour may be less suitable if you want an intimate private visit, a long lunch, or a single winery explored at a slow pace. This is a group tour, so the schedule is shared. It also may not suit people with epilepsy, visual impairments, recent surgeries, or insect allergies, as those limitations are specifically listed for the activity.

The tour is listed as wheelchair accessible, but the separate note about visual impairment is important. If you need specific support, confirm the arrangements before paying.

Practical costs and booking advice

The advertised price is $25 per person. Included are hotel pickup and return from Ica or Huacachina, the guided route, and pisco and wine tastings.

You should add these likely costs:

• Tacama entry: 25 soles
• Tacama entry on holidays: 30 soles
• Lunch and drinks: extra
• Personal purchases: extra

That still may be good value for a five-hour group outing with transport and three winery visits. The value is strongest for people who would otherwise need to hire transport and organize several stops independently.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. You can also reserve and pay later, which helps if your Ica schedule depends on weather or changes in your wider Peru route. Starting times vary, so check availability before you choose a date.

What to bring for the winery route

Comfortable shoes are the most practical choice. You will move around winery grounds, historic cellar areas, and tasting spaces, so flip-flops or stiff formal shoes may be less useful.

Pack:

• Camera
• Charged smartphone
• Cash for Tacama, lunch, and drinks
• Comfortable clothing
• Biodegradable sunscreen
• Biodegradable insect repellent

The tour data does not give a group size, so I would plan for a shared van rather than a private ride. Arrive at pickup 15 minutes early. That small step can save you from chasing the group through Ica.

Should you book the Tacama and Ica winery tour?

Book it if you want an easy, affordable way to sample Ica’s wine and pisco culture from Ica or Huacachina. Tacama gives you the headline historic stop, Lovera adds a fourth-generation family story, and Cutur Pisco brings artisan production, regional food, and old Spanish cellars into the final hour.

Skip it if your priority is a private, food-inclusive winery day or a long tasting at one producer. You will pay extra for entry and lunch, and the group schedule keeps the visits moving.

For most first-time visitors who want context, tastings, and simple transport in one half-day, I would book it. Just avoid Monday if Tacama itself is essential, and set aside enough cash for the winery entrance and lunch.

FAQ

How long does the winery tour last?

The tour lasts about five hours, including hotel pickup, transport, winery visits, tastings, lunch time, and the return trip.

Where does pickup take place?

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

Is Tacama entry included in the tour price?

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

What happens if I visit on a Monday?

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

Is lunch included?

No. You receive free time for lunch at the final winery, but lunch and drinks cost extra.

Which languages are available?

Guided tours are available in English and Spanish. Some content may be presented in its original language.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The activity also offers a reserve-now, pay-later option.