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

Ica’s Pisco Route is at its best when you move beyond one polished tasting room. This half-day tour visits Hacienda Tacama, South America’s oldest winery, then adds a family-run cellar and an artisan producer with old Spanish storage rooms. You get a useful look at both commercial and small-scale production.

I especially like the mix of guided tastings and local history, and the fact that pickup and return from Ica or Huacachina are included. The main catch is cost: the $25 tour price does not include Tacama’s 25-sol entry fee, or 30 soles on holidays, and lunch is extra.

Key points to know before booking

• Tacama is the headline stop: Visit one of South America’s oldest wineries and taste its wines, piscos, and sparkling wines.
• Lovera adds a family story: La Vieja Bodega Lovera was founded in 1867 and is now run by the fourth generation.
• Cutur Pisco keeps things traditional: The artisan winery includes Spanish cellars dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Lunch is optional: You get about an hour for a meal of typical Ica dishes, but food and drinks are not included.
• Monday plans change: Tacama closes for its weekly break, so the visit is replaced by Hacienda Vista Alegre.
• The pace is efficient: Expect about five hours, including roughly 20 minutes of transport each way and three winery visits.

Why this tour works for an Ica afternoon

Ica is Peru’s pisco country, and this tour gives you three different ways to understand it in one outing. Tacama represents a large, established winery. Lovera shows how a family business can carry production across four generations. Cutur Pisco focuses on artisan methods and old cellar spaces.

That contrast matters. If you only visit one modern tasting room, you may leave knowing which drink you prefer but not much about how the local wine trade developed. Here, the guide can connect the products to the places where they are made. Tours are offered in English and Spanish, so confirm your preferred language when booking.

The five-hour length is also practical. You can fit the tour into a morning or afternoon and still have time for Huacachina, Ica, or another activity. Pickup comes about 15 minutes before the scheduled start, and the shared van collects you from your hotel in Ica or Huacachina.

It is a group tour, not a private outing. That keeps the price down, but it also means the schedule is set and time at each stop is limited. I would choose it if you want a broad introduction to Ica’s wine and pisco scene rather than a long, slow tasting at one estate.

The first stop: Hacienda Tacama and the big picture

Tacama is the tour’s main attraction. At Av. Camino Real 390, you visit a winery known for using fine grapes to make wine, pisco, and sparkling wine. The visit lasts about two hours, including a guided tour, sightseeing, photo opportunities, and tastings.

The appeal is not just the drink in your glass. You are seeing a major local producer with enough space and organization to explain the full process. The guide introduces the winery and its products, then leads tastings of different wines, piscos, and related drinks.

Expect this part to feel more formal than the later artisan stop. That is useful for first-time visitors because you get a clear introduction to the main categories. Pisco is a grape spirit, while cachina is a young, sweet wine made from grape juice. Pisco creams add a sweeter, dessert-like option to the tasting lineup.

Tacama’s entry ticket is not included in the $25 price. Budget another 25 soles, or 30 soles during holidays. This extra fee is the most important pricing detail to understand before you reserve. The tour itself may look inexpensive, but your actual cost includes this admission and anything you order at lunch.

Tacama closes on Mondays. On that day, the tour substitutes Hacienda Vista Alegre, described as a winery in the same category. If Tacama is the reason you are booking, avoid Monday or confirm the replacement arrangements first.

I would allow yourself to enjoy the tasting without treating it like a race. The schedule gives Tacama two hours, which is by far the longest stop. Take photos, listen to the production explanation, and note which styles you prefer before the group moves on.

The family cellar at La Vieja Bodega Lovera

The second stop is La Vieja Bodega Lovera, on the PE-1S road near Ica. This is the mother winery of Lovera de Ica and was founded by Francisco Lovera and Ursula Moreno in 1867.

The family connection is the reason this stop earns its place on the route. The fourth generation currently manages the winery, so the visit gives you a direct look at a business built around family continuity rather than only large-scale production. That can make the tasting feel more personal, though the available information does not promise a particular family member as your guide.

The central products are piscos, wines, and cachinas. You will have a guided visit and tasting, with time for photos and sightseeing. Compared with Tacama, Lovera is a shorter one-hour stop, so expect a compact introduction rather than a long technical class.

I like this middle stop because it breaks up the tour’s scale. After a major winery, you see how a family operation fits into the same regional tradition. It also gives you another chance to compare grape spirits and wines made in the Ica area.

Keep your expectations sensible. This is still a scheduled group visit, and one hour goes quickly once the tour, explanation, and tasting are included. If you want a detailed study of every production step, the pace may feel brisk. If you want an easy-to-follow stop with a strong founding story, it fits well.

Cutur Pisco and centuries-old Spanish cellars

The final winery visit takes you to Fundo, Hotel El Arrabal, where the tourist winery Cutur Pisco preserves artisan methods. The tour description highlights the continued use of traditional wine and pisco production techniques.

The unusual feature is below or inside the winery: authentic Spanish cellars dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. That detail gives the stop a sense of place that goes beyond tasting. You are not just sampling a drink made in Ica. You are seeing old storage spaces connected with the region’s long Spanish influence.

As at the other wineries, piscos, wines, and cachinas are the main focus. You should have time for a guided visit, a tasting, and photographs. The stated duration is one hour for the winery portion, followed by one hour set aside for lunch and free time.

This is the most appealing stop for anyone interested in older buildings and traditional production. It is also where the schedule becomes more relaxed, since you can sit down for a meal rather than moving directly from one tasting to the next.

The name Cutur Pisco and the El Arrabal location can be confusing because the tour describes the stop as part of a hotel and restaurant setting. Follow the guide’s directions rather than relying only on a map pin. The included hotel transfer at the end takes you back to Ica.

Lunch with Ica flavors, at your own cost

The tour allows about an hour for lunch at the restaurant connected with the final stop. You can order typical dishes from the Ica Region and buy drinks, but neither lunch nor drinks are included.

That arrangement keeps the base price low and gives you control over how much you spend. It also means you should carry cash, especially if you want a meal, extra tastings, or small purchases. The supplied information specifically recommends bringing cash.

I see the lunch break as a useful part of the day, not just an add-on. After three winery visits, you will have had several tastings and explanations. A proper meal gives you time to sit, reset, and decide which products you actually liked.

You should not assume the lunch is a fixed menu or included tasting lunch. The information only confirms free time in the restaurant and access to regional dishes. Ask the guide about current choices and prices when you arrive.

What the $25 price really covers

At $25 per person, the tour offers a good amount of sightseeing for a half-day, especially if you are staying in Huacachina and would otherwise need to arrange several separate rides. Pickup and return from your hotel in Ica or Huacachina are included, along with the guided visits and pisco and wine tastings.

The price does not cover everything. Plan for:

• Tacama entry: 25 soles, or 30 soles on holidays
• Lunch
• Drinks ordered with lunch
• Any extra purchases at the wineries

The value depends on what you want from the day. For a visitor who wants transport, several winery stops, and an English or Spanish guide, the price is attractive. For someone who only wants to sample pisco and does not care about the buildings or production stories, a shorter tasting might be enough.

The included transport has real value in the Ica area. The stops are separate, and a shared van saves you from arranging taxis between each winery. The tradeoff is a fixed route and group timing. You will not have the freedom to stay longer at one favorite stop.

Timing, transport, and what to bring

The full experience lasts about five hours. The itinerary includes around 20 minutes of van travel at the start and another 20 minutes on the return, with the remaining time divided among Tacama, Lovera, Cutur Pisco, and lunch.

Pickup is scheduled about 15 minutes before the activity begins. Be ready at your hotel in Ica or Huacachina because this is a group departure. A late arrival could affect the whole group’s schedule.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. You will be walking through winery areas, stopping for photos, and moving between several sites. Bring a camera, a charged smartphone, biodegradable sunscreen, and biodegradable insect repellent.

Cash is worth carrying for lunch and extra drinks. The tour also advises against alcohol and drugs, fireworks, and explosive substances. The alcohol restriction is especially sensible on a tasting route: pace yourself, eat lunch, and remember that the day includes several samples rather than one drink.

The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible, but the supplied information does not describe the surfaces, cellar access, or vehicle setup in detail. If you use a wheelchair, confirm that the specific stops and transport meet your needs before booking.

Who will enjoy this Pisco Route most

I would recommend this tour to first-time visitors who want an efficient introduction to Ica’s wine and pisco culture. It suits couples, friends, and independent visitors who prefer a planned route with transport rather than negotiating several rides.

It is also a good choice if you want variety. Tacama gives you the major winery experience, Lovera provides a family-run perspective, and Cutur Pisco adds artisan methods and old Spanish cellars. Each stop answers a slightly different question about how Ica makes and presents its drinks.

The tour may be less suitable if you dislike group schedules or do not drink alcohol. Tastings are central at every winery, even though you can choose how much to consume. The supplied restrictions also list epilepsy, visual impairment, recent surgery, and insect allergies as reasons the activity may not be suitable.

Families should consider the tasting-heavy format carefully. The tour details do not provide a separate child program or child pricing, so ask the operator before booking with children.

Practical verdict: book it or skip it?

Book this tour if you want to see several sides of Ica’s pisco country in one half-day, with hotel pickup, a bilingual guide, and a mix of established and family-run wineries. The old cellars at Cutur Pisco and the four-generation story at Lovera give the route more character than a single commercial tasting.

Skip it if you want a private pace, a full meal included, or a single winery studied in great technical detail. Also avoid Monday if visiting Tacama is essential, since the route substitutes Hacienda Vista Alegre.

For most visitors staying in Ica or Huacachina, I think the tour is a sensible way to use five hours. Just add the Tacama admission fee to your budget, carry cash for lunch, and treat the tastings as an introduction to the region rather than a full wine course.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts about five hours, including transport, winery visits, tastings, and a lunch break.

Where does pickup take place?

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

Is the tour available in English?

Yes. Live guides are available in English and Spanish.

Is Tacama’s entry fee included?

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

What happens if I take the tour on a Monday?

Hacienda Tacama is closed on Mondays. The visit is replaced by Hacienda Vista Alegre, described as a winery in the same category.

Is lunch included?

No. The tour provides about one hour of free time for lunch, but food and drinks must be paid for separately.

Which drinks are included in the tastings?

The tasting program includes wines and piscos. The tour also describes tastings of cachinas, sparkling wines, and pisco creams at the winery visits.

What should I bring?

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