Grape vines and pisco in Ica. What makes this half-day feel special is the mix of three different producers, including the oldest winery in South America, with tastings guided in English and Spanish. I also like that you get more than one style of drinking, since the stops include wine, pisco, and even pisco creams. One thing to plan around: Tacama entry is not included, so you’ll want cash ready for that add-on.

This is a group tour that moves at a steady pace, with van rides, photo stops, guided visits, and tastings built into the schedule. You also get a lunch window at the final stop for typical Ica dishes, but lunch and drinks are extra. If you’re hoping for a slow, sit-down winery day, this may feel a bit structured.

Key things I’d watch for

• Oldest winery in South America at Tacama with tastings of multiple products, including pisco and sparkling wine
• Monday swap rule: if Hacienda Tacama is closed, the visit is replaced with Hacienda Vista Alegre
• Family winery at Lovera: founded by Francisco Lovera and Ursula Moreno in 1867, now run by the 4th generation
• Cutur Pisco stop adds history on site with Spanish cellars from the 16th and 17th centuries
• Lunch is your free choice moment at the vineyard restaurant, not included in the ticket
• Pisco and wine tasting is included so the $25 price is really about drinks plus guided access

Entering the Tacama grounds, the oldest winery in South America

Your day starts with pickup in Ica (including hotels in Huacachina), and you’ll meet your group a little in advance, since pickup is about 15 minutes before the scheduled start. Then it’s a short van ride to the first stop at Hacienda Tacama on Av. Camino Real 390 in Ica.

Tacama is famous for a simple reason: it is credited as the oldest winery in South America. That label matters here because the visit is not just about tasting. You’ll get a guided tour and a structured tasting round tied to how the winery produces its wines, pisco, and sparkling wine. In plain terms, you’re going to see how a long-running operation turns grapes into bottles you can actually compare.

A smart note for your planning: on Mondays, Tacama has a break. If your tour falls on a Monday, the schedule replaces Tacama with Hacienda Vista Alegre, which is listed as the same category of visit. Either way, you still start with the “older, established” winery experience, not a random change of pace.

The first stop runs about 2 hours, so you’re not rushed through the grounds. I like this, because winery visits go faster than you expect, and two hours gives you time to move, ask questions, and make use of the included guided portion before it turns into free browsing.

Tacama tastings: pisco, wine, and sparkling in one guided flow

The tasting portion is one of the best values in the whole tour. You’re included for pisco and wine tasting, and the experience highlights also call out tastings of pisco creams and sparkling wine. That’s a practical combo, because it lets you sample different spirits and styles without hunting around for separate tours.

What to do with the tasting time: keep your palate order. I’d start with the lighter, less sweet options first, then move to the stronger and creamier products. It’s easier to notice differences when your taste buds are not already overwhelmed.

Also, bring cash mindset. Even though tastings are included, the entry to Bodega Tacama is extra. The cost is listed as 25 soles, and on holidays you may need an additional 5 soles. If you don’t bring cash, you can lose time at the start of the day or at the very least get stuck in a money scramble while the group waits.

This is where the “group tour” part helps and hurts. It helps because you get guided access without figuring out schedules. It hurts if you like to linger slowly at each tasting. With a group, you follow the rhythm.

Lovera Winery: La Vieja Bodega Lovera and a family story from 1867

After Tacama, the tour heads to La Vieja Bodega Lovera, located on PE-1S 70 in Ica. This stop is shorter, about 1 hour, but it has a strong personality.

Here’s what I find valuable: the winery is described as a family operation, and it is the mother winery of Lovera de Ica. It was founded by Francisco Lovera and Ursula Moreno in 1867, and the tour notes that the 4th generation currently manages the winery. That’s the kind of detail that turns a tasting into a real story, not just a drink line.

You’ll get guided tour time, plus photo stops and tasting. The main attraction is listed as piscos, vinos, and cachinas. That matters because if you’re interested in how Pisco changes by house style and production choices, this is your “comparison” stop between older, large-scale traditions and a family bodega focus.

The drawback of this stop is also simple: with only an hour, you’ll likely have less time to ask deep questions than you would on a private tour. If you’re a wine nerd and you want technical details, you might want to ask your guide to focus on the differences you can taste, like how the pisco style or the vinho profile shifts across producers.

Cutur Pisco at El Arrabal: tastings plus Spanish cellars from the 1500s and 1600s

The final stop takes you to Fundo – Hotel El Arrabal in Ica, where you visit Cutur Pisco as part of the Pisco Route. This part runs about 1 hour of touring, plus the schedule includes your lunch free time, so the total segment is around 1 hour for lunch and on-site time.

This winery is described as an artisan producer that preserves tradition in the making of wine and pisco. But the most interesting physical detail here is the building history: the winery keeps authentic Spanish cellars from the 16th and 17th centuries inside the property.

Even if you don’t care about architecture, that kind of setting changes how the tasting feels. In a cellar, smell travels differently. You notice aromas more. You also get a clearer sense that pisco production is not only a process, it’s tied to place and time.

Lunch is your built-in break. The tour offers free time to have lunch at the vineyard restaurant. Lunch is not included in the tour price, and drinks are also extra, so budget for it. I’d treat lunch as the moment to slow down. Order something typical from the Ica region if you want the cultural side of the day to feel like more than just alcohol.

After lunch, you’ll transfer back to your hotel in Ica.

Price and logistics: what $25 gets you, and what costs extra

At $25 per person for a 5-hour tour, the headline value is the included tasting portion and the guided access across multiple wineries. The included items are: pickup and return to your hotel (in Huacachina or Ica) and pisco and wine tasting.

But you should budget for two likely extras:

• Tacama entry: listed at 25 soles, with an extra 5 soles on holidays
• Lunch and drinks: not included, and lunch is taken at the final stop’s restaurant

So how do you decide if it’s worth it? If you were considering separate winery tastings on your own, you’d still pay for entry and transport. Here, the transport is folded into the price and the itinerary strings the tastings together with a guide.

The “logistics” tradeoff is that this is a group tour. Pickup happens around 15 minutes early, and there are van legs between stops. You’ll also be following a schedule rather than exploring at your own speed.

If you hate waiting and you want zero structure, group touring will frustrate you. If you like a clear plan, this is a good way to sample a lot without spending the whole day.

Timing: how the 5-hour pace works in real life

This is a compact format. You get:

• a van ride to Tacama (about 20 minutes)
• Tacama as the anchor stop (about 2 hours)
• Lovera (about 1 hour)
• Cutur Pisco plus lunch time (about 1 hour for lunch in the overall schedule)
• van transfer back to Ica (about 20 minutes)

That timing explains why the tour is so drink and tasting focused. There’s not time for detours or long standalone shopping. Instead, each stop is built to give you a taste of the producer, a guided walkthrough, and enough time to compare.

My practical advice: wear comfortable shoes. Many winery properties have uneven ground near barrels, cellars, and courtyards. Also, bring your camera, because the itinerary calls out photo stops at multiple points, not just inside the buildings.

What to bring and what rules matter before you go

This tour gives you a packing checklist for a reason. Here’s what I’d follow:

• Comfortable shoes
• Camera (photo stops happen)
• Biodegradable sunscreen
• Biodegradable insect repellent
• Cash (for Tacama entry and for lunch)
• Charged smartphone

On the rules side, the tour notes that alcohol and drugs are not allowed, and fireworks and explosive substances are not allowed. That’s standard safety language, but it’s worth noting if you planned to bring something for your own tasting.

Health and comfort notes are also important:

• Not suitable for people with epilepsy
• Not suitable for people who are visually impaired
• Not suitable for people with recent surgeries
• Not suitable for people with insect allergies

On the positive side, it’s listed as wheelchair accessible. If you need help navigating, I’d still plan for a visit to cellars and winery spaces where surfaces can be uneven, so don’t assume every area will be perfectly smooth.

Who this tour suits best (and who might want to pick something else)

This tour is a strong fit if you want a fast, structured introduction to the Ica wine and pisco scene. I’d especially recommend it for:

• First-time visitors to Ica who want multiple wineries in one morning
• People who enjoy guided tastings more than self-directed wandering
• Anyone who likes learning the producer story, especially at Lovera with its 1867 founding and 4th-generation management

I’d think twice if you’re:

• hoping for a quiet, long, slow winery day
• sensitive to insects and don’t have good allergy management
• someone who needs a highly flexible route, since it is a group format

Should you book the Tacama and artisanal winery tour?

I think this is a good booking when your goal is value: you pay a modest rate and you get pickup, a guide, and tastings of pisco and wine across multiple producers. If you like the idea of starting at Tacama and then comparing with Lovera and Cutur Pisco, the itinerary makes sense.

Just go in with two expectations adjusted:

1. Tacama entry is extra, so budget the 25 soles and bring cash. Add the possible 5-soles increase on holidays.
2. Lunch is optional in practice, not included, so plan spending beyond the $25 ticket.

If you want a simple, guided way to taste Ica without planning three separate outings, book it. If you want total freedom, or you hate group pacing, you might prefer a private tasting day instead.