Elqui Valley tour from Coquimbo: Pisco tastings and Vicuña

Pisco tastings and vineyard hills in one afternoon

A 6- to 7-hour tour of Chile's Elqui Valley from the Coquimbo Region, visiting a pisco museum and artisanal distillery with tastings, the town of Vicuña, and local wineries. Includes lunch, an air-conditioned vehicle, a bilingual Spanish-English guide, and pickup from your hotel or cruise terminal.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Elqui Valley highlights

• Head to Cerro Pachón Viewpoint
• Visit Pisco Museum and tasting
• Tour artisanal Pisco with fruit tastings
• Explore Vicuña historic center
• Visit DE la Viña Falernia sales room

The experience

The Elqui Valley sits in one of the clearest-sky zones in the southern hemisphere, a geography that shaped both its astronomy reputation and its wine and pisco production. The tour starts at Cerro Pachón Viewpoint in Paihuano, then moves into the heart of the valley's distillery culture: a pisco museum with tastings of the valley's signature products, followed by a stop at an artisanal pisquera where you taste mango and maqui sours. Two regional fruit variations. The route then heads to Vicuña, the gateway town an hour from La Serena, where you walk the historic center past the Bauer tower and the Immaculate Conception Church, both landmarks tied to the city's identity.

Lunch happens at a local restaurant, and the tour includes a stop at a winery sales room where you can browse wines and piscos made in the valley. The bilingual guide handles the narration in Spanish and English throughout. An air-conditioned vehicle moves the group between stops, and pickup is arranged from your hotel or cruise terminal in the Coquimbo Region.

What’s included

• Lunch at a local restaurant.
• pisco tastings at both a museum and an artisanal distillery.
• entry to the Pisquera Artesanal.
• visits to Vicuña's historic center, the Bauer tower, and the Immaculate Conception Church.
• a stop at a winery sales room.
• bilingual Spanish-English guide.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel or cruise terminal pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

AgesAdult (18 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by La Serena Turismo Chile

Is this one for you?Pickup from your hotel or cruise terminal means you don't need a rental car or local transport to reach the valley. The tour handles the route and timing for you, which works especially well for cruise passengers with limited time in port.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (5 to 11 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is pisco and why is the Elqui Valley famous for it?

Pisco is a grape distillate produced in the Elqui Valley using vineyards that blanket the hillsides. The valley's clear skies and specific climate create ideal conditions for both the grapes and the distillation process, making it the region's signature product and a point of national pride.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the tour, or is pickup included?

Pickup is included from your hotel or cruise terminal in the Coquimbo Region. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with the group and guide for the full 6 to 7 hours.

Is lunch provided, and what about drinks during the tastings?

Lunch at a local restaurant is included in the tour price. The pisco tastings at the museum and artisanal distillery are also part of the experience. You'll sample mango and maqui sours at the pisquera.

What is Vicuña, and why does the tour stop there?

Vicuña is the main town of the Elqui Valley, located about an hour from La Serena. It's the historic heart of the region, home to the Bauer tower and the Immaculate Conception Church, and it's where the Nobel Prize–winning poet Gabriela Mistral was born: her image appears in the town square.