Ica & Huacachina: Wine, Pisco Tasting & Dune Buggy Sunset

Summary

Wine cellars, pisco aromas and wild dunes at sunset in Ica

You’ll taste local wines and pisco straight from historic vineyards near Ica, share laughs with your guide as you ride through fruit orchards, then tear across Huacachina’s dunes by buggy before trying sandboarding at sunset. Expect earthy flavors, new friends, and one of those sunsets you’ll keep replaying in your mind.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Wine tasting and dune buggy adventure

• Visit Hacienda Tacama winery
• Taste wines and piscos at Tacama
• Visit El Arrabal winery estate
• Learn about pisco and wine history
• Taste piscos and artisan wines
• Optional lunch at El Arrabal restaurant
• Travel to Huacachina Oasis
• Ride dune buggies in desert
• Try sandboarding on dunes

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included for the wine & pisco tour in Ica?

Yes, pickup from your hotel in Ica or reception at the bus station is included.

What wineries are visited on this day trip?

You visit Tacama Vineyard (or Vista Alegre on Mondays) and El Arrabal artisan winery.

How long does the dune buggy ride last in Huacachina?

Normally about 2 hours; on official Peruvian holidays it's about 1 hour.

Is lunch included during the tour?

No, lunch is not included but there is time to eat at El Arrabal's restaurant (at your own expense).

Can beginners try sandboarding on this tour?

Yes, sandboarding is done lying down on traditional boards; professional equipment can be rented if you want to stand up.

Are there health restrictions for this tour?

This tour isn’t recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health.

Does this day trip include wine & pisco tastings?

Yes, tastings of both local wines and piscos are included at each winery stop.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or bus station pickup in Ica, guided visits to Tacama Vineyard (or Vista Alegre on Mondays) plus El Arrabal winery with tastings of local wines and piscos along the way. After lunch (not included), you'll head out for a wild dune buggy ride through Huacachina with time for traditional sandboarding before drop-off back at your hotel or bus station.

What’s the experience like?

The first thing that hit me was the smell—grapes and earth—when we stepped into Tacama Vineyard outside Ica. Our guide, Rosa, waved us over to this old wooden press (she called it “la prensa”) and told us it’s been around longer than anyone in her family. I tried to imagine all those harvests. She poured us a splash of their Malbec—honestly, I’m not usually a wine person but it tasted like sunlight and something floral I couldn’t name. The pisco burned a little but in a good way. There was laughter from another group nearby; you could tell everyone felt loose already.

After that we went to El Arrabal winery—less polished than Tacama but somehow warmer. There were horses standing under fruit trees (one kept flicking its tail at flies), and the air smelled sweet and dusty. We learned about how they make pisco by hand here—Rosa explained the difference between quebranta and Italia grapes but I probably got it mixed up. Lunch was at their little restaurant; I ordered lomo saltado because why not? It was salty and perfect after all that tasting.

The drive out to Huacachina oasis felt unreal—the dunes just rise up out of nowhere, golden against this weirdly blue sky. Our driver, Carlos, grinned as he floored it in the dune buggy. There was this moment when we crested a dune and my stomach dropped—I yelled something unrepeatable and Carlos just laughed harder. Sandboarding looked easy until you try it; most people (me included) ended up with sand everywhere possible. But then the sun started going down over the desert, orange light on everyone’s faces—quiet for a second except for the wind. I still think about that view sometimes when things feel too busy back home.