29 August 2024
11 mins Read
Hunter Valley vineyards are pouring some of the country’s most delicious wines around every corner — so who’s willing to go designated driver? Fortunately, there’s a Hunter Valley wine tour for every budget, group size and tastebud, ticking off the region’s finest wineries and foodie attractions from the comfort of plush vehicles driven by experts who know where they’re going. Here, we break down the finest so you can sit back and savour.
Feeling fancy? Two Fat Blokes can pop you and three others behind the wheel of a Maserati as you explore Hunter Valley’s most popular wineries.
Explore stunning wineries in Hunter Valley in a Maserati. (Image: Destination NSW)
The Hunter Valley wine tour company offers a stack of half and full-day trips, spanning extravagant small group tours (catering for singles) and larger experiences transporting up to 14 passengers in a luxury air-conditioned van.
Be transported around the Hunter Valley in an air-conditioned van.
The team arrange pick-ups from accommodation in Cessnock, Lovedale, Pokolbin, Nulkaba and Rothbury. Half-day tours include a minimum of three wineries and a cheese and wine pairing while full-day tours include lunch and a scenic flight or accommodation if you splash out.
Sample wines and cheese with Two Fat Blokes. (Image: Destination NSW)
Prices start from just $95 per person for a half-day tour. Two Fat Blokes also have their own lovely kitchen and deli in Pokolbin so there’s ample opportunity to pick up take-home spoils.
Capping their tours at 11 passengers, Classic Tours allows you to create your very own intimate wine-hopping adventure. An ideal choice for groups who have a few hot spots on the list, this Hunter Valley wine tour company offers half and full-day tours if you’re staying within Hunter Valley proper plus full-day tours out of Newcastle, Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast.
Explore Hunter Valley in the comfort of a Mustang convertible. (Image: Therese Hockings and Christopher Hockings)
You’ll be transported in a plush air-conditioned van with a sunroof, and you’re invited to play your own music through the sound system. Prices start from $135 per person and include a minimum of three wineries or distilleries. The team also offer a luxe full-day experience for groups of up to three people, priced from $395, where you’ll knock off your hit list in the comfort of a Mustang convertible.
Classic Tours include a visit to the Hunter Wine Lab. (Image: Therese Hockings and Christopher Hockings)
If you’re already familiar with the Hunter Valley’s top dogs and are keen to uncover emerging superstars, Vineyard Shuttle Service’s Next Gen tour is right up your alley.
The full-day Hunter Valley wine tour costs $199 per person and includes visiting four newish destinations that specialise in gin and vodka, cheese and chocolate pairings and lunch at 4 Pines at the Farm. And it’s not the only stellar tour going.
The team run half and full-day tours in a comfortable air-conditioned minibus that departs most accommodation spots within the Hunter Valley, with prices starting from $85 per person. Transfers between wineries, transfers from Sydney and Newcastle airports and private charters are also available.
Targeting small groups of up to 12 passengers, Tex Tours offers guided tours departing Lovedale and Pokolbin, plus Newcastle and Maitland upon request. The full-day trips cover four or five vineyards in a comfortable air-conditioned minibus that ventures off the usual tourist track so you’ll likely discover new favourites by the day’s end. Prices start from $90 per person and you can also arrange half-day and full-day private charters if you’re craving privacy.
Make it a tour you’ll never forget with Hunter Valley Horses, a Hunter Valley wine tour conducted via a two-horse-drawn carriage.
Journey through the lush greeneries with Hunter Valley Horses. (Image: Destination NSW)
From a 45-minute scenic trot through picturesque surroundings (excluding vineyards), priced from $55 per person, to full-day winery tours priced from $229 per person, there’s a smorgasbord of wonderful options.
Trot past picturesque vineyards on a horseback ride. (Image: Destination NSW)
Private tours include transfers from your Pokolbin accommodation while others depart from the company’s Hermitage Road location, but all travel through quiet back roads at a lovely pace, giving you a unique opportunity to take in the Hunter’s unmistakable beauty. Horse riding and family-friendly animal feeding tours at the company’s farm are also on offer.
Join the Hunter Valley Horses tour to see the beauty of the vineyards from a different perspective. (Image: Destination NSW)
Yet another stack of carriage-led tours run by Hunter Valley Classic Carriages, located right opposite the Hunter Valley Gardens on Broke Road. Whether you’re after a one-hour, half-day or full-day variety, each tour has been designed to do all the heavy lifting for you, and that includes sourcing a delicious lunch more often than not.
Explore Hunter Valley on a carriage-led tour.
If you’re a horse-drawn carriage aficionado, you’ll appreciate the company’s fleet which spans Wild West American Chuck Wagons, Cobb & Co. stagecoaches, Wagonettes, Victoria’s and more. It’s about $195 per person for a half-day private tour but prices really vary depending on the experience you book — and there are loads of them.
Private charters, kids’ tours, carriage rides, Hunter Valley Gardens tours and even slides off the back of a Clydesdale are available so give the company’s website plenty of attention.
Be transported to lovely spots around the Hunter Valley on a carriage.
An award-winning small group tour company, Hunter Valley Tours offers peeks inside some of the region’s best boutique wineries. Even better, their plush minibuses are completely accessible, fitted with hydraulic lifters and automatic slides, and wineries are selected thanks to their ramps and lifts, in addition to their wine chops, to ensure everything’s smooth sailing.
They offer half-day tours, priced from $95 per person, that pick up within a 12-kilometre radius of Pokolbin (you’ll incur a fee if you’re staying further out) and include two wineries, as well as full-day tours priced from $210 per person that include even more wineries, lunch and some of the Hunter Valley’s best cheese and chocolate tasting experiences. Private tours, including one with transportation in a luxury Mercedes limo, can also be arranged.
Join the expert-guided Hunter Valley Tours.
A fun-fuelled ‘Hunter Valley Wine and Beer Adventure Tour’ is on offer from Tastes of the Hunter Wine Tours, providing a full-day journey through three cellar doors, lunch at a popular venue, pit stops at the Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop and Pokolbin Chocolate Co. and spirits tasting.
A tasting at Allandale Winery is just one of many stops on the itinerary. (Image: Tastes of the Hunter Wine Tours)
Departing from accommodation throughout Pokolbin, Lovedale, Rothbury, Cessnock, Maitland, Nulkaba, Broke, Singleton and surrounding areas, you’re looking at $115 per person, and if you’re coming from Newcastle, you’ll be charged $145 per person. The Hunter Valley wine tour travels in a small minibus for groups between two and 10 people, and the team also offer private tours for groups between eight and 24 people.
Take advantage of the scenic vineyards with a group shot. (Image: Tastes of the Hunter Wine Tours)
If you prefer to keep things loosey-goosey, iHop Hunter Valley is a fantastic hop-on and hop-off bus service through wine country. Covering more than 40 venues across 14 individual bus stops in Cessnock, Lovedale, Nulkaba, Pokolbin and Rothbury, you’ll be spoiled for choice as buses swing round on a continuous hourly loop.
Venture across NSW wine country with iHop Hunter Valley.
Half-day passes will set you back $55 per person while full-day passes cost $75 per person and you can also get the bus to pick you up from your accommodation in the morning. The best bit? Cooler boxes are provided so you can store your goodies on the bus as you keep the good times rolling. iHop also offers several guided tours, and bus hire.
Join iHop Hunter Valley and sample the best-tasting wines in the region.
Whether you’re a loved-up couple or part of a group of up to 30 people, Grape Experience Tours can arrange a Hunter Valley wine tour with door-to-door pick-up. Departing from Hunter Valley suburbs as far as Newcastle, the company’s tidy minibuses run half-day or full-day tours starting from $100 per person. You’ll visit a minimum of three vineyards and the full-day offerings include a cheese tasting too. Go for the top-tier Premium tour for $195 per person and you’ll score lunch on top.
Offering much more than just a minibus driver, Wine D Road Tours comes complete with a knowledgeable guide who strives to facilitate memory-making experiences. Their ‘Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour’ is a full-day adventure priced at $160 per person and includes a restaurant lunch, a minimum of four winery visits, visits to chocolate and cheese hot spots and minibus transportation.
Wine D Road Tours delivers a full-day adventure for winery lovers.
Groups are capped at 13 guests and they arrange complimentary pick-up from your accommodation in Pokolbin, Cessnock, Rothbury, Maitland and Branxton. The company also offers accommodation packages at their beautiful onsite Cadair Cottage fitted with an outdoor spa.
An incredible wine-tasting experience awaits.
The name says it all. Lovebirds should flock to Hunter Valley Tours For Two for their romance fix as half-day and full-day customisable tours are available. The Hunter Valley wine tour company offers transportation in a flash Mercedes Benz GLE350 with leather interiors, a sunroof and heated leather seats.
You’ll be transported around the wineries in a flashy Mercedes Benz.
Pick-up can be arranged from Pokolbin, Lovedale, Cessnock and Rothbury and tours include a minimum of three wineries plus your choice of lavish lunch experiences. Half-day excursions start from $350 per couple.
Hunter Valley Tours For Two is a perfect date idea for couples.
The team can also arrange private winery tastings and behind-the-scenes tours at the likes of Ben Ean and Tamburlaine vineyards so check out the website for a complete look at the indulgences.
Enjoy cheese and wine pairings for two.
Six action-packed private tours and two relaxed small-group tours guarantee good times from Wine Party Tours, a Hunter Valley wine tour company with an emphasis on fun. If it’s just you and your crew, choose from half-day and full-day tours via the comfort of a plush minibus where you’ll be escorted to a minimum of two wineries (on the half-day options) and gourmet chocolate and cheese retailers. You can also opt to add on extras like lunch and distillery drop-ins. Prices start from $99 per person. If you’re keen to mingle, choose from a half-day or full-day public tour with prices starting from $99. Pick-up and drop-off are complimentary if you’re within 20 minutes from Pokolbin.
Taste your way around the Hunter with Wine Party Tours.
Wish you could score a local’s intel? Hunter Wine Journeys is run by Hunter Valley locals Tony and Lisa so you’ll get an answer to the very curliest of questions. Conducting a handful of half-day and full-day tours starting from $90 per person, the team can pick you up from your local accommodation in a minibus, transporting you to two cellar doors if you’re on the half-day tour or four cellar doors if you’re on the full-day. Cheese and chocolate tastings plus a visit to a distillery are also included in both options, and lunch can be provided for an extra fee.
Join in the fun at Hunter Wine Journeys.
They’re certainly confident when it comes to branding and Best Tour often lives up to its name. The Hunter Valley wine tour company offers four air-conditioned minibus tours.
Strike a pose at McLeish Estate Wines.
The most popular ones are one half-day morning journey priced at $70 per person that goes from Cessnock to Pokolbin and takes in two cellar doors and a visit to the Hunter Distillery and one full-day version priced at $130 per person that covers four cellar doors and the distillery, and throws in chocolate and cheese tastings.
There’s also a full-day tour from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Broke priced at $140 per person, in addition to the option of private group bus hire within Cessnock and Pokolbin that’s priced from $770.
Join the Best Tour for a fun-filled wine tasting.
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