Hunter Valley Wine Tours & Day Trips

Hunter Valley tours here run from full-day wine tours with transport from Sydney or Newcastle to a three-hour horse-drawn carriage tasting, private winery tours and picnics in the vines. The right pick comes down to who is driving, how long you have and how many cellar doors you want to see.

Full-day Hunter Valley wine tours with transport

Guided day tours cover the valley without anyone behind the wheel. The Boutique Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour keeps the group small, visits three or four boutique wineries and stops for a cheese tasting and a light cafe lunch, leaving from central Sydney. The Hunter Valley Wine and Chocolate Tasting Tour picks up from Sydney CBD hotels at 7am, tastes at three wineries, adds chocolate, cheese and jam tastings, serves lunch with a drink and leaves free time at a shopping village.

Dave's Travel Group runs the local version: a Taste of the Hunter Valley tour of about 6 hours with pickup from select Hunter Valley hotels, or an 8 hour day from Newcastle. Both visit three boutique cellar doors with cheese and chocolate pairings, gin, vodka and liqueur tastings, and lunch with a drink.

Horse-drawn wine tasting tours

The Hunter Valley Horse and Carriage Wine Tasting Tour swaps the coach for a covered carriage with padded seats. It rolls along backroads and through vineyards for 3 hours, either 10am to 1pm or 1.30pm to 4.30pm, stopping at three venues for wine and local produce tastings.

For a shorter outing, Hunter Valley Horses also runs a 45-minute carriage ride through the vineyards and farmland, which is a popular choice, and a 90-minute vineyard trail ride on horseback with views of the Broken Back Range.

Private tours and tastings at a single winery

Brokenwood's VIP Soil to Cellar tour is private for up to six guests and runs about four hours: a walk through the Shiraz vines, barrel tasting, oysters matched with wine and a four-course degustation lunch. For something shorter, Pooles Rock in Pokolbin runs a one-hour guided tasting of seven wines in its small cellar door.

At Audrey Wilkinson, the self-guided picnic tour adds a museum visit and wine masterclass to a hamper eaten in the vineyard, and the premium picnic for two comes with a bottle of wine and a signed bottle with etched glassware to take home. Browse more wine tasting and winery tours if you want to compare other cellar doors.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a Hunter Valley wine tour?

A Hunter Valley wine tour runs about 3 hours on the horse and carriage tour, around 6 to 8 hours with Dave's Travel Group, and up to 10 hours on the Boutique tour from Sydney.

Can you take a Hunter Valley wine tour from Sydney or Newcastle?

Yes. The Boutique Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour leaves from central Sydney, the Sightseeing Tours Australia wine and chocolate tour picks up from Sydney CBD hotels at 7am, and Dave's Travel Group runs a Newcastle departure at 9:45am.

Which Hunter Valley tour suits couples?

The Premium Picnic Among the Vines With Masterclass is set for two, with a gourmet hamper, a bottle of wine and a masterclass at Audrey Wilkinson. Brokenwood's VIP Soil to Cellar tour is private, so a couple can book it without joining a group.

What happens on the Hunter Valley carriage tour if it rains?

The Hunter Valley Horse and Carriage Wine Tasting Tour uses covered carriages with padded seats and drop-down see-through curtains, so you stay covered if the weather turns.

Local tip: Dave's Travel Group confirms your exact pickup time the day before, so keep your accommodation address handy when you book.

Choose the style of day first, then the winery, and book it online. All good days are waiting.