Top 10 Hunter Valley wine tours & experiences

Find your new favourite vino on a guided winery tour 

A wine tour is top of the list for most travellers visiting the Hunter Valley and there are endless options to choose from. Book in for a half- or full-day tour with Two Fat Blokes, Hunter Valley Wine Tours, All Around the Vines, Wine D Road Tours or Cheers Bus. Go at your own pace with a hop-on hop-off bus tour with iHop Hunter Valley. For something different, set out on a three-wheel trike with Hunter Trikes or in a horse-drawn carriage with Hunter Valley Classic Carriages.

Saddler's Creek Wines, Pokolbin

Pick up a new skill at a gourmet cooking class 

Get your hands into the Hunter region’s exceptional fresh produce with a cooking class. Learn to smoke American-style barbecue at Majors Lane Cooking School, make authentic Spanish paella at The Deck, take a pizza and pasta masterclass at Estate Tuscany, or challenge yourself with their mystery box challenge. Sip wine as you prepare a traditional cucina feast with Our Italian Table before enjoying your creations outside in the sunshine with views over Nicita Estate. Take a cheesemaking workshop at Hunter Valley Cheese Factory or make sweet treats infused with alcohol at Hunter Resort. 

Our Italian Table, Pokolbin

Experience the magic of paddock to plate at Margan 

A hatted restaurant, cellar door and vineyard just outside the village of Broke, Margan brings together sustainability and sophistication. Book a garden tour and dining experience to meander through olive groves and a vineyard, learn how their one-acre kitchen garden feeds many, before feasting on the food and wine created from the produce grown here.

Margan Wines and Restaurant, Hunter Valley

Marvel at a view to remember from a hot air balloon 

There’s something magical about floating gently above Australia’s most famous vineyards. From the basket of a hot air balloon, the Hunter Valley rolls out like a patchwork quilt dotted with lakes, mountains and winding roads. Balloon Aloft and Beyond Ballooning take off every day at sunrise (to take advantage of the cool, calm conditions), soaring over spectacular scenery before touching down for a champagne breakfast at a winery. 

Balloon Aloft, Hunter Valley

Cheers craft beers on a brewery tour

It’s best known for its wine, but the Hunter Valley also has a booming craft beer scene. Join the gourmet guides from Dave's Tours on a tour of local breweries, sampling their wares with lunch included. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the brewmasters in action as you sip craft beers with Urban Legends Tour Co's customisable tours.

IronBark Hill Brewhouse, Hunter Valley

Sip and cycle between cellar doors 

Set out to explore the vineyards on two wheels, cycling between cellar doors and restaurants on the valley’s quiet, winding roads. Grapemobile is based in Pokolbin and rents electric bicycles, cruisers, mountain bikes, tandems and kid's bikes, so there’s an option to suit your crew. They can also arrange lunch stops or gourmet picnic baskets. Sutton Estate Electric Bike Hire is another option, set right on the Around Hermitage Food and Wine Trail. 

Grapemobile Bicycle Hire & Tours, Pokolbin

Indulge in the ultimate high-flying wine tour 

For the most exclusive Hunter Valley experience, hop between vineyards on a heli wine tour with Aero Logistics or Hunter Valley Helicopters. You’ll be picked up close to your accommodation and can set down right beside the vines at many of the top wineries. Or plan the ultimate progressive lunch, flying between restaurants for each course. 

Hunter Valley Helicopters, Pokolbin

Explore the Hunter on horseback 

Saddle up to discover untouched bushland or walk through rows of lush vines with Hunter Valley Horses. For a special experience, wake up early for a quiet sunrise ride, watching the first rays of light illuminate the Brokenback Ranges. Both group and private rides are available, and are suitable for people with all levels of experience. Kids over 10 can join the main rides or little ones can try out a pony ride near the stables.

Hunter Valley Horses, Pokolbin

Feel the need for speed 

For a thrill you will remember forever, take a seat in a historic military war bird and let one of the skilled RAAF or Ace Aerobatic pilots from Aerohunter fly you above the vines. You’ll get the authentic Top Gun experience, feeling the G forces as you twist, turn, duck and weave through the sky. 

Aerohunter, Pokolbin - Credit: Aerohunter

Enjoy more than just wine tastings at cellar doors

Hunter Valley cellar doors offer much more than just wine tastings. Picnic among the vines at Audrey Wilkinson, one of the oldest vineyard sites in Australia, or opt for a wine and chocolate tasting. After trying a vino or two, stroll around masterpieces at Winmark Wine's art gallery and outdoor sculpture park.  Enjoy a chocolate and wine tasting at Keith Tulloch Wine, the Hunter Valley's first carbon-neutral winery, thanks to on-site artisan chocolate maker Cocoa Nib.

Audrey Wilkinson Wineries, Pokolbin