Hunter Valley: Chef-Led Food & Wine Day Tour from Sydney

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration11h–12h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Sydney to Hunter Valley with chef-led wine tastings and fresh food

You’ll start your day at Sydney Fish Market choosing seafood for lunch with your chef-guide, then enjoy breakfast by the Hawkesbury River before heading to Hunter Valley for private wine tastings and chef-prepared dishes. Expect laughter over homemade sushi in Wollombi, panoramic vineyard views, and flavors you’ll remember long after you’re home.

11h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Chef-led Hunter Valley food and wine tour

Early morning pickup from Sydney hotel
Receive healthy snacks from guide
Visit Sydney Fish Markets
Explore markets and watch auction floor
Guide selects fresh seafood for menu
Stop for hot breakfast by Hawkesbury River
Drive along Great North Road
Guide shares Hunter Valley history and wine info
Arrive at Wollombi for first wine tasting
Roll your own sushi and taste wines
Visit next winery with Great Dividing Range views
Sample local wines with dishes by chef guide
Optional stop at local produce store
Taste Barramundi and Kangaroo with wines
Enjoy dessert with sweet dessert wine
Return to Sydney

The Experience

Honestly, I didn’t expect to be picking out seafood at 7am with a chef who knew half the vendors by name. The Sydney Fish Market was buzzing—someone yelled something about oysters in an accent I couldn’t place, and the smell of fresh bread mixed with saltwater. Our guide, Steve (who doubled as our chef), handed me a coffee and grinned, “We’ll need this.” He let us help choose the prawns for lunch. I tried to look like I knew what I was doing. Didn’t fool anyone.

The drive north felt like waking up slowly. We stopped by the Hawkesbury River for breakfast—eggs still steaming, mist lifting off the water. Steve told stories about convicts building the old Great North Road while we ate; it’s funny how food tastes better when someone’s telling you something real. Rolling hills started showing up out the window, and suddenly we were in Hunter Valley. First stop: Wollombi, where I rolled my own sushi (not pretty) and tried matching it with a local Semillon. The winemaker laughed when I said it tasted “like sunshine,” but he didn’t disagree.

Lunch was outside at a small winery with views stretching forever—Steve cooked barramundi and kangaroo right there, pairing them with wines he’d picked out that morning. It felt less like a tour and more like being invited into someone’s kitchen (if their kitchen had vineyards for walls). We tried olive oils and chutneys at some little shop—I lost track of time sampling chili sauce that nearly blew my head off. Dessert came last: something sweet with dessert wine that made everyone go quiet for a minute. That silence stuck with me on the ride back to Sydney.

What’s included

Your day includes selected hotel pickup and drop-off in Sydney, all transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, hot breakfast by the Hawkesbury River, snacks along the way, three boutique winery visits with guided tastings, chef-prepared lunch using market-fresh ingredients (including seafood), bottled water, beverages throughout, plus all entry fees before returning comfortably back to Sydney in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Gourmet Getaway Tours