Hunter Valley Wine Tasting from Sydney: Cheese, Chocolate & Train

Cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sip morning drinks, and meet native wildlife.

A full-day tasting adventure from Sydney that pairs Hunter Valley wines with artisan chocolate or local cheese at two wineries, bookended by coffee on the Central Coast and a scenic train journey home through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. You choose your pairing style when you book. A live guide leads the group. Pickup is included in at least one option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hunter Valley food and drink tour

• Drive over Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Enjoy morning coffee or tea at Central Coast venue
• Explore Hunter Valley wineries and food scene
• Sample wines, gin, vodka, and craft beers
• Optional visit to wildlife park to see koalas and kangaroos
• Optional scenic train journey back to Sydney

The experience

You start with a drive over Sydney Harbour Bridge to a café on the Central Coast, where you order coffee, tea or a soft drink beside a pond lined with black swans and cockatoos. From there the drive into Hunter Valley takes you through rolling farmland and mountain scenery. The region has nearly 200 wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants spread across it, and you'll spend the middle of the day at two hand-selected stops. At each one you taste wines (semillon, chardonnay, verdelho, shiraz, cabernet and other varietals) and pair them with either local cheeses and canapés or artisan chocolate, depending on which you choose at checkout. If you'd rather skip the chocolate pairing, you can visit a gin and vodka distillery or a craft brewery instead.

The day ends on a double-decker train that leaves the Central Coast and winds through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, crossing the Hawkesbury River Bridge and following coastal waterways before pulling into Sydney's Central Station. You get bottled water throughout and a live guide in English for the whole route. An optional add-on lets you stop at Australian Reptile Park to hand-feed kangaroos, pat a koala and see wallabies, a Tasmanian devil, wombat, dingoes and emus with a park ranger. Book this when you reserve your main tour if you want it.

What’s included

• Wine tastings at two hand-selected wineries.
• artisan chocolate or local cheese and canapés pairing (your choice at checkout).
• coffee, tea or soft drink on the Central Coast.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• scenic double-decker train journey through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park back to Sydney's Central Station.
• live English-speaking guide for the full day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in EnglishAvailable from 11 Nov · 07:50

Guide in EnglishAvailable from 11 Nov · 07:30

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to ThursdayDepartures at 07:30 and 07:50

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Personalised Sydney Tours

Is this one for you?Book the standard Hunter Valley Wine Tour if you want the full tasting experience with two wineries and the train ride home. Choose the Koala and Kangaroo Encounter option if you'd rather add the Australian Reptile Park stop to hand-feed kangaroos and pat a koala with a ranger, swapping one winery for that wildlife visit.

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Top questions

Can I choose between wine paired with chocolate versus wine paired with cheese?

Yes. When you book, you select either the chocolate pairing or the cheese and canapés pairing at the two wineries. If you'd prefer something different, you can also opt to visit a gin and vodka distillery or a craft brewery instead of one of the wineries.

What's included in the price of this tour?

The tour includes wine tastings at two wineries, your choice of chocolate or cheese pairings, coffee or tea on the Central Coast, bottled water, the scenic train journey back to Sydney, and a live English-speaking guide. Pickup is included in at least one option. Check which one when you book.

Is the train journey back to Sydney included, or is it optional?

The scenic train through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and back to Central Station is included in the tour. It's a double-decker journey that takes you over the Hawkesbury River Bridge and along coastal waterways.

Can I add the wildlife park visit to see koalas and kangaroos?

Yes, the Australian Reptile Park visit is available as an optional add-on. You can hand-feed kangaroos, pat a koala, and see wallabies, a Tasmanian devil, wombat, dingoes and emus with a park ranger. Let the operator know at the time of booking if you want to include it.

How long is the full day, and what time do I get back to Sydney?

The tour runs nine to ten hours total. You return to Sydney's Central Station by train at the end of the day and can head to your hotel at your own pace from there.

What's the Hunter Valley actually like, is it just wineries?

Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine region, set in rolling farmland and mountain scenery. It has nearly 200 wineries, breweries, distilleries, restaurants and markets. The two wineries you visit are hand-selected, and you'll taste a range of varietals including semillon, chardonnay, verdelho, shiraz and cabernet alongside your chosen pairing.