Hunter Valley Wine Tour from Sydney: 3 Wineries & Vineyard Picnic

The vineyard picnic is where the day becomes a memory with strangers who feel like friends.

A full-day wine tour from Sydney to Hunter Valley, Australia's oldest wine region, with tastings at three wineries, a behind-the-scenes production tour at Sobels, optional lunch at a craft brewery, and a finale picnic among the vines with local wine and cheese. The guide is bilingual and the group stays small. Lunch can be added at checkout or skipped. The picnic and all winery visits are included either way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hunter Valley wine tour and picnic

• Meet guide and board minibus in Sydney
• Enjoy coffee break en route
• Arrive at Hunter Valley wine region
• Tour Sobels Winery and wine tasting
• Visit Bimbadgen Estate and wine tasting
• Lunch break at 4 Pines brewery
• Explore Hunter Valley Chocolate Company
• Visit De Bortoli Wines and tasting
• Relax with vineyard picnic and local wine

The experience

The minibus leaves Sydney Central and heads north for two hours into Hunter Valley, where winemaking has thrived since the 1820s. Your bilingual guide walks you through the region's signature Semillon and Shiraz as the landscape shifts from suburbs to vineyards. A coffee break breaks up the drive before you arrive at Sobels Winery, where you go behind the scenes to watch wine production in action, then taste their range while learning how the region's old vines and cool climate shape the wines.

From there, the day rotates through two more wineries to avoid crowds, typically Bimbadgen Estate with its iconic bell tower and sweeping views across the Barrington Ranges, and either De Bortoli (known for their world-renowned Noble One dessert wine) or one of the rotating venues like Tamburlaine or Draytons. Each stop gives you time to taste, ask questions, and pick up a bottle if something lands. Between tastings, you break for lunch at 4 Pines at the Farm, an award-winning craft brewery where you can order hearty food paired with beer, wine, or soft drinks, or skip lunch entirely if you prefer to keep tasting. A quick stop at Hunter Valley Chocolate Company lets you browse locally-made chocolates and pick up gifts.

The picnic is the finale. Your guide sets up among the vines with local wine and cheese, and you settle in as the afternoon sun filters through the grapevines. It is a social moment, not a rushed photo stop. The kind of thing that happens when a group of strangers has spent a day learning about the same wines and laughing at the same jokes. You swap recommendations, share stories, and soak in the valley views. The whole day runs 10 to 12 hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Expert bilingual guide in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.
• wine tastings at three distinctive wineries including a behind-the-scenes production tour at Sobels.
• Hunter Valley Chocolate Company visit.
• vineyard picnic with local wine and cheese.
• return transportation from Sydney Central in a comfortable air-conditioned minibus.
• lunch at 4 Pines at the Farm can be added at checkout.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 23 · max 5 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Mate Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're visiting solo or with friends who speak different languages: the small group and bilingual guide mean you'll taste at three wineries while actually connecting with the people around you, not just checking boxes.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What wineries will I visit on the Hunter Valley wine tour from Sydney?

You visit Sobels Winery first for the behind-the-scenes production tour and tasting, then Bimbadgen Estate, and a third rotating venue (typically De Bortoli, Tamburlaine, or Draytons) chosen on the day to avoid crowds and ensure the best experience at each stop.

Is lunch included in the Hunter Valley wine tour from Sydney?

Lunch is optional and can be added to your cart at checkout. If you choose it, you break at 4 Pines at the Farm, an award-winning craft brewery, and order from their hearty menu paired with craft beer, wine, or soft drinks. Without lunch, you move straight from winery tastings to the chocolate company and the vineyard picnic.

What makes Bimbadgen Estate special in Hunter Valley?

Bimbadgen Estate, established in 1968, sits high on a hill with an iconic bell tower and panoramic views across vineyards and the Barrington Ranges. The name means "place of good view" in the local Indigenous language. You taste their award-winning Semillon, Chardonnay, and Shiraz from old vines dating back over 50 years in their contemporary cellar door.

What happens at the vineyard picnic at the end of the tour?

Your guide sets up a relaxed picnic among the vines with local wine and cheese. You settle in as the afternoon sun filters through the grapevines, share stories and wine recommendations with your fellow travellers, and soak in the peaceful valley views: the social finale that transforms the day into something unforgettable.

How long is the Hunter Valley wine tour from Sydney?

The tour runs 10 to 12 hours total, including the drive from Sydney Central, three winery visits with tastings, an optional lunch break, the chocolate company stop, and the vineyard picnic.

What languages does the guide speak on this Hunter Valley tour?

The guide is bilingual and conducts the tour in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, depending on the group.