Kangaroo Island wine and wildlife tour: birds, honey, tastings

Wildlife, food and wine in one day without piecing it together yourself

A full-day guided tour of Kangaroo Island combining wildlife encounters, food and wine tastings, and scenic stops, departing from your choice of three hotels and returning by evening. The itinerary weaves together a free-flight birds of prey display, a two-course lunch at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery with a distillery tour, a working beehive visit at Clifford's Honey Farm, a wine tasting at False Cape Wines, and a stop at Pennington Bay beach. Hotel pickup and all entry fees are included; the tour runs eight hours and returns to Penneshaw at 6:15pm, so it does not suit cruise ship passengers with early departures.

Step-by-step itinerary

Kangaroo Island wildlife and wine tour

• Transfer from hotel to Emu Ridge Distillery
• Attend Birds of Prey Display at Raptor Domain
• Enjoy 2-course lunch and tour at Emu Ridge Distillery
• Visit Clifford’s Honey Farm and try honey products
• Photo stop at Pennington Bay beach
• Wine tasting at False Cape Wines cellar door
• Free time for dinner in Penneshaw
• Meet SeaLink Shuttle for transfer back

The Experience

The day starts with a transfer from your hotel to meet the coach at Penneshaw, then heads straight to Raptor Domain for the only free-flight birds of prey presentation in South Australia. You watch wedge-tailed eagles and other raptors work in an open-air setting—the kind of interactive display where handlers explain what you are seeing as it happens, and you have the option to hold an eagle for a photograph (additional cost). From there the coach moves to Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, where lunch is a two-course meal followed by a talk on the distillery's history and a guided walk through the working operation. You get free time in the shop afterward, and cider tasting is available for a small extra fee.

The afternoon splits between two producer visits. At Clifford's Honey Farm you join a guided tour of a working beehive, learn about the island's Ligurian honey varieties, and sample honey-based beauty products. Then the coach takes you to Pennington Bay on the south coast for a photo stop at the beach before heading to False Cape Wines, a newer cellar door built from recycled island materials. The wine tasting is structured—you taste while looking out over the vineyard—and unhurried. The tour ends back in Penneshaw with time to grab dinner before the 7pm shuttle departs for your hotel in American River or Kingscote.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from American River, Kingscote or Penneshaw.
• two-course lunch at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery.
• entry to Raptor Domain, Clifford's Honey Farm and False Cape Wines.
• distillery and beehive guided tours.
• wine tasting.
• air-conditioned coach transport.
• live English-speaking guide.
• all entry fees.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SeaLink South Australia

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to sample the island's food and wine scene without renting a car or planning multiple stops—the guide handles the route and timing, and lunch plus two tastings are locked in. The eight-hour day suits anyone based in American River, Kingscote or Penneshaw for the full day; it does not work for cruise ship passengers departing before evening.

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Top questions

What is the Birds of Prey Display at Raptor Domain actually like?

Raptor Domain runs the only free-flight birds of prey presentation in South Australia, meaning the eagles and other raptors fly and hunt in an open setting rather than from perches. Handlers narrate what the birds are doing as they work, and you can pay extra to hold a wedge-tailed eagle for a photo.

Does the tour include lunch, or do I need to buy it separately?

Lunch is included—a two-course meal at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery. Wine tasting at False Cape Wines is also included. Cider tasting at the distillery and the eagle photo at Raptor Domain cost extra if you want them.

Which hotel should I pick for the departure, and does it matter?

You choose your departure point at checkout: American River, Kingscote, or Penneshaw. The coach picks you up from your hotel and returns you there the same evening, so pick whichever one you are staying at. The tour returns to Penneshaw at 6:15pm before the shuttle departs at 7pm for the other two towns.

Can I do this tour if I am arriving on a cruise ship?

The tour returns to Penneshaw at 6:15pm, which may not work if your ship departs earlier. Check your ship's departure time before booking, as the timing does not suit most cruise ship schedules.

What happens at Clifford's Honey Farm?

You join a guided tour of a working beehive where you can try to spot the queen bee. The guide explains the different varieties of pure Kangaroo Island Ligurian honey, you sample honey beauty products, and you have the chance to buy goods to take home.

Is there time to explore on my own, or is the whole day scheduled?

Most stops are guided or structured—the birds of prey display, the distillery tour, the honey farm tour, and the wine tasting. You get free time in the Emu Ridge shop and a photo stop at Pennington Bay beach. In Penneshaw at the end, you have time to buy dinner before the shuttle departs.