Mission Estate Winery Tour: Hawke's Bay Vineyard Experience

Two centuries of Hawke's Bay winemaking in one morning, tasting from the vineyard that started it all.

A guided winery tour in Napier visiting Mission Estate (New Zealand's oldest, founded 1851) and Church Road Winery (1897), with tastings at both, a drive through historic Taradale, and views from Bluff Hill Lookout over the port and Art Deco skyline. The tour runs 3.5 hours with an English-speaking guide, private vehicle, and hotel pickup included. Minimum age 18.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Mission Estate Winery1h
2. Church Road Winery1h

Historic wineries and scenic views

• Visit Mission Estate winery
• Explore historic buildings and cellar
• Taste Mission Estate wines
• Drive through historic Taradale
• Visit Church Road Winery
• Taste award-winning wines
• Go to Bluff Hill Lookout
• Enjoy views of Napier and ocean

The experience

Mission Estate sits at the heart of this tour: the vineyard French missionaries planted in 1851, still standing with its original cellars and heritage buildings intact. You'll taste the wines they crafted and hear how that single decision to plant vines on this land shaped everything that followed in Hawke's Bay. The guide walks you through the estate's history while you explore the preserved structures, then moves to the wines themselves: what makes them work, how the region's climate and soil built a reputation for reds.

The drive between wineries carries its own story. You'll pass through Taradale's tree-lined streets, where early settler cottages and Victorian villas still stand: homes of the vineyard workers and families who built the region's wine industry from the ground up. Your guide connects those houses to the people who lived in them, the families who stayed, the ones who moved on, and how their choices shaped Hawke's Bay into New Zealand's premier wine region. It's the landscape telling you why these two wineries matter.

Church Road Winery, established in 1897 by Tom McDonald (the man who pioneered New Zealand's fine reds), is your second stop. The cellar is heritage-listed, the wines are award-winning, and the setting carries the weight of that history. You taste here too, in a space built for exactly this purpose over a century ago. Then Bluff Hill Lookout closes the loop: sweeping views over Napier Port, the Pacific, and the city's Art Deco skyline. A vantage point to see the landscape that made these wines possible and the port that shipped them to the world.

What’s included

• Private vehicle transport throughout.
• bottled water.
• guided tastings at Mission Estate and Church Road.
• access to heritage cellars and historic buildings.
• expert guide in English.
• hotel or accommodation pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:30 and 13:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

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 yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Mates travel

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to understand Hawke's Bay's wine history through the two wineries that built it (the 1851 foundation and the 1897 evolution) rather than sampling a wider range of smaller producers. The 3.5-hour frame and fixed itinerary work best for travelers who prefer a guided narrative over self-paced vineyard hopping.

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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's the difference between Mission Estate and Church Road that makes both worth visiting?

Mission Estate, founded in 1851 by French missionaries, is New Zealand's oldest winery and shows you where the region's wine story began. The original buildings and cellars are still there. Church Road, established in 1897 by Tom McDonald, represents the next generation and the development of New Zealand's fine red wines, so you see how the craft evolved across those decades.

How much time do you actually spend tasting at each winery?

The tour is 3.5 hours total, including the drive through Taradale and the stop at Bluff Hill Lookout, so tasting time at each vineyard is built into that frame rather than open-ended. Your guide paces the tastings to fit the full itinerary.

What's included in the tastings, how many wines do you try?

The tour includes guided tastings of premium Hawke's Bay wines at both Mission Estate and Church Road, though the exact number of pours is set by each winery's tasting program rather than a fixed count.

Does the tour go anywhere besides the two wineries?

Yes, you drive through historic Taradale to see the villas and cottages where vineyard workers lived, and finish at Bluff Hill Lookout for views over Napier Port, the Pacific Ocean, and the city's Art Deco buildings.

Is there food, or just wine?

The tour includes bottled water and the wines themselves at each stop. Food is not part of the itinerary, so plan accordingly if you're booking around mealtimes.