Seneca Lake Wine Tour: Self-Guided GPS Audio Guide
The audio keeps working when the signal drops between the vineyards because everything downloads offline.
A self-guided GPS audio tour of Seneca Lake's 42 wineries, where you drive your own route and the app narrates stories about the people behind each tasting room: Konstantin Frank, Hermann Wiemer, the founders of Glenora, and the families who have farmed here for generations. You pick your starting point in Watkins Glen or Geneva, choose which wineries to visit, and the app builds your route with turn-by-turn navigation. Tastings are paid at each winery. The audio, maps and route download completely to your phone, so it works offline between stops.
Step-by-step itinerary
Self-guided Seneca Lake wine tour
- Start at Watkins Glen or Geneva
- Drive along Route 14 and Route 414
- Visit Glen Creek waterfalls
- Explore hilltop estate above Watkins Glen
- Stop at Stamp family winery
- Visit Glenora winery and inn
- Tour Fulkerson winery
- Visit Hermann Wiemer winery
- Stop at John Kaiser sustainable winery
- Visit Martini estate winery
- Tour Ravines winery
- Explore Belhurst castle winery and inn
- Visit craft beverage stop with four tasting rooms
- Stop at Lodi Riesling and Cabernet Franc winery
- Visit Mark Wagner estate winery
- Tour Wagner Valley brewery and cafe
- Visit Hazlitt winery
- Stop at Red Newt winery and bistro
- Optional lunch in Hector or walk in Watkins Glen gorge
The experience
You drive yourself around Seneca Lake with the Wine Trails app guiding you. The GPS triggers audio stories automatically as you approach each of the 42 wineries mapped along Route 14 and Route 414: no need to stop and search for information. The narration covers the people who built these places: Konstantin Frank and Hermann Wiemer, who proved European vines could survive Finger Lakes winters; the four growers who opened Glenora in 1977, the year after the Farm Winery Act made estate wineries legal; the Fulkersons, whose family has farmed the same land since 1805; the castle at Belhurst, built in 1888 and run as a winery and inn since 1992. You also hear about the salt beneath the lake and the Seneca Drums.
The app lets you build your own route before you leave or change it as you go. Start in Watkins Glen or Geneva, pick the wineries you want to visit, and the app reorders them into a logical drive with turn-by-turn directions. Stop for lunch in Hector or take a walk through the Watkins Glen gorge. The audio pauses and picks up again when you're ready. You can replay any story, and because everything downloads offline, the guide keeps working between the vineyards where cell service drops. One purchase covers everyone in the vehicle, and the app never expires, so you can use it on this trip and on every return to Seneca Lake.
You'll need a car and a designated driver. Tastings at each winery are paid separately when you arrive. The tour runs anywhere from four hours to a full day depending on how many stops you choose and how long you linger at each one.
What’s included
- GPS-triggered audio stories at all 42 mapped wineries.
- narration about Konstantin Frank, Hermann Wiemer, Glenora's founders, Belhurst Castle and the salt beneath the lake.
- a trip planner to build and reorder your own route.
- turn-by-turn navigation between stops.
- complete offline download of audio, maps and route.
- in-app chat and email support.
- free content and audio updates for life.
- one purchase covers everyone in the vehicle.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 5 days ago
Operated by Wine Trails
Is this one for you?This tour suits anyone traveling as a group or family who wants to explore at their own pace without a guide or a fixed schedule. Because you control the route and the stops, you can spend an hour at one winery or skip it entirely, stop for lunch or a gorge walk whenever you choose, and come back to Seneca Lake on a future trip using the same app: no expiry, no re-purchase.
Top questions
Can I download the audio guide before I get to Seneca Lake?
Yes. The entire tour (audio, maps and your route) downloads to your phone over wifi, so you don't use mobile data while driving. Download it at home and the guide works completely offline between the wineries.
What are the 42 wineries along Seneca Lake?
The app maps wineries from Watkins Glen in the south to Geneva in the north on both shores, including Glenora, Konstantin Frank, Hermann Wiemer, Hazlitt, Red Newt, Wagner Valley, Belhurst Castle and many others. You choose which ones to visit. The app doesn't require you to stop at all of them.
Do I need a reservation to taste wine at these wineries?
Some wineries require reservations, especially on busy weekends. The app lists each winery's details, but you'll need to call ahead or check their websites if you want to be certain of entry on your chosen date.
What if I want to stop for food or a hike during the tour?
You can pause the tour anytime. Stop for lunch in Hector, walk the nineteen waterfalls at Watkins Glen gorge, or explore any town along the lake. The audio picks up again when you're ready to drive to the next winery.
Is the audio guide available in languages other than English?
The guide is available in English and Chinese. Choose your language when you set up the app.
Seneca Lake Wine Tour: Self-Guided GPS Audio Guide
4h–9h · EN +1
from US$ 24.99 per group