Traverse City Wine Tour: Old Mission Peninsula in Luxury SUVs

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (8 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/39

Duration4h–5h

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Four wineries, two bays, one flexible itinerary

A wine tour of Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City that visits 4 wineries in a luxury Cadillac Escalade or GMC Yukon, with an expert guide who customizes stops based on your preferences. You choose which wineries to visit from a list of 9 on the peninsula; wine samples are included, though tastings, bottles, flights and food are available for purchase at each stop. Pickup and drop-off happen in downtown Traverse City. Groups of 6 or fewer share a vehicle; larger groups get a second vehicle. A complimentary bottle of wine is included for your group.

4h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Traverse City Old Mission Wine Tour

Pickup in downtown Traverse City
Visit Peninsula Cellars and Old School House
Tour Chateau Grand Traverse winery
Stop at Mari Vineyards and hear Oak Island story
Enjoy Hawthorne Vineyards with dual bay views
Visit Bry's Estates and try the Froze' drink
Experience Chateau Chantal with bay views
Explore Bowers Harbor Vineyards, the doggy winery
Visit Bonobo Winery with Hollywood feel
Optional stop at Old Mission Distillers
Return to downtown Traverse City

The Experience

What separates this from a party bus is the guide and the route. You're not packed into a shuttle with forty people; instead, you ride in a Cadillac Escalade or GMC Yukon with a small group, and the itinerary is yours to shape. Before the tour starts, tell your guide which wineries you want to visit—Hawthorne with its dual bay views, Chateau Chantal perched on the peninsula's highest point, Brys Estates known for the Froze (a frozen wine drink), Bonobo with its Hollywood-style tasting room, or any of the others on the peninsula. The guide knows the wineries, the wines, and the roads; you decide the stops. This flexibility is the core of the tour—no preset route, no "we're going here whether you want to or not."

The drive itself is part of the experience. Old Mission Peninsula splits Grand Traverse Bay into East and West arms, and the route takes you along the shoreline at times, so you see both bays during the tour. Hawthorne's tasting room sits on a high bluff with views of both arms; Chateau Chantal overlooks both bays from one of the peninsula's highest points. Between stops, the guide talks about the region's wine history—Chateau Grand Traverse was the catalyst that started Traverse City's wine industry—and points out the landscape. Wine samples are included in the tour price; at each winery, you can order flights, glasses, bottles, or join a wine club if something catches your interest. Snacks like charcuterie boards, popcorn flights, and fried goat cheese are available for purchase. A complimentary bottle of wine goes to your group at the end.

The tour runs 4 to 5 hours depending on how long you linger at each stop and which wineries you choose. Sunset and afternoon tours visit 3 wineries plus an optional distillery instead. Your guide is a wine enthusiast and local—many are University of Michigan, Michigan State, or Eastern Michigan graduates—and the company is owned and operated by a former law enforcement officer. The vehicles are air-conditioned, and groups of 6 or fewer ride together; if your group is larger, a second vehicle joins the tour. Gratuity of around 20% is customary for the guide.

What’s included

Wine samples at each stop.
luxury Cadillac Escalade or GMC Yukon with air conditioning.
expert local guide who customizes the itinerary based on your winery preferences.
pickup and drop-off in downtown Traverse City.
complimentary bottle of wine for your group.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Movie Stars Wine Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the public tour if you're comfortable meeting other wine travelers and want to keep the cost down; pick the private option if your group wants the vehicle and guide to yourselves. Either way, you're steering the itinerary—tell the guide which wineries matter to you, and the route follows your interests instead of a fixed schedule.