Traverse City Wine Tour: 4 Wineries, No Bus

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (1 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/10

Duration4h–5h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Pick Your Own Wineries Instead of Riding a Bus Route

A flexible wine tour of Old Mission Peninsula departing from downtown Traverse City, visiting 4 wineries (or 3 plus a distillery on afternoon tours) in a luxury SUV with a live guide who customizes stops based on your preferences. You choose which wineries to visit from a roster of 9, and the guide handles the route; wine samples are available at each stop, with flights, glasses and food purchased separately. Minimum age 21.

4h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Old Mission Peninsula Wine Tour

Pickup in downtown Traverse City
Visit Peninsula Cellars - the 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 and taste Ice Wine
Visit Bowers Harbor Vineyards, the dog-friendly winery
Stop at Bonobo Winery for wines and snacks
Optional visit to Old Mission Distillers for drinks
Drop off in downtown Traverse City

The Experience

What separates this tour from the standard bus route is the choice itself. You arrive at pickup in downtown Traverse City and tell your guide which wineries are on your list—Peninsula Cellars, Chateau Grand Traverse, Hawthorne Vineyards, Brys Estates, Chateau Chantal, Bowers Harbor, Bonobo Winery, Mari Vineyards, or Old Mission Distillers. The guide knows the peninsula, knows the wines, and builds the day around what you actually want to taste instead of a fixed itinerary. If you're not sure, they'll steer you toward the right stops. The tour runs 4 to 5 hours and covers the peninsula's viewpoints—you'll see both the East and West arms of Grand Traverse Bay from the tasting rooms, especially from Hawthorne's high bluff and Chateau Chantal's overlook.

Transport is in a luxury SUV (Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon or Tahoe), not a party bus. Couples and small groups often share a vehicle; groups of 6 or 7 typically get their own. The air-conditioned vehicle means you're comfortable between stops, and the guides are wine experts and local Traverse City natives—many are University of Michigan, Michigan State or Eastern Michigan graduates. Groups receive a complimentary bottle of wine (Gamay, Secco or Gewürztraminer, depending on availability) to take home. Wine samples and splashes are part of the tour; flights, glasses by the pour, and food like charcuterie boards or fried goat cheese are available for purchase at each winery.

The wineries themselves carry the story. Brys Estates is known for the Froze', a frozen wine drink that dominates summer afternoons on their deck. Bonobo Winery, founded by Traverse City brothers, has a Hollywood feel and serves whiskey alongside wine. Chateau Chantal sits at one of the peninsula's highest points and is the only place on Old Mission where you can buy a glass of Brandy or Malbec; they also pour Ice Wine that was served at a White House dinner. Bowers Harbor, established in 1991 as a horse farm, is nicknamed the dog winery and has a fire pit and pavilion alongside the vines. Hawthorne's tasting room overlooks both bays with no traffic or neighbors in sight—just vineyard, woods and water.

Pickup and drop-off happen in downtown Traverse City (some hotels included). Choose between a group public tour, a join-in public tour, or a private option; the difference is who you're touring with, not where you go or how the guide works. Gratuity is 20% and goes directly to your guide.

What’s included

Luxury SUV transport (Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon or Tahoe).
pickup and drop-off in downtown Traverse City.
live wine expert guide.
wine samples at each stop.
complimentary bottle of wine to take home.
air-conditioned vehicle.
customizable winery itinerary based on your preferences.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Movie Stars Wine Tours

Is this one for you?Book the private option if you want the SUV and guide to yourself; choose a group or join-in public tour if you're open to sharing the vehicle and splitting the cost. The flexibility to pick your own wineries means you're not locked into a bus route—if you've heard about one winery and want to skip another, you say so and the guide adjusts.