Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comHunter Valley Wineries and Wilderness Small-Group Tour
based on 20 reviews of Hunter Valley Wineries and Wilderness Small-Group Tour
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Hunter Valley Wineries and Wilderness Small-Group Tour. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
This was very enjoyable, and our tour guide was excellent. There were only two couples on the tour, and it wasn't cancelled due to the small group, for which we were thankful. We saw the beautiful country and tasted excellent wine and cheese. The meal was okay. We didn't care that much for the food, but that was personal taste. We also learned a lot about Australia and the area.
Reviewed by: Jason F, United States of America, June 2009
This was the highlight of our 9-day honeymoon in Australia! I have not the foggiest how much wine we gobbled up but our taste buds were extremely satisfied throughout the whole trip.
The driver / tour guide really made all the difference to the trip with his great sense of humour and stories. We had another similar day tour in Barossa Valley, Adelaide, with another tour operator a few days later and did not have the same enjoyable experience as we had at Hunter Valley. I also recommend this for those who prefer a smaller tour group to the big coach tours. Pricing would most likely be cheaper than the private tours which I have been on a previous trip and you would receive similar experiences.
The morning trip to Calga Springs Sanctuary was a refreshing and delightful experience for us. Something not to be missed if you visit Australia! Many thanks for making our trip a great one!
The driver was knowledgeable and entertaining. The wine tasting was professional and informative. We gained a greater appreciation of wine enjoyment while having a comfortable and excellent tour around such a beautiful region. Definitely Top Rating!
Reviewed by: Peter E, Switzerland, December 2007
This was a brilliant day, tasted loads of different wine and saw some lovely countryside.
Reviewed by: Gillian P, United Kingdom, December 2007
Friendly and knowledgeable driver/guide. Good wineries visited with generous tastings!!
Reviewed by: Graham G, United Kingdom, October 2007
An awesome day with great company. The experience was made even more enjoyable by the wonderful tour guide/driver. He provided great commentary and a wonderful sense of humour.
Reviewed by: Lynne S, New Zealand, October 2007
A long day, but brilliant driver/guide and the extra bits on the way to the wine tasting absolutely worth it.
Reviewed by: Ian W, United Kingdom, April 2007
My official review: This was a really fun tour. Our guide was really knowledgeable about Australian history, which made the drive out to the Hunter Valley educational and interesting. We stopped at an animal reserve to see kangaroos and other native animals, which was cool. The wineries we visited were great and we learned a ton about Australian wine.
My non-official review: I loved Coopers so much that I shipped out a case of their wine. Seriously. Everyone on the tour was like, crazy American girl shipping out cases of wine.
This wasn't just a wine tour - this was a culinary, historical, wine and wildlife adventure for the senses. I chilled with kangaroos, emus, and wallabies at a wildlife sanctuary. Up close and personal with the animals feeding them and giving them hugs. The guide in our mini-bus (quite comfy actually) gave us an extensive history lesson on all things Australian. I even walked on the original Convict Road on our way up to the Hunter Valley. His knowledge has even prompted me to ask all my Aussie friends where they descended from. The Hunter Valley was beautiful. We hit three very different wineries that allowed for a range of experiences - a large family-owned, a corporate-owned and a small boutique winery. I bought wine all around and had smiles throughout the private tastings at each winery. The tastings included Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and Desert Wines to name a few. The lunch was a class act with small plates of meat, cheese and vegetables and yes, more wine (obvvviousslllyyy). We also had a delicious cheese tasting at the boutique winery paired perfectly with their wines. And of course I must not forget the roadhouse and chocolate shop stops. Two thumbs up, a must-do for a day outside of Sydney.
Reviewed by: Liz P, United States of America, November 2006
This was a really fun tour. Feeding the kangaroos was great, and the tour guide was very good. We got to taste more wines than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The stop at the chocolate factory was not really worth it, in my opinion.
Reviewed by: Stephanie K, Canada, May 2009
The tour was nice. The chocolate stop was very lame. I recommend either not having it as part of the tour or doing something more substantial, even just some explanation as to how chocolate is made. One additional winery stop would be nice too. But the countryside was great, the tour guide did a very nice job, and the wineries we visited were very professional.
Reviewed by: Kristina F, United States of America, March 2009
Wineries were good and fun. Liked the cheese and chocolate tastings. Excellent lunch. Terrible pickup scheduling...we spent a bit more than 1 hour driving back and forth through Sydney to the various hotels. It was awful, and even the driver was very frustrated. As a result, the rest of the trip was very hurried. Whoever was making up the route has no clue about where the various hotels are. Given the poor roads, you really need to use better riding buses...we bounced badly, with a couple of guests getting motion sickness. Liked the stop at Dr. Jurg's, but it was too hurried. Great driver/tour guide. I believe that your advertisement indicated 30 wines to be tasted, we probably only did about 12. Liked the reptile place, but again, the visit was too short, most likely because of the pickup issues.
Reviewed by: David L, United States of America, February 2009
Good but rushed tasting sessions.
Reviewed by: Richard W, United Kingdom, November 2008
Excellent!
Reviewed by: Abraham Jacobus O, South Africa, July 2008
Very knowledgeable guide. Very interesting commentary on the "coal" road construction. Might include more wineries.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, February 2008
