Shared tours cost NZ$229 to NZ$299 and spend 3.5 to 6.25 hours at three or four cellar doors, mostly in Gibbston, 25 minutes from town. Bring a passport or New Zealand licence: wineries can refuse tastings without accepted ID.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Original Wine TourIncludes Hosted tastings at three Gibbston wineries, Courtesy pick-up from Queenstown CBD or select accommodation |
NZ$229 per person |
Departs daily 11:40am, back about 5:00pm (approx. 5 1/4 hours) |
Max 14 guests |
No children (17 and under) on daily mixed-group tours | 50% fee within 48 hours of departure, full price within 24 hours; NZ$10 fee on refunds. | Check dates | ||
Queenstown Wine TourIncludes Hosted tastings at Te Kano Estate, Carrick Winery and Gibbston Valley Wines, Guided tour of the Gibbston Valley Wines cave, Local wine guide and Mercedes Sprinter transport, Selected Queenstown hotel pick-up and drop-off |
NZ$259 per adult |
5 hours (10am to 3pm) |
Maximum 10 guests |
Adults only, 18+ | Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. | Check dates | ||
Queenstown Afternoon Wine TourIncludes Tastings at three Gibbston Valley wineries |
NZ$259 per adult |
3.5 hours (3pm to 6:30pm) |
Maximum 10 guests |
Adults only, 18+ | Free changes or cancellations up to 24 hours before the tour. | Check dates | ||
Twilight Wine & Craft Beer TourIncludes Wine or craft beer tastings at GT Tasting Room, Kinross and Altitude Brewing, Shared antipasto platter, Wine-certified guide |
NZ$259 per adult |
4 hours (approx.) |
Small group; no more than 15 people per tour |
One seat rate; under-18s offered non-alcoholic options | Daily tours free to cancel up to 48 hours before departure; no refund within 48 hours or for no-shows. | Check dates | ||
Queenstown Wine & Food TourIncludes Tastings at three Gibbston wineries, A la carte lunch, Paired glass of wine |
NZ$279 per person |
Departs daily 11:40am, back about 5:00pm (approx. 5 1/4 hours) |
Max 14 guests |
No children (17 and under) on daily mixed-group tours | 50% fee within 48 hours of departure, full price within 24 hours; NZ$10 fee on refunds. | Check dates | ||
Queenstown Wine SamplerIncludes Tastings of over 18 wines at four Gibbston cellar doors (Gibbston Valley, Kinross, Mt Rosa, Ayrburn), Guided tour of the Gibbston Valley Winery underground cave, Wine-certified guide |
NZ$279 per adult |
6 hours (approx.) |
Small group; no more than 15 people per tour |
One seat rate; under-18s offered non-alcoholic options | Daily tours free to cancel up to 48 hours before departure; no refund within 48 hours or for no-shows. | Check dates | ||
Central Otago Premium Wine TourIncludes Tastings at four wineries across Gibbston, Cromwell and Bannockburn, A la carte winery lunch, Hosted tastings with a wine guide |
NZ$299 per person |
Departs daily 10:45am, back about 5:00pm (approx. 6 1/4 hours) |
Max 8 guests |
No children (17 and under) on daily mixed-group tours | 50% fee within 48 hours of departure, full price within 24 hours; NZ$10 fee on refunds. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 22, 2026. How we compare.
Gibbston, which Destination Queenstown calls the Valley of the Vines, is a 25-minute drive from downtown Queenstown (the same page's summary says 20 minutes, and the board's 2018 story says 30). The vineyards sit beside State Highway 6 where the Kawarau River cuts the Kawarau Gorge, and the board counts a dozen or so cellar doors along the valley. New Zealand Winegrowers calls Gibbston the highest of Central Otago's six subregions. The Gibbston River Trail starts at the Kawarau Bridge, home of the first commercial bungy.
Pick-ups work differently at each company. Queenstown Wine Trail collects guests from the CBD or selected accommodation and names the spot in its confirmation email; it says it cannot wait for latecomers. Altitude Tours meets Wine Sampler guests at or near their Queenstown or Frankton accommodation, but not at Airbnbs or holiday homes. Its Twilight tour leaves from outside the Station Information Centre at Camp and Shotover Streets. Alpine Wine Tours lists pick-up from selected hotels without naming them.
Two tours go beyond Gibbston. Queenstown Wine Trail's Central Otago tour reaches Cromwell and Bannockburn, and Alpine's day tour drives through the Kawarau Gorge to Te Kano Estate and Carrick in Bannockburn. New Zealand Winegrowers places Bannockburn on the south bank of the Kawarau River, among the warmest and driest sites in the region. The Cromwell, Lowburn and Pisa subregion runs about 25 km north from Cromwell along the western side of Lake Dunstan.
Altitude Tours' Wine Sampler visits four Gibbston cellar doors, Gibbston Valley, Kinross, Mt Rosa and Ayrburn, with more than 18 wines poured over about 6 hours, though it says the stops can change. It includes a guided walk through the Gibbston Valley cave, which it calls New Zealand's largest underground wine cave. Lunch at Kinross is ordered and paid on the day. The company's 4-hour Twilight tour stops at the GT Tasting Room in the Gibbston Tavern, Kinross and Altitude Brewing at Frankton Marina. You choose wine or beer at each stop, more than 12 pours in all, and a shared antipasto platter arrives at Kinross.
Alpine Wine Tours' 5-hour day tour runs 10 am to 3 pm with hosted tastings at Te Kano Estate, Carrick (certified organic wines) and the Gibbston Valley cave. A seasonal lunch at Carrick is at your own cost. Its Afternoon Wine Tour runs 3 pm to 6:30 pm with three Gibbston tastings. Queenstown Wine Trail's Original tour leaves at 11:40 am and returns about 5 pm, with tastings of Pinot Noir and other cool-climate varieties at three Gibbston wineries. Its Central Otago tour leaves at 10:45 am, visits four wineries in Gibbston, Cromwell and Bannockburn, and is led by a WSET-qualified guide.
Queenstown Wine Trail says its itineraries change daily and names Amisfield, Peregrine, Gibbston Valley, Mt Difficulty, Akarua, Kinross, Felton Road and Chard Farm among the wineries it uses. Pinot Noir is the region's flagship, New Zealand Winegrowers says, with Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, rosé and traditional-method sparkling wine alongside. Gibbston's later-ripening, north-facing vines give lighter wines; Bannockburn can harvest up to a month earlier than the other subregions.
New Zealand's purchase age is 18 under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Police list a New Zealand driver licence, a passport or a Kiwi Access or HANZ 18+ card as acceptable proof. Queenstown Wine Trail warns that wineries may refuse tastings or purchases without valid ID; international and Australian driver licences and passport photos do not count. Alpine Wine Tours takes nobody under 18. Queenstown Wine Trail keeps children (17 and under) off its daily mixed-group tours, and Altitude Tours sells one seat rate with non-alcoholic options for under-18s.
Queenstown Wine Trail runs every tour with a minimum of two people and reserves the right to cancel for weather, refunding in full if you cannot reschedule. Cancel yourself and it charges 50% within 48 hours of departure and the full price within 24 hours, plus a NZ$10 fee on every refund. Latecomers and no-shows get nothing, and anyone who soils the van pays NZ$250. Altitude's daily tours are free to cancel up to 48 hours out, with no refund after that, and date changes also need 48 hours. Alpine allows free changes or cancellations up to 24 hours before.
Tours run year-round, and Queenstown Wine Trail advertises a NZ$20 winter discount. Alpine's advice on clothing is wine country casual, dressed for the weather. Altitude asks for dietary needs in advance on tours with food, and provides no child car seats unless requested 48 hours ahead for a fee. Queenstown Wine Trail asks for dietary, health and mobility details at booking and takes no cash on the day; tours are prepaid online and its guides carry no cash.
Queenstown Wine Trail, running since 1992, is the cheapest way in at NZ$229 for its Original tour of three Gibbston wineries over about 5.25 hours. Lunch is at your own expense and groups are capped at 14. Its Wine & Food tour, NZ$279, adds an à la carte main with a paired glass and a cave tour when available. The NZ$299 Central Otago tour takes 8 guests at most to four wineries across Gibbston, Cromwell and Bannockburn with a winery lunch included, over about 6.25 hours. Private tours start at NZ$499 a person and are the only ones that take children, and its Wine Hopper shuttle costs from NZ$119.
Alpine Wine Tours charges NZ$259 for its 5-hour day tour to Te Kano, Carrick and the Gibbston Valley cave, lunch extra. Its 3.5-hour afternoon tour is also NZ$259, and both are capped at 10 guests in a Mercedes Sprinter. Founder Emma Chisholm, who started the company in 2018, hosts the tours, often with her dog Bella. It also sells a NZ$259 Gin, Wine & Beer tour, a NZ$489 progressive dinner across three Queenstown venues and a NZ$2,190 private couples tour.
Altitude Tours' Wine Sampler is NZ$279 for about 6 hours and four Gibbston cellar doors with a wine-certified guide, and its Twilight Wine & Craft Beer tour is NZ$259 for about 4 hours. Its FAQ describes a fleet of Mercedes vans with 6 to 19 seats. Cancellation terms favour Alpine (free to 24 hours) over Altitude (48 hours) and Queenstown Wine Trail (50% inside 48 hours, 100% inside 24).
from NZ$229 per person
The Original Wine Tour and 2 more options
Est. 1992; says it has operated for over 34 years
from NZ$259 per adult
Queenstown Wine Tour and 1 more option
Family-owned; founded by Emma Chisholm, whom the site describes as a certified wine expert
from NZ$259 per adult
Twilight Wine & Craft Beer Tour and 1 more option
Calls itself a multi-award-winning operator from 2017 to 2025
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 22, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.
