Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tours
Private Winery Bus Tours from Sydney
With a professional driver at the wheel,
the hardest decision of the day is which cellar door to visit first.
Sydney Charter Bus Australia runs private Hunter Valley wine tasting tours by minibus and coach for groups of 12 to 62 passengers. The Hunter is Australia’s oldest wine region, with vines first planted in the 1820s and more than 150 wineries today, most of them around Pokolbin, Lovedale and Broke. Your group is collected from home, work or a hotel anywhere in Greater Sydney, travels together all day and is returned at the end of the tour, so nobody has to drive after a tasting.
We help you choose cellar doors that suit your group, check vehicle access for every stop, plan realistic timings and build in lunch, so the day feels relaxed rather than rushed.
Travel Time
Choosing your Wineries
Winery Opening Hours
Our Touring Buses
Hunter Valley
- Cellar Door Tastings
- Hunter Valley Gardens
- Cheese and Chocolate Stops
- Pokolbin, Lovedale or Broke
- Tasting Fees (paid to wineries) *
- Entry Fees (if applicable) *
- Lunch (own expense) *
- Professional Tour Guide (optional) *
Full Day
Winery Bookings
Best Time to Visit
Safety & Comfort
Our Suggestion for Wineries
A varied selection to start planning with. We check vehicle access for every stop and confirm group tastings with each winery when booking.
McGuigan Wines
Cheese tasting
Cellar door open 10am to 5pm daily
Group tastings by prior arrangement
Suits full-size coaches
Small Winemakers Centre
Wines from smaller Hunter producers
Minibus groups only, not suited to full-size coaches
Peterson House
Sparkling and pink sparkling wines
Group tastings available
Suits full-size coaches
Tyrrell's Wines
Long-established family winery
Picnic tables and vineyard views
Suits full-size coaches
Hunter Valley Gardens
About 8 km of walking paths
Village shops beside the gardens
Christmas Lights Spectacular in summer
A popular stop for groups
Suits full-size coaches
Bimbadgen Winery
Cellar door
Vineyard views
Suits full-size coaches
Tempus Two
Modern cellar door in Pokolbin
Suits full-size coaches
Brokenwood Wines
Cellar door
Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz
Vehicle access checked when we plan your day
Lake's Folly
Cabernet blend and Chardonnay
Personal experience
Good for small groups
Vehicle access checked when we plan your day
Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tours from Sydney
Who Our Winery Tours Suit
Corporate groups. Team days, client hosting and end of year celebrations with a long winery lunch. See corporate coach hire.
Friends and social clubs. Friends travelling together, with one vehicle and no designated driver needed.
Seniors, Probus and social clubs. Gentle days with three cellar doors, the gardens and plenty of time for lunch.
International visitors. Inbound groups who want to taste Hunter Semillon and Shiraz at the source, ideally with a multilingual guide.
Wedding guests. Shuttles between accommodation and Hunter Valley wedding venues. See wedding bus hire.
What the Coach and Driver Provide
- Pick-up and return anywhere in Greater Sydney, including Hornsby, Macquarie Park and the Northern Beaches
- A private vehicle with seatbelts and air-conditioning
- A professional driver, with access for every stop checked when we plan the day
- Flexible timings within your booked hours
No alcohol may be consumed on board, and food and hot drinks are not permitted. Ask us about stowing sealed wine purchases in the luggage hold. Coaches are limited to 100 km/h, and drivers take a 20 minute break after no more than 3 hours of driving.
Commentary and Tour Hosts
Our drivers concentrate on driving and do not give commentary, in line with our Driver Commentary and Tour Guide Policy. For wine knowledge, tasting bookings and group management at each stop, add a professional tour guide. Many cellar doors also run hosted group tastings with their own staff.
Sample Hunter Valley Itineraries
Suggested timings only. We adjust every tour to your pick-up point and winery bookings.
Classic Cellar Door Day (about 10 hours)
- 8.00am: depart Sydney
- 9.15am: comfort stop on the M1
- 10.30am: first cellar door
- 11.30am: second cellar door
- 12.30pm: winery lunch (own expense)
- 2.00pm: third cellar door
- 3.00pm: cheese or chocolate stop
- 3.45pm: depart, back in Sydney around 6.00pm
Gardens and Tastings (about 10.5 hours)
- 8.00am: depart Sydney
- 10.30am: Hunter Valley Gardens
- 12.30pm: lunch in Pokolbin (own expense)
- 1.45pm: two hosted cellar door tastings
- 4.00pm: depart, back in Sydney around 6.30pm
Optional Extras
- Two-day tours with an overnight stay in the valley
- Wedding guest shuttles
- Lovedale and Broke cellar doors
- Craft beer at 4 Pines at the Farm, Pokolbin (check vehicle access)
- Evening visits to the Christmas Lights Spectacular
Seasonal Notes for the Hunter Valley
Vintage is the harvest season in late summer and early autumn, when white grapes are picked first and reds follow. Many wineries host harvest events, so book tastings early. The Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens usually runs from November to late January and closes on Christmas Day; check the official site for each season’s dates. Winter is quieter, with cool days suited to long lunches and red wine. Spring brings green vineyards, mild weather and busy weekends.
The Hunter is one of our most popular regional trips. Getting there, local towns and visitor information are covered on the Visit NSW Hunter Valley travel guide.
Choosing a Vehicle
- 12-seat minibus, ideal for boutique wineries
- 20-seat Toyota Coaster
- 24-seat Mitsubishi Rosa
- 28 and 33-seat midi-coaches
- 39, 48, 53 and 57-seat coaches and the 62-seat HI-CAP coach
Many smaller Hunter Valley cellar doors have narrow driveways and no turning area for a full-size coach, so we check access for every stop when we plan the day. Where a winery cannot take a coach, we recommend minibuses (12, 20, 24 or 28 seats), or a coach plus minibus mix for larger groups. Larger estates and venues with coach parking suit full-size coaches and big corporate groups. See the full fleet.
How to Book Your Winery Tour
- Send your date, pick-up address, passenger numbers and preferred wineries through our online quote form.
- We recommend a vehicle and timings and send a quote, priced per vehicle, depot to depot.
- Book your tastings and lunch. We can help with itinerary planning and winery bookings.
- Confirm your booking. Our pre-booking information explains what we need before the day.
More ideas are on our day tours and sightseeing page.
Hunter Valley Wine Tour FAQs
How long does it take to reach the Hunter Valley by coach?
Allow around 2 to 2.5 hours each way from Sydney via the M1 Pacific Motorway, including a short comfort stop. Pick-up location and traffic make a difference, so allow extra in peak and holiday periods.
How many wineries can we visit in one day?
Most groups enjoy three or four cellar doors on a 10 hour day, at around 45 minutes each, with an hour for lunch. Larger groups move more slowly, so three often works best.
Can we drink wine on the coach?
No. Alcohol may not be consumed on board, and food and hot drinks are not permitted. Bottled water is fine. Ask us about stowing sealed wine purchases in the luggage hold.
Do we need to book the wineries ourselves?
Most cellar doors require group bookings in advance. You can book directly, or we can help with itinerary planning and winery bookings. Many smaller cellar doors have narrow driveways and no turning area for a full-size coach, so we check access for every stop when we plan the day and recommend minibuses (12, 20, 24 or 28 seats) or a coach plus minibus mix where needed. Larger estates and venues with coach parking suit full-size coaches.
Does the driver act as our wine tour guide?
No. Our drivers focus on driving safely and do not give commentary. For a hosted day, add a professional tour guide, or book hosted tastings with each winery.
Additional Services
> Itinerary Planning
> Winery Bookings
Sydney Charter Bus
All our coaches and minibuses are NSW Government accredited (NSW Bus Operator Accreditation No. 39461), and as buses they can use Sydney’s bus lanes, which helps keep your group moving in peak traffic.
Additional Services
> Restaurant Bookings
> Professional Tour Guides
Plan Your Private Hunter Valley Wine Tour
Direct operator since 2003, 100% Australian owned. NSW Bus Operator Accreditation No. 39461. Office: Macquarie Park. Depots: Botany, Moorebank and Marrickville. Ph: 1300 468 199