New Zealand wine connoisseur tour 🍷

The New Zealand wine connoisseur tour is a specially curated road trip for wine lovers. You will travel down the country exploring vineyards surrounded by New Zealand's beautiful scenery.

New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, will welcome you as you explore the area for 3 days. There are wineries 🍇outside the city to explore, but a visit to one of Auckland's many beaches with brunch at a seaside café, is also a must. So is a visit to the Auckland War Memorial Museum for those who wish to learn about New Zealand's history and the indigenous Māori culture.

Then you will take your car on a ferry 🛥️ to the beautiful Waiheke Island for 1 night. The island has many activities to offer, from wine tasting 🍷, to sailing, to art galleries and more.

Drive south to Napier and stay for 2 nights as you explore the wineries in the area. Napier city is known for its beautiful Art Deco architecture. A walk or drive up Te Mata Peak will give you the opportunity to take some stunning photos of the orchards and wineries 📸.

As you move further south you will reach Martinborough, our favourite wine town. This sleepy town is a perfect place to relax and buy locally handmade keepsakes. Stay 2 nights and take day trips to nearby country towns.

Drive down to Wellington and hop on a ferry 🛥️ with your car, and when you arrive in the South Island, drive to Blenheim and stay for 2 nights. Here you can tour the wineries and even stay onsite.

Your next stop for 2 nights is Christchurch, the biggest city in the South Island. Here you can take a day trip to Waipara to taste their wines. Christchurch city is worth a stroll as the romantic city has many rose gardens 🌹 and bridges. Take the day to walk around and visit the city's memorials and museums to learn about the city's poignant history.

Wanaka is famous for wine and white water rafting, but we don't recommend that you combine the two 😆! Stay for 2 nights to enjoy the wineries 🍇 and boat tours.

Finally, you will drive to Queenstown, where you will stay for 3 nights as there are so many activities to choose from. Explore the lake, visit a winery 🍷, take day trips to the Milford Sounds for a boat tour, or have an unforgettable helicopter 🚁 ride to Franz Josef Glacier.

New Zealand might be quite a journey from your home country, but once you get here, you can relax. New Zealanders or “Kiwis”, are one of the friendliest people in the world and we’ll look after you 😃.

Read our article “New Zealand, the friendliest country“ to learn more.

📍Tips

🏨Accommodation:

Mix up your accommodation types to get the full New Zealand experience. For example, glamping in the Bay of Islands, a farm stay on Waiheke Island, and even a night at a luxury spa resort in Queenstown.

🎟️Culture and museums

Most museums in New Zealand are free and they are a great place to learn about the Māori culture.

🍽️Food and drink:

New Zealand is an agricultural country and its food is one of the best and freshest in the world. Whether your favourite drink is coffee ☕, wine 🍷, or beer 🍺; there is a local producer in most towns. Go out and explore all the delicious and award-winning food and drink that New Zealand has to offer.

🚗Transport:

A compact country, travelling between New Zealand's destinations and activities can usually be done by car (on the left side of the road). Of course there are flights available between major travel destinations. To get between islands, travellers can either fly or take a ferry. Public transport, via trains and buses, is available within cities, but cars or tour coaches are recommended for travel between cities.

🧳Before you pack your bags:

New Zealand is famous for its unique animals and untouched landscapes. To preserve this beauty New Zealand has biosecurity measures that you should consider before you start packing. Check out this short video .