About this tour
When Lily from our BugBitten team ran the Altitude Tours afternoon wine and beer experience, it was a proper local crawl through Gibbston and Arthurs Point — three cellar doors and breweries in four hours, with the freedom to pick your poison at each stop. The region's wine scene is serious business out here, and the breweries punch above their weight too. You get hosted by the cellar door crew, a knowledgeable local guide steering the ship, and shared antipasto platters at the final stop before a 7pm return to town. Suits couples, mates with different tastes, and solo drinkers keen to scope the local producers without navigating the backroads themselves.
Highlights
- Choice of wine or beer at each of three stops — no compromise.
- Antipasto platters included, actually generous and well-made.
- Knowledgeable guides who know the producers and their stories.
- Central Queenstown pick-up and drop-off, no faffing with rentals.
- Gibbston and Arthurs Point venues feel genuine, not tourist traps.
- Finishes by 7pm, timed well for dinner or more town drinks.
- Small-group vibe — not a cattle-run experience.
What to expect
The tour kicks off with a central Queenstown pickup around 3pm, then heads out to the wine and brewery region. You'll roll up to three different spots over the afternoon, spending 45 minutes to an hour at each. At every stop, the cellar door or brewery staff walk you through their tasting lineup — three tastings per location — and you decide whether you're on wine, beer, or switching between them. The guides chat about what's in your glass and the local landscape that shapes the producers.
The pacing is relaxed; it's not rushed. By the final stop, you're sitting down with antipasto — cheese, cured meats, bread — and fellow tour-goers before heading back to town by 7pm. The afternoon light across the Gibbston Valley is solid, and you genuinely learn what makes these local operations tick. If you're not a drinker or your mate isn't, the flexibility means you're not stuck sipping something you don't fancy.
What travellers say
- Mix-and-match wine and beer tasting keeps everyone happy.
- Local guides genuinely knowledgeable, not tour-script reading.
- Antipasto platters generous and well-considered.
- Afternoon timing leaves room for dinner or more drinks.
- No driving yourself through unfamiliar Kiwi roads.
- Three cellar doors feel authentic, not manufactured tourist stops.
- Afternoon heat and sun exposure — bring sunscreen and water.
- Not suitable for pregnant travellers due to alcohol focus.
- Peak season crowds can make stops busier than expected.
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This works brilliantly for couples or groups with mixed tastes — no one's forced to choose the same drink. The tastings are generous, the platters are solid, and you sidestep the stress of driving unfamiliar Kiwi roads after a few. The guides are local and passionate, not reading off a script. You'll finish by 7pm, so it slots nicely before dinner.
You'll be on your feet moving between venues, so wear comfortable shoes. It's not recommended for pregnant travellers. The afternoon can get warm — bring sunscreen and water. Gibbston is a short drive from Queenstown, so expect 20–30 minutes of driving time on either end. Peak season (December–February) gets busier. You need to be 18 and bring ID (passport or NZ licence).
Dress for changeable weather; layering works. Bring your ID. The tour's fully guided, pick-ups are central, and three tastings per venue are locked in. Group sizes are typically 8–15 people. Public transport is nearby if you prefer not to be driven, though the tour includes transport.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.