8 Unforgettable Orange Wine Tours - Australian Traveller

Be guided through Orange’s top drops on a wine tour that puts you in the passenger seat.

Embarking on a solo exploration of the nooks and crannies of such a beautifully rounded and well-developed wine region as Orange takes time and planning. And unless you have a willing volunteer to drive, you can easily and regrettably miss out on some of the most spectacular hidden gems. If you’re visiting for the weekend or a short break, often the most efficient and carefree way to enjoy as much as possible is to join a tour. With plenty of operators ferrying wine lovers about town, it’s easy to find one to suit your style. From airborne to open-air vehicles and long lunches to quick edits of the best, these Orange wine tours have you covered.

1. Orange Wine Tours

Sip and savour both the wines and scenery of Orange with tours that tick off a hit-list of wineries . Choose from a half-day morning or afternoon tour, a full-day, or a private VIP tour. Full days are a marathon for the palate but well-paced with time for lunch amid the four wineries, which may include Philip Shaw, Ross Hill or Printhie Wines.

Group enjoying food and wine tasting on a tour with Orange Wine Tours — Embrace a marathon of winery visits with a full-day tour. (Image: Destination NSW)

Half-day-trippers get to experience three stops over four well-spent hours. Get the low down on the region with entertaining and informative guides as you’re bussed about in a comfortable van. Our tip is to gather a group of friends and opt for the private tour for a fun day in the vines.

Group enjoying a tour with Orange Wine Tours in Orange — The tours will give you access to informative guides and hosts on the day. (Image: Destination NSW)

Details: Private VIP tours from $145 for half-day; half-day tours from $125; full-day tours from $165.

2. Winery Experiences Orange

With more than 30 years of experience in hospitality and tourism, your vino adventures are in good hands with Winery Experiences Orange . Hitch your wagon to theirs and choose from half- or full-day tours sipping the cool climate varietals Orange is renowned for. Catering for two to six guests, your personalised tour may include a picnic lunch at one of the idyllic vineyards or lunch at a winery, where you’ll also enjoy wine-tasting and pairing experiences. From small boutique producers to the big names, they’re able to curate an itinerary to suit your palate and even offer an Ultimate Wine and Food Flight, where you ascend over Orange and Millthorpe in a helicopter for a bird’s-eye view.

Winery Experiences Orange's tour bus parked at a winery — Winery Experiences Orange caters for two to six guests on a personalised tour.

Details: Full- or half-day tours from $100 per person for a half-day. The Ultimate Wine and Heli Tour starts from $450 per person.

3. Uncork Orange Wine Tours

Insider intel makes these laidback wine tours a truly pleasurable way for oenophiles to unravel Orange’s cool climate drops. Whether you’re clued into the nuances of varietals or simply know what you like when you taste it, you’ll have fun on this entirely unstuffy tour. Operating on weekends only, you can join a half-day morning or afternoon tour or a full-day exploration of the region. Included are transfers, a picnic basket with snacking provisions, commentary and three cellar doors for the half-days and four for the full-day.

A small Uncork Orange tour group at a wine tasting in Orange — Embrace a laidback wine tour with Uncork Orange.

Details: Full-day (5 hours) $189 and half-day (3 hours) $149, including all entry fees to cellar doors.

4. Orange Trike Tours

Some enjoy the air-conditioned environment of a minibus, while others prefer the feeling of the wind in their hair. If you’re of the latter persuasion, you’d be best fit for a wine-tasting tour by trike . You and your biker bestie will join an experienced guide for a half-day tasting tour for two sipping at three of Orange’s top vineyards and chatting to winemakers while being chauffeured around on a German-made Boom Mustang trike.

Two people enjoying an Orange Trike Tour — Experience the best wine in Orange by trike.

Details: Half-day tour from $439.

5. Country Food Trails

Bringing a food-lovers focus to their tours, Country Food Trails is all about local knowledge and hidden gems. Join a small group of up to seven fellow sippers on the Wine Trail for tastings and one food pairing at three Orange vineyards, where you’ll meet winemakers and be guided through their top drops.

Friends explore food and wine offerings during a Country Food Trails — Get your fill of local knowledge and hidden gems on a Country Food Trails tour. (Image: Destination NSW)

Or cast your net a little wider and take the Millthorpe Village Tour, 25 minutes from Orange, which includes a wine-tasting at either Tamburlaine Organic Wines, Slow Wine Co or Angullong Wines, as well as a guided walk through the village, lunch and a scenic drive.

Details: Wine Trail from $180 per person; Millthorpe Village Tour from $190 per person.

6. Orange Wine Shuttle Tour

This tour is halfway between guided and DIY and perfect for those keen to be driven but prefer not to be locked into a structured itinerary. The shuttle is a hop-in-hop-out scenario where you can be the master of your own day. Departing hourly every Saturday from 10.30am and visiting up to 20 vineyards, including Borrodell Vineyard, Philip Shaw Wines, Small Acres Cider, Swinging Bridge and Heifer Station, this is perhaps the best way to autonomously tour the vineyards without having to designate a driver. If you’re stopping for lunch, just be sure to allocate one to two hours and make a reservation.

Details: $66 per person.

7. Swinging Bridge, Ultimate Winery Experiences

While this tour is only at Swinging Bridge , what it lacks in diversity it makes up for in immersion. The experience begins with a guided walking tour of the beautiful Hill Park Vineyard before guests embark upon a deep dive into all the label’s wines.

The scenic grounds of Swinging Bridge Wines, Orange. — The scenic grounds of Swinging Bridge Wines need to be experienced. (Image: Destination NSW)

Following the tasting is a well-finessed four-course degustation lunch elegantly paired with wines by the in-house sommelier. The beauty of a singular tour like this is the absence of any immediate hurry to get to the next cellar door. Simply sit with the wine and enjoy your time with fellow oenophiles.

Indulge with Swinging Bridge — A deep dive into all the label’s wines and a four-course degustation awaits.

Details: From 11am, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; $150 per person.

8. Printhie Wines, Ultimate Winery Experiences

Take flight for this exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience at Printhie Wines , which begins with a chauffeured transfer to the label’s cellar door before you’re whisked off to the winery in a helicopter. Once there, the journey of the grape unravels on a tour that meanders through the details of picking, processing and fermenting. Of course, there’ll be ferments to taste and samples to sip directly from the barrel, too. After you’ve savoured the minutia of winemaking, alight the chopper again for the 15-minute return journey to the cellar door, where you’ll be guided through a tasting of Printhie’s flagship drops and seated for an incredible three-course lunch with matching wines.

Two women enjoying a platter while on Printhie Helicopter Ultimate Winery Tour — Don’t miss the exceptional Ultimate Winery Experience at Printhie Wines. (Image: Destination NSW)

Details: Thursday to Sunday from 10am; $1350 per person.

For more ways to taste the region, read our guide to the top restaurants in Orange, start your day at the town’s best cafes and visit a brewery or distillery door.

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .

Sit back and relax on these 8 unforgettable Orange wine tours