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.

Thredbo in summer is a nature lover’s dream of show-stopping alpine beauty, cool mountain air and magical moonlit adventure.

For many of us, Thredbo calls to mind shimmering slopes and snow-dusted gums, but come summer, this Alpine resort transforms into a playground of an entirely different kind. A cool mountain retreat despite the season, Thredbo summer hikes are astonishingly beautiful, criss-crossing over dramatic peaks, pristine glacial lakes and abundant flora and fauna.

From approachable tracks for novice walkers to more challenging hikes across the Main Range and even journeys under moonlight, Thredbo puts on an unforgettable show of natural splendour all summer. Lace up your walking boots and take the chairlift from Thredbo village to embark on a self-guided exploration or a tour of the Snowy Mountains’ most compelling landscapes.

These eight unforgettable hiking experiences are only available in summer and offer an alpine adventure like you’ve never experienced before.

1. Full Moon Hike to Mt Kosciuszko

There’s something almost mystical about hiking by the light of a full moon. This guided experience begins with a 15-minute chairlift ride, where you’ll admire the Thredbo Valley below, bathed in the fading sun.

Once at the top, you’ll pass rivers, alpine lakes and spot nocturnal wildlife on your way to the Kosciuszko Lookout and Lake Cootapatamba. By the time you reach the summit, sunset is well underway as you watch day give way to night and the alpine landscape magically illuminated by the lunar glow. Enjoy a hot chocolate here before following the path back to Eagles Nest, brightened by the night sky.

This 13-kilometre hike will take place on 3 January, 2 February, and 2 April in 2026.

2. Super Full Moon Hike

Super Full Moon Hike in thredbo — Take in the might of a super full moon.

The only thing that could level up the celestial beauty of a full moon hike would be a super full moon hike . Following the same route, you’ll meet the moon when it is largest and closest to Earth by ascending to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko at an elevation of 2228 metres. From such a height, it almost feels as though you could reach out and touch its glowing surface.

Given the rarity and splendour of the super full moon, limited spots fill up fast for this awe-inspiring hike, so be sure to book the 5 December in advance.

3. Lunar Eclipse Hike

Thredbo Lunar Eclipse Hike — See dazzling celestial displays.

What could be more extraordinary than witnessing a lunar eclipse from Australia’s highest peak? Whether you’re a keen astronomer or simply revel in nature’s beauty, this guided 13-kilometre hike will place you on top of Mount Kosciuszko just as Earth passes between the sun and moon, throwing shade over the lunar surface before transforming it with a deep-red hue.

It’s an epic place to witness one of our galaxy’s most spectacular and rare light shows. Apart from the dazzling celestial display, you’ll also enjoy walking through the moon-bathed landscape, an evening chairlift ride, and a hot chocolate at the summit.

Book now for 3 March.

4. New Moon Hike

New Moon Hike Mt Kosciuszko — Catch the changing skies of a new moon.

A stargazer’s delight, the darkness of a new moon gives the Milky Way full permission to dazzle with its shimmering display. Both astronomers and photographers will relish this opportunity to observe and capture the starry skyscape from the lofty height of Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko. Departing Thredbo Village at dusk and leaving its twinkling lights far below, you’ll arrive at the summit in time to see the sun slip away and the stars appear.

Catch this hike during the new moon lunar phase on 20 December, 19 January, 17 February, 19 March or 17 April.

5. Thredbo River Track

Embark on a gentle entry into the Snowy Mountain scenery with an amble along the Thredbo River. This self-guided hike hugs the river and wanders along the valley floor, revealing snow gum forests, swimming holes and little waterfalls that make for revitalising cold plunges in the summer heat.

6. Merritts Nature Track

Merritts Nature Track thredbo summer hikes — Stop at swimming holes along the way.

On warm summer days, venturing into the cooler air of Thredbo’s alpine tracks offers relief from the heat. Particularly if you set course for the four-kilometre Merritts Nature Track , where there are opportunities to take a refreshing dip in swimming holes along the way.

The two-to-three-hour self-guided hike meanders through towering ancient trees (dubbed the ‘Pixie Forest’ by locals), takes in stunning mountain vistas and is soundtracked by the melody of birdsong. Stop for a picnic and discover a hidden natural infinity pool, the location of which is given away by the roar of a cascading waterfall.

7. Mt Kosciuszko Summit Tour

Follow a guide along Mt Kosciuszko's summit. — Follow a guide along Mt Kosciuszko’s summit.

While you can easily steer yourself to Australia’s most iconic peak without a guide, following an expert guide to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko will colour your experience with a deeper knowledge of the landscape and its wild inhabitants. The 13-kilometre return trail puts the alpine scenery on display with 360-degree views from the highest spot in the country.

The walk begins at the top of the Kosciuszko Chairlift and takes around four to six hours to complete, but is gentle enough to be embarked upon by all ages.

8. Snowies Alpine Walk Experience

If you’re looking to truly untether from daily life and embark on a real immersion in Thredbo’s stunning alpine scenery, pack your hiking boots for the newest multi-day walk in the mountains. The Snowies Alpine Walk can be tackled over two or three days and includes nightly accommodation in the iconic Thredbo Alpine Hotel, daily buffet breakfast, packed lunch and dinner vouchers, plus daily transfers to and from trail heads in a brand-new Defender.

The two-day experience covers 24 kilometres, while the three-day experience almost doubles that at 44 kilometres. Along the way, explore barely trod landscapes, vast high-country plains and uplifting mountain horizons.

Discover the full offering of summer hikes in Thredbo at thredbo.com.au.

Sit back and relax on these 8 unforgettable Orange wine tours