Top Barossa Valley Wine Tours To Book Now- Australian Traveller

Overflowing with more than 170 wineries, South Australia’s most killer drops are best discovered through a mixed bag of Barossa Valley wine tours and experiences.

Ain’t nothing wrong with getting lost in the rolling hills and country air of the Barossa – after all, this is premier Aussie winemaking territory so a visit should certainly be savoured. But if your mission involves digging up hidden gems, then signing onto one of the most eye-opening Barossa Valley wine tours and experiences is a no-brainer. Our pick of the most remarkable is calling.

Barossa Red Vintage Tours

Consider touring the region in a red London cab for a ‘full English experience’ filled with Barossa’s hottest hits, courtesy of Barossa Red Vintage Tours .

Facilitating a range of tours for up to six guests, including themed expeditions with Devonshire tea and stout tasting, and a half or full day out bouncing between wineries, distilleries, craft breweries and historical photo opportunities, your ride for the day is a 1972 Austin FX4 once owned by Sir Richard Branson.

Craft breweries make the cut on this tour. (Image: Rehn Bier pictured/Barossa Tourism)

One of the most character-filled Barossa Valley wine tours on offer, there’s even a ‘Meet the Locals’ three-hour group tour every Friday night where you’ll score an invitation to the tour operator’s personal social mixer that evening, plus dinner. Prices start from $410 for two people and each tour requires a minimum of two passengers.

Barossa Bespoke Tours

If you have a clear idea of what you’d like, Barossa Bespoke Tours specialises in creating detailed private itineraries so you get exactly what you pay for. A typical tour includes hotel transfers, visits to some of the region’s best-loved wineries, and lunch with paired wines at a local restaurant.

It’s priced from $900 for two adults and two additional guests can jump in on the two-person deal for an extra $150 per person. Part of the appeal of this service is the expert guide you’ll have on hand. Kym spent more than 20 years working within the Barossa Valley’s hospitality scene, managing several cellar doors and hotels, making this one of the most insightful Barossa Valley wine tours out there.

The Barossa Cellar

No visit to the Barossa is complete without a visit to The Barossa Cellar , a regional wine cellar (and Australia’s first) housing a staggering collection of rare and aged Barossa and Eden Valley wines. Best of all, it offers hosted, exclusive access to the country’s top drops, and an invitation to taste wines from the prestigious Barons of Barossa’s 3000-strong wine collection.

Its standout tour is the Barossa Vine & Wine Experience, allowing you to sit in the heart of the cellar, The Vault, and enjoy a private tasting, plus the ability to purchase a vine in perpetuity. Priced at $1,150 for two guests, it doesn’t come cheap, but this is exclusive access you’ll never forget on board one of the finest Barossa Valley wine tours.

Adelaide Sightseeing

Two excellent group tours, running all the way from Adelaide CBD, are offered by Adelaide Sightseeing . The first is a full-day, small group coach tour, the ‘Barossa Food and Wine Experience’, which makes stops at a handful of great wineries, including Pindarie Wines and Lambert Estate, some of the region’s finest foodie havens including Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop, and at a brilliant vantage point for happy snaps in Mengler Hill, one of the Barossa’s most unmissable things to do. Prices start from $198 per adult.

Pindarie Wines Cellar Door — Pindarie Wines is one of the cellar doors on offer during the tour. (South Australia Tourism Commission/ Sven Kovac)

Meanwhile, the full-day ’Barossa and Hahndorf Highlights’ tour caters for a larger group than its other offering and includes a wine tasting at Jacob’s Creek, one of the Barossa’s best-loved wineries, a lunch and paired tasting at Lambert Estate, and a trip to Hahndorf, a gorgeous village filled with rich German heritage plus fascinating shops and art galleries. It’s priced at $189 per adult.

Hahndorf Streetscape — Take in the sights of Hahndorf. (Image: Michael Waterhouse Photography)

Small Batch Wine Tours

Live like a VIP for the day with Small Batch Wine Tours , which are renowned for their luxurious Barossa Valley wine tours. With keys to many of the region’s most exclusive wineries, some that don’t even open their doors to the general public, these guys provide incredible premium experiences to both small groups or couples seeking an intimate setting.

Seppeltsfield Winery — Opt for a VIP experience with Small Batch Wine Tours. (Image: Barossa Grape & Wine Association)

In its least exclusive offering, the ‘Small Group’ tour aims to avoid crowds, timing its arrival at the likes of Two Hands Wines, one of the Barossa’s most extraordinary wineries, and Izway Wines, a boutique label with a firm focus on organic farming, during quiet periods. Lunch is included, and prices start at $300 per adult.

On the super exclusive end, private expeditions for two, featuring lunch at Fino at Seppeltsfield, one of the region’s most celebrated restaurants, plus visits to four or so wineries are priced from $840 per person, while the ‘Penfolds vs Henschke’ tour is what dreams are made of.

Dine at Fino during a Small Batch Wine Tour. (Image: Fino Seppeltsfield)

Offering exclusive access to both Penfolds Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace, two of the wine world’s most applauded creations, and throwing in lunch at Fino once again, this is pure decadence. Prices start from $2,000 per person.

Hill of Grace experience at Henschke

Speaking of the most extraordinary blends going, Henschke’s ‘Hill of Grace Experience’ is worth mentioning in this ‘best of’ line-up.

Priced at $325 per person, the small group expedition, capped at six people, offers access to Henschke’s revered Hill of Grace vineyard, plus a once-in-a-lifetime chance to taste vintage varieties in a private tasting room, away from the label’s main cellar door, which stands as one of the Barossa’s best winery experiences regardless.

Henschke Hill Of Grace Vineyard — Gain access to Henschke’s revered Hill of Grace vineyard. (Image: Barossa Grape & Wine Association/ Sven Kovac)

Visits to the working mechanics of the winery, plus samples of Henschke’s esteemed The Wheelwright, Cyril Henschke and Mount Edelstone drops are also included in the exceptional two-hour tour.

Barossa Unique Tours

Sometimes in life, hard choices will have to be made. With Barossa Unique Tours , that choice will be between a classic 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, a Jaguar XF or a motorcycle trike featuring a helmet intercom.

Offering everything from one-and-a-half-hour sightseeing tours (sans any wine tasting) to eight hours’ worth of winery and food experience hopping, all three head-turning automobiles will see you on the road like never before.

Prices start from $145 per person but soar all the way up to $525 per person for that memorable eight-hour journey in that super special Jag.

Taste The Barossa

Sample the best of the region under the wing of a local who once worked on the bottling line at Peter Lehmann Wines. Taste The Barossa , a small coach tour that hits the road from Adelaide before exploring wine country, will get you to the grand Chateau Yaldara in Lyndoch before a brief stop in central Tanunda, a gourmet cheese, meat and vegetable platter lunch and a wine tasting at Peter Lehmann, then more wine at Rosenvale Vineyards before rounding the day off at Wolf Blass. Groups are guaranteed to never exceed 20 people, and it costs $179 per person.

Taste of Barossa Chateau Yaldara — Go behind the scenes at the grand Chateau Yaldara. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission/ Adam Bruzzone)

Barossa Helicopters

As the name suggests, you can also explore the Barossa Valley from above thanks to Barossa Helicopters , who offer multiple scenic flights as well as luxurious food and wine experiences. Located in Lyndoch and securing more than 20 landing sites right across the region, the team can get you wherever your racing heart desires in a matter of minutes.

Barossa Helicopter tours — Experience the Barossa Valley via helicopter for the ultimate treat. (Image: Dragan Radocaj)

Scenic ventures range from just four-minute flights, priced at $50-$150 per person depending on number of passengers, to 30-minute journeys, priced from $250-$750 per person.

St Hugo's winery lunch — Dine at St Hugo’s winery. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission)

Fit in glorious lunches at either Pindarie Wines, Kies Family Wines, St Hugo or Chateau Yaldara’s Vintage Chef Co Cafe with journeys that range from three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half hours. Prices start from $399 per person.

Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia

It’s all about quality over quantity with the Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia crew, a high-end operator providing a wide range of unforgettable Barossa Valley wine tours.

Seppeltsfield Tawny Tasting — Join the ‘The Icons Of The Barossa’ tour for a world-class experience. (Image: Barossa Grape & Wine Association/ Sven Kovac)

Our pick of the lot? ‘The Icons Of The Barossa’ tour which includes Seppeltsfield’s exclusive Centenary Tour where you’ll sample extremely fancy fortified wines plus a vintage Tawny from the year you were born.

Once you’re done there, you’ll move on to Yalumba, yet another must-visit winery pit-stop during your adventure in the Barossa Valley, where you’ll stickybeak through the iconic brand’s fascinating cooperage before tasting some of its finest creations and washing it down with a platter jammed with outstanding local produce. Prices start from $299 per person.

Day With The Dirtman experience at Gibson Wines

Rob Gibson, affectionally known in this neck of the woods as The Dirtman and founder of Gibson Wines, has been doing his thing for around 40 years, masterfully knocking together brilliant blends that take total advantage of the Barossa Valley’s unique winemaking climate and conditions.

In the six-hour ‘Day With The Dirtman’ tour offered by Gibson Wines , guests are treated to an itinerary hosted by the Gibson family themselves, plus wine tasting at one of their favourite wineries in Eden Valley, exclusive access to other undiscovered wineries, gourmet lunch inside their fabulous 18050s cottage, barrel tasting in their private oak cellar and much more. It’ll set you back $500 per person.

The Flagship Experience at Two Hands Wines

And while we’re talking about the best-loved Barossa Valley wine tours conducted by wineries themselves, we mustn’t neglect Two Hands Wines’ ‘The Flagship Experience’ .

Two Hands Wine Tasting — Do your best to sample as much of the range as possible. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission)

Priced at $600 per person, this outstanding journey will see wine lovers jump into a luxury 4WD and drop in to sample the goods from three of the team’s favourite single vineyard wineries before off-roading to Seppeltsfield to explore Two Hands’ very own Holy Grail vineyard.

Two Hands Cellar Door — Soak up that serene Western Ranges atmosphere. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission)

Back at the label’s cellar door, a long, meandering lunch will be served alongside a fleet of wines meticulously paired with each and every flavour.

Find more experiences, accommodation, eating and entertainment options in our Barossa Valley travel guide.

More than just a stopover, Albury Wodonga is an elevated city escape immersed in nature.

Perhaps best known as a road trip stop between Sydney and Melbourne, Albury Wodonga offers a combination of natural beauty, cultural experiences and a vibrant food scene that make it well worth its own journey.

Nestled on the banks of the mighty Murray River and surrounded by famed wine and gold rush regions, this riverside town packs a broad punch. Discover how best to spend your days on the border.

Exploring the Murray River

1. The Crossing Place Trail

woman looking at sculpture along Crossing Place Trail loop — Admire sculptural works from local Indigenous artists.

Head to the original crossing places of the Murray River since 1848 – at the junctions of Bungambrawatha Creek and Oddies Creek. Today, these crossings are still used by cars and cattle, but the five-kilometre Crossing Place Trail loop connects the two bridges for bike riders and walkers.

Wander through gum trees, and maybe even spot local platypus and birdlife. Stop along the way to admire sculptural works from local Indigenous artists, see evidence of a scar tree and learn about the importance of this billabong environment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

2. Canoe The Murray

two people kayaking along the murray river at Noreuil Park — Hire canoes or kayaks and get out on the river.

What better way to get a feel for the Murray River than by getting out on its waters? Hire canoes or kayaks from Canoe the Murray , then explore solo or join one of the offered tours. Get up early for a Sunrise and coffee tour, watch the sun dip below the water on a sunset tour or choose one of several daytime trips.

Stand-up paddleboard hire and other water sports, fishing and swimming are also available to river explorers.

3. Noreuil Park Foreshore

aerial of Noreuil Park albury wodonga — Cool off at Noreuil Park Foreshore. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Just outside Albury’s CBD, the riverside Noreuil Park becomes a hub of activity as the weather heats up. Set up on picnic tables under shady trees, use the public barbecues (or pop into the nearby cafe) and cool off with a float down the river.

4. Mungabareena Reserve and Water Works

Mungabareena Reserve albury wodonga — Spend time at Mungabareena Reserve. (Image: Visit Albury Wodonga)

Delve into nature and culture at the beautiful Mungabareena Reserve . Recognised by state law as a ‘Declared Aboriginal Place’, it was once a historical meeting point for trade and journeys to Mount Bogong for the local Wiradjuri people and still holds deep significance.

It’s another popular spot for fishing, swimming and picnics, while the nearby Water Works area is a great place for spotting wildlife. Try your luck seeing platypuses, wood ducks or rainbow bee-eaters.

Adventuring on Lake Hume

1. Walk the dam wall

parent and child look at the view from the damn wall walk at lake hume — Enjoy the view from the dam wall. (Image: Visit Albury Wodonga)

The majestic Lake Hume – a massive man-made reservoir on the Murray River – was once the largest dam in the Southern Hemisphere.

A great way to get acquainted is by walking along the dam wall, taking in views of outflows, electricity turbines and the transmission plant from above. Not to mention vistas of the lake and the Murray. It’s a particularly gorgeous spot for sunsets and sunrises.

A wide sealed walkway gives easy access to the wall, and informative signs and displays along the way educate on the dam’s construction.

2. The High Country Rail Trail

This 44-kilometre trail hugs the shoreline. Stop along the way at the historic town of Tallangatta, relocated to its current position in the 1950s after its original location was flooded. Cross the lake over the bright red Sandy Creek Bridge. Enjoy a lakeside picnic or go for a swim at Ebden, Ludlow’s or Huon Reserve.

3. Water sports

two people watching SUP boarders and a boat our on the water at lake hume — Dive into water sports on Lake Hume.

Lake Hume is a popular local spot for boating, fishing, and swimming. Drop a line or dive right into the clear waters.

Sip and Savour

1. Dux Albury

two people sitting at counter drinking wine inside Dux Albury — Sit down to delicious meals and wine at Dux.

Those looking for a high-end dining experience need to book a table at Dux Albury in the heart of Albury Wodonga. Sit down for curated wine lists, cocktails and share plates. Think starters like burrata with beetroot, chervil, caper berry and sherry, mains like Wagyu sirloin with Café De Paris, red wine and caramelised onions and all manner of fresh seafood.

2. Murray Towns Brewing Co.

people being served lunch at Murray Brewing Co. — Recharge at Murray Brewing Co.

Perched on the banks of the river, Murray Towns Brewing Co . has come a long way since two mates started experimenting in their backyard chook shed. With all beer brewed onsite and a sun-drenched beer garden to drink them in, it’s a perfect stop along a bike ride or walk.

3. Temperance and General

Step into Albury’s original laneway bar, Temperance and General . Set inside a historic building, but offering a modern vibe, the bar is locally famous for its cocktail list. Stop in before or after dinner for a creative tipple.

4. BeanStation Cafe

two people drinking coffee at Bean Station albury wodonga — Dine on a modern Australian menu.

Dine on a modern Australian menu , inside the historic Wodonga train station building, dating back to 1873. Pop over in the morning and line up with the locals for great coffee and all-day brekkie, or head over after midday to swap the beans for local wines and Aussie boutique beers.

5. River Deck Cafe

waiter holding two dishes at Riverdeck Cafe albury wodonga — Soak in views and good food at Riverdeck Cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Another dining destination next to the Murray, the award-winning River Deck Cafe provides a large deck covered in dappled sunlight that makes for the ideal long lunch spot. Here, menus focus on natural, native and local ingredients sourced from regional farmers and producers across Albury Wodonga and surrounds.

Museums, murals and more

1. Albury Wodonga Public Art Trail

Gain a sense of Albury Wodonga’s vibrant arts community while wandering the Public Art Trail. Works range from sculptures and murals to wrapped infrastructure. Be sure to check the council map before you head out, so you don’t miss a thing.

2. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA)

couple admiring the art at Murray Art Gallery — Stop into one of the most visited galleries outside of Sydney. (Image: Visit Albury Wodonga)

MAMA forms the heart of art and culture in Albury Wodonga, some may say the entire Murray region. In fact, it’s one of the most visited galleries outside of Sydney. What makes it so lauded? The museum has earned a reputation for curating innovative, original exhibitions from some of the best contemporary Australian and international artists.

3. HotHouse Theatre

Originally built in 1928 as the Butter Factory Theatre, HotHouse Theatre has been a home of performance since 1997. Stop by to see the best of new Australian theatre. Continue to explore unique architecture on the Historic Building Walking Tour of Albury, the perfect way to round out your stay.

Start planning your Albury Wodonga getaway at visitalburywodonga.com.

Play it safe with these top Barossa Valley wine tours