The 15 Food & Drink Experiences in New Zealand That Earn Their Price

1.Waiheke island Wine Tours – PREMIUM wine tasting MAX 11 clients !

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,378 reviews · from $155Our pick

Meet your guide at Matiatia Wharf after the morning ferry and spend about six hours touring Waiheke, with scenic stops, commentary, and premium tastings at three vineyards. Guides such as Oliver, Glenn, and Melita lead groups of up to 11. Tastings, water, island transport, and a food pairing are included. Ferry fare and lunch are extra.

“A wonderfully personal, irreverent and well-diversified day outing. We had excellent commentary on Waiheke’s history, a solid tour of the lovely island and stops at three vineyards with different strengths. Our guide, Glen, was engaged and fun, making sure we got a lunch table at the place we fancied amongst his recommendations. A winter visit yielded an extra-small group tour for us, which was a plus. Small groups are definitely the way to visit vineyards! Recommended.”

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2.Award Winning Premium Wine Tour Queenstown Tasting at 4 Wineries

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 632 reviews · from $164

Spend about six hours tasting New Zealand wines at Gibbston Valley, Kinross, Mt Rosa, and Ayrburn. You will tour an underground cellar, enjoy tastings at four wineries, and travel in a Mercedes van with a guide such as Do, Lee, Beth, Allegra, or Leonie. Hotel pickup is offered at selected Queenstown hotels.

“Visited 4 great wineries. Had a great lunch at our second stop and the group we were with was super friendly and fun. All around amazing day.”

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3.Speight’s Brewery Tour & Guided Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 508 reviews · from $16Best value

Spend about 75 minutes at Speight’s Brewery in central Dunedin, walking through historic and modern brewing areas before a guided tasting of several beers. Guides such as Tom, Thomas, Marty, Israel, and Monica have led engaging sessions. Expect stairs, closed-toe shoes, a valid passport, and no bags.

“Tour of the history of the brewery was great. The guide was so passionate about the history of Speights. Beers at the end of the tour were so refreshing.”

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4.Taste of Waiheke Food and Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 465 reviews · from $179

Take the 10:15 am ferry from downtown Auckland to Waiheke Island, where a private guide such as Victor or Kai leads you to Allpress Olive Groves, Batch Winery, Cable Bay Vineyards, and Mudbrick Vineyard. Expect three wine tastings, olive oil, a two-course lunch, island commentary, and scenic views. Your guide meets you on Waiheke, not at the Auckland terminal.

“Great dinner, great wine tasting experience on beautiful WAIHEKE Island....friendly service ! Highly recommend it !”

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5.Beyond the Vines – Full-Day Marlborough Wine Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 438 reviews · from $136

Travel from Picton or Blenheim through Marlborough’s wine country with a small group of up to 11 people. Visit about five wineries, taste Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and other local varieties, and stop for lunch at Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen or another selected estate. Guides may include Gavin, Hamish, James, Keith, or Lynley.

“Our guide was outstanding and made some real time adjustments to plan at the group’s request. Great set of wineries. Great communication.”

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6.Flavours of our City Food Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 371 reviews · from $127

Spend 2:30 to 5:30 tasting Auckland with guides such as Laura, Sarah, Alex, Jono, and Kath. Expect artisan products, seafood, chocolate, cheese, dumplings, Korean food, ice cream, and a local wine or beer stop, with city history and restaurant tips along the way.

“Laura was enthusiastic and gave lots of background about NZ culture and food. Cool venues with great variety.”

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7.Afternoon Wine & Beer Tour with Platters

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 363 reviews · from $158

Leave central Queenstown at 3 pm for three tasting stops in Gibbston. Choose wine or beer, sample several producers at Kinross, relax with a craft-beer flight at Altitude Brewing, and share antipasto. Guides such as Stuart, Do, Ash, and Shanay add local stories and good humor. The group is capped at 14.

“We had an incredible evening being able to get a taste of some NZ beer and wine. Danny was our guide and he was fantastic - very friendly, professional and took good care of us. We enjoyed all of the stops and found it a good value!!!”

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8.Gourmet Food and Wine Tour Queenstown All-Inclusive Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 332 reviews · from $204

Travel from Queenstown into Central Otago with a small group, tasting wines at four vineyards across three sub-regions. You’ll tour Gibbston Valley’s wine cave, enjoy a five-dish lunch cooked in retired oak barrels at The Stoaker Room, taste wine with cheese, and visit Cromwell and Arrowtown. Guides such as John, Lindsay, Al, and Phil add local color.

“One of the most fun days of our Queenstown holiday! Great guide, lovely selection of wineries with delicious wine. Our lunch was one of our FAVOURITE meals of our whole trip.”

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9.Waiheke Island Gourmet Food and Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 329 reviews · from $212

Meet your guide at Matiatia Wharf for a relaxed Waiheke food and wine day. Visit boutique vineyards, taste island oysters, olive oil, and artisan cheese, enjoy a family-style lunch at Casita Miro or a similar venue, then finish with whisky, spirits, or wine at The Heke. Guides may include Michael, Nick, Grant, or Fleur.

“Visited four wonderful yet different wineries on Waiheke Island . Small group of 10 was great. Our host Craig was knowledgeable and helpful and we met others who shared our passion. A beautiful day indeed !”

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10.Waiheke Island Gourmet Food and Wine Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 290 reviews · 5 hours · from $188

Join Ananda Tours for a five-hour food and wine circuit across Waiheke Island. Your local guide, often someone like Grant, Craig, Nick, or Michael, takes you to boutique vineyards, an olive-oil tasting, a family-style vineyard lunch, and The Heke for beer or whisky. Ferry tickets are separate.

“Had a wonderful time. The company was very responsive and got us back to the ferry earlier than the rest of the tour to accommodate unforeseen traffic issues to the airport due to a Coldplay concert. We really enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommend!”

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11.Queenstown Wine & Food Tour: Scenery, Tastings & Delicious Lunch!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 257 reviews · from $154

Travel from Queenstown through Kawarau Gorge to three wineries: Gibbston Valley, Mt Rosa, and Kinross. You’ll taste estate wines, visit New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave, and choose a main course with a paired glass of wine. Hotel pickup, a driver-guide, and a small group are included.

“Lovely time chatting to others on the tour. T was an awesome driver who entertained us along the way. Loved the variety of locations each tasting took place at.”

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12.Scenic Island Wine Tour & Local Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 218 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $113

You’ll tour Waiheke with a local guide such as Nooroa, Caleb, or Grant, visiting vineyards, coastal viewpoints, and Oneroa Village. Choose a 5-hour minivan tour with four winery stops, or a 4-hour double-decker trip with two wineries, onboard tastings, a charcuterie board, and a beach walk. Ferry and lunch cost extra.

“Our driver Caleb was great and kept us informed about the island. The lunch spot batch winery was very nice! Cable bay winery wasn’t great, the lady doing the tour wasn’t interactive and yawning throughout. However the other two were amazing and spectacular views!”

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13.Flavours of the City Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 202 reviews · 3 hours · from $122

Spend three hours walking Auckland’s city centre with guides such as Sarah, Jono, Clare, Alex and Laura. Sample local cheese, restaurant dishes, Kiwi classics, artisan chocolate and a local drink, while hearing stories about Auckland’s past and getting practical dining tips. The route begins near the Railway Station and ends close by.

“Amazing tour! Very informative and the food and drinks were delicious. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and kind.”

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14.Speight’s Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 170 reviews · 1h 15m · from $28

Spend 75 minutes touring Speight’s Brewery with an English-speaking guide. See the historic Brew Floor, modern brewing equipment, and learn how water, malt, hops, and yeast become beer. Finish with a guided tasting, then browse the brewery shop or buy fresh beer at the Cellar Door. Closed-toe shoes and more than 200 stairs are required.

“Excellent insight as to the brewing process and the beginnings of Speight’s. Tastings at the end were awesome, book a taxi if not within walking distance.”

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15.Afternoon Winery Tour Tasting at 3 Great Wineries

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 147 reviews · 5 hours · from $112

Spend five hours with guide Ross visiting Hawke’s Bay wineries, including historic Mission Estate and Trinity Hill in Gimblett Gravels. Expect four to seven tastings at each stop, a cheese board, vineyard stories from a retired grape grower, Silky Oaks Chocolates, bottled water and a Mission wine glass to take home.

“What a lovely afternoon. Ross was so knowledgeable and friendly. Unfortunately the gin tasting place was closed but we were able to do an impromptu fruit stand dropoff instead.”

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