Private Sommelier Tour, Lunch

A 5-hour-5-minute private Waiheke Island wine outing run by Waiheke Wine Tours Ltd, rated 5 from 4 reviews.

Overview

This is a private, sommelier-led wine tour of Waiheke Island that runs for 5 hours 5 minutes and includes a gourmet lunch. Tastings cover wine and spirits, and because only your own group takes part, nobody outside your party joins the day. The operator is Waiheke Wine Tours Ltd, which operates on Waiheke Island.

The day starts at the Matiatia Ferry Terminal on Waiheke, with a 10:40 start time, so catch the 10am ferry from Downtown Auckland to be at Matiatia before the 10:40 start, and confirm timing with the operator. Alternatively, the operator can pick you up from private accommodation on Waiheke if you arrange it when booking. One reviewer described a private tasting held in a wine cave at one of the wineries, alongside visits they characterised as high end.

Lunch is included, as are the tastings and ferry tickets, so the main things to organise yourself are getting to the ferry in Auckland on time and deciding whether to meet at Matiatia or request island pickup. The tastings carry a minimum drinking age of 18, and the listing flags children under that age as a consideration. The tour ends back at the meeting point.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Ferry from AucklandTravel by ferry from Downtown Auckland to Waiheke Island, arriving by 10:45am. Ferry tickets are included.
2. Meet at MatiatiaMeet at the Matiatia Ferry Terminal on Waiheke Island at 10:40, or arrange pickup from private accommodation on the island when booking.
3. Waiheke Island touringThe tour spends 5 hours on Waiheke Island, with the guide driving between wineries for wine and spirit tastings. One reviewer mentioned their guide showing them the island sights along the way.
4. Gourmet lunchLunch is included as part of the day.
5. Return to MatiatiaThe activity ends back at the meeting point at the Matiatia Ferry Terminal.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will shape the day, from ferry timing to what the private format means on the ground.

• Ferry timing. You must be on Waiheke by 10:45am, which means catching a ferry from Downtown Auckland with room to spare. The tour starts at 10:40 at Matiatia. Build in buffer for the ferry, since the whole day hinges on that sailing.
• Private format. Only your group participates, as the listing states. One reviewer described a private tasting in a wine cave at one stop. Reviews have described guides as energetic, charismatic and quick to fix problems.
• Food and drink. Wine tastings, spirit tastings and lunch are all included, along with ferry tickets. The minimum drinking age is 18.

• Meeting or pickup. The default meeting point is the Matiatia Ferry Terminal. The operator can also pick up from private accommodation on Waiheke Island, but you need to let them know when booking. The tour ends back where it started.
• Accessibility. The listing states the tour is not wheelchair accessible. Service animals are allowed and the meeting point is near public transport. Most travellers can participate, according to the listing.
• Weather and pace. Reviewers described touring island sights between tastings. No source addresses physical demand, so raise any mobility questions with the operator through the booking page.

Common issues. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, which is the clearest practical limit stated in the listing. The minimum drinking age for tastings is 18, and the listing flags children under that age as a consideration, so raise any under-18 questions with the operator before booking. One reviewer reported a rough start to their day before the operator corrected the issue immediately. Cancellations inside 24 hours of the start time receive no refund, and changes within that window are not accepted either.

Before You Book