Shared Day Tour, Tastings And Lunch

A 5.5-hour shared Waiheke Island wine outing run by Ananda Tours Limited, rated 4.9 from 198 reviews.

Overview

This Ananda Tours day trip gathers travellers on Waiheke Island and moves through three vineyards with tastings at each, then finishes with lunch at Three Seven Two. The whole thing runs about 5.5 hours, with a local guide driving an air-conditioned vehicle between stops and pointing out look-outs and beaches along the way. The stops are Mudbrick Vineyard, Kennedy Point Vineyard and Te Motu Vineyard, each getting roughly half an hour, before the group sits down for a one course lunch with a local beverage included.

The tour starts from the ferry. Coming from Auckland, you catch the 10am Fullers ferry from Downtown Auckland, which is not part of the ticket, and the guide meets the boat at Matiatia Wharf with a signboard. Anyone already staying on the island joins at Matiatia Wharf at 10.30am. The day ends back at the Matiatia Ferry Terminal.

The minimum age is 18 years, so it is an adults-only day built around wine, food and island scenery. Reviewers often mention ending up in a group small enough to chat, sometimes making friends over lunch, and the guides come up again and again in reviews for their knowledge of the island and its wine industry.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Matiatia WharfTravellers from Auckland catch the 10am Fullers ferry from Downtown Auckland; ferry tickets are not included. The guide meets arrivals with a signboard. Island residents meet at Matiatia Wharf at 10.30am.
2. Scenic island driveThe guide drives the group between stops in an air-conditioned vehicle, taking in scenic look-outs and beaches along the way.
3. Mudbrick Vineyard, 30 minutesA tasting stop at Mudbrick Vineyard, with admission and tasting included.
4. Kennedy Point Vineyard, 30 minutesA second included tasting at Kennedy Point Vineyard.
5. Te Motu Vineyard, 30 minutesA third tasting stop at Te Motu Vineyard.
6. Lunch at Three Seven Two, 1.5 hoursA one course lunch with a local beverage is included at Three Seven Two. Several reviews single the lunch out as a highlight of the day.
7. Return to MatiatiaThe tour ends at the Matiatia Ferry Terminal, the same place the day began.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the day right, from the ferry to the pace between tastings.

• Book the ferry. Ferry tickets are not included, so travellers from Auckland need to buy their own seats on the 10am Fullers sailing from Downtown Auckland. Island-based travellers simply meet at Matiatia Wharf at 10.30am.
• Adults only. The minimum age is 18 years, and the listing says the tour is not recommended for pregnant travellers. It is built entirely around wine tasting and lunch, so leave children at home.
• Group feel. The tour runs with a maximum of 18 travellers and needs at least 2 people booked to go ahead. Several reviewers said the group felt small and social, with some making friends over the tastings and lunch.
• Eating late. Lunch comes at the end of the itinerary, after all three tastings. The listing names no food before the final stop, so plan for a long stretch between breakfast and the included one course meal.
• Weather dependence. The tour can be cancelled if ferries are not running due to extreme weather. In that case the listing offers an alternative date or a full refund, so rough-weather days carry some risk of rescheduling.
• Gratuities. Gratuities are not included in the price. Guides are named and praised across many reviews for their knowledge and friendliness.

Common issues. The tour needs a minimum of 2 passengers and can be cancelled after confirmation if numbers are not met, though an alternative or full refund is offered in that case. It is not wheelchair accessible, and venues are subject to availability, with the itinerary able to change. One reviewer found the second winery very busy and felt the assigned staff member was stretched across tables, and another wished the vineyard guides showed guests around the vines themselves.

Before You Book