Queenstown’s Gin & Spirits Tasting Tour

The appeal here is the mix: you get a distillery visit, tastings at three different stops and a scenic drive through the Crown Range, all without needing to organize a car or choose a designated driver. I like that the day pairs gin with a proper distillery visit at Cardrona, then changes pace for a relaxed tasting and shared food in Arrowtown.

I also like the range of settings, from the sweeping views on the way to Cardrona to the Gin Garden in Arthurs Point. The main consideration is that this is an afternoon tour with no lunch included, so eat beforehand. With a six-hour duration and several tastings, it is best suited to someone who wants to make gin the focus of an unhurried day.

The useful details at a glance

• Cardrona is the educational stop: Expect a welcome gin and tonic, a distillery tour and a tasting, with about 90 minutes at the venue.
• Arrowtown adds food and variety: Sample three New Zealand gins with tonic or soda, alongside shared cheese platters and German tarte flambées.
• The views are part of the day: The route crosses the Crown Range toward Cardrona, with views across Queenstown and the Gibbston region.
• The final stop is Broken Heart’s Gin Garden: A hosted tasting introduces the brand and the flavours of its gins.
• Transport takes care of the driving: The air-conditioned vehicle has Wi-Fi, and pickup is offered from select hotels.
• You do not have to drink gin: Alternative options are available for non-gin drinkers, and the minimum age for drinking is 18.

A six-hour tasting day with a scenic start

Queenstown’s Gin & Spirits Tasting Tour is a half-day outing built around three distinct tasting experiences. It starts at 12:30 pm and lasts about six hours, so allow most of your afternoon and early evening for it. The tastings are at Cardrona Distillery, The Winery in Arrowtown and the Gin Garden by Broken Heart Spirits in Arthurs Point.

There is a useful distinction between those stops. Cardrona is the distillery visit, while Arrowtown’s The Winery is a tasting venue for New Zealand gins, not a gin distillery. Broken Heart Spirits provides the final hosted tasting. The day is less about visiting three working distilleries than comparing gin in three settings, with one proper distillery tour at its centre.

A recent tour featured guide Lily, described as friendly and well informed about the stops. Guide assignments can vary, but the format gives you a host for the trip and hosted tastings at the venues. That helps make the day more than a sequence of pours: you get some explanation of how the spirits are made and what distinguishes each producer.

The group is capped at 14, which keeps the outing relatively small, though the minimum is four. That maximum can make it easier to hear explanations and move between stops than on a large coach tour. The trade-off is that if too few people book, the operator may cancel and offer another date or a refund.

Crown Range views on the way to Cardrona

The drive is the first part of the experience, not simply a transfer between Queenstown and the tastings. The route climbs through the Crown Range toward Cardrona, with sweeping views across Queenstown and the Gibbston region. If scenery matters to you as much as the gin, this gives the afternoon a strong opening.

The vehicle is air-conditioned and has Wi-Fi, useful comforts on a tour with several stretches on the road. Pickup is offered from select hotels, so check whether your accommodation is included when arranging your day. The meeting time is 12:30 pm, and the stated duration is approximate, so avoid booking another activity too close to the end.

There is also an optional helicopter upgrade. It begins with a scenic flight and a special gin tasting, then joins the rest of the group at Cardrona Distillery. That is a different way to start the tour, but it is an upgrade rather than part of the standard price. If you prefer to keep the cost down, the included Crown Range drive still gives you a scenic route to the first stop.

Cardrona Distillery: the day’s learning stop

Cardrona is the most structured part of the tour. On arrival, you are greeted with a gin and tonic before staff lead a tour through the distillery. The stop lasts about an hour and a half, giving it more time than either of the later tastings.

That extra time matters if you are curious about how gin is made, rather than just keen to compare flavours. The distillery visit gives context for the drink in your glass, and the tasting lets you put that explanation to use. The welcome cocktail also eases you into the afternoon before the more focused tasting begins.

I would treat Cardrona as the anchor of the itinerary. It is the one stop explicitly designed to teach you about production, while the later venues emphasize tasting and brand identity. If you have visited distilleries before, this may be the part you find most familiar. If you have not, it gives the day a useful starting point.

Keep in mind that the tour includes alcohol and continues for several hours. The tasting format is not a reason to arrive hungry or to assume every pour is a full drink, but it is sensible to pace yourself and use the non-gin alternatives if you prefer. Bring a passport or New Zealand driver’s licence to confirm you are at least 18.

Arrowtown: three gins and shared food

The second stop brings the group to The Winery in historic Arrowtown, a former gold-mining village. You sample three New Zealand gins, choosing tonic or soda, and share food at the table. The included platters feature cheese, including Whitestone cheese, as well as German tarte flambées.

This is the most relaxed stop on paper, with about an hour set aside for tasting and food. It also shifts the emphasis away from the distillery process and toward comparing different gins. Tonic and soda give you some control over how much the mixer shapes each taste, while the shared food provides a break between tastings.

The food is welcome, but it should not be mistaken for lunch. Lunch is not included, and the tour begins after midday. Eat before pickup, especially if you know alcohol affects you more on an empty stomach. The shared platters and tarte flambées make the afternoon more comfortable, but they are not presented as a full meal.

Arrowtown also gives the day a change of pace and setting. You move from a working distillery visit to a village tasting venue, with food woven into the stop. That variety is one of the tour’s practical strengths: it avoids making the entire afternoon feel like one long technical tour.

Broken Heart’s Gin Garden in Arthurs Point

The final stop is the Gin Garden by Broken Heart Spirits in Arthurs Point. Here, a host introduces the story behind the brand and the flavours of its gins. The tasting lasts about an hour, providing a final chance to compare what you have sampled across the day.

The hosted format is useful because a tasting can otherwise blur into a series of similar pours. Hearing about the brand and its flavours gives you a frame for what you are trying. It also closes the tour on a different note from Cardrona: the first stop focuses on the distillery, while this one centres on the producer and its range.

The order makes sense. You begin with an educational visit, pause for food and several New Zealand gins in Arrowtown, then finish with another hosted tasting. By the end, you have encountered distinct producers and venues rather than spending the afternoon in one place.

The description does not specify the exact gin selection or serving size at the Gin Garden, so it is better to expect a guided tasting than to plan around particular bottles. If you do not drink gin, alternative options are available on the tour. Ask the operator about those choices when booking if you need to know what they involve.

Is $151.85 a fair price?

At $151.85 per person, this is not a low-cost way to have a drink in Queenstown. The value comes from combining transport, a scenic route, the Cardrona distillery visit, three tasting experiences, a gin and tonic, and shared food at Arrowtown. You are paying for a guided afternoon that links the stops, as well as for the tastings themselves.

The price makes more sense if you want to visit several places without driving or arranging transport between Queenstown, Cardrona, Arrowtown and Arthurs Point. The included air-conditioned vehicle and Wi-Fi are practical perks, and the group maximum of 14 keeps the format smaller than a large coach outing. If your main aim is simply to try a few gins, you may find it more economical to order tastings locally and skip the tour.

It is also worth weighing the value against your interest in gin. The itinerary includes substantial time at three tasting venues, and the main attraction is the drinks, not a broad sightseeing tour. You will see notable scenery on the road, but this is not a general Queenstown highlights tour with a few drinks added.

Bookings are made, on average, 22 days ahead, so planning early is sensible if you have a fixed date. The tour needs at least four people to run, and poor weather can also affect it. If either condition leads to cancellation, you are offered another date or a refund.

Who will enjoy this tour most?

This outing suits gin fans who want more context than a bar tasting can provide. It is especially appealing if you like comparing producers, want a guided distillery visit and appreciate having transport arranged. The combination of scenery, local spirits and shared food gives the afternoon enough variety to keep it from feeling like three identical tastings.

It can also work for a mixed group because alternatives are available for non-gin drinkers. Still, gin is the central theme, so anyone who dislikes tasting spirits may have a better time choosing a different Queenstown activity. The tour is adults-only for alcohol tasting, with a minimum drinking age of 18.

A recent tour featured Lily as the guide, and the day was praised for its friendly, informed hosting, the quality of the gin and wine, and the views. That gives you a useful picture of the experience at its best, though individual guides and the exact tasting selection can vary. The overall rating is 4.8 from 39 reviews, with 95% recommending it, a strong sign of satisfaction but still a relatively small pool of feedback.

Should you book Queenstown’s Gin & Spirits Tasting Tour?

Book it if you want a full afternoon of gin, a proper distillery visit and a scenic drive without worrying about who will drive. The strongest reasons are the Cardrona tour, the variety across the three tasting stops and the combination of drinks with food in Arrowtown. The small group cap is another plus.

Skip it if you want a substantial lunch included, are not interested in spirits, or would rather spend the same money on a different kind of Queenstown outing. Eat beforehand, check whether hotel pickup applies to you, and allow six hours. If those details fit your plans, this is a well-rounded way to explore regional gin and enjoy the route as much as the tastings.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately six hours, including travel between stops.

What time does the tour start?

The start time is 12:30 pm.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $151.85 per person.

Which places does the tour visit?

The stops are Cardrona Distillery, The Winery in Arrowtown and the Gin Garden by Broken Heart Spirits in Arthurs Point.

Is food included?

Yes. Shared platters and German tarte flambées are included at the Arrowtown stop. Lunch and dinner are not included, so eat lunch before the tour.

Are non-gin options available?

Yes. Alternative options are available for people who do not drink gin.

What is the minimum drinking age?

The minimum drinking age is 18. A passport or New Zealand driver’s licence is recommended as proof of age.

Is hotel pickup available?

Pickup is offered from select hotels. Check whether your hotel is included when arranging the tour.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 14. A minimum of four people is required for the tour to operate.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted.