15 Food & Drink Experiences in Queenstown, Compared

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

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

Spend about six hours visiting Gibbston Valley Winery, Kinross, Mt Rosa and Ayrburn with Altitude Tours. Tastings are included, along with a guided look inside New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave. A luxury Mercedes van collects from selected Queenstown hotels, and groups are limited to 14. Guides such as Do, Lee, Beth and Allegra have been praised for their local stories and warm hosting.

“Allegra was an amiable, knowledgeable, informative and positive host who drove us very competently to four winery destinations. The second venue provided a tasty lunch. We found the first two wine tasting stops very appealing along with the forth experience which offered a delightful garden to enjoy.”

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2.Afternoon Wine & Beer Tour with Platters

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

Leave central Queenstown at 3 pm for three tasting stops in Gibbston and back at the marina. Choose wine or craft beer, try wines from Kinross and four partner producers, and share an antipasti platter. A guide such as Do, Ash, or Stuart handles the drive and adds local history. Groups are 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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3.Gourmet Food and Wine Tour Queenstown All-Inclusive Tour

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

From a 9:30 am Queenstown pickup, travel by air-conditioned minivan through Central Otago’s wine country. Taste wines at four vineyards, tour Gibbston Valley’s wine cave, and sit down to five wine-paired dishes at The Stoaker Room. Your guide also shares local stories, with time for Cromwell and Arrowtown stops.

“A great experience with some lovely wines and food. The other guests on our tour were lovely and 5 stars go to our guide Lindsay. So helpful, friendly and knowledgeable, he made the tour very enjoyable indeed.”

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4.Wine & Food Tour, Scenic Tastings & Paired Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 276 reviews · from $132

Spend 5.5 hours tasting Central Otago wines at three Gibbston wineries, with a local guide, hosted presentations and an à la carte lunch paired with estate wine. Stops can include Kinross, Mt Rosa and Gibbston Valley, whose wine cave is carved into the mountain. Tours usually run in the afternoon and cost $132 per person.

“Fun & easy going pace from hopping one winery to another. Lunch at Kinross was outstanding!”

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

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

Leave Queenstown at noon for a 5.5-hour small-group wine outing through the Kawarau Gorge. Visit Gibbston Valley Winery, Mt Rosa Wines, and Kinross for hosted tastings, then choose an a la carte main paired with wine at lunch. Guides such as T, Claire, Blake, and Andy lead the tour, with hotel pickup offered at selected hotels.

“Amazing experience trying the local wines and learning a bit about the history of the winemakers! Highly recommend even for new wine lovers”

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6.Wine Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · from $134

Travel from Queenstown in a premium Mercedes van for four cellar-door tastings and more than 18 wines, including Central Otago Pinot Noir. Visit Gibbston Valley’s underground wine cave, stop for a paid lunch at Kinross, then taste at Mt Rosa and The Church. Groups are limited to 14, with guides such as Do and Shanay leading past tours.

“Great tour showcasing local wines and very educational. The guide was incredible.”

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7.Best of Queenstown Guided Tour with Wine Tasting & Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 98 reviews · from $127

In 4.5 hours, a small-group guide takes you from Queenstown Hill and the Shotover River to historic Arrowtown, the Kawarau bungy site and a Gibbston Valley wine tasting with cheese. Finish with a guided cruise on Lake Wakatipu back to Queenstown. Groups are capped at 14, and guides have included Allegra, Ana, Beth and Ash.

“An incredibly eventful tour with everything from the historical Arrowtown, viewpoints, boat trip, watching Bungy Jumping to wine tasting in beautiful souroundings. And Allegra was a top guide we can highly recommend.”

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8.Gourmet Food and Wine Tour with Lunch and Wine Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 83 reviews · 6h 30m · from $196

Explore Gibbston, Cromwell, and Bannockburn on a 6.5-hour Queenstown wine tour. Visit four premium vineyards, including Australasia’s largest underground wine cave, taste local cheese, and enjoy five lunch dishes paired with wine. A driver-guide handles the scenic roads, with stops in historic Arrowtown and Old Cromwell.

“The guide was very knowledgeable and really friendly. Every winery was different and interesting. Would highly recommend this tour.”

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9.Queenstown’s Gin & Spirits Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $151

Travel over the Crown Range for a Cardrona Distillery tour and gin tasting, then sample New Zealand gins with shared food in Arrowtown and finish at the Gin Garden by Broken Heart Spirits. The six-hour afternoon tour includes air-conditioned transport, Wi-Fi, a gin and tonic, and alternatives for non-gin drinkers. A recent tour featured guide Lily.

“Lilly was a wonderful guide, friendly and knowledgeable. Truly enjoyed all 3 distilleries. Gins were excellent as well as the wines and the beautiful views. Very worthwhile tour.”

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10.Twilight Wine and Craft Beer Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 31 reviews · from $128

Spend four late-afternoon hours visiting two Gibbston cellar doors and a craft brewery, with a choice of wine or beer tastings. A local guide, Mercedes van, Wi-Fi, and shared antipasto are included. Past guides have included Ash, Alina, and Kevin, though your guide may differ.

“Our guide Ash was amazing and it was so fun to be with a group of people from all over the world. It was a good length as we were able to do other activities during the day and ended right at the perfect time to go to dinner”

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11.Cromwell Wine Tasting Tour using Classic Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $217

From Queenstown, travel in a classic Mercedes 300SE on a private 4 to 5-hour wine tour for two to four people. Visit Cromwell Basin vineyards, known for schist-soil Pinot Noir and other Central Otago wines. Bob is named in a guest review, though guide assignment is not guaranteed.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Bob. The wineries and scenery were stunning. Such an enjoyable experience and we’ll definitely be back! Pay the additional money and do Bob’s personalised experience, you won’t regret it! Thanks again Bob!”

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12.Craft Beer Brewery Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 5 hours · from $110

Spend five hours visiting three Queenstown-area breweries with a guide born and raised in town. Choose from 13 local beer tastings, take an interactive brewery tour and sit down to a beer-paired lunch. Lewis has led the tour, sharing beer and local knowledge. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“alot of drinks for the price of the tour including lunch. lunch was including a beer per each course which was 4course and very filling. would highly recommend”

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13.Classic Central Otago Wine Tasting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 8 reviews · 40 min · from $14Best value

At Kinross Cellar Door, a Wine Advisor leads a 40-minute tasting featuring Kinross and four partner wineries: Coal Pit, Hawkshead, Valli and Wild Irishman. You’ll sample white, rosé and red wines while hearing about Central Otago’s wine pioneers, local subregions and winemaker styles. The $14 session is wheelchair accessible and for adults 18 and over.

“Interesting experience with knowledgeable guy and good tasting wines”

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14.Helicopter & Wine Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 7 hours · from $523

Start with a scenic helicopter flight from Queenstown and a mountaintop glass of bubbles, then visit four Gibbston-area cellar doors for 18 or more tastings. A wine-certified guide hosts the day, with the underground cave at Gibbston Valley and optional lunch at Kinross. Past tour days have featured pilot Richard, hosts Liisa and Katie, guide Chelsea, and Kinross presenter Bailey.

“Chelsea our guide was amazing. She did a fantastic job. And as it was my birthday she made it extra special with champagne. Thank you”

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15.Private Central Otago Wine tasting Tour with Gourmet Lunch.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $462

Leave Queenstown at 9:30 am in a private premium vehicle with guide Luwis, then visit Central Otago wine areas including Gibbston, Bannockburn and Cromwell. Expect private tastings, a gourmet lunch with a wine pairing, a local cheese board, historic stops and time in Arrowtown. The outing lasts about seven to eight hours.

“Absolutely fantastic! We booked this wine tour expecting a high quality experience, but it went above and beyond. The luxurious vehicle was spotless and comfortable, and our guide’s knowledge of wine and the local region was exceptionalRead more”

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