Things to do in

Martinborough

Tour departs at 10 am from Wellington i-SITE at 111 Wakefield Street. The itinerary may vary depending on day of your selected tour. Enjoy a 5-hour guided tour of the Martinborough wine region in the Wairarapa starting with a spectacular drive over the stunning Remutaka Ranges. Stop at the Remutaka Summit for amazing views before heading down into the Wairarapa. Visit three of the Martinborough regions' best wineries and enjoy their Cellar Door experiences as you sample the world-class products available. Poppies Martinborough: Enjoy a wine tasting experience at the famous Poppies. Sample a fixed menu of 5-6 of their locally produced wines that are available only at the Cellar Door and online! Moy Hall Wines: Enjoy a range of 4-5 locally produced wines at Moy Hall Wines. Enjoy the view across the vineyard to the hills beyond from outdoor tables amongst the vines (indoor options available when weather dictates). Te Kairanga: Enjoy a tasting experience of up to 5 wines of your choice from the excellent Te Kairanga and Martinborough Vineyard ranges. Explore the 140-year-old cottage that acts as the Te Kairanga Cellar Door.  Margrain Vineyard Taste a great selection of fine Margrain wine, enjoy amazing views over the vineyard. Palliser Estate Enjoy guided wine tastings and hear some of Palliser's history, land and their sustainability and organic journey. Transportation is available. Guests may share a vehicle with others. No exclusivity guaranteed.

Enjoy a 5 hour return guided tour over the spectacular Remutaka Ranges to the Wairarapa region, home of world class culinary producers. Enjoy a stop at C'est Cheese Artisan Cheese and Deli where the tour will include a tasting platter of locally made cheeses. Continue up State Highway 2 to Greytown for a tasting of some of chocolatier Murray Langham's amazing chocolate range at Schoc Chocolates. Our third stop is in the world class wine region of Martinborough famous for it's pinot noir. Enjoy a tasting flight at one of the finest local wineries. The final stop is at the Martinborough Memorial Square in the centre of town and allows for guests to tailor the tour for their own tastes. Guests may choose one final tasting stop from Olivo extra virgin and infused olive oils, Martinborough craft brewery paddles, a local vineyard or cafe lunch, The Martinborough Sweet Shop or the Wine Bank. This final stop is seasonal, subject to availability and at the guests expense. he tour then returns to Wellington via the Remutakas and State Highway 2 for a 3:00pm drop off.

Embark on a guided tour with an experienced local guide to the Martinborough region from Wellington.  After meeting your guide, you will enjoy a scenic drive over the Remutaka Ranges, with a brief stop at the summit, before descending into the Wairarapa region.  Taste a range of fantastic local and imported cheeses and gourmet foods at a popular local cheese shop in Featherston. Experience Martinborough winemaking by visiting some of the oldest vineyards in the region, before savoring a delicious lunch overlooking the spectacular countryside.  At the Martinborough Brewery, you will be able to sample 4 of the 8 craft beers on offer and wander amongst the oldest olive trees in Martinborough. Learn about different varieties of olive and how they are grown. You will also find out how to taste olive oil like a professional, before discovering how to use the full range of infused oils in quick, easy and delicious recipes.

Enjoy a 10-hour guided tour heading north from Wellington around the western edge of the beautiful Wellington Harbor and up the Hutt Valley following the Hutt River. A scenic drive over the Remutaka Ranges includes a sightseeing stop at the summit before you arrive in the rural Wairarapa where you will enjoy a wine tasting and tapas lunch at a Martinborough vineyard and winery. Visit award winning wineries and enjoy their cellar door experiences and sample their world renowned wines before a sumptuous lunch at a vineyard restaurant. Next you head to the rugged south Wairarapa coast where you will experience epic sweeping views of Palliser Bay as you descend to the coast. Visit the rural fishing village of Ngawi and the Cape Palliser Lighthouse at the most southern point of the North Island. For dinner, head to the Lake Ferry hotel before heading back over the Remutaka Ranges to Wellington. Book optional extra activities available throughout the tour including: a visit to Putangirua Pinnacles, a craft beer tasting, an olive oil tasting or a visit to the quaint town of Greytown and their famous chocolatier.

Journey on a guided tour with an experienced local guide to the Martinborough region from Wellington. After meeting your guide, you will enjoy a scenic drive over the Remutaka Ranges, with a brief stop at the summit, before descending into the Wairarapa region. Sample from 3 of the 80 local vineyards including Moy Hall, B.wines and Margrain to name a few and enjoy a custom made lunch for the occasion. Meet Shawn Brown the master of Pinot noir who makes wine he loves to drink or Christine at B.wine and see how the Swiss have their angle on Burgundian winemaking. Martinborough began in 1870 as the township of Wharekaka, close to the Māori settlement of Waihenga. In its first decade churches, a school, hotel, general store and post office opened. In 1879 John Martin, a wealthy local runholder, purchased neighboring land and founded a new town, naming it after himself. Martinborough was New Zealand's first Private town and was mainly settled by ambitious Scots who were accustomed to working the land with sheep and dairy farming. After the discovery in 1986 that Martinborough was akin to Burgundy with climate and growing conditions the region developed a reputation for producing superior award-winning wine which is the talk of Wellington and the envy of more established wine regions worldwide. “Martinborough is still widely considered to be one of the country's prime wine regions. Its claim to fame is the exceptional quality of its Pinot Noir wines, produced by some of the most highly regarded wineries in New Zealand.”

Unlock the hidden gem of New Zealand’s wine country in Martinborough on a guided tour from Wellington. Visit 3 award-winning vineyards, and enjoy a gourmet lunch platter (not included in price) that will leave your taste buds tingling. Be picked up from your meeting point and whisked out of the city on a fast moving motorway. Wind through the picturesque Hutt Valley, and along the way, see some of the filming sites of Lord of the Rings, including Helms Deep, Minas Tirith, River Anduin, and Rivendell. Drive over the Remutaka Mountain Range to reach the tranquility of the Wairarapa region. Arrive in the award-winning wine region of Martinborough. While small in terms of total wine production, Wairarapa’s boutique wineries have big international reputations for the quality of their Pinot Noir wines, which is a notoriously difficult wine to make well. Visit 3 of the favorite wineries and listen to the wine makers explain with passion the history of their wines and inviting you to taste a variety of them. Your wine tasting will be matched with a delightful gourmet lunch platter (not included in price) that will leave your taste buds tingling. The Martinborough experience is topped off by visiting C’est Cheese in Featherston where you can indulge in an impressive selection of award-winning cheeses.