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Shore Excursion: Local Tasting Tour from Tauranga

Badge of ExcellenceTauranga, New Zealand
  • 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Pickup from select hotels
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
Tauranga Tours
All Tauranga Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Private and Luxury
Unique Experiences

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Overview

Discover the prestigious food and drink purveyors of Tauranga and Karangahake when your ship pulls into port. Sip and savor a diverse array of tastings and two award-winning wineries. This shore excursion includes pickup and drop-off by minivan.
  • Tauranga shore excursion with food-and-drink tastings
  • Discover local purveyors with a driver/guide
  • Port pickup and drop-off by minivan
  • Small-group tour ensures personal service

What's Included

  • Wine & Beer tastings
  • Driver/guide
  • Light Lunch & Dessert
  • Cocktail
  • Additional food and drinks not specified

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Opening hours

  • 3/31/2021 - 5/31/2023

Pickup details

We pick up from the Port of Tauranga, the Tauranga airport & local accommodation. At the Port of Tauranga we will meet you at the port gate; your name will be held up on a placard.

What To Expect

Start your shore excursion with pick up from the Port of Tauranga and travel by minivan to nearby to the picturesque Karangahake Gorge. Your departure can be adjusted to accommodate variations in ship arrival time.

Set off, traveling north through scenic countryside, toward a boutique winery located in the Karangahake Gorge. Receive a presentation about the vineyard and wine-making techniques before taking part in a wine-tasting session, accompanied by a sumptuous food platter.

Then, hop back aboard your transport towards the wine Portfolio, home to the prestigious award-winning wines of Leveret Estate & Mills Reef Wineries. Here, sample more New Zealand varietals, learn about the island's terroir, and discover iconic wine-styles from the country.

Finally, return to Tauranga for a delicious dessert and a cocktail at the boutique Clarence Hotel. The hotel stands within the walls of a beautifully-restored building which was formerly the historic Tauranga Post Office.

We then return you to ship-side (or to local accommodation) via what we claim is the best beach in the Southern Hemisphere.

Port of Tauranga Ltd

Our accredited agent driver/guide will meet you at the port gate & escort you to the vehicle in which you will be travelling. The driver/guide will have your name on a placard.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Rising Tide

The Local Tasting Tour commences by visiting a boutique craft brewery, where the process of producing the natural beer, with no preservatives or additives, is explained & a range of beer is sampled.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Minimum age is 18 years
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
Operated by Tauranga Tasting Tours &Charters

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

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Reviews
4.5
22 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 22 reviews
Try a different tour very disappointed
Lawrence_W, Jan 2023
Not as advertised visited the same restaurant for both lunch and dessert. Tired to talk with tour provider gave negative response. Lunch was less the stellar for both myself and my wife. Winery is a winery No vineyard. Only visit one winery not two. Tour was unorganized told first brewery was closed, then open. First restaurant we went to for lunch was closed. Overall very disappointing for the cost
Response from Host, Jan 2023
We regret that you did not enjoy your day, as we always aim to give a good experience. You visited The Wine Portfolio where you get wines from 2 top wineries, Mills Reef & Leveret Estate. You were told, while, on tour that while there are wineries, there are no vineyards in the area, because of the rich & fertile soil. Unfortunately, as it was a statutory holiday our usual restaurant was closed for lunch so we had to use the same venue for lunch as we did for the cocktail/dessert. We apologise for the tardiness of your wife's lunch, which was beyond our control - and that she felt that her lunch, which she was able to choose from the menu, was deficient. The choice to continue the tour, even though venues had to be substituted was perhaps unwise, but the same number of tastings & meals were given. One of the other participants on the day has commented that it was one of the best excursions they have ever done & that they would not hesitate to recommend it, so we're a bit confused that your experiences differ so much.
Tauranga-licious!
Marge_B, Jan 2023
Paul was an outstanding guide. We enjoyed our drive around Tauranga and the various stops-winery, restaurant, brewery and finished at a restaurant on a marina for dessert and cocktails. Food was incredible at The White House for lunch. It was great that we were able to be picked up and returned in a timely manner to our cruise ship-highly recommend. A great value!
Response from Host, Jan 2023
We really appreciate your review & are pleased the day met your expectations. Paul enjoyed yuor company & we hope the rest of your cruise went well.
Exceeded expectation, fantastic!
Kate_M, Dec 2022
Amazing tour, great value for money. Had a fantastic time. Tony our guide did an excellent job. Wine tasting, magnificent lunch, beer tasting, touring all included.
Response from Host, Jan 2023
So glad that you enjoyed your day with Tony & that you consider the tour was value for money. We hope the rest of your cruise goes well. thanks for writing us a great review.
Tauranga with flair
IanGarland, Dec 2022
This was one of the best shore excursions that we have ever done would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Mark made it so good with his knowledge and expertise
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. We really appreciate your comment & are pleased you enjoyed your day.
Fun day of wine and food
JaneS, Dec 2022
We were surprised and happy that there were only four of us for the wine and food experience with our very fun and capable tour guide Guy. Before we began the actual wine and food tour, he stopped by the beach to give us a good perspective of the area and a little about the history and the town. Our winery stop at Mills Reef Winery was excellent --- the wines were excellent. On the way to our lunch stop, Guy took us to a mountain lookout that provided a spectacular view. Lunch was delicious at the White House, a varied menu and lovely setting. Next stop was a brewery. Since I don't drink beer, I was pleased to have a selections of ciders and gin drinks. My husband enjoyed the beer tasting. We ended the day with coffee drinks and dessert at a charming seaside restaurant. The day was really fun and far more than we had expected. Guy made the day!
Response from Host, Dec 2022
We're glad your group enjoyed the day with Guy. We travel on this tour with a minimum of two. Clients seem to enjoy the variety of venues & liquor/food offerings. Thank you for your complimentary review.
Not quite what we booked
paul_e, Apr 2020
A slightly unusual trip in so far as that when we got to the wine tasting venue it was shut. Luckily we found an alternative venue a mile or so away and had lunch there but wasn't really wine tasting. Second stop at the portfolio winery was more of a warehouse on the main road, nice wine but not very scenic. The 3rd stop was for cocktails and dessert, this was a little strange as the guide and waitress had a disagreement in front of us about what we were allowed to have, awkward! We had a good day but it wasn't quite what we imagined
Response from Host, Apr 2020
It wasn’t what we imagined either! We apologise for what happened. I think that you can see from previous reviews that it was not the norm. This is a revamped tour, as some of our original venues ceased operating. Two of our new venues, despite the bookings with specific requirements being made well in advance, did not deliver anywhere near the usual standard we require. That won’t happen again. The alternative lunch venue, Bistro at the Falls Retreat, close by on the return route, was immediately booked & ready to serve us on arrival. You seemed to enjoy the lunch at their award-winning restaurant and the wine provided by & commented on by Paul. We’re surprised you found The Wine Portfolio “like a warehouse”. Its striking Cape Dutch appearance is often commented on & the tasting room is quite commodious, People are occasionally taken to other areas for personal tastings to preclude being swamped by large tour groups already there or about to arrive. It’s the tasting that’s the most important thing, we feel, & we’re sure you enjoyed the wide range of awarded Mills Reef & Leveret wines you tasted. Unfortunately, at the last venue, a new, young waitress had not acquainted herself with what had been booked & kept interrupting. This was not dealt with appropriately, but patience is perhaps at a premium when one is making every attempt to remedy the situation on a stressful day. Paul really enjoyed your company & we hope the rest of your cruise went well.
Fantastic private tour
Norma_B, Mar 2020
Great day. Wonderful tour with wine and sights very informative about the area. Highly recommend this tour
Response from Host, Apr 2020
We're so glad you enjoyed the sights & wine of the region. Thank you for taking the time to write this review.
Tasting Tour Delightful
bevgradidge, Feb 2020
This was an excellent tour! Very knowledgeable tour guide who took the time to provide detailed explanations about the region and to ensure that our experience was enjoyable. The wineries were wonderful, the tasting superb and the charcuterie board lunch was exceptional. Ending the day at the restaurant over desserts was the perfect way to complete a great day! Highly recommended!
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Paul throughly enjoyed the day with you & we're so glad it met your expectations. This tour has been altered because of venue closure, so it's appreciated to get feedback about changes. Thank you for taking the time to commnt. we appreciate you doing so.
A very good tour. Good wines and a...
Mark T, Dec 2017
A very good tour. Good wines and a knowledgeable guide.The only change I would make is going to the craft brewery at 10 AM is a bit of a stretch for me. I would recommend shifting the beer tasting to the last stop, not the first. Bow was and excellent guide and driver.
Wonderful tour , highlighted the...
Sally_C, Feb 2017
Wonderful tour , highlighted the tastings for the ara. Small group was wonderful and interesting. Guide was very helpful and gave great information. Very enjoyable. Only negative the Desert and Cocktail tasting at the completion of the trip was a little disappointing.
Paul Marston did a great job on our...
John_L, Dec 2016
Paul Marston did a great job on our tour. Without a doubt this is one of the best tour values I have ever enjoyed.
This was an excellent tour with the...
Katlin S, Apr 2016
This was an excellent tour with the delightful and knowledgeable Paul. We couldn't have asked for a better host and guide. Loved seeing kiwis on the vine and tasting kiwi products, the wineries were beautiful and we had a lovely, outdoor lunch. We were on a cruise but opted to take this small group tour versus the cruise ship excursion on a large bus. Take this tour!!!

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