The 15 Brewery Tours in New Zealand That Go Early

1.Speight’s Brewery Tour & Guided Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 508 reviews · from $16Our pick

Spend about 75 minutes touring Speight’s Brewery in central Dunedin, from its historic floors to its modern brewing areas. Guides such as Tom, Thomas, Marty, Monica, and Israel explain the brewery’s past and production methods before you learn to pour beer and sample several Speight’s beers, plus cider when available.

“Had a good time learning about the history of Speights Brewing and how they have changed and adapted over the years. The tour guide and staff in the gift shop were very friendly and knowledgeable.”

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2.Afternoon Wine & Beer Tour with Platters

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

From central Queenstown, a small group visits three Gibbston tasting spots by minibus. Choose wine or beer, hear local stories from guides such as Do, Ash, Stuart, and Shanay, then settle in for tastings and antipasto at the final stop. The four-hour tour returns to Queenstown.

“Shanay was our guide and from the outset she made the whole experience fun. She was knowledgeable about the area and was engaging and funny. Nothing was a problem for Shanay even when we needed an urgent pit stop. The wineries were great but I think our favourite place was the first tavern.”

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3.Speight’s Brewery Guided Tour with Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 170 reviews · 1h 15m · from $28

Spend 75 minutes touring Speight’s Brewery with an English-speaking guide, from its old Brew Floor to its modern brewing plant. Learn about Dunedin’s brewing story, ingredients, and production methods before sampling several beers. Guides such as Annika, Tom, Tess, and Rosie have been praised for clear explanations and good humor. Closed shoes are required, and the route includes more than 200 stairs.

“Rosie gave me a tour of the more accessible areas. Very knowledgeable and great fun.”

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4.Half-Day Marlborough Wine Tour & Beer Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 102 reviews · from $129

Spend 4.5 hours visiting three or four Marlborough wineries with a guide such as Darlene, Maurice, or Cameron. Taste several wines, stop for a vineyard lunch at your own cost, and ask about adding a brewery or chocolate shop. Door-to-door pickup is included from Blenheim and Renwick.

“Cameron was a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable in all things wine related and very friendly! Our entire group had a fantastic time!!!”

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5.Monteith’s Brewery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 93 reviews · from $27

Spend 45 minutes at Monteith’s Greymouth visitor brewery with a guide such as Austin or Harvey. Hear West Coast brewing stories, see the former brewhouse, learn to taste and pour beer, enjoy tap beers or ciders, and leave with a mixed six-pack. You must wear covered, flat, non-slip shoes, or use the free boots provided.

“The brewery is a great place to visit with excellent beers on Tap. The lady who did our tour last Wednesday afternoon was amazing. She had great stories about the brewery and westcoast. Down to earth and an all round great person to have a beer with.”

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6.Small group – Napier Premium Wineries+ Beer tour -5.0 – 5.5 hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $136

Join guides such as John, Tere, or Margie for a 5.5-hour afternoon tour from Napier. Visit three varied wineries, often including Mission Estate or Church Road, then finish with three beers at a local ale house. Hotel pickup, tastings, transport, and cheese or nibbles are included.

“Tere, our guide was really friendly and knowledgeable about wine making, the local area and its history. We were given the choice of visiting 3 vineyards and a brewery, or visiting 4 vineyards with the rest of the participants, and were glad to Read more”

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7.Paihia or Kerikeri: Wine, Spirit, & Craft Beer Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 37 reviews · 4 hours · from $125

Spend four hours tasting six wines at Marsden Estate, up to four beers or ciders at Phat House Brewery, and three New Zealand spirits at Bad Habits. Your English-speaking guide handles the driving between Paihia, Kerikeri, and Haruru Falls, with a platter lunch included. Groups are limited to 11 adults.

“Everything was perfect And Bill was sooo good and professional”

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8.Marlborough: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine, Brewery, and Wonders Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 35 reviews · 1 day · from $77

Spend a day exploring Marlborough by scheduled coach, hopping between 26 wineries, breweries, museums, restaurants, shops, and activity centers. Start in Picton or Blenheim, use the map and timetable to plan your stops, and ask drivers such as Pete or Erin for local advice. Tastings, meals, and drinks cost extra.

“Pete our driver was informative without being overbearing, which sometimes happens. Transport pick up times were reliable. It would have been nice to know about some of the places we visited before hand,as the aviation museum was excellent, but we rushed it in 1/2 an hour,not realising our winery was only 3 minutes up the road and we arrived an hour early for lunch,which was a pity.”

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9.Twilight Wine and Craft Beer Tour

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

Spend four late-afternoon hours tasting Central Otago wine and local craft beer at two cellar doors and a brewery. Your English-speaking guide, possibly Ash, Alina, or Kevin, takes you from Queenstown to Gibbston in a Mercedes van, with shared antipasto at the final stop.

“Great and fun experience!! Plenty of wine, and our guide Alina was so fun and lovely!”

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10.Craft Beer Brewery Tour with Lunch

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

Spend five relaxed hours visiting three Queenstown craft beer stops with local guide Lewis, sampling 13 beers, enjoying a four-course beer-paired lunch, and learning how beer is made. Hotel pickup and drop-off, scenic drives, wine, cider, ginger beer, and post-tour vouchers make this a handy choice for beer fans and curious beginners.

“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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11.Great Taste Beer Tour by Bicycle (Self-guided)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $80

Cycle Nelson’s six-hour self-guided beer tour takes you 23 km through flat urban streets, coastal paths, and the historic Railway Reserve. You’ll receive a bike, helmet, map, briefing, emergency support, and a four-beer or cider paddle at McCashin’s Tap Room. Stops include an English pub, breweries, Nelson Classic Car Museum, and Pic’s Peanut Butter World.

“Fantastic day, great bikes super nice people to deal with. Outstanding service, highly recommended way to spend a day.”

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12.Emerson’s Brewery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $24

Meet at Emerson’s Brewery on Anzac Avenue for a one-hour guided visit through the malt room, brewhouse, fermentation area, and packaging line. You’ll see how beer is made and cleaned, hear how the brewery began, and finish with a tasting tray. Sam has led the tour and is praised for his clear, informed approach.

“Learning about the owner how it all started. Knowing how the beer is made from start to finish. How every thing is cleaned daily. I enjoyed the beer and the hour’s experience”

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13.Speight’s Brewery Tour & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $48

Start at Speight’s Brewery on Rattray Street at noon for a guided look at Dunedin’s oldest operating brewery. You’ll explore the historic Brew Floor, learn how beer is made, taste several beers, practice a proper pour, then enjoy a two-course Ale House meal with a beer.

“Our tour guide Marty was great, kept us amused with some interesting anecdotes and was a wealth of information. The beer tasting proved that fresh is best, it was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The food at the Ale House was brilliant, best seafood chowder ever! It’s a big tick from us.”

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14.Wineries / Brewery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $173

Join Brett in an air-conditioned minivan for a private four-hour outing from Auckland. Visit Soljans Estate Winery and Kumeu River Wines, then taste craft beer and enjoy a Kiwi lunch at Hallertau Brewery. Tastings and lunch cost extra, and the tour requires at least two people.

“It was wonderful and the tour driver told us about sites along the way. Driver was a great tour guide.”

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15.Ultimate Auckland Experience Full Day Tour with Brewery Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $155

Spend a full day with Cheeky Kiwi Travel, combining Auckland landmarks, volcanic viewpoints, Muriwai’s black-sand coast, a seasonal gannet colony, and lunch at Hallertau Brewery. Your guide handles the driving and local stories in a modern minibus. Simon is one named guide, and craft beer, Sky Tower entry, and a Devonport ferry ride are optional extras.

“Simon was absolutely brilliant went above and beyond to make sure we seen as much as we could, nothing was too much trouble.”

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