7 Gin Distillery Tours in New Zealand, Weighed Against Each Other

1.Afternoon Winery & Gin Tasting Tour Thu Fri Sat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 143 reviews · from $99Our pick

Spend an afternoon tasting Hawke's Bay wines and gin with pickup and drop-off in Napier. Visit Mission Estate, the National Gin Distillery, and Askerne Estate, where wine is served with New Zealand cheese and biscuits among the vines. Guide Ross adds local wine and orchard knowledge, while the itinerary may change with seasonal opening hours.

“Reasonable tour. Tere was very good. Couple of teething problems with pick up times. Did 3 wineries and one distillery. Good varieties of wines to taste and the wineries were very pleasant to visit. Didn’t feel it was long enough at each place and would have liked an earlier start an an additional winery.”

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2.Winery + Gin Tasting Tour with Lunch Thu Fri Sat

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 75 reviews · from $134

Spend five and a half hours with a local guide such as Ross, visiting Mission Estate, National Gin Distillery, and Askerne Estate. You’ll enjoy a generous platter lunch, wine and spirit tastings, local cheese, and an informal look at Hawke’s Bay’s vineyards. Hotel pickup, transport, water, and tasting fees are included.

“It was a great tour and Ross the guide was fantastic, very informative and a very nice person. Great locations to visit also.”

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3.Scenic Taste and Graze Tour with Wine, Whisky, Beer

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 60 reviews · 5 hours · from $238

Spend five hours touring Waiheke by comfortable island transport, with wine at Mudbrick, beer or whisky at The Heke, a platter lunch with wine, and olive oil and honey tasting at Rangihoua Estate. Guides such as Sylvia, Kevin, Shirley, Karen, Debbie, and Kaz add local stories and practical help.

“Kevin met our group from the Waiheke Ferry and off we went in a air conditioned van through the island, visiting 2 wineries - one with a hearty lunch platter, a distillery, and an olive oil business. Kevin was a great driver, good kiwi sense of humour, and a local with full of information about the island. The spots we were taken to were picturesque. Getting to the island was fully described in the pre departure information. I highly recommend this tour if you are looking for a wine tasting experience! Thanks Kevin and this company for a great day!”

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4.Queenstown’s Gin & Spirits Tasting Tour

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

Spend six hours tasting gin at three local stops, from Cardrona Distillery in the Crown Range to Arrowtown’s The Winery and Broken Heart’s Gin Garden. Your guide handles the driving in an air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi. Gin-free options, shared food, and select hotel pickup make this a relaxed afternoon out.

“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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5.Small group – Beer, Wine, Cider and Gin Tour – 5.0 – 5.5 hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $136

Spend about five and a half hours tasting Hawke’s Bay wine by the flight, plus cider, beer, and gin by the glass. Your small group, capped at 15, travels by air-conditioned minivan from Napier, with hotel or port pickup, cheese, fresh bread, and a souvenir included. Tea and coffee can be provided if you do not drink alcohol.

“The whole day was brilliant! Very informative and excellent tour guide. Wines, beers and gin were lovely.”

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6.Guided Gin Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · from $146

Spend six hours tasting New Zealand gin and other spirits at three Queenstown-area stops. Your English-speaking guide takes you through Cardrona Valley and Arrowtown, with a Cardrona Distillery tour, a welcome gin cocktail, shared platters, and more than 13 local spirits. Recent guides have included Ana, Holly, Lily, and Ethan.

“Throughly enjoyed the tour. We had a fantastic guide, Holly, she was an awesome driver and fantastic host. The distilleries were fabulous. But not keen on whiskey tasting.”

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7.Helicopter Flight and Gin Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $450

Spend six hours with Altitude Tours on a small-group gin adventure from Queenstown. Fly 15 minutes to a mountaintop for a tasting, then visit three spirit locations in Cardrona Valley, Arrowtown, and Arthurs Point, with shared grazing food and a Cardrona Distillery tour. The English-speaking guide handles transport, tastings, and local stories.

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