Wellington Food & Drinks

Wellington food and drink experiences split into two kinds of day: tours that head over the Remutaka Range to the Wairarapa wine country, and walking tastings through the capital itself. Between them they cover Martinborough pinot noir, craft beer, artisan cheese, chocolate and Asian street food, all starting from central Wellington within the wider things to do in Wellington.

Martinborough wine and food tours from Wellington

Martinborough sits just over an hour's drive from the city over the Remutaka Range, and it is famed for pinot noir. The wine tasting and winery tours that run from Wellington leave from central pick-up points and are the easiest way to taste it without driving.

The Half Day Martinborough Winery Tour visits three of the region's wineries for cellar door tastings in a small group, with a scenic stop at the Remutaka Summit and pick-up from about 9.30am. The Martinborough Foodie Tour with Wine Tasting is a 5-hour return trip that leaves at 10am and adds a stop at C'est Cheese, an artisan chocolate tasting with a resident chocolatier and a shared cheese platter at the winery, alongside tastings at three wineries.

A full-day trip suits people who want the wider Wairarapa. The Wairarapa Taste Buds Tour is an 8-hour day with tastings at five producers, a grape-to-glass winery tour in Martinborough and lunch at a vineyard, and it visits Martinborough, Featherston and Greytown. The Wine and Wild Coast Tour is a 10-hour day that adds a swing bridge and rainforest loop walk at Kaitoke Regional Park, wine tasting with vineyard lunch, chocolate tasting at Schoc Chocs in Greytown, the south Wairarapa coast with its seal colony and Cape Palliser Lighthouse, and dinner at the Lake Ferry Hotel.

Craft beer in Wellington and the Hutt Valley

The Wellington Craft Brewery Tour is a 4-hour small-group trip that runs at 11.30am and 4pm from the Wakefield Street pick-up lane. It starts at Kereru, a family-owned brewery, calls in at Panhead Brewery and heads as far as Upper Hutt before returning to the city, with a staff-led brewery tour where available.

Food walking tours in the city

On foot, Wellington food tasting tours trade the minibus for the streets. The Wellington Chocoholics Walking Tour is a 3.5-hour walk that starts on Lambton Quay with a taste of Wellington's famous peanut slab, rides the Cable Car, strolls through the Botanic Garden and then stops at six chocolate venues, including hot chocolate and a pastry.

The Wellington Asian Food Walking Tour meets on Manners Street at 11am from Tuesday to Saturday and is also a 3.5-hour walk. It visits five to six eateries serving Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese dishes, and the guide explains how Asian cooking shaped Kiwi food.

Choosing a Wellington food and drink tour

Time is the quickest way to decide. A morning or afternoon suits the 3.5-hour walking tours or the 4-hour brewery tour, a 5-hour tour fits a Martinborough taste without giving up the whole day, and the 8 and 10-hour tours are for people who want the Wairarapa properly. If you would rather not drive, the Martinborough tours collect from selected central hotels, the cruise terminal or the Wellington i-SITE.

Walking tours also pair well with the rest of the city: a morning at one of the Wellington attractions, then chocolate or Asian food in the afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

What food is Wellington known for?

Wellington is known for its peanut slab, a local sweet treat tasted on the Wellington Chocoholics Walking Tour, and for a food scene shaped by Asian cuisines including Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese cooking.

How far is Martinborough from Wellington?

Martinborough is just over an hour's drive from Wellington over the Remutaka Range. Guided day trips from Wellington to Martinborough run from a 5-hour return tour to a full-day tour of the Wairarapa.

Do Martinborough wine tours from Wellington include hotel pick-up?

Yes. The Martinborough tours from Wellington include pick-up and drop-off from selected centrally located hotels, the cruise terminal or the Wellington i-SITE.

How long are the food walking tours in Wellington?

The Wellington Chocoholics Walking Tour and the Wellington Asian Food Walking Tour are each a 3.5-hour guided walk.

Is there a craft beer tour in Wellington?

Yes. The Wellington Craft Brewery Tour is a 4-hour half-day tour starting at 11.30am and 4pm, visiting Kereru and Panhead Brewery in Wellington and the Hutt Valley.

Which Wellington food and drink tours include lunch?

The Wairarapa Taste Buds Tour includes lunch at a vineyard restaurant, and the Wine and Wild Coast Tour includes lunch at a vineyard restaurant and dinner at the Lake Ferry Hotel.

What is the drinking age for Wellington wine tours?

Participants must be 18 or over to drink alcohol on the Martinborough wine tours from Wellington, and ID may be required.

Local tip: The Remutaka Summit on the Martinborough route is occasionally closed by snow or high wind, and the Wine and Wild Coast Tour offers full refunds if it is cancelled for weather.

Pick the Wairarapa for a long day of wine, cheese and coastline, or stay in the capital for chocolate and Asian food on foot.