Last updated: July 2026
The Hunter Valley is one of Australia's most beloved weekend escapes — and for good reason. Within an hour or two of Sydney, you'll find world-class wineries, breathtaking scenery, unforgettable food, and enough activities to fill a long weekend without ever feeling rushed. Whether you're planning a day trip, a romantic escape, or a group getaway, this guide covers the best things to do in Hunter Valley in 2026 — straight from the locals who live and work here.
1. Start (or End) with a Wine Tasting at Ivanhoe Wines
No Hunter Valley itinerary is complete without a cellar door tasting, and Ivanhoe Wines is the perfect place to begin or finish your day. Perched on 80 acres of volcanic soil along Marrowbone Road in Pokolbin, Ivanhoe offers panoramic views of the Brokenback Range and a range of handcrafted wines you won't find in any bottle shop.
Choose from two wine tasting experiences:
- Seated Wine Tasting — $15 per person: Up to 6 wines personally selected for your palate, with tips from your host on how to identify what you like. Max 8 guests. Perfect if you have a few cellar doors to visit.
- Premium Wine Tasting Experience — $45 per person: Everything in the seated tasting plus a gourmet Hunter Valley cheese platter, access to exclusive and limited release wines, and a personal wine consultant. The full experience.
Lewis Drayton's hot tip: book one of the last sessions of the day and watch the sunset over the Brokenback Range with a glass in hand. It's one of the best views in the Valley.
Book a wine tasting at Ivanhoe Wines — open daily 10am–5pm, 525 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin. Bookings essential.
2. Explore the Hunter Valley Cellar Door Trail
The Hunter Valley is home to over 150 wineries, many clustered within a few minutes of each other around Pokolbin. A self-guided cellar door trail is one of the best ways to spend a day — map out three or four stops, pace yourself, and let each winery's personality guide the afternoon.
If you're based around Marrowbone Road and McDonalds Road, you're in the heart of the action. Ivanhoe makes a natural anchor for any trail — it's centrally located and our team can point you toward the cellar doors that suit your taste. We've already done the legwork: see our guide to the best Hunter Valley wineries for Lewis Drayton's insider picks and hot tips for each stop.
3. Hot Air Ballooning Over the Vines
One of the most spectacular ways to experience the Hunter Valley is from above. Hot air balloon flights launch at dawn from the valley floor, drifting over rows of vines, rolling hills and the Brokenback Range as the sun rises. Several operators run daily flights depending on conditions, with champagne breakfasts often included.
It's an early start — typically 5am for the drive to the launch site — but the experience more than justifies the alarm call. Best booked in advance, particularly on weekends and in peak season.
4. Hunter Valley Gardens
Set on 25 acres in the heart of Pokolbin, Hunter Valley Gardens is one of Australia's largest private gardens, featuring ten distinct themed garden rooms including an Italian grotto, a Chinese garden, a rose garden, and the famous Storybook Garden. It's a genuine all-ages attraction and a beautiful way to spend a couple of hours between cellar doors.
The gardens also host seasonal events including the Christmas Lights Spectacular (November to January) and Garden Easter Egg Hunt. Check their calendar before your visit — the timing can make or break a trip.
5. Binnorie Dairy
If you're building a picnic lunch or looking for the perfect accompaniment to your cellar door wines, Binnorie Dairy in Lovedale is the Hunter Valley's finest artisan cheese producer. Their handcrafted, European-inspired cheeses have won multiple awards at the Sydney Royal Easter Show — including Gold for their Triple Cream Brie, Silver for their Pesto Labna, and Bronze for their Marinated Fetta. Open daily 10am–5pm at 25 Lodge Road, Lovedale. Pick up a selection to enjoy on Ivanhoe's verandah alongside a bottle from your tasting.
6. Browse Pokolbin Village
Pokolbin Village is a relaxed retail and food hub at the centre of the wine region. You'll find local produce, gifts, providores, a bakery, cafes and the Hunter Valley Cheese Company all within walking distance. It's a good stop for picking up a bottle of olive oil, local honey, or a gift to take home alongside your wine. The atmosphere is unhurried and genuinely local — a welcome contrast to the tourist-heavy areas of some other wine regions.
7. Cycle Between Cellar Doors
Many of the Pokolbin wineries are close enough to visit by bicycle, and several hire companies operate in the region offering bikes and e-bikes by the hour or day. A self-guided cycling tour through the vineyard roads is a relaxed, scenic way to do the cellar door trail — and means the designated driver question solves itself. Marrowbone Road, Broke Road and McDonalds Road are all well-suited to cycling with relatively little traffic.
8. A Hunter Valley Winter Escape
The Hunter Valley is often overlooked in winter, but July and August are arguably the best months to visit. The crowds thin out, the cellar door teams have more time for you, and cosy reds taste considerably better by a fire. Several properties offer winter packages, and the cool mornings give the landscape a moodiness that summer can't match.
At Ivanhoe, winter is when we open the bottles that need a little time to breathe — aged Shiraz, fortified Tawny, and the occasional museum release. It's a different kind of Hunter Valley experience, and one worth seeking out.
9. Check What's On — Concerts and Events
The Hunter Valley hosts a year-round calendar of events — from outdoor concerts and food festivals to art trails and harvest celebrations. Some of the region's best events sell out months in advance, so it's worth checking the calendar before you book accommodation.
See our guide to Hunter Valley concerts and events for what's coming up in 2026.
10. Take Home a Personalised Engraved Wine Bottle
One of the things that makes a Hunter Valley visit stick in the memory is leaving with something you can't buy anywhere else. At Ivanhoe, our artisan hand-engraves wine bottles with your personal message, name, date or logo in gold or silver — directly at the cellar door.
It's a popular choice for birthdays, anniversaries, wedding bonbonniere and corporate gifts. Single bottles or large orders, the process is the same: buy online or at the cellar door, submit your engraving details, and we handle the rest.
Order a personalised engraved wine bottle from Ivanhoe Wines →
Planning Your Hunter Valley Visit — Practical Tips
- Getting there: The Hunter Valley is approximately 2.5 hours from Sydney via the M1 and New England Highway. Most visitors base themselves in Pokolbin or Lovedale.
- Getting around: A car is essential unless you're on a tour or cycling. Rideshare services are limited in the region.
- Best time to visit: Harvest (February to April) brings the most activity. Winter (June to August) offers quieter cellar doors and better value accommodation. Avoid major long weekends if you dislike crowds.
- Book ahead: All Ivanhoe tastings require bookings. Most popular restaurants and accommodation fill up weeks in advance on weekends.
- Pace yourself: Three or four cellar doors in a day is comfortable. More than that and the wines start blending into each other.
Start Your Hunter Valley Day at Ivanhoe Wines
Whatever brings you to the Hunter Valley, a morning tasting at Ivanhoe is the ideal way to begin. The views, the wines, and the welcome from the Drayton family team set the tone for the rest of the day — and if you time it right, the sunset over the Brokenback Range from our verandah is the perfect way to end it too.
Book your wine tasting at Ivanhoe Wines — open daily 10am–5pm. Or take home a personalised engraved bottle as a memento of your Hunter Valley day.
Become a Round Table Member for complimentary tastings, exclusive releases and quarterly wine deliveries.