Scenic Wine Journey, 4 Vineyards: an honest review

My verdict: the highest-rated of the ferry-included wine days, five hours, with the ticket across in the price and a guide waiting for you at Matiatia at 10:40am. The detail worth knowing is that the number of wineries depends on which option you book — two or four — and so does the vehicle, minivan or double-decker. Lunch is an optional extra you buy on the day. Read the option you are clicking, not the tour title.

4.8★★★★★275 reviewsfrom NZ$190

Duration5 hours

Meets youMatiatia, 10:40am

Wineries2 or 4, by option

VehicleMinivan or double-decker

Ferry includedYes

LunchOptional extra, on the day

What the day looks like

Pickup and drop-off at Matiatia, five hours, and the guide meets you on the wharf at 10:40am. The ferry ticket is included, but you still choose which sailing you are on, and the operator’s own meeting note is unusually specific about it: take the 10am walk-up Fullers sailing and arrive an hour early, or book Island Direct. That is a tour operator telling you plainly that a second ferry company exists and is a reasonable choice, which is more than most of the internet manages. Island Direct runs the route at NZ$59 return against Fullers360’s NZ$62 on-peak, and both are on the fare page.

Usually included

A ferry ticket across and back
Five hours with a guide, meeting you at Matiatia at 10:40am
Two or four wineries depending on the option you book
Tastings at the wineries visited
“Skip the line through a separate entrance”, in the operator’s words

Not included

Lunch — an optional extra you buy on the day
Extra drinks beyond the tastings
Any guarantee of which vehicle you get: minivan or double-decker

What the reviews say

4.8 from 275 reviews is the second-highest rating on this site, and the guides — Caleb, Nooroa and Debbie recur — are most of the reason. On what a day actually contained: “We had a total of 10 different wine tastings at 3 places and lunch at a separate” (Candy). Note the numbers. Ten tastings, three places, lunch bought separately. That is the shape of it, and it is not the same as the four wineries in the title.

On the social side: “our group was a mix of people from all over the world and quite a few solo travellers” (Kim), which is worth knowing if you are travelling on your own and would rather not be the only one. And the most on-theme review on the whole site comes from this tour: “Excellent, but Yen is weak. So unfortunately, a bit too expensive.” (Minoru). A traveller doing the currency conversion in his head and reaching a different verdict from the same day out. Everything here is priced in New Zealand dollars for exactly that reason.

What works

4.8 from 275 reviews — the best-rated ferry-included wine day here
Ferry ticket included, and the operator tells you which sailing to be on
Guide meets you at Matiatia at 10:40am, so nothing to find
Named guides recur across the reviews
Solo travellers are common on it, by reviewers’ own account

Worth knowing

Two or four wineries depending on the option — check before you pay
Minivan or double-decker, also by option; a full deck is not a small group
Lunch is an optional extra bought on the day
A 10:40am start means an on-peak sailing, so no off-peak saving on your fare
One reviewer counted three places, not four — options differ

Rating4.8 / 5

Reviews275

PriceNZ$190

Duration5 hrs

MeetsMatiatia 10:40am

FerryIncluded

Insider tip

The operator asks you to arrive an hour before the 10am walk-up sailing. That is not padding. Leaving Auckland between 10am and 12pm is the busiest window of the day at the terminal, and buying online does not secure you a spot on a walk-up service.

Who it suits

People who want a shorter wine day than the six-hour option, solo travellers, and anyone who would rather have the ferry sorted inside the booking. If you want the maximum number of vineyards for the money and a group capped at ten, the wineries’ tour does that for NZ$5 less. If lunch matters, the Taste of Waiheke day includes two courses. And if you are wondering whether a guided wine day is worth it at all, I have written the honest version of that.

Fares checked 12 August 2026

Ferry fares on this page were read on 12 August 2026: NZ$62 on-peak adult return, NZ$46.50 off-peak. Fullers360 revised its fares on 16 February 2026 and they are still moving, so check the operator’s own site before you count on a number. Tour prices come from the listing itself, read the same day.

Check Scenic Wine Journey dates

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure on most tours — book now, decide later.

The other wine days

Best value wine dayFerry pass included

Frequently asked questions

Does the Scenic Wine Journey include the ferry?

Yes, the ferry ticket is included. The guide meets you at Matiatia at 10:40am, and the operator suggests either the 10am walk-up Fullers sailing, arriving an hour early, or booking Island Direct. Fares for both are on the cost page.

Is it two wineries or four?

It depends on the option you book, and so does the vehicle — minivan or double-decker. One reviewer counted ten tastings at three places. Read the option detail before you pay rather than trusting the number in the tour title.

Is lunch included?

No, lunch is an optional extra you buy on the day. If you want it in the price, the Taste of Waiheke day includes two courses and the ferry.

What time do I need to leave Auckland?

Early enough to be at Matiatia by 10:40am, which in practice means the 10am sailing and arriving at the terminal an hour before it. That is squarely inside the busiest departure window — see the timetable shape.