In the glass · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
Good self-guided tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 14 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Pick up an e-bike from John and the E-Bikes Florence team, then follow a GPS route through Florence, Fiesole, olive groves, forest, and country roads to a boutique vineyard. You will need solid bike skills, but the pedal assist makes the hills manageable.
“Very friendly owner and the ride across Tuscany was memorable and scenic. The winery served many good wines”
At Koutsogiannopoulos Wine Museum near Vothonas, you follow an audio guide through a 300-meter cave eight meters underground, then taste four local wines with a sommelier. Plan 1 to 2 hours. The museum is self-guided, cool, informative, and close to Santorini Airport.
“The museum was really nice, wine tasting very good.”
Start in Renwick with Lorelle, Greg, or their team, choose a comfortable step-through bike, and follow quiet roads to nearby cellar doors. Your day includes a map, winery video, helmet, hi-vis vest, wine panniers, shuttle pickup, emergency support, and free wine collection. Tastings and lunch cost extra.
“Just the most amazing way to see the local wine cellar doors. Lorelle and Greg are fantastic hosts and they really know how to put you at ease even if you haven’t ridden a bike for a while. Don’t think about it, just do it. We were picked up froRead more”
Start with hotel pickup, a safety briefing, bike, helmet, lock, and a practical wine map. Then cycle the flat back roads near Renwick, choosing from up to 12 wineries within 3 kilometers. Rory, Roo, Andy, or another Explore Marlborough host may help plan your route.
“Great day spent biking to various wineries for tastings. Beautiful scenery was a plus.”
You’ll be collected from your Blenheim or Renwick accommodation and taken to The Vines Village, where Andy, Roo, Matt, or another Explore Marlborough team member fits your bike and explains the routes. Ride between nearby cellar doors at your own pace, with free bottle collection and backup if your bike fails.
“Despite the cold and rain, they were cheerful and helpful. 100% opt for the e-bike, especially if weather isn’t looking great, as it made it far more enjoyable.”
Ride from Queenstown into the Gibbston Valley on a standard or electric bike, following the Arrow and Kawarau rivers to wineries, a cheesery, tavern, and the Kawarau Bridge bungy site. Around The Basin supplies the bike, helmet, map, safety briefing, and scheduled shuttle back to town.
“Really nice trip to do for a day out of Queenstown. Fun and varied trail to cycle, stunning scenery and some really open doors available on the tour with tasty wine and food Would highly recommend”
Start at Básico Gastro Bar, then follow a supplied route to four Alcudia Old Town spots. Choose one tapa from two options at each stop, pair it with wine, sangria, beer, or a soft drink, and finish with coffee, water, or a soft drink. WhatsApp help is available.
“Really nice experience 😊 the food was nice and local, drinks to enjoy with the tapas. Friendly staff and easy to find locations 😊 we loved it”
Ride an e-bike from central Verona into Valpolicella using a simple phone app. You will pass vineyards, olive groves, villas, and small villages before reaching Farina winery around 2:30 PM for wine, cheese, and salami. The route is self-guided, with helpful staff at the bike shop.
“We had an incredible guide in Anna. She had so much to tell about Verona and the scenary. We went biking for several hours, and had a wonderful lunch in a wineyard. Interesting to hear about wineproduction and ending up biking downhill back to the senter of Verona.”
Pick up a quality bike, helmet, basket, map, and route advice for a self-guided day around Porto and Gaia. Cross Dom Luís I Bridge, cruise beneath the Douro’s historic bridges, eat in Afurada, ride the estuary reserve, and finish with red and white port tastings.
“Heel leuke fietstocht gedaan langs de kust. Geen elektrische fietsen, maar alles was plat en waren zeer kwalitatieve fietsen. Enige minpunt: je kreeg de uren door van de boot en tussen welke uren je bij de portoproeverij kon gaan, maar wanneer we daar kwamen in de late middag, bleek dat je moest reserveren voor je bezoek. We konden dan nog wel reserveren voor die dag, maar konden daardoor de boottocht niet meer doen. Best dus 's morgens al je proeverij vastleggen.”
Ride through Old Riga for 30 minutes in a heated electric bus with an English audio guide, a welcome drink, and blankets in cold weather. Your English-speaking driver can pause for photos. The route covers the Old Town’s main sights and returns to Torņa Street 4 II A.
“Tour path itself (via city center) was good and we seen interesting places and buildings. However, the information we got about the places was mostly basic and obvious, e.g. we seen the castle and got information that president lives there, but no information about who is the president, what political system they have, what taxes they pay, how school system works or some curiosities or interesting non comonly known local stories. Compering to tours in other cities, this was below average. But considering the price, if you do not have too high expectations, could be ok.”
Start with a gentle guided ride through Marlborough’s vineyards, visiting at least three wineries with guides such as Innes, Graeme, or Roo. After tastings and local wine advice, spend about three hours choosing your own wineries, lunch stop, and route before returning to Blenheim or Renwick.
“Absolutely stunning scenery on the bike tour, with Graeme - our lovely guide for the morning. The wineries were all spot-on. I'd highly recommend this way of visiting the wineries in Marlborough”
You’ll collect an e-bike, helmet, panniers, and a smartphone route at Lakeside Eco-Sports, then ride 29 km to three Kelowna wineries. The self-guided route gives you freedom to linger, while Meadow Vista Bistro adds a proper lunch and a look at the area’s busy honey bees.
“We had a blast! Kelowna is absolutely beautiful and this tour showcases so much to see! We were given detailed instructions and set up to succeed on the e-bikes! We learned so much at each winery and enjoyed the wine, finding an excuse to buy one at each stop. Lunch was wonderful at our last stop, too! Would definitely recommend this activity! It is well worth the cost!”
Spend the day exploring Nessebar’s ancient peninsula at your own pace with a map and audio guide in five languages. Choose from 15 stops, pause for photos, and finish at a winery with a tasting. Bring headphones, a charged phone, and internet access.
“The audio guide was good and informative but it was a struggle to use. I had to follow our route on google maps and then switch to the narrative in a different tab-sometimes we had to reload the maps so it was a bit of a mess about”
Start with pickup from Blenheim or Renwick, then cycle from The Vines Village to three guided winery tastings with bikes, helmets, and high-visibility vests provided. After lunch, continue on your own using a wine map and local advice. Guide April is praised for making wine talk easy for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
“Great fun despite the constant rain. Wonderful host and guide, really friendly vineyard staff, delicious tasting sessions.”
Cellar doors, tasting rooms and the long lunches in between.
