HENS IN THE HUNTER VALLEY

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we change the pick up time?

We recommend departing your pick up location in enough time to have your group arriving in the Hunter Valley ready to enjoy your first tasting when the wineries open at 10am.

There is flexibility to leave later however this usually means that you will not be able to fit as much into the itinerary at the wineries will not take groups beyond certain times. Starting later does not always mean finishing later. We are happy to work with your times but please bear in mind that we plan your day allowing appropriate times for each tasting.

Can we select the wineries that we visit and are all cellar door tasting fees included?

Our our tours usually focus on the best boutique wineries in the region. These are wineries are home to some of the valleys finest award winning wines and the passionate staff give exceptional service and attention to detail during the tastings. Most of the boutique wineries we visit on this Hunter Valley wine tour only allow tastings and purchases of their wines by visiting the cellar door in the Hunter Valley so this provides a really unique wine tasting experience.

If you do have any specific requests please let us know at the time of booking and we can let you know if any additional tasting fees will be applicable. Our ability to accommodate your requests will be based on the wineries availability at the time, their group policy - some cellar doors do not take Hens groups and most have maximum group sizes which vary from winery to winery.

Our pricing factors in a winery tasking fee of $5 per winery. If the winery charges more than this the difference will be added to the price quoted.

Can we select our choice of lunch venue?

Yes, all of our Hunter Valley Wine Tours offer the flexibility to choose your own lunch venue. We will provide a number of suggestions in the early stages of planning based on the style of lunch your group is after (casual, gourmet pub, restaurant, share etc. ) and the budget. If you wish to do your own research and have somewhere in mind for lunch we can accommodate this and work it into the itinerary for the day. We will liaise with all lunch venues on your groups behalf as it works best for planning the itinerary for the day based on our location in the valley for different tastings and the time the venue will require to provide a quality lunch service.

Most Hunter Valley venues require groups of approximately 8+ guests to order from a set menu on a Saturday. This is simply because they get very busy and for tour groups they need to ensure that they are ready to depart by a certain time. This is too difficult for the chef is they allow guests to select from the full a-la-carte menu.

Pricing for set menu dining can be paid by the group directly to the venue as one payment on the day (no split bills) or we can collect with your tour money and take care of everything on the day. This is the recommended as it is much easier than collecting money on the day. Groups can however pay direct to the venue of the day if this is the preference.

For pub style lunches at Potters or Harrigan’s groups will order from the venues everyday menu and guests will pay individually at the counter for what they order.

Do you require dietary information prior to the tour?

Yes, please! This is always good to have in advance as we need to ensure that the venues can adequalty cater to these dietary requirements. In most cases your driver/guide will be asking for your set menu choice prior to arrival at the venue so its best that everyone is aware of suitable options in advance.

Can we drink and eat on the bus?

You are welcome to bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverage on the bus. We ask that you remove all rubbish at the end of the day.

Drinking of alcoholic beverage on the bus is not allowed by The Department of Transport NSW and is the same for all operators. The fines they impose on our drivers is large and not worth the risk.

Can we play our own music on the bus?

Yes, absolutely! Bluetooth/USB/Aux connectivity is available in the vehicle so you can play your music and create the atmosphere you are after!

When are final numbers required?

Final numbers are required 14 days prior to the tour. It is very important that we receive these by the due date and we will be in contact with you to follow this up. We allocate a vehicle size based on your estimate of numbers at the time of booking. If there are large variations from this, either a larger or smaller group we ask that you notify us as we will need to ensure that we have availability to accommodate these changes.

When will my final itinerary be provided?

Your final itinerary will be provided 10 days prior to your tour. Pick up times and location will be finalised soon after booking so please share with guests prior to receiving the final itinerary.

If numbers drop within 14 days will I get a refund?

For smaller groups we will often quote a fixed price. This is due to the fact that not a lot of our costs change whether there is 8 people or 10 people on the bus. For a private charter tour we are providing the driver/guide for the day along with private vehicle transport as well as taking care of all arrangements for the day. Please bear in mind that as a result per head pricing increases as numbers decrease.

For larger groups we often quote in per head price brackets. It is strongly encouraged that groups keep in mind these variations in the per head costs as do we often find that groups drop in size from initial estimates. Letting everyone know in the planning stages that the costs may vary from say $80 per head to $90 is recommended so no one is surprised later if people that say they are coming end up pulling out closer to the date and the organiser is collecting money.

What are your payment terms?

A deposit of $200 per group is required to secure your booking within 2 weeks of receiving your deposit invoice.

Final numbers & final payment are required 14 days prior to the tour. At this time, the deposit is deducted from the total amount owing.

Any changes in numbers after this will only receive a 50% refund of the tour price. This is since vehicles have already been allocated based on numbers and tastings have been booked and paid for which are non-refundable for us. In the event that a partial refund is due it will done the Wednesday after the tour has taken place.  

No tour monies will be refunded for people cancelling within 48 hours of the tour. 

Any lunch monies that have been paid will be refunded in full up until 9am on the day of the tour.