Cheers Bus
ProHighlights
- Guided full-day winery tour with four pre-booked boutique cellar doors
- Cheese, chocolate and, where available, flavoured vodka, gin and schnapps tastings
- Free accommodation pick-up around Pokolbin, Lovedale, Rothbury, Nulkaba and Cessnock
About Cheers Bus
Cheers Bus is a Hunter Valley wine tour business run from Aberdare by John King, an accredited owner-operator who started it in 2002 alongside Hunter Private Tours. The focus is small groups and boutique producers: rather than queueing at the big estates, guests are taken to smaller cellar doors the business has long-standing arrangements with, and the day is padded out with cheese, chocolate and spirits tastings so it is not all wine. The standard guided day runs for about seven hours. Pick-up is around 9.30am, followed by four pre-booked cellar doors where the group has its own tasting, cheese and chocolate samples, and, when they are on offer, flavoured vodkas, gins and schnapps. Lunch is ordered in advance from a short bus menu or chosen on the day, and is paid for separately. A sample day on the website takes in Pokolbin Estate, McLeish Estate, Hunter Wine Lab and James Estate, though stops change with group size and availability. Drop-off back at your accommodation is close to 5pm. For a group that wants the vehicle to itself, the private tour seats up to 20 and welcomes all ages, with the itinerary shaped around the wineries, food and pace you prefer. A five-hour late-start tour suits anyone arriving in the valley mid-morning. Cheers Bus also hires out its air-conditioned minibuses for corporate events, running guests between their hotel and a Hunter function and back again. The point of the day is that nobody has to drive between tastings. The fleet is an 11-seat Mercedes van and a larger 20-seat bus, and the guide shares local history along the way. Availability for the following day can be checked by phone or text.
Inclusions & amenities
Vehicle type
Budget
Pricing
Fleet & Booking Details
Frequently asked questions
Where does Cheers Bus pick up from?
Free pick-up covers accommodation within about 15 km of Hunter Valley Gardens, which takes in Pokolbin, Lovedale, Rothbury, Nulkaba and Cessnock. Addresses further out can be collected for an extra charge per person.
How many people can join a tour?
The Mercedes van carries 11 passengers and the larger bus takes 20. A private tour can be booked for groups of up to 20.
What does the full-day tour include?
Hotel pick-up, four pre-booked boutique cellar doors with private group tastings, cheese and chocolate tastings, flavoured spirits where available, a lunch stop and return to your accommodation. Lunch itself is paid for on the day.
Are there shorter tours?
Yes. A five-hour late-start food and wine tour begins around midday. Half-day morning tours and late-start afternoon tours are not run on Saturdays.
Can children come along?
The guided full-day and late-start tours are for adults aged 18 and over. The private tour is open to all ages, so families should book that option.
Areas we service
Suitable occasions
John Meredith
a year ago
Our friends group of 6 were entertained by John as our guide & driver on Saturday 7/12. We asked John to work out a day of visiting venues that provided tastings for wine & beer. John did an excellent job with visits to…
Ashleigh Marshall
a year ago
My husband Chris and I booked this company for a weekday tour around Hunter Valley wineries as part of our mini honeymoon after the wedding. Andy was our guide and driver, and he was incredibly genuine and easy to chat w…
Kerry Lucy
a year ago
We’ve just returned from a wonderful day touring Hunter Valley Wineries with Cheers Bus! John went above & beyond facilitating this day out for us while we were visiting Newcastle from Brisbane. We joined a great group,…
Andrea Browne
4 years ago
Highly recommend Cheers bus, John and Gary were very organised and knowledgeable. Was the perfect ladies day with a special limo treat for the first part of our day. Cheers bus tours took care of us and made the whole da…
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