THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Cycle through New Zealand’s renowned Chardonnay region while sampling local wines, craft beers, and ciders on the Great Taste Tour. This self-guided ride offers stunning coastal and vineyard views alongside a light lunch and curated tastings.
Cycle through New Zealand’s renowned Chardonnay region while sampling local wines, craft beers, and ciders on the Great Taste Tour. This self-guided ride offers stunning coastal and vineyard views alongside a light lunch and curated tastings.
Book with Experience Gisborne
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Experience Gisborne · Gisborne, Gisborne
Set against the backdrop of New Zealand’s east coast, Experience Gisborne’s Great Taste Tour offers an inviting blend of culinary discovery and gentle cycling in the Tairāwhiti region. Known internationally as the Chardonnay capital of New Zealand, Gisborne boasts an agricultural richness seldom matched: coastal seafood, fertile plains producing fresh fruits and vegetables, and local vineyards that cultivate grapes for some of the country’s finest wines. This self-guided, four-hour adventure invites visitors to pedal through a landscape where nature’s productivity meets crafted flavors.
On this tour, riders cover distances ranging from 10 to 30 kilometers along bike-friendly paths threading through town and countryside. The route connects three carefully selected tasting venues, each showcasing the region’s diversity—from the celebrated boutique wineries to Sunshine Brewery and Harvest Cidery, New Zealand’s oldest microbrewery born from the resilient spirit following Cyclone Bola’s devastation. Cycling between tastings lets visitors immerse in the changing scenery: rolling hills draped with vines, orchard-lined lanes, and glimpses of the Pacific shimmering beyond.
Included in the experience is a light lunch or platter, designed to complement the sampling of wines, ciders, and craft beers. Riders receive a sturdy bike and helmet to ensure comfort and safety, while the self-paced format means you control your day—from lingering over a glass of crisp Chardonnay to soaking in the warm coastal air.
Experience Gisborne stands out as a gateway to the region’s outdoor lifestyle and food heritage, encouraging visitors to move at their own pace and savor local flavors in an authentic setting. Whether cycling solo or with friends, the Great Taste Tour combines active exploration with palate-pleasing stops. It’s a practical, enjoyable way to connect with Gisborne’s scenic, cultural, and culinary heart without rushing—a true highlight for food and wine lovers who appreciate a ride with purpose.
easy.
4 hours.
Suitable for most fitness levels; basic cycling ability recommended with breaks between stops.
No, this self-guided tour is designed for easy cycling with well-marked routes and gentle terrain.
The tour runs rain or shine; bringing the recommended rain jacket keeps you comfortable.
You can choose your pace and distance between 10 to 30 km to suit your preferences.
Yes, a light lunch or platter is included and pairs with your tastings at one of the venues.
Yes, a bike and helmet are provided with your booking.
Guides and shuttles are available upon inquiry after booking.
Gisborne is the first city in the world to greet the sun each day and holds rich Māori and colonial history.
Local producers focus on sustainable viticulture and organic food practices to protect Tairāwhiti’s fertile environment.
Experience Gisborne is a local tour operator based in Gisborne that presents a range of guided, self-guided and supported experiences across the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne region. The business lists a variety of day experiences including vineyard tours, city sightseeing, scenic rides and combined nature-and-food trips. Offerings named by Experience Gisborne include Eastwoodhill Tour with Vineyard Platter, Bike Hire, Tairawhiti Gisborne City Tour (guided), Tolaga Bay Tour with Lunch, Vineyard Tour (self-guided), Great Taste Tour (self-guided and with lunch), Eastwoodhill Express (supported), Rere Express (supported), Afternoon Wine Tour with Vineyard Platter and Rere Falls & Eastwoodhill Tour with Refreshments. Several options combine food and wine elements such as vineyard platters and lunches alongside visits to regional highlights. Experience Gisborne provides bike hire alongside a variety of tour formats to accommodate self-guided explorers and visitors seeking guided or supported rides. The operator is featured on The Adventure Collective, where the trip names and formats are listed for travellers to compare options and plan itineraries. Prospective guests can review the available trip types and select guided, supported or self-guided formats depending on preference. Listings indicate when refreshments, platters or lunches are included in specific tours. Experience Gisborne focuses on facilitating access to key Gisborne attractions through multiple delivery formats and accessible bike hire options.
Book with Experience Gisborne