Clare Valley Tours FAQs
Tastings and what the fares include, days from Adelaide, days that start in the valley, private days, children, getting there and cancellation. Choosing between Clare Valley guided tours? The answers below settle most of it.
Two answers matter more than the rest. The valley has no ticket of its own, and every guided day already pays for its scheduled tastings. So what you are really comparing is where the day starts: a day that collects you in the valley spends every hour here, while a day from Adelaide spends a good part of it on the road.
Do you need a ticket to visit the Clare Valley?
No. The Clare Valley is a wine region with no gate and no entry ticket. What you book is a tour seat, and every guided day here puts the scheduled cellar door tastings in the fare.
How much do Clare Valley wine tours cost?
Shared days that collect you in the valley start at $174 per person. The day from Adelaide is $341 per person, and the private day is $535 for a group of up to four. The 3-day Flinders Ranges tour is $643 per person, and each card shows the current fare.
Are wine tastings included on the tours?
On the day tours, yes. The valley-based days include the scheduled tastings, and the day from Adelaide includes tastings and lunch at its chosen venues. Wine you buy to take home, and tips, are extra.
How far is the Clare Valley from Adelaide?
About 90 minutes to two hours by car. The route runs north on the Northern Expressway, then up the Horrocks Highway past Gawler.
Can you do a day trip from Adelaide?
Yes. The Wine Escape collects you from hotels in Adelaide city or Glenelg for an 8-hour day. It makes five stops, with the tastings and lunch in the fare.
Do any tours start inside the valley?
Yes. The local guide's days collect you from your accommodation in Clare, Auburn, Watervale, Leasingham, Penwortham, Mintaro or Burra. Those days spend every hour in the valley, with no highway at either end.
Is lunch included?
Yes, on every day tour listed here. The valley-based days serve a charcuterie lunch at a winery, and the day from Adelaide stops for a restaurant lunch.
Are there private Clare Valley tours?
Yes. The Group of Four day is priced per group of up to four, and only your party travels. The route is built around what you want to taste.
Which wine tour is best for a first visit?
If you are staying in the valley, the local guide's shared day. If you are staying in Adelaide, the Wine Escape. If you want the car to yourselves, the private day for four.
How big are the groups?
The local guide's shared day takes five or six guests, depending on where you book it. The private day carries only your group, and the 3-day Flinders Ranges tour takes up to twelve.
Can I cancel a booking?
The day tours refund in full if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. The 3-day Flinders Ranges tour refunds in full up to 6 days before, and 50% from 2 to 6 days. Inside 2 days it refunds nothing.
When is the best time to visit?
Spring and autumn, the seasons the South Australian Tourism Commission recommends for cycling, walking and cellar doors. January averages a high of 30.5 °C at Clare, and July 13.0 °C with about ten rain days.
What is the Riesling Trail?
The Riesling Trail is a 33 km walking and cycling trail from Auburn to Barinia, north of Clare. It follows a railway corridor dating from the 1860s, and around 30 cellar doors sit along the way.
When is the Clare Valley Gourmet Festival?
The Clare Valley Gourmet Festival runs from 14 to 17 May 2027. Its organisers call it Australia's longest running wine and food festival, and beds in the valley fill fast that weekend.
Where is the visitor centre?
The Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre is at 8 Spring Gully Road, Clare. It opens 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 4pm at weekends. It closes on Christmas Day and on Catastrophic Fire Days.
What wine is the Clare Valley known for?
Riesling above all, with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The three together make up nearly 80% of the region's production.
What is the oldest winery in the Clare Valley?
Sevenhill Cellars, founded by Austrian Jesuits. Its first vines went in in 1851, and the region's first winery was built there in 1852.
Why are Clare Riesling bottles sealed with screw caps?
In 2000 Clare Valley winemakers banded together to champion the Stelvin screw cap for their Riesling. Today it is rare to find an Australian Riesling under cork.
How high are the vineyards?
Many sit at 400 to 500 m, rising to 608 m at Mt Horrocks. That height is why summer nights stay cool.
Can you walk the Riesling Trail?
Yes. It is a shared trail for walkers and riders. The 6 km from Clare to Sevenhill is one of the region's official short walks.
Where can I hire a bike for the trail?
In Clare and in Auburn, with e-bikes and tandems among the choices. Clare Valley Taxis can bring you back if you ride one way.
Is there public transport to the valley?
A coach runs between Adelaide and the Clare Valley, but nothing links the cellar doors. A car, a bike, a taxi or a tour does that.
Is there an airport near Clare?
Clare Valley Aerodrome is on RM Williams Way, 14 km north of Clare township. By road from Adelaide, the valley is 90 minutes to two hours away.
Is the 3-day Flinders Ranges tour a Clare Valley tour?
Partly. It stops in the valley for about two hours on the way north and about an hour on the way back. The rest is the Flinders Ranges, Wilpena Pound and Brachina Gorge.
Are the wine tours wheelchair accessible?
None of the tours listed here is sold as wheelchair accessible. Ask the operator before you book if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair.
Can children come on the tours?
The 3-day Flinders Ranges tour sells discounted child fares and takes infants on laps. The day tours publish no child policy, so ask before you book.
What is Spring Gully Conservation Park?
Spring Gully Conservation Park is a park near Clare with a seasonal waterfall that drops 18 m after rain. It protects the westernmost red stringybark trees, found in no other South Australian reserve, and it closes on Catastrophic Fire Danger days.
Can the local guide collect us from the Barossa?
The Valley Wine Tours listing says the guide can collect guests staying in the Barossa. Ask when you book, and confirm the pickup time in writing.
What should I wear on a wine tour?
Comfortable shoes and layers for the weather. The days include short walks at the wineries, and one traveller found the climb to the last tasting steep.
Are vegetarian meals available?
On the day from Adelaide, yes: tell the driver on the day. On the valley-based days, mention it when you book.
When is the Festival of the Lamb?
The Festival of the Lamb is held each September, at the spring equinox, when the vines come into bud. The 2026 festival ran from 23 to 27 September.
How many days do you need?
Two to three, the South Australian Tourism Commission suggests. Give one to a guided wine day and one to the Riesling Trail.
Who are the Traditional Owners of the Clare Valley?
The Ngadjuri people. The name means "we people", and Ngadjuri Country runs from Gawler north to beyond Mannahill.
How long are the tours?
The days that start in the valley run 6 to 6.5 hours. The day from Adelaide runs 8 hours, with about 3 hours 45 minutes at its stops, and the Flinders Ranges tour takes 3 days.
Still deciding? The fares sit side by side on Clare Valley Tours, the practical detail is on visiting the Clare Valley, and what travellers made of each day is in the reviews.