Clare Valley Wine Tour. Local Guide, Clare Valley pickup, & lunch
Six and a half hours from your Clare Valley accommodation, six guests at most, with a charcuterie lunch and the scheduled tastings in the fare.
From $177 per person
Check AvailabilityClare Valley Map
The Clare Valley is a string of small towns along one road and one trail. A day that looks close can start 90 minutes away in Adelaide. Choosing between Clare Valley guided tours? Find where your day starts before you book.
The Clare Valley at a glance
Clare Valley, South Australia
90
minutes to two hours north of Adelaide
The valley sits in the Mid North of South Australia, at the northern end of the Mount Lofty Ranges. You reach it on the Horrocks Highway, 90 minutes to two hours north of Adelaide. The highway and the Riesling Trail both run the length of the valley.
You do not need to learn the whole map. Know where you sleep, where your day starts, and which towns your cellar doors are in. The Riesling Trail makes a good ruler: it runs 33 km from Auburn in the south to Barinia in the north.
The towns, south to north
Coming from Adelaide, you reach Auburn first. The towns below run in the order you meet them, with the distance along the trail where Clare Valley Tourism gives one.
| Town, south to north | On the Riesling Trail from Auburn | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Southern end, km 0 | The trail ends at Mount Horrocks Wines, in the restored Auburn railway station |
| Leasingham | Between Auburn and Watervale | Claymore Wines on the way into town |
| Watervale | About 10 km | Chalky Riesling soils, Crabtree Watervale Wines |
| Penwortham | Between Watervale and Sevenhill | The trail's highest point; the first European settlement, 1839 |
| Sevenhill | About 19 km | Sevenhill Cellars and St Aloysius' Church |
| Clare | About 25 km | The main town; the old railway station near Pinks Reserve |
| Barinia | Northern end, 33 km | White Hut Creek and farmland north of Clare |
Two places sit off the main line. Mintaro, a heritage village, lies to the east, and its short walk starts at Torr Park. The Polish Hill River area lies east of Sevenhill, reached on Polish Hill Road. Burra, the heritage town with its own key-and-map passport, is further out, and the shared valley day still collects from it.
If you plan to ride or walk, mark the trail car parks too. You will find them at Auburn, Watervale, Sevenhill, Clare and Barinia. Public toilets sit at Auburn Memorial Park on St Vincent Street, Watervale Oval on Quelltaler Road, the Sevenhill Cricket Ground and the Clare Skate Park. Fill your bottle at the trail shelters in Watervale and at the Lennon Street car park in Clare.
Where each tour starts
Check the first column against where you are staying. The valley days collect you in the valley; the days from Adelaide collect you in the city.
In the valley, pickups run from your accommodation at 10am. The shared day with local stories names the towns it collects from: Leasingham, Watervale, Auburn, Clare, Burra, Penwortham and Mintaro. In Adelaide, the Wine Escape collects from hotels in the city and in Glenelg, by the beach. The three-day trip leaves Victoria Square at 8am.
| Where the day starts | Area | Tours |
|---|---|---|
| Your Clare Valley accommodation, 10:00 | The valley | Shared valley day, 6 h 30, six guests at most Private day for up to four, from your valley stay |
| Your accommodation in Leasingham, Watervale, Auburn, Clare, Burra, Penwortham or Mintaro | The valley | Shared valley day with local stories, five guests at most |
| Your hotel in Adelaide city or Glenelg | Adelaide | Wine Escape day from Adelaide or Glenelg |
| Victoria Square stop G2, Adelaide, 8:00, or an Adelaide city address | Adelaide | Three days with the Flinders Ranges, from Adelaide |
Found a start near where you sleep?
Compare the days that begin there, with tastings and lunch in each fare.
The cellar doors on the tour routes, by town
These are the cellar doors whose town is known from Clare Valley Tourism or the winery's own address. Taylors Wines and Hill River Clare Estate are on the Wine Escape's route; your guide sets the order on the day.
- Auburn: Grosset Wines, Wines by KT and Mount Horrocks Wines.
- Leasingham to Auburn: Claymore Wines, then O'Leary Walker Wines further south.
- Watervale: Crabtree Watervale Wines.
- Penwortham: Mitchell Wines on Hughes Park Road, and Kilikanoon on Penna Lane.
- Sevenhill: Sevenhill Cellars, on the edge of the village.
- Polish Hill River: Pikes Wines on Polish Hill Road.
- Spring Gully Loop: Sussex Squire Wines, on the loop that starts at the Tourism Centre.
- Clare: Tim Adams, Knappstein, Jim Barry and Mr Mick.
Which day stops where is on Clare Valley wineries, winery by winery.
Spring Gully, the aerodrome and the Tourism Centre
Three more places are worth pinning. Spring Gully Conservation Park lies west of Sevenhill, 130 km north of Adelaide via Main North Road. Its Blue Gum Lookout is on the park's north-western tip, where the Cascades Walk starts.
The Clare Valley Aerodrome is on RM Williams Way, 14 km north of Clare township. The Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre is at 8 Spring Gully Road, between Clare and Sevenhill, and you can pick up printed maps there.
Map questions
Where is the Clare Valley?
In the Mid North of South Australia, at the northern end of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is 90 minutes to two hours north of Adelaide by car.
What order are the Clare Valley towns in?
From the south: Auburn, Leasingham, Watervale, Penwortham, Sevenhill and Clare, with Barinia north of Clare. Mintaro and Polish Hill River lie to the east.
Where do Clare Valley tours start?
The valley days start at your accommodation in the valley. The Wine Escape starts at your hotel in Adelaide city or Glenelg, and the three-day trip at Victoria Square.
Where is the Clare Valley visitor centre?
The Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre is at 8 Spring Gully Road, Clare, on the Riesling Trail between Clare and Sevenhill. It opens 9am-5pm on weekdays and 10am-4pm at weekends.
Where these facts come from
Town order and trail distances come from Clare Valley Tourism's Riesling Trail guide, read in 2026. Start points come from each tour's own listing.
- Clare Valley Tourism: How to do the Riesling Trail
- Clare Valley Tourism: Getting Here & Around
- Clare Valley Tourism: Clare Valley Short Walks
- National Parks and Wildlife Service SA: Spring Gully Conservation Park
Tours from each start point
Clare Valley Wine Escape
Eight hours from your Adelaide or Glenelg hotel to Auburn, Taylors, O'Leary Walker, Hill River and Pikes, with tastings and lunch in the fare.
From $341 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: plan the drive on getting to the Clare Valley, find the cellar doors on Clare Valley wineries, or compare every day out on Clare Valley Tours.