Cromwell Winery Cruises

Cruise across the scenic waters of Lake Dunstan, pull up at the lake edge and visit some of Central Otago's best wineries. Experience a unique and relaxed day of wine, scenery and good company. Departing from Cromwell, our guided winery cruises combine three iconic cellar-door experiences with scenic boat journeys between each stop.

Come and see Central Otago from the water

After years of living and working in Central Otago, owner/operator Sam Taylor wanted to create something that showcased this famous wine region in a way visitors couldn’t experience from the road. The result is New Zealand’s first winery tour by boat.

Today, Cromwell Winery Cruises brings together three things that make this part of New Zealand so special: Central Otago wine, Lake Dunstan and the local vineyard owners who call this place home.

Based in Cromwell we offer half and full-day winery tours to three iconic Central Otago cellar doors. This one-of-a-kind day out is perfect for couples or as a group activity.

As a proud locally owned and operated business, we’re passionate about showing visitors our backyard and creating a day that you’ll remember long after the last glass of wine.

Your ticket purchase will go a long way to supporting what has been a dream years in the making. This is the first ever winery tour by boat in New Zealand, so come and find out what we have all been missing.

Sam Taylor – Owner/Operator

Our Central Otago Winery Partners

Our winery partners have been selected to give guests an authentic taste of Central Otago wine country.

Cloudy Bay Shed produces some of New Zealand's best known wines, and its Central Otago home provides a chance to experience their famous Pinot Noir, alongside wines from its wider portfolio. For visitors already familiar with this iconic brand, this is an opportunity to taste their wine within the landscape where its Central Otago wines are produced.

Carrick Wines is a certified organic vineyard and offers a stunning outlook over the Bannockburn inlet. Choose from Estate, Limited Release, and Library Tastings, guided by their knowledgeable team, or enjoy a self-guided tasting flight at your own pace. This is a great lunch spot on the full day tour where you can choose between a handmade pizza or their celebrated winery lunch menu.

Matt Connell Wines creates wines that are different by design, with a focus on special growers, individual sites and the stories behind the wines. Their wines showcase the richness, complexity and balance that Central Otago is known for, while giving visitors an opportunity to experience a smaller, locally operated winery.

Experience Lake Dunstan by Boat

Lake Dunstan connects Central Otago’s world-class Pinot Noir landscape directly by water. Created by the Clyde Dam renewable energy project in the early 1990's the lake took one and a half years to fill. This involved submerging areas of Cromwell's old town and bridge dating from 1864. There are still scenic views of Cromwell Old Town from the water on this tour.

At 40 km long Lake Dunstan winds through classic Central Otago landscape, surrounded by mountains, vineyards, rocky hillsides and historic gold-mining country. From the water, you can relax in our comfortable cruise boat as you see a side of the Cromwell and Bannockburn vineyard landscapes that you simply won't experience from the road.

A Winery Tour with a Difference!

On this tour the journey between the wineries is part of the experience!

A Central Otago wine tour doesn't have to mean spending the day travelling from cellar door to cellar door by car. By taking the road out of the equation you'll cruise across the lake, instead, combining two activities and taking in the mountains, vineyards and landscapes that make this part of New Zealand so special.

Whether you're visiting Cromwell for the weekend, exploring Queenstown and Wanaka, or looking for something unique and memorable to do with friends or a partner, this is Central Otago wine country from an entirely different perspective.

Shannon Claridge

Our winery boat tour was incredible! Sam (our driver/skipper) was a consummate professional and went above and beyond to make sure our day on the lake was a special one (including playing all of our song requests!) We always felt safe and well looked after. He was also very knowledgeable about the history of the local area and its flora and fauna. I highly recommend this one of a kind winery tour if you would like to elevate your NZ winery experience as you get to enjoy both time on land at the various wineries (all beautiful in their own right) and time on the lake in between wineries., The scenery was nothing short of spectacular! Thank you again Sam for a wonderful day! It was one of the highlights of our trip to NZ!

Lucy Feltham

My husband and I had a great half day tour with Sam. He ensured we were comfortable throughout the day, right from our accommodation pick up through to drop off, and that we had a safe and comfortable boat ride......the boat is extremely comfortable. We visited 2 lovely vineyards and being on the water was a wonderful way to see the beautiful scenery. Wish Sam all the best and highly recommend Cromwell Winery Cruises.

Jac T

We had a brilliant time on our winery cruise! Sam was incredibly personable and easy to chat with, making the whole experience feel very relaxed. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to the local area, and his knowledge of the Cromwell and Bannockburn wineries really added to the day. He even knows a bit about the local bird life - seeing a Puteketeke was soo cool! Visiting three different spots with a tasting at one was the perfect pace, all while enjoying a great day out on the water. The wine tasting at Matt Connelll wines was just superb. If you’re looking for a fun, informative way to see the best of the region, I highly recommend this!

Claire

Sam was the best host & tour guide for our lake cruise today. His knowledge, friendliness, professionalism & character was outstanding. Highly recommend if you’re visiting or a long time local- you won’t be disappointed!

Stacey Kerin

We had an amazing trip around Lake Dunstan with Sam on Cromwell Winery Tours! Even had baby shark music on for the kids! So much fun and the boat is stunning! Will be back soon!

Lake Dunstan Motel

Loved our day out with Sam on the Winery Cruise. Such a great way to experience Cromwell, particularly if you're looking for something a little different from the bike trails. It's a great, carefree, leisure day out on the water with great wine and food options along the way! We will definitely be recommending to our guests. Cheers! Carrina and Tony

Mike Taylor

Great day out cruising, tasting and a close up of "the bird of the century" Puteketeke. Would put this on the list of things to do while in Cromwell.

Dan Bishop

We were very honoured to be the first international guests on the new Cromwell Winery Cruise. We were picked up promptly from our accommodation north of Cromwell at Pisa Moorings. The tour van is smart, spacious and comfortable. Then it was on to a very bougie boat, which was very comfortable and sophisticated with reclining leather (?) seats and plenty of room. Not much protection from the elements though, so you may need a raincoat, or hat, sunnies and sunscreen, depending on the weather. The three wineries were all first class, with delicious wines and attentive staff. Note at the second winery you need to either book lunch in advance or go with the pizza (delicious!). With the third winery you need to book the wine tasting separately. Note also at the first two you need to be able to walk uphill on a gravel path for 10 minutes or so from where the boat pulls in, so appropriate fitness and footwear is needed. The entrepreneur who founded and now runs the business is Sam, who was great to deal with, super organized and very friendly. He had lots of interesting history and knowledge to share as well during the day. We ended up at Penny Black in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct at the end of the afternoon. The cocktails, wine and food there were awesome. Later in the evening Sam was kind enough to rescue us when we needed a ride home and there were no taxis to be found in Cromwell. What a superstar! We wish him well in his new and original tourism venture!

Tammy Wilson

What a good day out! We are a group of 5 adults and a baby. We had the boat to ourselves on a private cruise and Sam was very informative and accommodating. Fully recommend this company.

Kaye Brown

Just New, But very well run and organised. Would recoomend

New Zealands only winery tour by boat

New Zealands only winery tour by boat