Hidden Gems Margaret River: Authentic Wine & Farm Experience

Three boutique wineries, an olive farm lunch, and a farm stop with emus and alpacas make this more than a standard cellar-door outing. You get a broad taste of Margaret River, with small producers, local food, and plenty of time to sample wine without driving.

I especially like the animal-and-scones start, which gives the morning a friendly lift, and the way the tour mixes wine with chocolate, coffee, tea, and olive products. Guides such as Dani and Ziggy are praised for their local knowledge and relaxed hosting. The main consideration is the pace: seven hours and three wineries can feel full, especially if you prefer long, quiet tastings.

The price is $145 per person, including pickup in Margaret River town, morning tea, lunch, three winery tastings, olive products, and chocolate. Drinks with lunch and personal purchases cost extra.

Key points at a glance

• Feed emus and alpacas before breakfast: Start with a farm visit, then enjoy homemade scones, jam, cream, coffee, and tea.
• Three boutique wineries: The stops focus on smaller producers and different Margaret River wine styles.
• Lunch at an olive farm: Eat at Olio Bello, taste olive oils and olive-based products, and browse local goods.
• More than a wine tour: Chocolate, coffee, tea, olive oil, animals, countryside, and wine fill the day.
• Guides shape the experience: Dani, Ziggy, Greg, Jan, and Jules have led tours, with Dani and Ziggy especially praised for wine and regional knowledge.
• Good value for a no-driving day: At $145, the inclusions cover most of the day’s major costs, though lunch drinks and personal shopping are extra.

A full day built around local producers

Margaret River is famous for wine, but it is not only a wine destination. This tour works because it gives you a taste of the wider food-producing region. You move from a small farm to a chocolate stop, then on to an olive estate and three wineries.

That variety matters. Six or seven hours of cellar doors can become repetitive, even in a first-rate wine region. Here, the day keeps changing its subject. You might be feeding an emu in the morning, tasting a peppery olive oil before lunch, and comparing several wines by the afternoon.

The tour is also aimed at people who want smaller, more personal producers rather than only famous labels. The wineries are hand-picked, and the schedule can include family-run businesses that are easy to miss if you are driving yourself along the main wine routes.

You should expect a social day. One recent group had 11 people and still found the minibus personal and comfortable, but group size can vary. The shared vehicle and communal tastings suit solo visitors, couples, and friends who enjoy talking with other people between stops.

Farm animals and warm scones in the morning

The first major stop is a farm, where you can hand-feed emus and alpacas. Some visits also include baby lambs, according to the experience described by past customers, though the animals present may vary.

This is not a formal wildlife encounter or a long farm tour. It is an easy walk in a countryside setting, followed by morning tea. That makes it a simple but effective start to the day. You get outdoors, meet some characterful Australian animals, and have something to eat before the wine tastings begin.

The morning tea includes homemade scones with jam and cream, along with locally roasted coffee and tea. For many people, this is one of the most memorable parts because it feels relaxed and local rather than built around a sales pitch.

I would wear comfortable clothes and shoes that work on a farm path. The walk is described as easy, but this is still a countryside stop, not a polished indoor attraction. Keep your phone ready for photos, but follow the guide’s instructions around the animals.

If you are choosing this tour mainly for wine, the farm stop adds time before the cellar doors open. If you like food, animals, and a gentle start, it is one of the tour’s best features.

Chocolate, coffee, and tea in Cowaramup

The Cowaramup stop adds a sweet break to the day. It is described as a three-in-one visit featuring chocolate, coffee, and tea, with tastings of handcrafted chocolate creations.

The chocolate range includes unusual flavours, and the stop gives you time to browse and buy something for later. The shopping is optional. You are not required to purchase anything, and that matters when a tour includes several producers with tempting products.

This is a short stop of about 30 minutes, so you should not expect an extended workshop or a detailed chocolate-making demonstration. Think of it as a tasting and browsing visit that breaks up the morning and introduces another side of Margaret River’s food scene.

I like this stop because it gives non-wine drinkers something to look forward to, while still fitting naturally into a regional produce tour. It also helps reset your palate before lunch and the afternoon cellar doors.

Three wineries with different personalities

The main event is the trio of winery visits. Each tasting lasts about an hour, although the exact order and time at each venue may change.

The point is not simply to drink as much wine as possible. You are shown a range of Margaret River styles and smaller producers, with the guide helping you understand what makes each stop different. Several guides have experience discussing winemaking, local history, and the region’s producers, so you can ask questions as the day goes along.

Dani is especially well suited to people who want clear explanations about wine and the Margaret River area. His hosting style has been described as engaging and attentive, and he has interpreted information in Spanish for a mixed-language group. Ziggy is another frequently used guide, praised for his humour, wine knowledge, and ability to bring a group together. Greg, Jan, and Jules have also led tours.

Do not expect the same guide or exact winery combination every time. The experience uses several guides and hand-picked venues, so the character of the day can shift. That flexibility is part of the appeal, but it means you should not book expecting a fixed list of cellar doors.

At the first tasting, you may sample several wines and learn about the producer. The later stops continue the comparison, giving you a better sense of Margaret River’s range than one large winery visit would. One account described tasting more than 20 wines across the wineries, along with three gins, but the exact number will depend on the venues and the day.

The third winery can be a strong finish. Ray Marais at Redgate received particular praise for offering a wide selection and bringing humour to the tasting. That kind of host-led cellar-door visit can be more memorable than a self-guided tasting room, especially if you enjoy asking questions.

Still, wine tastings vary by venue. One stop was less polished when the winery was short-staffed, although the guide helped keep the visit moving. This is worth knowing if you expect every stop to run like a luxury wine estate. The strength of this tour is access to smaller producers, and small operations sometimes have fewer staff and a more informal setup.

Olive farm lunch at Olio Bello

Lunch takes place at an olive farm in the Margaret River area, commonly identified as Olio Bello. Before eating, you can taste olive oils, dressings, and other olive-based products made on-site.

This stop is more than a meal break. It shows how the region’s produce fits together. The olive tasting gives you a chance to compare oils and understand the work behind the products on your plate. It also provides a useful pause after the first winery and before the afternoon tastings.

The lunch is included and described as generous, with a range of choices. Cheese can be available as part of the meal and works well with the wine tastings. Drinks other than water are not included, so budget for those if you want wine, beer, or another beverage with lunch.

The setting is one of the day’s pleasures. You are eating among olive trees and local produce rather than stopping at a generic roadside café. I would leave a little room for the shop, since the olive oils, dressings, and specialty items are among the most practical souvenirs on the tour.

The drawback is simple: lunch can become expensive if you add drinks and several products at every stop. The tour price covers the meal and tastings, but not the extras. If you want to keep spending under control, choose one or two purchases that you genuinely cannot find at home.

Transport, timing, and the value of a no-driving day

The tour lasts seven hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off within Margaret River town centre. Listed pickup points include Burnside, Margaret River, and Prevelly, with matching drop-off options. If you are staying outside Margaret River Township, you need to contact the operator before booking to check pickup.

Transport matters in wine country. Driving between several wineries means watching the road, limiting your tastings, or relying on a designated driver. This tour removes that problem and gives you a local guide for the route.

The minibus has been described as clean and comfortable. One group of 11 found the size manageable, while another praised the efficient transport and safe driving. I would still treat the day as active rather than luxurious: you will be getting in and out of the vehicle, walking at a farm, and spending time at several venues.

The schedule is well paced for people who want variety. A typical outline includes an hour at the farm, a short local snack stop, three winery tastings of about an hour each, and an hour for lunch. That leaves little dead time, but also means the day can feel busy.

Rain does not necessarily cancel the fun. The guide can adjust the day, and the wineries and food stops provide plenty of indoor time. Comfortable clothing is the sensible choice in any season.

Is $145 good value?

At $145 per person, this is not the cheapest way to visit one winery. It is a strong value if you would otherwise pay separately for transport, lunch, farm activities, morning tea, and several tastings.

Included are:

• Pickup and drop-off in Margaret River town
• Homemade scones, jam, cream, coffee, and tea
• Tastings at three wineries
• Lunch
• Olive oil and local product tastings
• Chocolate tastings

The price also pays for convenience. You do not need to plan a route, find parking, nominate a driver, or judge how much time to allow at each producer. The guide connects the stops and provides commentary about the region.

The value is less clear if you do not drink wine or prefer to explore at your own speed. Although the tour includes plenty beyond wine, three wineries remain the centre of the day. You may also spend extra on chocolate, coffee, tea, olive products, and wine to take home.

The 4.9 rating from 101 reviews reflects strong satisfaction, with particular praise for the guides, food, small wineries, and range of activities. I would place the tour in the good-value category for couples and small groups who want a complete regional tasting day without driving.

Who should book this Margaret River tour?

This is a good choice for first-time visitors who want a broad introduction to Margaret River. You will see and taste more than you could comfortably arrange in one day without local help.

It also suits repeat visitors. Several people who already knew the region enjoyed finding producers and venues they had not seen before. The focus on smaller wineries gives the day a different feel from a standard list of famous cellar doors.

Food-focused visitors will enjoy the balance of scones, chocolate, olive oil, lunch, and wine. Solo visitors can also fit in easily because the shared minibus creates a ready-made social setting.

I would be more cautious about booking if you have mobility limits that make easy farm walking difficult, although the walk is described as easy. It is not suitable for children under two, babies under one, or cruise ship visitors. The drinking age is 18, and you may be asked for valid identification.

The tour is available with guides speaking English, Portuguese, or Spanish. Confirm the language you need when booking, since guide availability may vary.

Practical details before you go

Bring a passport or ID card, especially if you plan to drink wine and are close enough in age to be asked for proof. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the farm and countryside stops.

Pets are not allowed, apart from assistance dogs. Smoking is not allowed in the vehicle or indoors. You also cannot bring alcohol, food, or drinks into the vehicle, and bare feet are not permitted.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option gives you some flexibility. Check the available start time for your date, since the seven-hour duration does not by itself confirm a fixed departure hour.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want Margaret River as a food-and-wine region, not just a string of cellar doors. The animal farm, scones, chocolate, olive oil, generous lunch, and three boutique wineries create a full day with plenty of variety.

I would choose it over a basic wine shuttle if you want local context and a guide who can connect the producers. Dani and Ziggy are especially strong names to hope for, though the guide and winery lineup may change.

Skip it if you want complete control over each tasting or a quiet, wine-only day. For most visitors who want a no-driving introduction to Margaret River, $145 buys a well-filled day and a useful taste of the region’s smaller producers.

FAQ

How long does the Margaret River Hidden Gems tour last?

The tour lasts seven hours.

What is included in the $145 price?

The price includes hotel pickup and drop-off within Margaret River town centre, morning tea with homemade scones, tastings at three wineries, lunch, olive oil and local product tastings, and chocolate tastings.

Are lunch drinks included?

No. Drinks at lunch other than water are not included.

Where is pickup available?

Pickup is offered from hotels in Margaret River Township. Listed pickup areas include Burnside, Margaret River, and Prevelly. Contact the provider if you are staying outside Margaret River Township.

Which languages are available?

The tour can be conducted in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Children under two are not permitted, and babies under one are not suitable for the tour. The drinking age is 18, and valid identification may be requested.

What should I bring?

Bring a passport or ID card and wear comfortable clothes suitable for an easy walk on a farm and through the countryside.