Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival — a 3-day weekend in Hunter Valley

The weekend, day by day

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Pokolbin

   Land at Sydney Airport (SYD), settle in and walk the old town in the afternoon. Light dinner near your accommodation — save your appetite for the festival day.

2. Day 2

   Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival

   Festival day — arrive early to avoid the lunchtime crowd. Insider tip: Enroll in the blending workshops with Tyrrell's and Mount Pleasant—the month-long format means you can attend multiple sessions and track vineyard activity from véraison through harvest. Book opera-in-the-vines events early; they're held at heritage vineyards with access to 1950s-vintage Semillons unavailable commercially.

3. Day 3

   Wine country day in Hunter Valley

   Use the third day for a single winery visit (booked ahead) and a long lunch at one of the regional addresses below before heading home.

Where to stay

Three angles for the festival window. Festival hotels book out 6+ months in advance — apartments are the contingency when the main shortlist is sold out.

• Hotels in Pokolbin

  Live inventory around the festival window — 2 adults, all star ratings.

• 4–5 star options near Pokolbin

  Higher-end shortlist when you want the milestone weekend treatment.

• Apartments in Pokolbin

  Self-catering option — useful when festival hotels sell out 6+ months ahead.

Booking.com links — we may earn a commission. We never recommend hotels we wouldn't use ourselves.

Practical

Nearest airport

Sydney Airport (SYD)

Festival site

Visit official site