Marlborough Wine & Food Festival — a 3-day weekend in Marlborough

The weekend, day by day

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Blenheim

   Land at Blenheim Airport (BHE), 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

   Marlborough Wine & Food Festival

   Festival day — arrive early to avoid the lunchtime crowd. Insider tip: Seek out the small-production Sauvignon Blanc tables from Greywacke and Cloudy Bay's experimental batches—they rarely appear elsewhere. Book a Thursday evening pre-festival tasting at a boutique producer like Fromm or Seresin; the festival crowd doesn't hit until Friday, giving you private access to winemakers.

3. Day 3

   Wine country day in Marlborough

   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 Blenheim

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

• 4–5 star options near Blenheim

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

• Apartments in Blenheim

  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

Blenheim Airport (BHE)

Festival site

Visit official site