12 Historical Tours Worth Flying For

1.Small-Group Full-Day Tour of Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune Vineyards and Beaune Historical District

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 364 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $161Our pick

Travel from Dijon in a small group of up to eight with a French-English Burgundy wine guide. Visit two contrasting wineries, taste Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines, drive through famous vineyard villages, and enjoy about two hours for lunch and sightseeing in Beaune.

“We had a wonderful day! We started with a small family winery that ended up being our favorite. Our driver Stefan was so friendly and knowledgeable and actually ran the first wine tasting. The town of Beaune is beautiful. After our time in Beaune we went to one more winery. Stefan really made our trip fun.”

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2.Albufeira Wine Tour: 2 Vineyards, 6 Tastings & Historic Silves

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 123 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $108

Spend about seven hours exploring the Algarve wine country from Albufeira. Visit Quinta do Francês and Paxá Wines, taste six wines with local snacks, and enjoy free time in Silves. Guides such as João and Carlos add local history, wine know-how, and plenty of personality. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included within Albufeira.

“It was a fun day with beautiful sights. Portugal is sooo incredible beautiful. Great way to see some of it”

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3.San Diego to Temecula: Wine Country Tour & Historic Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $258

Travel from San Diego to Temecula in a small group of up to 15 people, stopping in Old Town and three very different wineries. You’ll taste multiple wines, enjoy an included lunch at Frangipani Estate, hear local stories from your guide, and return to selected San Diego hotels without driving.

“Wineries were great and our tour host was wonderful!! A fun way to spend the day but I could have done without the stop in old town Temecula.”

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4.Partinico: Historic Sicilian Vineyard & Wine Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 36 reviews · 2 hours · from $53

At Farm Augustali near Partinico, you’ll walk among vineyards, olive and citrus groves, then tour a 600-square-meter Sicilian baglio with a live guide in English, Italian, or French. Learn how wine is made before tasting two local wines with five Sicilian appetizers. Beatrice has led some tours.

“We really enjoyed the tour and the tour guide Beatrice was very kind and informative! We got to see all of the vineyard and all the animals which was lovely! The wine was exquisite and we would like to come back during the summer.”

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5.Douro Valley: 4 Cities, Wine&History – Private All-Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 8 reviews · 10 hours · from $211

This 10-hour private tour from Porto links Amarante, Peso da Régua, Pinhão, and Lamego. You get guided walks, local sweets, a traditional lunch with one glass of wine, a Port estate visit, and tasting. Guides include Rui and Oleksandra, with English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian available.

“Rui is a great historian and full of knowledge on everything Portuguese (and more). His attention and delivery on every detail was amazing. He is also very patient and kind never having an issue with stopping to snap a photo or to take a break. We went to a lot of hidden gems and had unique Portuguese experiences. He was open to answer any and all questions. The activities were exclusive (winery tour, lunch, coffee breaks, etc) and not grouped into the masses. The tour itself was beautiful. It was raining the day we went but everything stood out even more and the clouds were beautiful in the Duoro Valley.…”

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6.Historic winery visit with food and wine tasting in Marsala

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $34Best value

Visit Alagna Vini in Marsala at 11:30 a.m. for a one-hour tour of wine production, guided tasting, and local food pairings. You’ll taste 12 wines, including Marsala, while learning about the firm and Sicilian wine from an English-speaking guide. Guides named Silvia and Antonio have been praised for their warmth and clear explanations.

“It was very nice Wine was delicious Guide was very knowledgeable Pairing with food was very nice All enjoyed”

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7.Bordeaux by Gravel Bike : Historic center & vineyards

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $138

Join Edwin at Véloce in Bordeaux’s Chartrons district for a four-hour gravel-bike ride through the city, across the Garonne, and into Entre-Deux-Mers. You’ll see major sights, quiet village roads, vineyard trails, and a family winery where three local wines are served. The pace is social, but you need to be comfortable cycling for about three hours.

“Had a great Gravel bike tour with Edwin. Meeting was prompt, bikes ready, a quick adjustment and we were on our way. Started through town with a couple of short stops for some history before crossing the river on the stone bridge and alongside the river for a few km into the countryside. We were soon in the villages and the vineyards. Edwin was a good guide, with knowledgeable commentary about Bordeaux city and the wine culture and regions around the city. We set our own riding pace, with Edwin sat behind and only coming to the front to provide directions where needed. The vineyard visit was a welcome break…”

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8.Soave: Wine Tasting and Vineyard Tour in Historical Centre

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6 reviews · 2 hours · from $34

Meet at a winery on Viale della Vittoria for a two-hour small-group visit led in English or Italian. Walk the nearby vineyards, learn about Garganega and volcanic soil, see the barrel cellar and production area, then taste Soave wines with local cured meats, cheeses, baked snacks, water, and coffee.

“Enolo e proprietario della cantina molto preparato esaudiente nelle spiegazioni e gentilissimo”

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9.Santa Rita Vineyard Tour: History, Wine, and Outdoor Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4 reviews · 9 hours · from $123

Travel from Santiago to Santa Rita for a guided vineyard and cellar visit, a scenic bike ride, three tastings, and a picnic with cheese, cold cuts, ciabatta, and wine. You’ll also visit the Andean Museum, home to more than 3,000 pre-Columbian artifacts. Guides Jeannette and Matías have been especially praised for their warm welcome.

“Amazing tour. Our guides Jeannette and Matías were truly fantastic and made us feel very welcome. Super day out. Totally recommended. Thank you again.”

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10.Full-Day Private Royal Heritage Tour to Oplenac With a Winery Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 9 hours (approx.)

Spend about nine hours with an English-speaking guide visiting Avala Mountain, Karadjordje’s Town, and the royal mausoleum at Oplenac. See Meštrović’s Unknown Hero monument, dazzling mosaics, and the Karadjordjević family story. Add an Aleksandrovic wine tasting and optional lunch in Aranđelovac.

“Prepare to learn more and see more than you imagined you ever could in one day. Our guide was a wealth of knowledge”

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11.History & Local Wines: Amphitheater, Mitrium and Winery Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $868

Meet your private guide at your Naples hotel for a five-hour history and wine outing. Visit Santa Maria Capua Vetere, its ancient amphitheater, Gladiator Museum, Temple of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, and rare Mithraeum. Finish at a winery near Mount Vesuvius for local wines paired with traditional food.

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12.Montefalco: Historic cellar and vineyard tour with wine tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $43

Spend about 90 minutes touring one of Montefalco’s oldest family cellars and nearby vineyards, then taste seven Umbrian wines with cheese, cured ham, bruschetta, and chocolate. Your guide explains Sagrantino wine-making in a relaxed small-group setting. Transportation is not included, so plan your own route to the winery.

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