Germany · WINE TOURS
Good wine tastings fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Meet Simon near Porta Nigra for a two-hour, barrier-free walk through Trier’s Roman and medieval center. Taste five regional wines in warmer months, or four mulled wines in winter when enough people register, with each pour linked to a city site or local story. Breadsticks, water, and a restaurant wine voucher are included.
“Great information from our guide together with delicious wine.”
You’ll spend 90 minutes aboard a Hamburg harbor boat with three glasses of red or white wine, 150 grams of cheese and crackers, and live German commentary. Expect close views of working ships, the Elbphilharmonie, HafenCity, St. Michael’s Church, and possibly Speicherstadt, depending on the tide. The salon is heated in winter.
“Extremely friendly staff! Cheese and crackers were very tasty. Option of red, white and rose wine, each one was very good quality. Would recommend”
Explore Trier’s Roman-era wine cellar, built around 330 AD as a storage building for citizens of the imperial city. A German-speaking guide explains its past, then serves two selected house wines. The one-hour tour suits visitors who want a compact taste of Trier’s wine culture, though wheelchair access is not available.
“Gesamteindruck gut. Ich hätte mir mehr Informationen zum einzigartigen historischen Keller gewünscht. Der Wein und das Weingut standen im Vordergrund.”
Take a 50-minute winter cruise from Heidelberg’s Neckar pier, passing the Old Bridge, Heidelberg Castle, Neuenheim, Philosophers’ Walk, and Wieblingen Weir Bridge. You can sit on the upper deck or in a heated cabin while enjoying one cup of mulled wine or non-alcoholic mulled wine. The tour runs in all weather.
Join a German-speaking guide for a 2.5-hour wine hike over Freiburg’s Schlossberg. You’ll ride the Schlossbergbahn uphill, taste four wines and one secco from Lena Flurbacher winery, and learn about local wine growing, the Kaiserstuhl, and Freiburg’s hilltop history. Guides such as Evi and Katja have made this outing lively and memorable.
This 90-minute German-language walking tour links Dresden’s Frauenkirche, Procession of Princes, Royal Palace, Semper Opera, Zwinger, and three Christmas markets. You’ll hear about Saxon holiday customs, see the world’s largest Christmas pyramid and a giant Schwibbogen, then sample Dresden stollen and mulled wine. The price is $18 per person.
Start at Reichsburg Cochem for a guided castle visit, then cruise from the Moselle promenade around midday. Finish in a wine and sparkling-wine cellar with four wines to taste at your own pace, plus one bottle per person to take home. The tour lasts six hours and requires some walking and self-navigation between stops.
“Ahnung für sich gut. Hätte eine Präsenz eines Reiseführer erwünscht erwünscht Preisleistungsverhältnis schlecht”
Start at StadtSafari near Neckarmünzplatz and learn to control your Segway before riding along the Neckar, through orchards and vineyards, to medieval Strahlenburg Castle in Schriesheim. Guides including Herbert and Christina lead the 2.5-hour English or German tour. Expect scenic countryside, a little beginner nerves, and wide Rhine Plain views.
“Amazing! Our tour guide she was amazing - we did the 2.5hr tour and we got to see so much scenery and greenery. Using the Segway was a little intimidating but I was shocked how quick I picked it up and it was very stable and easy to control. This tour made us love Heidelberg and the surrounding areas so much more!”
At Arns Winery in Reil, Alexander or another family member leads you through organic vines and a modern cellar before pouring four to five wines. You will taste still whites, reds, and traditional-method sparkling wine while learning how soil, biodiversity, and sustainable farming shape Mosel wine.
“The tour operator is the vineyard owner and the time was simply elegant and delightful. Very knowledgeable and friendly and we are very happy. Recommend you Do Not Miss this!”
At Jacques' Wein-Depot in Berlin-Bötzowviertel, an English-speaking Italian artist guides you through a two-hour canvas workshop while you taste white, rosé, and red wines. No painting experience is needed, and alcohol-free options are available. The small evening group usually has 8 to 12 people and begins at 7 pm.
“Ich hätte gerne mehr über die Weine erfahren, es wurde kaum etwas dazu gesagt. Ein bisschen mehr Input hätte auch zu den Maltechniken dabei sein können. Insgesamt aber sehr schöne Sache.”
Meet a German-speaking wine expert at Stuttgart Wine Museum for three 0.1-liter tastings: white, red, and rosé. Learn about local grapes such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Lemberger while snacking on salami, cheese, olives, and bread. The wines change weekly, so each visit offers a different look at Stuttgart’s wine culture.
Set out from Wein- und Gästehaus Genetsch in Lieser for a three-hour covered wagon ride through the vineyards of Lieser and Bernkastel-Kues. You will stop to taste wines grown nearby, hear about viticulture and the family winery’s philosophy, and share a regional picnic at a scenic viewpoint. German and English tours are offered.
“Ich habe an diese Fahrt teilgenommen leider konnte ich sie nicht beenden. Da ich schwer gestürzt bin und ins Krankenhaus musste. Aber bis zu dem Unfall war es bestens und mir wurde auch bis zum eintreffen des Krankenwagen hervorragend geholfen. Ich möchte mich bei allen Teilnehmern herzlich bedanken. Gerne nochmal Gruß Harald Klinge”
Meet wine expert Jérôme at Kupferbergterrasse in Mainz for a two-hour tasting in a historic underground cellar. You’ll try Sekt, Riesling, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder, and other local wines with sausage, cheese, Spundekäs, and surprise pairings. The English-language group is limited to 12 people.
“What an awesome experience. Our guide Jerome was knowledgeable and answered all the various questions the group had. He made us all feel comfortable and after the 2 hours we all felt a group of friends enjoying an excursion together. The snacks especially the sausage was great! Last but not the least, our venue was a surprise, deep underground an exquisite space to experience the evening. Thank you Jerome, my husband and I had a lovely evening discovering German wines and your love for Mainz region.”
Start at Cochem’s KD Ticket Office, collect a rental bike and picnic basket, then ride 10 kilometers to Beilstein, or take a longer 23-kilometer route via Senheimer Bridge. Return by boat with your bike, taste three wines, receive a bottle to take home, and explore Cochem at your own pace. No guide leads the ride.
“If you want to do a tour at your own pace and it's your first time in the Mosel valley, it can be a good option. Due to the lack of transparency and value for money vs what you get, I only gave 2 stars. To be more specific, on the website Get your Gide is presented as a bicycle tour, with the possibility to choose English as an option. Which misleads you that you will purchase a guided tour in English. In reality it is a tour on your own, where you receive documents in English with a map of the route and the other services included in the…”
Spend one festive hour cruising from Koblenz with a glass of mulled wine or punch, Christmas music, and views of Deutsches Eck, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, the Moselle mouth, and Stolzenfels Castle. German and English hosts are available. You can buy snacks and extra drinks onboard, and the open deck is reached by stairs.
“We celebrated my mother's birthday with a large group of people. Everything was excellent, the atmosphere was pleasant, there were no crowds, and you could sit outside or go inside to warm up. We give it a 10 out of 10. Thank you to the organizers.”
Pick a river, a century or a beer hall.
