You’ve Tasted it. Now, See How it’s Made then Taste it Again!
New Zealand loves its beer but not just any old beer! The craft beer scene is huge; there are more than 160 craft breweries around the country. With so many options, no wonder beer is the most popular alcoholic drink for Kiwis. If you haven’t had the chance to taste some of the awesome New Zealand beers yet, then the best way to do it is to immerse yourself in one of the awesome brewery tours in New Zealand.
While you’ll learn the same kind of brewing processes, ingredients and passion on every New Zealand beer tour, it’s the wildly different set-ups that make each tour unique. From large-scale productions for the most popular brands in New Zealand to the small microbrewery in settings like an old church, no two brewery tours are the same. And if brewery tours aren’t your thing, just take a self-guided or guided tour from brewbar to brewbar!
So where can you find brewery tours in New Zealand? Well, we’ve picked out some damn good brewery tours in New Zealand for your sipping pleasure.
1. Speight’s Brewery Tour
See how they make that New Zealand beer brand that you see in EVERY New Zealand supermarket! Set in Dunedin, Speight’s prides itself on being a “legend of the south” producing beer for 140 years. Learn about the history of New Zealand beer, Speight’s humble beginnings, and of course, pour your own tasters. Book your Speight’s Brewery Tour on Viator and Tripadvisor.
Location: Dunedin, Otago, South Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com2. Monteith’s Brewery Tour
The West Coast knows a thing or two about drinking beer and Monteith’s Brewery in Greymouth is the place to discover the local flavours for yourself. A brewery tour will take you through the humble beginnings of now one of New Zealand’s favourite beer and cider brands. You’ll also get to see what goes on in a working brewery and even pour your own pint at the end. Find out more about Monteith’s Brewery on Viator and Tripadvisor.
Location: Greymouth, West Coast, South Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com3. Beerworks Wanaka Tour
For a microbrewery experience, consider Beerworks in Wanaka. Find out how a small-scale brewery is run and built out of passion. Tours operate at 2pm from Monday to Saturday with the tasting bar being open every day. Find the Beerworks behind the Toy Museum at the Wanaka Airport.
Location: Wanaka, Otago, South Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com4. Tui Brewery Tour
See the sights and learn the history of one of New Zealand’s biggest beer brands: Tui! The 40-minute tour will go through the whole brewing process, include tastings and you’ll even get a “passport” with freebies and discounts to claim all over the Wairarapa region.
Location: Wairarapa, Wellington, North Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com5. Wellington Craft Beer Capital Trail
This is one you can do yourself by picking up a Craft Beer Capital Trail map from any Wellington information centre or cellar door. Wellington city is home to 16 craft beer bars, eight craft breweries, and four bottle stores stocking local beers. Alternatively, book a guided craft beer tour with Zozo Travel (available on Viator and Tripadvisor) where the expertise and the transport are all sorted for you. Don’t miss some of Wellington’s fantastic eateries too!
Location: Wellington City, Wellington, North Island.
© WellingtonNZ6. Good George Brewery Tour
The most unique setting for a brewery is right here in the old St George’s Church in Hamilton. Visit the Good George Brewery and learn all about the brewing process on one of their brewery tours. Grab a bite and a beer in their dining hall and even get a free Good George Brewery glass at the end of your tour.
Location: Hamilton, Waikato, North Island.
© Tourism Bay of Plenty7. Nelson Beer Trail
Nelson’s fertile lands and sunny climate makes it one of the top regions for producing all sorts of food and beverages from fresh fruit to wine. Amongst it all, it’s no surprise that there are a few breweries in the mix. Nelson breweries are a bit more laidback than the rest of the country by not offering commercial brewery tours but they’ll be happy to offer tastings and maybe a personalised tour if you inquire. Do you’re own self-guided tour by hitting all the places we list in 10 Craft Breweries in Nelson You Have to Try. Alternatively, join a guided experience with Wine, Art & Wilderness (more info on Viator or Tripadvisor), Nelson Tours and Travel, Day Out and more.
Location: Nelson, Nelson Tasman, South Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com8. Mike’s Brewery Tour
For an off-the-beaten-track brewery well worth visiting, check out Mike’s Brewery in New Plymouth. A brewery tour will show you the ins and outs of an organic brewery, as well as plenty of tasters along the way. They also have a tasting room, cafe and brewery shop so you can take home some souvenirs.
Location: New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island.
© Pixabay9. Sunshine Brewery Tour
Probably the most relaxed brewery tour you will find in New Zealand is in the most relaxed part of New Zealand, Gisborne. There are no scheduled times to visit the brewery. Just go to The Sunshine Brewery bar and ask for a tour. One of the brewers will show you around. It doesn’t get more authentic than that.
Location: Gisborne, North Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com10. Dodson Street and Renaissance Brewery
When you don’t want to choose one beer brand, go to Dodson Street. The craft beer garden in Blenheim claims to have the largest range of craft beer in New Zealand, with their tap beer being changed regularly. Try beers from New Zealand and all over the world while soaking in the Marlborough sun in their garden. You can even watch the craft brewers at work through a window into the Renaissance Brewery right next door.
Location: Blenheim, Marlborough, South Island.
© NZPocketGuide.com[CLOSED] Invercargill Brewery
Not only do Invercargill make their own brand of craft beer but they also mass-produce craft beer brands from all over New Zealand. A tour of this working brewery will give you a real insight into the inner workings of a busy brewery!
Location: Invercargill, Southland, South Island.
© NZPocketGuide.comMore About Brewery Tours in New Zealand
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
- Adventure Mark (Health and Safety Audit - Updated [2024])
- Work Safe NZ (Adventure Activities Guidelines - Updated [2024])
- Department of Conservation (Tracks, hikes, campsites and more - Updated [2024])
- AdventureSmart (Know before you go - Update [2024])
- NZ Māori Tourism (Official Māori Tourism platform - Updated [2024])
- Tourism Export Council New Zealand (Tourism trade association - Updated [2024])
- TIA (Independent tourism association - Updated [2024])
- Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
- Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
