Wine country · MUSEUMS
Good wine museum visits fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Visit Cálem Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for a 15-minute interactive museum visit, a 30-minute guided cellar tour, and a Port tasting. Tours run in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. The standard tasting features Fine White and Special Reserve Tawny.
“Very interesting and informative and a guide with a sense of humour”
Walk through Split with licensed local guides such as Joško, Daniela, and Joseph, focusing on Roman, medieval, and modern history. The two-hour adult group tour visits Diocletian’s Palace, the Riva, Old Town, Golden Gate, Peristyle, and palace cellars. The €10 cellar admission is extra.
“Our guide Josko is very knowledgeable on the history of Split and we really learned a lot from this tour. Josko's tour is a must for visitors in split to fully understand its history.”
Visit Bodega San Juan, a five-generation family winery on Gran Canaria. With an English-speaking guide, walk the organic vineyards, see a century-old stone lagar, visit the island’s only wine museum, and taste two wines with local cheese, toast, and olives.
“This was an excellent value for money experience from start to finish! Our guide Maria was brilliant funny and informative and the wine and cheese delicious! Highly highly recommend”
Spend 5 to 6 hours touring Gran Canaria’s banana country, tasting banana products, visiting Arehucas Rum Distillery, stopping for lunch in Agaete, and exploring Bodega Los Berrazales. Pickup is offered in tourist areas, with English guiding and tastings for adults.
“Avoid was all very rushed and poor, 2 friends was very sick and wouldn’t offer a refund and not very accommodating at all”
Meet your local host at a historic family winery in Santa Brígida. Walk through organic vineyards, see old tools and family photographs, visit the traditional cellar, then taste two wines with local cheese and toasted bread. Guide Maria has hosted some visits in English and Spanish.
“We had a wonderful time at the vineyard! Wine was fantastic and the cheeseboard was great. It took a little over an hour to get there with the busses from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria!”
Choose one permanent WOW museum, then visit Taylor’s Port cellars with an audio guide. Learn how Port ages, taste Chip Dry White and Late Bottled Vintage, and enjoy views across the Douro to Porto. You set the order, but check opening hours first.
“Me gustó mucho la visita, aunque la infromación de la audioguía es demasiado amplia”
Join a 45-minute Spanish-language tour beside Santa María Church to see a 13th-century underground cellar, old winemaking tools, historic bottles, and modern production methods. Your visit ends with a glass of red wine or grape juice. Bring a jacket, as the cellar is cool.
“La visita merece la pena y la guía es muy maja y te lo explica super bien. Recomendable”
Spend about eight hours with a private guide and chauffeur visiting Knossos, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Messara wineries, the Venetian harbor, and local restaurants. Flexible pickup, skip-the-line help, Wi-Fi, snacks, and personal planning are included. Wine tastings, meals, and admission cost extra.
“Great experience. Guide was knowledgeable and had a lot of helpful tips. While we did a lot it was a great experience”
Visit Ancient Olympia with a private English-speaking driver, then choose between a honey farm, winery, olive oil stop, or nearby beach. George and Dimitri have helped shape flexible days for guests, with optional licensed guides available for the archaeological site.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our experience in Olympia and surrounding area. Our guide, George, was fantastic. He spoke English well and was eager to share his love of his community and country with us as well as lean about how we live. Visit the site of the original Olympic Games was fascinating and the honey farm charming.”
Spend 6 to 7 hours touring a banana museum and plantation, Arehucas rum distillery, Agaete, and Bodega Los Berrazales. Your English-speaking guide, sometimes Tom, handles the route, tastings, and transport. Lunch is optional and paid separately. Pickup requires WhatsApp confirmation.
“The tour takes you all over and it was unsettling to arrive at San Augustín shopping center after having travelled an hour from Las Palmas just to drive back in the direction that I came and beyond the hotel that I was staying. However, It was an enjoyable experience with great information. Tom speaks many languages but it was a lot to keep up with his tandem translations.”
Francesca leads this private, English-language visit to Museo dell’Olio di Cantinarte in Bucchianico. You’ll explore a centuries-old oil mill, taste organic olive oil and Abruzzo wines, and finish with a home-cooked brunch and family stories. The two-hour experience begins and ends at Via Pizzoli, 71.
“The tasting and tour were a highlight of our stay in Abruzzo. Francesca is knowledgeable and personable, and has a great sense of humor. Her presentation was both informative. She provided warm stories of her family and their olive oil business. After the tasting, she served a home-cooked lunch with a glass of wine from her family’s winery. The town of Bucchianico itself is quite beautiful with panoramic views.”
Spend about eight hours with an accredited guide visiting Robben Island, Nelson Mandela’s former prison, then Cape Winelands stops at Spice Route and Babylonstoren. Expect ferry transport, hotel pickup, garden walks, optional tastings, scenic views, and free time for food or extra drinks.
“This was a great experience of note. Robben Island was good hut the best part was the wineries.”
Travel from Chania to Knossos and Heraklion in a private chauffeured vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Visit the palace, archaeological museum, Messara wineries, Venetian harbor, and a recommended local restaurant. Pickup is flexible, while admission, meals, and wine tasting cost extra.
“Great way to understand the history of Crete. The guides were knowledgeable and we learned a lot both while driving through Crete and at the palace ruins and museum. It was a great way to start off the trip and learn about the area. Our guides were friendly and shared many facts. We also had a delicious lunch at a recommended restaurant. And it was nice to avoid the hassle of driving while on vacation. Would recommend as Knossos is a must see and it can be challenging to get to if you are not staying near by.”
Tour La Quinta Montes Molina in Mérida at your own pace with access to the hall, piano room, library, and dining room. See original furnishings, Baccarat chandeliers, Carrara marble, Spanish tile, portraits, and Tiffany stained glass. No guided tour is included, but English and Spanish assistance is available.
“La Quinta Montes Molina in Mérida is a beautiful, well-preserved historical site worth visiting. Before entering, there’s a brief explanation of the property’s history, which adds value and should be included in its description. Inside, the Tiffany stained glass windows are a highlight, adding to the charm of the place. You can finish your visit at the café, which has a modern, cozy vibe with the feel of a small bookstore. Highly recommended!”
Spend about eight hours tracing South Africa’s apartheid history on Robben Island, including Nelson Mandela’s former cell, then relax among Stellenbosch wineries. A guide, return ferry, transport, bottled water, and hotel pickup are included. Wine tasting fees and lunch cost extra.
“Having the chance to travel with Flamboyant tours and seeing the beauty of nature and having to taste the best wines was amazing.”
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