5 Day Guided Walk Clare Valley

The Clare Valley Wine Region lies just 1.5 hours drive North of Adelaide, located in in the northern reaches of the Mt Lofty Ranges, the Clare Valley is dotted with small boutique wineries, stunning rural  landscapes, large sections of native bush and some of the best food and wine on offer anywhere in the Country.

Our goal over the next 5 days is to sample it all by combining our love for all things Clare Valley with our love for hiking and walking.

After a quick stop to see if the local coffee is any good, it is, we head straight for the start of the Clare valley Wine & Wilderness Trail. This 100km hiking trail meanders through the rural and wilderness landscapes, emerging to walk past 26 cellar door, multiple restaurants, cafes and pubs.

Stage 1 of the trail is a whopping 23km however we normally cut it short and do between 10 – 15km depending on the group, the route takes us past Tim Adams Wines, up along one of the highest ranges in the region through Hill River Station, down through the vineyards of Stanley flat and ultimately through Armagh finishing at the Cellar Door of Jim Barry Wines.

Today we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch along the way and finish off with a private wine tasting session at Jim Barry wines.

We’ll then make our way to our accommodation and finish the day with a great meal.

Summary

• Pick up from Adelaide Accommodation.
• Drive to the Clare Valley
• Complete Stage 1 of the CVWWT
• Wine tasting at Jim Barry Wines
• Check into our accommodation
• Evening meal in the lodge with local wine
• Meals: LD

After a hearty breakfast and briefing from your head guide, we travel a short distance to Jim Barry wines where the finished yesterday’s hike, today we follow the Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail through the vineyards of Armagh and then south toward the Spring Gully Conservation Park, passing the Vineyard of Bourke & Travers, Eldredge Wineries and Jeanneret Wineries along the way.

Our final destination is the Skillogalee Restaurant, Clare’s most awarded restaurant, where we will settle down to a well earned full lunch with wine.

Mid afternoon we’l take the short dive back to your accommodation where you can relax in the stunning surrounding before gathering in the lodge for a meal, and more Clare Valley wine.

Summary

• Transport the walk
• Skillogalee Lunch
• Complete Stage 2 of the CVWWT
• Wine tasting with lunch
• Evening meal in the lodge with local wine
• Meals: BLD

Today’s hike really channels the “wilderness” part of the Wine and Wilderness Trail, as we head south from Skillogalee past Mitchell, Kilikanoon & Penna Lane Wineries, before climbing up the skilly range through several kilometres of some of the most stunning bushland the Clare Valley has on offer.

Eventually we make our way back down to the valley floor and the picturesque Skilly Creek before making our way out of the Skilly Valley, and over to it’s neighbour, the Eyre Creek Valley where we will find O’Leary Walker Wines.

From here it is a short drive to the Watervale Hotel where we will again settle down for a well earned lunch. After undergoing extensive renovations in 2020 The Watervale Hotel has quickly established it’s self as one of the best restaurants in Clare.

After lunch we’ll head back to our accommodation where prior to dinner we’ll be treated to a private wine tasting experience from one of the local winemakers.

Summary

• Transport the walk
• Watervale Hotel Lunch
• Complete Stage 3 of the CVWWT
• Wine tasting with lunch
• Private Wine Tasting experience at the lodge
• Evening meal in the lodge with local wine
• Meals: BLD

Today we head for Taylor’s Wines in Auburn and point our compass north, we criss cross the Watervale Vineyards region, with is infamous ‘loam over limestone’ terroir responsible for much of the award winning Riesling which comes out of the Clare Valley.

Eventually we make it to Pauletts Winery where we a re treated to lunch in their Bush Devine Cafe. The Pauletts winery is stunningly located on top of the Dunns Ranges and looks down to yet another Valley, the Hill River Valley (Polish Hill River), the region responsible for many of the award winning wines which don’t come out of the Watervale region, with it’s totally different topography of Slate Rock under the soil.

Again, after lunch we’ll head home to our familiar accommodation and settle in for the night.

Summary

• Transport the walk
• Pauletts Winery Lunch
• Complete Stage 5 of the CVWWT
• Wine tasting with lunch
• Evening meal in the lodge with local wine
• Meals: BLD

Our final day has us completing the final stage of the Clare Valley Wine & Wilderness Trail, from Pauletts to our start point on Day 1.

From Pauletts we drop down into the Hill River Valley past Pikes Wines, Hill River Clare estate and Wilsons Vineyard, before crossing the range into Sevenhill Cellar’s, the Clare valleys oldest winery, through the Sevenhill township and onto the end along the Gillentown Range.

Once finished we”l then shoot back to Pike’s Winery for our final lunch together before making our way back to Adelaide where we’ll drop you at your hotel.

Summary

• Check out of accommodation
• Transport the walk
• Pikes Winery Lunch
• Complete Stage 6 of the CVWWT
• Wine tasting with lunch
• Transport to Adelaide & farewells
• Meals: BL