Hunter Valley Lights & Newcastle
Days:
4 Days
Activity:
2. Moderate
Transport:
Drive
$1,495.00
Tour description
Tour Dates: November 22nd – November 25, 2026
Experience the magic of the festive season on this delightful four day Hunter Valley and Newcastle escape, combining coastal scenery, fascinating history, gourmet experiences and the spectacular Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular. Travelling north from Sydney, the journey begins with a relaxing stop at the Wyong Milk Factory before arriving in Newcastle for a scenic harbour lunch cruise and guided city tour showcasing the city’s beautiful beaches, historic landmarks and vibrant foreshore.
Guests will explore the stunning Port Stephens region, enjoying Devonshire tea at the Inner Light Tea Rooms with sweeping coastal views over Nelson Bay. A visit to Medowie Macadamias offers fascinating insight into local production and regional flavours, while Fort Scratchley provides a memorable glimpse into Australia’s coastal defence history.
The tour continues inland to the charming riverside town of Morpeth before heading into the renowned Hunter Valley wine region. Highlights include wine tasting at a local vineyard, a sweet stop at the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company and the unforgettable Christmas Lights Spectacular, where millions of dazzling lights transform the gardens into a festive wonderland.
With quality accommodation, delicious meals and luxury coach travel included, this relaxing getaway offers the perfect blend of food, wine, history and festive cheer.
Itinerary
We begin our journey north with a relaxing stop at the Wyong Milk Factory, where we enjoy morning tea in a peaceful riverside setting. Continuing to Newcastle, we step aboard a leisurely lunch cruise, gliding through the harbour and taking in the city’s waterfront views.
After returning to shore, we enjoy a city tour by coach, exploring Newcastle’s beaches and landmarks. The afternoon offers some free time to relax or explore the foreshore before we gather for dinner at our harbourside hotel.
Overnight: Rydges Newcastle Meals Included: Morning Tea, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we travel north to Nelson Bay, where we enjoy Devonshire tea at the Inner Light Tea Rooms, overlooking the sparkling waters of Port Stephens. We take time to visit the small museum and soak up the panoramic coastal views before continuing with a tour of the Port Stephens region.
We then visit Medowie Macadamias for a fascinating insight into macadamia growing and production, followed by a delicious lunch. Returning to Newcastle in the afternoon, we explore Fort Scratchley, touring its historic tunnels and hearing stories of its role in defending Australia’s coastline. Dinner is enjoyed together back at our hotel.
Overnight: Rydges Newcastle Meals Included: Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch, Dinner
Today we journey inland to the charming riverside town of Morpeth, where a local guide leads us on a short walking tour through its historic streets. There’s time to browse the museum and enjoy lunch at our own pace before we continue to the Hunter Valley.
In the afternoon, we stop at the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company for a sweet treat before visiting a local vineyard to enjoy wine tasting in one of Australia’s best-loved wine regions.
After dinner, we experience the magic of the Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular, where millions of twinkling lights transform the gardens into a wonderland of festive colour and cheer.
Overnight: Mercure Hunter Valley Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, we return to the Hunter Valley Gardens to enjoy them in daylight, with time to explore the beautifully landscaped grounds. After departing, we travel south to The Entrance, where we enjoy lunch and free time to stroll the waterfront or browse the shops. In the afternoon we make our way back to Sydney, reflecting on a wonderful few days of food, history, and festive lights. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Activity Levels
-
1. Easy
-
2. Moderate
-
3. Active Moderate
-
4. Adventurous
Testimonials
Re Lord Howe Island Tour. Dear Kerry, we would like to thank everyone in your office, and particularly you for your guidance around getting us safely to and back home from the island. The itinerary covered just about all that anyone in our age group could reasonably do, and everything was marvelous, including of course, your nibbles and drinks overlooking in the lagoon. We consider this to be our best short tour and have already recommended it to some of our friends, that, if they want to go to the island, they should contact Oncourse about the time you will have future tours. With best wishes, and many thanks.
sincerely Bill and Mary
Dear Kerry and staff Thank you for organising the Temora airshow and Wagga tour for our club. We all enjoyed the four days away. The tour length was just right for us ‘oldies’. The Mercure Wagga was very comfortable and centrally located, and there was plenty of free time to explore the galleries, gardens Riverina Museum, and shops on offer in Wagga. The Tamora airshow was an opportunity to view old planes and to see an aviation display for novices to aviation displays. We learnt so much about the RAAF presence in Wagga and Temora during WWII. A highlight of the Junee Rail Museum was the dedicated locals who told us all about trains and privatisation of New South Wales rails. A special bouquet of thanks to Paul , our wonderful coach driver and Marie, our friendly tour guide. Nothing was a problem for them. Both Marie and Paul worked as a great team and put us all at ease. We greatly appreciated all their work, effort, fun and friendship to make our trip memorable. Thanks Guys! It was great to be travelling with Oncourse again. Our club is looking forward to seeing what tourism plans you have in store for 2024. Again, many thanks for your help. Best wishes to all the On Course team.
