Planning guide

How to plan a Walla Walla wine tour

Choose your dates, decide between a private day and a shared seat, and tell us who is coming and what they enjoy. We book the winery appointments, the lunch and the route.

Harvest and summer weekends are worth booking two to three months ahead. A private tour with Northwest Touring & Concierge is priced by the hour, from $85 an hour for two Sunday through Wednesday and $95 Thursday through Saturday; a shared seat is $95 per guest. Winery tasting fees are paid separately. The steps below take you from first idea to the day itself.

Start planningA real reply, usually within a few hours

Step by step

From first idea to the day itself

Choose your dates

Harvest, in September and October, and summer weekends fill first; two to three months ahead is sensible for those. Midweek dates and the winter months are often open on shorter notice. Weekends have the fullest slate of open tasting rooms and the most energy; Sunday through Wednesday is quieter, and the hourly rate is lower. For what each season is like, see the best time to visit on Walla Walla Travel. The release weekends and their dates are on our wine weekends page.

Decide between a private day and a shared seat

A private tour is your group alone, on your date, planned around you and priced by the hour. A shared tour is five hours with other guests on a route set in advance, priced per person. Couples and solo travelers are often well served by a shared day; groups, and anyone celebrating, usually want a private one. The two, side by side.

Work out who is coming

Private rates are quoted for two guests, and larger groups are priced by party size. Up to 14 guests ride in a single Sprinter; larger groups travel together across several. If the group is coming for a retreat or an event, see corporate groups.

Tell us what your group enjoys

Every tour starts with a conversation: the wines you like, any wineries you have in mind, and whether you are celebrating something. From that we match your group with wineries you will enjoy, across the valley’s wine districts in Washington and Oregon.

We book the appointments and the lunch

Most estate wineries outside town pour at booked times, so we secure those first and build the route around them. That is also why we do not promise a number of wineries: it depends on the appointments, and the pace is not a race. Lunch is planned into every tour, either brought in alongside a midday tasting or at a table held downtown. You have the plan before you arrive.

Hold the date

A deposit, typically 50% of the projected cost, holds the date, and the balance is due within 48 hours after the tour. Cancel 45 or more days ahead and the deposit is refunded in full; 21 to 44 days ahead, half; inside 21 days it is non-refundable. Shared seats are booked through Walla Walla Travel, on their own terms.

The day itself

We pick you up at your hotel, your rental or the airport, and the same chauffeur stays with you until drop-off. There is case storage on board, and most wineries can ship your purchases home. Tasting fees are paid at each winery as you go.

What it costs

The numbers in one place

Private tour: For two guests, from $85 an hour Sunday–Wednesday (four-hour minimum) and $95 an hour Thursday–Saturday (five-hour minimum). Most days run five and a half to six and a half hours. Larger groups are priced by party size.
Shared tour: $95 per guest, or $115 with lunch, for five hours.
Tasting fees: Paid separately at each winery, on private and shared tours alike.
Tax: Prices exclude tax.

The rest of the weekend

Where to stay and eat

For lodging, dining and how to shape the rest of your time in the valley, Walla Walla Travel has a weekend itinerary. We are glad to advise on any of it and make the arrangements once you have decided. Short, specific answers are on our FAQ, and if your dates are close, call us on (509) 540-3600 rather than emailing.

Tell us your dates

Dates, group size and what you enjoy. We will come back with availability, a plan and a quote, usually within a few hours.

Start planning