Hunter Valley Gardens is a large privately built display garden in Pokolbin, opened in 2003. Its paths link ten themed gardens — among them a formal rose garden, an oriental garden, an Italian grotto, a sunken garden with a waterfall and a storybook garden where nursery-rhyme characters delight small children.
The gardens are the Hunter’s main attraction for families and for anyone who needs a break from tasting. Next door is a shopping village with cafés, a chocolate shop and wine stores.
Top things to do: Hunter Valley Gardens
Walk the themed gardens
Allow two hours to see everything at an easy pace. Spring brings the roses and blossom; autumn turns the trees around the lake red and gold. Paths are mostly level and suitable for prams.
See the Christmas Lights Spectacular
From early November to late January the gardens open at night with millions of lights, illuminated displays and fairground rides. It is hugely popular with families; entry is by dated ticket, and peak nights before Christmas sell out.
Check the events calendar
Outside Christmas the gardens run seasonal events, including a winter snow festival and school-holiday programmes. Dates change each year, so check the official website.
How to get there
- Location: Broke Road, in the centre of Pokolbin, with a large free car park.
- From most Pokolbin hotels: 5–10 minutes by car; a few hotels are within walking distance.
- On a tour: some day tours from Sydney include a stop at the gardens’ village — check the itinerary on our tours page.
Insider tips
- In summer, visit early in the morning; there is limited shade in the middle of the day.
- For the Christmas lights, book tickets and accommodation well ahead and expect traffic on Broke Road at dusk.
- Check current opening hours and ticket prices on the official website before you go.
Best tours & tickets: Hunter Valley Gardens
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to enjoy Hunter Valley Gardens and the rest of the Hunter Valley:
Carriage tour from A$159 Pokolbin: Harvest the Hunter 3-Hour Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour
Three hours at the pace of a horse: a carriage ride along Pokolbin’s back roads and vineyards with stops for wine, cheese and chocolate. It is as much about the ride as the tastings.
- A horse-drawn carriage along local roads and through vineyards
- Wine, cheese and chocolate tastings
- A slow, old-fashioned way to see Pokolbin
Half-day tour from A$129 Pokolbin: Hunter Valley Half-Day Tour with Cheese and Wine
A morning tour with pickup from local accommodation: three boutique wineries, private tastings and local cheeses matched to the wines. You are back by early afternoon, which leaves time for a long lunch, the gardens or the pool.
- Private tastings at three boutique wineries
- Wines matched with local cheeses
- Morning tour — your afternoon stays free
Day trip from A$229 From Sydney: Full-Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour
The most-reviewed way to do the Hunter from Sydney without a car. A coach takes you up the motorway to wine country for tastings at three cellar doors, a look at wine production and local cheese and chocolate, with free time to buy your own lunch before the drive back.
- Tastings at three Hunter Valley cellar doors
- A behind-the-scenes look at how wine is made
- Cheese and chocolate tastings, with free time for lunch
