From Penneshaw: Kangaroo Island Shore Excursion Tasting Tour

Kangaroo Island’s best food stories are spread across the island, and this seven-hour tasting tour gives you a practical way to reach them during a cruise stop. You’ll sample honey, wine, spirits, lavender products, and eucalyptus oil, with a scenic stop at Pennington Bay for coastline views and possible dolphin sightings. I especially like the visit to South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery and the morning tea with lavender scones.

I also like that the tour includes port pickup, transport, tastings, bottled water, and a guide, so you can leave the driving to someone else. Guides such as Caitlin and Joel have been praised for their friendly, lively approach. The main drawback is the tight schedule: lunch is not included, the break in Kingscote may feel short, and a cancelled cruise stop can leave you relying on travel insurance.

Key points at a glance

• Cruise-port friendly: Pickup and return are at the Penneshaw cruise terminal, with the route built around a seven-hour ship visit.
• Pennington Bay views: Stop for photographs and possible sightings of dolphins or whales along the coast.
• Rare distillery visit: Emu Ridge Eucalyptus explains how a traditional Australian bush product is made.
• Lavender morning tea: Expect lavender scones and time at Emu Bay Lavender Farm.
• A broad tasting menu: Honey, wine, gin, vodka, liqueurs, cider, lavender products, and other island produce feature across the day.
• Bring lunch: Morning tea is included, but lunch is not, so carry something from the ship or buy food along the route.

A full day of island flavor from Penneshaw

This tour is built for the awkward hours of a cruise stop. You arrive at Penneshaw, meet your guide near the end of the jetty, and spend the day exploring food and drink producers instead of trying to arrange several separate visits. At the end, you are returned to the same cruise terminal.

That simplicity matters on Kangaroo Island. The island is large, and its producers are scattered between Penneshaw, Emu Bay, Kingscote, and the surrounding countryside. A guided vehicle saves you from dealing with unfamiliar roads, tasting limits, and the pressure of getting back to the ship.

The price is $162 per person. That is not a cheap tasting outing, but it covers seven hours of transport, a guide, port pickup and return, morning or afternoon tea, bottled water, and all listed tastings. For a cruise passenger without a car, the value is reasonable because you are paying for access to several parts of the island in one day, not just for a single winery visit.

The day is best for you if you enjoy trying local products more than ticking off famous wildlife stops. You will get scenery and the chance to spot marine life, but the central theme is food and liquor. If your first priority is kangaroos, seals, or Flinders Chase National Park, this is not the right tour.

Meeting your guide at the Penneshaw jetty

The meeting point is at the end of the jetty. Turn left and look for colored flags and a guide holding a sign for Kangaroo Island Trails Food & Wine Tour #3. This is a useful detail because Penneshaw can feel confusing when several cruise passengers are arriving at once.

The tour is only for cruise passengers arriving in Penneshaw. It does not serve people arriving on the Sealink Ferry, even though the meeting point is close to the ferry terminal. Do not book it for a ferry arrival and assume the same pickup will apply.

Transport is included throughout the day. The vehicle lets you cover several distant stops, though the amount of time on the road is part of the bargain. The detailed route includes several bus sections, some lasting 30 minutes or more. You get a broad taste of Kangaroo Island, but you should not expect long, leisurely visits at every stop.

The tour is in English. Transport has received a 91 percent perfect rating, and the overall activity rating is 4.5 out of 5 from 23 ratings. The strongest praise has focused on the guides, with Caitlin described as friendly and personable and Joel praised for delivering plenty of information with humor. Those details suggest the guide makes a real difference on a day with so much driving.

Pennington Bay brings the scenery into focus

Pennington Bay is a smart opening or early stop because it gives you a visual sense of Kangaroo Island before the tasting rooms begin. You can take in the Penneshaw coastline, photograph the beach, and watch the water for dolphins or whales.

Sightings are possible, not promised. Treat this as a scenic pause rather than a dedicated wildlife cruise. If you see marine life, it is a bonus. Even without it, the stop gives you fresh air and a chance to take photographs before spending more time in the vehicle.

The visit is short, listed at about 10 minutes, so keep your camera ready and do not wander far from the meeting point. The limited time is a fair trade for fitting so many producers into one day, but it also means you should not expect a beach walk.

Honey and the Ligurian bees of Kangaroo Island

At Island Beehive, also known as Clifford’s Honey, you learn about the island’s Ligurian bees and taste different honey varieties. This is more interesting than a simple shop stop because the bee story is tied directly to Kangaroo Island’s identity.

The tasting lets you compare flavors rather than merely buy a jar as a souvenir. Honey is also an easy product to enjoy if you are not a wine or spirits drinker, making this stop useful for mixed groups.

The visit lasts about 20 minutes. That is enough for an introduction and tasting, but not a long look at every product. If you want to purchase honey, keep in mind that large bags are not allowed on the tour, and your cruise luggage arrangements may make carrying extra food inconvenient.

Emu Ridge explains a traditional Australian product

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery is one of the day’s most distinctive stops. It is described as South Australia’s only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery, and the visit shows how eucalyptus leaves are processed through distillation.

I like this stop because it gives context to something that is often sold as a generic souvenir. You hear how the process works and see the connection between the island’s plant life and a finished Australian bush product. It adds a small piece of local industry to a day otherwise centered on tasting.

The stop lasts around 30 minutes. You will have time to learn about the method and possibly browse products, but this is not a long industrial tour. If you are more interested in wine and spirits than production methods, it may feel less exciting than the later tastings. For anyone curious about how everyday natural products are made, it is a welcome change of pace.

Lavender scones at Emu Bay Lavender Farm

Morning tea at Emu Bay Lavender Farm is one of the gentler moments of the day. You can expect lavender scones and other lavender-related products, with about 45 minutes set aside for the stop.

The appeal is not only the food. A farm visit gives you a slower break after the road time, and lavender adds a different flavor to the usual winery-and-distillery routine. The stop works well for anyone who enjoys local produce but prefers a sweet morning treat to another alcoholic tasting.

The information does not specify exactly which lavender items are included beyond the scones and morning tea, so do not assume every shop product is part of the tasting. If you have dietary restrictions, the available details do not provide a menu or substitutions. You may want to ask the guide at the start of the day.

Kingscote gives you a short break from the tastings

Kingscote is the practical pause in the middle of the route. You get about an hour to wander around and make your way through town before continuing to Bay of Shoals Wines.

This break matters because a full day of tastings can become tiring. A walk in Kingscote lets you stretch your legs and reset your palate. It is also the clearest chance to find or buy lunch, since lunch is not included.

One piece of advice is important here: bring a light lunch from the cruise ship if you can, or plan to buy something along the route. One person specifically wanted another 10 minutes added to the lunch break, so do not count on a long, relaxed meal. If you spend too much of the hour browsing, you may end up eating in a hurry.

Bay of Shoals brings in Kangaroo Island wine

Bay of Shoals Wines is the main wine stop, with about 45 minutes for tasting. This gives you a chance to try local wines in a focused setting rather than rushing through a single sample.

Wine lovers will probably find this one of the day’s highlights. You can compare the wines with the other products you have tasted, and the stop provides a proper change from honey and lavender. If you do not drink wine, you may find the visit less rewarding, although the tour’s other stops keep the day from depending on wine alone.

The time is enough for a tasting, but it is not designed for a long winery lunch or an extended cellar-door visit. Since the tour has several more stops and must return to the cruise terminal, the schedule favors variety over lingering.

Kangaroo Island Spirits finishes the tasting line-up

Kangaroo Island Spirits is the final major tasting stop, with about 45 minutes for gin, vodka, and other liqueurs. This is a useful finish because it broadens the island’s drinks story beyond wine.

If you enjoy spirits, you will appreciate having enough time for a proper tasting rather than a quick sample. Gin and vodka also give you a chance to try products with a different style and flavor profile from the wines at Bay of Shoals.

As always, pace yourself. The tour includes several tastings over the day, and the return drive follows the spirits stop. The guide handles the driving, but you still want to remain comfortable and clear-headed for the ride back to Penneshaw.

What the seven-hour schedule feels like

The route includes stops at Pennington Bay, Island Beehive, Emu Ridge Eucalyptus, Emu Bay Lavender Farm, Kingscote, Bay of Shoals Wines, and Kangaroo Island Spirits. Between them are several bus journeys, including sections of roughly 30 minutes and one listed at about an hour.

That makes the day feel like a sampler rather than a slow country outing. You see several parts of Kangaroo Island and meet a range of producers, but every visit has a time limit. I would choose this format if you want variety and convenience. I would not choose it if you dislike moving from place to place or prefer to spend half a day at one winery.

The guide is important here. A warm, funny guide can make the driving time feel informative instead of wasted. Feedback about Caitlin and Joel points to the value of a personable host, especially when the schedule is full.

Wear something comfortable for getting on and off the vehicle, carry water, and avoid bringing large bags or luggage. The tour includes bottled water, but bringing your own water is still listed as something to do.

The cruise cancellation rule deserves attention

The cancellation policy is simple if your plans change at least 24 hours ahead: you can cancel for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your port schedule is not yet fixed.

The risk comes from the cruise itself. If the ship does not dock or tender and notice arrives within the 24-hour period, the tour is not refundable. The operator offers a 50 percent credit for a later tour and a letter for a travel insurance claim, but you may not be able to use that credit if you live far away.

That is not a minor detail. One booking was lost after a ship cancelled its port visit, and the person felt a ship-arranged tour would have offered better protection. You should check your cruise insurance carefully before booking. The operator specifically recommends insurance that covers tour cancellation.

Who should book this tour?

Book it if you are arriving by cruise at Penneshaw, enjoy tasting local food and alcohol, and want someone else to manage the roads. It suits couples, small groups, and mixed-age groups where some people prefer honey or lavender to wildlife activities.

It is also a good choice if you want more than a standard winery visit. The combination of Ligurian bee honey, eucalyptus oil, lavender scones, wine, and spirits gives you a broader picture of Kangaroo Island’s producers.

Skip it if you are arriving by Sealink Ferry, need a long lunch, dislike a busy schedule, or want a full wildlife day. The $162 price makes the most sense when you value the included transport and multiple tastings. Bring lunch, watch the time in Kingscote, and arrange suitable insurance before you commit.

FAQ

Is this tour available to Sealink Ferry passengers?

No. The tour is designed for cruise ship passengers arriving at Penneshaw and is not for guests arriving on the Sealink Ferry.

Where do I meet the guide?

Walk to the end of the jetty and turn left. Look for colored flags and a guide holding a sign that says Kangaroo Island Trails, Food & Wine Tour #3.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts seven hours, including transportation between the stops and the return to the Penneshaw cruise terminal.

Is lunch included?

No. Morning or afternoon tea is included, along with tastings and bottled water, but lunch is not. You are advised to bring a light lunch from the cruise ship or buy food along the way.

What tastings are included?

The day includes honey tasting at Island Beehive, wine tasting at Bay of Shoals Wines, gin, vodka, and liqueur tasting at Kangaroo Island Spirits, plus lavender products and lavender scones at Emu Bay Lavender Farm. You also visit Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery.

What happens if my cruise ship does not dock?

If the ship does not dock or tender and notice is given within 24 hours, the tour is non-refundable. The operator offers a 50 percent credit toward a future tour and a letter for an insurance claim, so suitable travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Can I bring luggage or a large bag?

No. Luggage and large bags are not allowed. Bring water and keep your belongings small enough for the vehicle.