Self-guided tours

Come explore our beautiful corner of Kent and get to know Gusbourne at your own pace. This gentle 35-minute walking route guides visitors through our unique terroir, taking in vineyards, spectacular views and the fresh air and open skies of the English countryside.

On arrival at the estate, stop in at The Nest to collect your complimentary map – there’s no cost for the self-guided tour experience – and to say hello to the team so they can fill you in on notable goings-on that day. Then follow the numbered markers at your own pace, any time between 11:00 and 16:00 daily. In spring and summer, extend your visit by booking a picnic packed with seasonal goodies from neighbouring artisanal suppliers as well as a perfectly chilled bottle of Gusbourne Brut Reserve.

A favourite year round, the tour reveals seasonal surprises over the months. Grapes, grasses, trees, wildflowers. Hares, rabbits, pheasants, green woodpeckers. The vineyard team tending vines and soil, harvesting and transporting grapes directly from the field to the winery. And there’s always the opportunity to taste some wine before you head back home. (But no matter how inviting the grapes look out in the fields, please resist sampling the fruits of our labours until we can pour them into a glass for you!)

Families, friends, groups – everybody’s welcome, including dogs on leads. All you need is comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing and a sense of adventure.

Tailor-made tours

We also offer a range of hosted tours, which can include tutored tastings alongside casual sharing platters or a more formal seasonal three-course lunch, all featuring fresh, local ingredients and of course plenty of wines to taste.

Alternatively, we can tailor-make a tour just for you. It might be for a milestone birthday or anniversary, a team day out or one of the many delayed reasons to get together over the past couple of years. In the past we’ve helped arrange proposals overlooking the vineyard, special birthday gatherings, reunion meetups for wine lovers from different corners of the globe and we’ve even hosted groups of vintage car enthusiasts on grand tours.

Our friendly, knowledgeable hosts at The Nest will create a tour experience that’s just right for you and your group. We can provide bespoke menus for guests with particular cravings. Salmon cured in Gusbourne Brut Reserve, wild boar from Sussex, a feast of seasonal English strawberries, a beautiful celebration cake… with wines to match. All of this, as well as extra special touches – flowers, company branding, gift bags – can all be arranged on request.

For spring 2022, we’ll be introducing a new private event space in our Commanders vineyard. Nestled amidst a wildflower meadow and in the shadow of a great oak tree, it’s an idyllic, sheltered picnic spot, just 2m above sea level, that can accommodate up to 24.

Chat to us at The Nest for help planning your ideal Gusbourne tour – we love seeing our guests’ visions come to life.

 

We welcome visitors year-round for hosted and self-guided tours of Gusbourne Estate. Under certain conditions and at short notice we may not be able to offer self-guided tours – please check in with our team at The Nest before you set off. And do say hello when you arrive in case there’s anything we can help you with. Access to the winery is by guided tour only and subject to winery activities.

Special private tours, tastings of limited-release and library wines can be arrange for an additional fee – just email us on nest@gusbourne.com or call +44 (0)1233 884680.

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