Hvar Wine Tours & Tastings
Hvar’s vineyards are older than the town: the Stari Grad Plain was divided into fields by Greek colonists in the fourth century BC and is still farmed the same way, which is why UNESCO listed it; the Plavac Mali on the island’s steep southern slopes is some of the best in Dalmatia. This page compares the top-rated Hvar wine tours and tastings: winery visits on the plain and the south coast, wine-and-lavender tours in June, and the day trips by boat from Split.
What you’ll taste: Plavac Mali from the southern slopes of Ivan Dolac and Sveta Nedjelja; Bogdanuša, the island’s own white; Pošip; and prošek to finish.
Formats: half-day winery tours from Hvar town or Stari Grad; full days with lunch; wine-and-lavender tours in June and July; boat-and-wine days from Split.
Getting there: one hour by catamaran from Split to Hvar town, or two by ferry to Stari Grad.
Wine on Hvar: the plain and the southern slopes
Hvar has two wine landscapes. The Stari Grad Plain, on the north side, is a grid of dry-stone walls laid out by Greek settlers from Paros in 384 BC and worked ever since; its flat fields grow Bogdanuša, the white grape found only here, and olives and lavender between the vines. The south coast, reached through a tunnel from the plain, is a wall of limestone falling into the sea, and on its terraces above Ivan Dolac, Sveta Nedjelja and Zavala, Plavac Mali ripens into some of the deepest reds in Croatia.
Winery tours
Half-day tours from Hvar town or Stari Grad visit two or three family wineries, one on the plain and one on the south side, with a cellar walk, a flight of four to six wines and local cheese, anchovies and olive oil. Full days add lunch in a konoba in Jelsa or Vrboska. Expect 70 to 130 euros for a small group.
Wine and lavender
Hvar’s lavender blooms in June and July around Velo Grablje and Brusje, and tours in those weeks combine the fields with the wineries. The distillery visits are short; the photographs are the point.
From Split
Catamarans reach Hvar town in an hour and ferries reach Stari Grad in two, so a Hvar wine day from Split is a long but easy day; several tours include the boat and a winery lunch for 120 to 200 euros. See Split wine tours and Dalmatia wine tours.
When to go
June and July for lavender, September for harvest, May and October for tastings without the crowds. Hvar town in August is expensive and full; the wineries are calm regardless.
Read next: What to eat in Hvar
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Hvar Wine Tours & Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Why a Hvar wine tour?
Because the island’s wineries sit on the oldest continuously cultivated fields in the Mediterranean and pour wines that rarely leave the island, and the drive to reach them crosses lavender, olives and the sea.
What wine is Hvar known for?
Plavac Mali from the southern slopes and Bogdanuša, a white grape grown only on the island; Pošip and prošek are also common.
Can I visit Hvar wineries on a day trip from Split?
Yes; the catamaran takes an hour to Hvar town, and boat-and-wine tours with lunch run from Split in season.
How much does a Hvar wine tour cost?
About 70 to 130 euros for a half-day on the island, 120 to 200 for a full day from Split with the boat.
When is lavender season on Hvar?
June to mid-July; wine-and-lavender tours run in those weeks.
Is the Stari Grad Plain worth visiting?
Yes; it is a UNESCO site and the fields, walls and wineries are the same ones the Greeks laid out 2,400 years ago.