10 food tours in Queensland that give you a taste of the state

Josh Donohoe reckons there is a beer out there for everyone. And the self-professed ‘beer guy’ sees it as his personal mission to find a match made in hop heaven for everyone who steps aboard his Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours minivan.

Josh’s intimate local knowledge of brewers and producers means you get to go behind the scenes at some of the best burgeoning local craft breweries on the Sunshine Coast.

Your tasting journey isn’t all about the golden elixir. As you travel from Noosa to the Hinterland, you’ll get to take in the stunning landscape and meet passionate beer brewers along the way. 

Cape Trib Farm fruit tours

Know your black sapote from your mamey sapote? How about your jackfruit from your durian? If you’re a little rusty on your tropical fruit knowledge, don’t worry. You’re in the right state to taste the tropics.

Cape Trib Farm in the Daintree Rainforest is the perfect spot to brush up and sample some of the 70-plus exotic fruit types that are grown on the rainforest property. Depending on the season, you might get to try soursop, which lives up to its name as the fruit salad fruit, tasting like a combination of strawberry, pineapple and banana, or aibu, which is just like eating a sweet caramel custard.

This hands-on multi-sensory food tour takes you through the orchard to see the different fruit trees while teaching you about the varieties of fruit and allowing you to taste your way through the farm.

While you’re in Cape Tribulation, you’re perfectly placed to explore two of Queensland’s World Heritage-listed sites: The Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef. 

Pterodactyl Helicopters

We love a flying safari, and nothing says “rock star” quite like doing a food and wine tour in a helicopter. Lingering over reds, whites and sparkling wine at different wineries while also having time for a leisurely lunch would be a stretch to do in a day, but with a helicopter, it’s a cinch.

From gourmet picnics ending at Spicers Hidden Vale, to a wine tour of the Somerset  region known for its chardonnay and shiraz, these tours are guaranteed to give wine connoisseurs wings.

Your private tour will fly you to a handful of wineries, where you’ll get to sip and sample a variety of vintages. You’ll also be treated to a three-course lunch and a bottle of wine to take home.

Want to customise your tour? Read up on the best wineries in Queensland and ask the Pterodactyl Helicopters team if they can add your favourites to the itinerary.

Summer Land Camels 

Did you know that Australia has a wild camel problem? Jeffrey Flood and Paul Martin, the owners of Summer Land Camel Farm, are attempting to change that while also tapping into the growing popularity of camel milk as a superfood.

The Scenic Rim farm is the perfect spot to get up close and personal with the long-lashed creatures and find out the story behind where the camels come from (and how they get rounded up), how they are trained and the various ways their milk is used in ice-cream, yoghurt, cheese and skincare.

This tour costs just $25 per adult and allows you to meet the camels (camel rides are extra) and try camel milk for yourself. Once you get a taste for it, you can visit the farm’s cafe to further indulge your taste buds with a scoop of camel milk gelato or see what makes camel milk cheese so unique.

Spending more time in the Scenic Rim? Check out our food lover’s long weekend guide to the area.

Bundy food tours

Often on food tours the hard work has been done for you – you just have to show up and tuck in. But on the mud-crabbing spearfishing tour with one of the Kubirri Warra brothers Linc and Brandon Walker, you’re going to learn to embrace your inner explorer, throw a spear and catch your supper of mud crabs, fish and mussels.

It’s a deep dive into the indigenous traditions and ecosystems of the original custodians of Cooya Beach, just north of Port Douglas. The brothers are natural teachers who generously share their knowledge of wildlife, medicinal plants and their culture.

After putting your new skills into practice, you’ll take your catches of the day back to camp to be cooked for a light lunch.

Brett's Outback Tasting Adventure 

Tropical North Queensland has always been known for the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, but Brett Cameron wanted to introduce travellers to beauty of another kind in the area – the culinary delights of the Atherton Tablelands.

Just as Brett’s tour takes you through misty rainforest, lush orchards and rich red savannah, you also get to taste your way through a diversity of local cheeses, coffees, chocolates, fruits, spirits and wine, along with indigenous damper and jams. And if you’re very lucky, you may even spot an elusive platypus at a special stop on the way back to Port Douglas.

You’re guaranteed to leave with a full belly after this tour, along with enriching experiences like feeding native turtles in the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and learning the finer details of what it takes to make coffee from tree to cup.

If you’d like to try more indigenous flavours, here’s where to eat Australian bush food in Queensland.

Charley's Chocolate Tour

As Australia’s only cocoa tree to chocolate bar experience, you don’t have to be a sweet tooth to put this food tour on your must-do list.

It’s a fascinating insight into the history of cocoa, how cocoa pods grow (did you know that one cocoa pod will make one dark chocolate bar?), and how the pods are dried and fermented. You’ll also get a chance to take part in some of the steps of making actual chocolate.

But the best part is tasting the sweet, creamy, single origin chocolate. Just be warned, it’s so good that you may just want to move to Mission Beach.

Along with your tour of the chocolate factory, you’ll be treated to a farm lunch of local grass-fed burgers. While you enjoy your Aussie barbecue, keep an eye out for Cassowaries who wander around the property.

Gold Coast food and wine tours

You could spend a week on the Gold Coast and still not uncover all its gastronomic delights. That’s where Karen Inglis-Turner comes in.

Expertly navigating her way through Burleigh Heads, Broadbeach or Surfers Paradise, Karen takes you on a ‘best of’ tour where you’ll drop into new venues, locals’ favourites and sample great food and drink that’s making the Gold Coast one of the best spots in the state for culinary tourism.

Come with a hungry appetite to eat great food, meet like-minded foodies, chat to local chefs and learn a thing or two from them during mini masterclasses as you wine and dine your way along the coast. 

Delectable Tours

Brisbane’s food scene is getting better by the day, which is why you’d be smart to pair up with a local who’s in the know to experience the best this capital city has to offer. Delectable Tours founder Jamie-Lee takes small groups of up to eight people to a mix of local institutions and hidden gems that are off the tourist radar.

Depending on which tour you choose, you’ll get a taste of Queensland’s exceptional seafood, craft beer scene and fusion flavours while taking in some of Brisbane’s best views. More than just a good meal, you’ll also walk away with a better understanding of the local produce, processes and iconic ingredients that are putting Brisbane on the foodie map.

Further north, the Sunshine Coast’s coastal and hinterland landscapes provide the perfect setting for another must-do food adventure. Delectable Tours’ Sunshine Coast Food Itinerary is packed with local culinary talent, freshly grown produce and spectacular views, courtesy of the Glass House Mountains  and the Sunshine Coast’s beautiful beaches. It’s the ultimate farm-to-table experience and scenic tour of the region in one.

The Sunshine Coast is also home to two of Queensland’s best food festivals. Find out more here.

Planning your next food and wine escape? Check out Queensland’s best food experiences or plan a road trip with this Kingaroy and the South Burnett itinerary.