I rarely leave reviews, but our experience on this wine tasting tour in Hood River, Oregon, was so bad that I feel compelled to warn others. We were overcharged for what was advertised as a curated, prepaid wine tour -- yet what we got was the complete opposite. Our driver, Lisa, was completely unprepared and clearly had no idea what she was doing. She didn't even realize that one of the wineries she was supposed to take us to was closed. That alone shows a total lack of planning or professionalism.  Lisa failed to communicate with the wineries ahead of time (which was supposed to be part of her job), and it was obvious she hadn't done any due diligence for our scheduled stops. The entire tour felt like it was being thrown together on the spot, and for the price we paid, that's simply unacceptable. I wouldn't recommend this tour to anyone -- not tourists, not locals, not even casual wine drinkers. There are so many great experiences to be had in the Hood River area. This just isn't one of them! read more

Martin and Christine are absolutely wonderful people! They are so incredibly kind and thoughtful and helped make our trip out in Stevenson wonderful. They have incredible knowledge on the beautiful scenery around the area, I would highly recommend booking any sort of tour with them, not just for the knowledge, but also for their overall kindness they showed us, we'd come back to Stevenson just for them! read more

We booked Martin's Gorge Tours for a post-wedding wine tour with a handful of our friends. Martin and Christine were so welcoming and flexible to work with, and they know all the best wineries to suggest for your group. Christine was our driver, and she provided a fun, organized, safe trip for us all. We highly recommend booking Martin's Gorge Tours for your Columbia Gorge adventure(s)! read more

Martin's Gorge Tours - Wine Tours Near Me - Stevenson , Washington

Fine drivers. More than professional, they were sweet and helpful. too. Able to deal with shifts and changes with ease.

Their team was an absolute delight!! The buses were super climate controlled and staff was so kind and thoughtful! Definitely would go with them again! read more

Okay guys I hate hate hate giving this small business a 2 star review but hear me out. Martin is a nice guy, and since he drove us, I did not get a DUI, which would have been much more expensive. THAT being said. There is the two stars. Y'all this was basically an Uber XL that ran a meter and waited on us at each vineyard. My friend booked it, and she was told that the tastings at Marchesi and Cascade Cliffs would be taken care of, as far as being scheduled and making reservations for us. But my friend is a member at Cathedral Ridge and she made the reservation for the barrel tasting, as it was a member benefit. There were 4 of us, and we paid $600. Or $150 per person. For basically, an Uber for 6 rides. Let me tell you, we could have walked between Cathedral Ridge and Marchesi, but we would have needed an Uber because of the wine we bought. Even if we spent $50 on each Uber ride, which would have been CRAZY expensive, it would have cost us half what we paid. Initially we were super excited, reservations everywhere, a cool Sprinter van to take us. Martin arrived right on time, we got in, and got going. Before we made it across the bridge towards downtown, he had to swerve to avoid hitting the median because he was busy talking and clearly looked away at an inopportune time. Then he just said "oh ha ha ha there is more than one way to Cathedral Ridge! I'm going to take you through town." He then went on to tell us that we should text him when we are about done so that we wake him up as the meeting he was at the night before ran really late and he was super tired. All super awkward to us all. Not professional. We got to Cathedral Ridge and he walked us in, introduced us to Anna, who hosted us, and said he would drive by Marchesi to see how busy it is and if we can get in...now the red flags flew. He said he couldn't get us reservations at the vineyards because they don't accept them. So basically we started to realize how we were paying for a very expensive Uber. I visit many vineyards locally in Dundee, Newberg and McMinville, and I actually know a vineyard tour company because we frequent the same vineyards and they always do reservations for the tours, usually special tastings and wine maker tours as well as vineyard tours. THAT is a $600 experience. NOT a driver. So we leave Cathedral Ridge and arrive at Marchesi, he says "oh it looks real busy, maybe if you hurry before this group gets in, and run, you can get a table." I was really shocked. So he goes in, says they'll seat us shortly. Again, he leaves, after saying "it should be about an hour here, I'll run by Cascade Cliffs and see if they can get you in between 3:30 & 4pm." If I hadn't been tipsy, I would have been mad to be honest. When we sat down at Marchesi, there was a table directly across that had a "reserved" sign. SO...I'll just let you guys process that. Again, after 60 minutes we left, headed to Cascade Cliffs, he said "I think you should be good to get in here, Danielle is expecting you." So as we are parking, he says "if I'm not here when you're done, text me because I may have had to park somewhere else." Okay then. He holds the door open for us and then we have another SUPER awkward moment. There isn't enough room for everyone inside to just STAND at the entrance. So two of our friends step to one side, and I'm last in. My other friend stepped to the left and I went to stand next to her. I was standing close, as she's my friend and we were traveling together and had COVID tested before we left, so I wasn't shy to stand near her versus a stranger, but he just let the door close ON me and I had to keep shuffling awkwardly close to her to avoid being hit by a metal door. Yes, we laughed because what can you do? SO awkward. So we were done within an hour at the last tasting room and went back to our hotel. Now awkward enters again. Martin didn't let us out of the vehicle until he confirmed payment and got his tip. I was SO disappointed as were all of us. We didn't want to tip as we could have had the exact experience with an Uber. This was NOT a wine tour. I truly wish I had been more sober because I 100% would have asked questions. But we paid $600 plus a $40 tip (yes only $10 per person as he literally did nothing but drive us,) and I don't think any of us wanted to tip because what the heck YO?! Anyway, my opinion was this was a super expensive Uber. Not a wine tour. Sorely disappointed and do NOT recommend whatsoever. read more

We had Martin and Christine run shuttle for our wedding at the Crag Rat Hut. They were amazing and our guests loved the tour and information about the area shared on the way to the venue! They were professional, punctual, and a joy to work with! read more

Ok, what a great day. I hate being on freeways but Cassie put me at ease with her excellent driving and wonderful personality. Talk about knowledge of the area and connections with the industry, wow. She pivoted on the fly and arranged different wineries and as an extra bonus got us into an alpaca farm. Very cool. We have been to wineries all over the US and around the world and always use drivers. This was one of the best experiences with an eclectic tour guide, stunning views and great wines. Plesently surprised and we will be coming back for sure! read more

Christine was a very entertaining and conscientious tour guide. She took us on a scenic tour of the Gorge and multiple waterfalls. She drove us to Vista house and explained a lot about the history of the area along the way. The weather was cloudy and even had periods of rain. Christine was cheerful and helpful and offered us ponchos and umbrellas ( we had our own) as well as bottled water and snacks. She took so many photos for us! We appreciate the last minute availability and the flexibility of our guide. We had a great time! read more

Martin's did a superb job on our 6 person waterfall and area tour of the gorge outside of Stevenson. Their smaller van was able to access roads and sites that large busses can not get to. Driver and tour guide Christine was great and we learned so much more that we expected. She is from Stevenson so we got lots of local details too. Hire these people! read more

The value of our wine tour was worth more than the price paid. Our tour guide Christine and her trainee Lisa were fun, knowledgeable, and gave us a wonderful tour of some of the most unique and fun wineries in the gorge. It was tailored just for us and fit our personality and tastes so well. We found a new favorite winery and have wonderul memories. They are able to solve problems on the go, supplied wonderful snacks and water, and taught us so much about the gorge. We booked on the weekend of closures due to the coronovirus and hit a few bumps because of it, but they still gave us a full value tour and were able to solve the issue of closing wineries without hindering our experience at all. They are wonderful and definitely gave us a premium experience :) I would recommend them 100% read more

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We used Martin's for a shuttle service on a Saturday night to move some of our guests between The Dalles and The Balch Hotel in Dufur. They were great! They adjusted on the fly when some older guests wanted to leave the reception early, without batting an eye, which allowed us to continue enjoying a great evening. read more

I submitted a request online to inquire about pricing for wine tasting tour for a group of friends while we are in the Hood River area. Martin was very quick to respond, which was nice as it was Sunday. But then he called, text and emailed and when I did not respond (as I was seeing if the group wanted to pay $130 a person for transport to three wineries) he sent a follow up email when I then expressed it was a bit more than we were anticipating paying. His response: "No problem Erika. We understand that our level of service is not for everyone." So condescending! I emailed him back saying such and that we would not be booking with him and not even an apology response just thanks for letting us know. Found another Local Hood River company that was fantastic and was all inclusive! read more

Christine was an amazing tour guide for us as first time Oregon visitors! My boyfriend and I had such a wonderful time the first day that we booked her for a second day to see and learn even more about the area. I could talk for days, but here are just a few highlights: -learned numerous facts & fascinating stories about the area -she was someone who anticipated all of our needs -an all around friendly, humorous, knowledgeable and bubbly personality Book any trip with them, you'll have a fantastic adventure! read more

Martin picked us up at our Vrbo . Took us to the falls, a brew pub and wineries. we had safe transportation, education of our surroundings and their heritage, 1to1 service oriented destinations and safe return. Martin is very friendly and is happy when you are happy. I can't wait to book another family tour with his team. Thank you so much! Kyra. Delighted customer. read more

By far the best experience I have ever had, Martin and Christin were so knowledgeable. I had never been on a wine tour and they made me feel as though they are going on the adventure of finding wines I would like as well as me. They took us to three locations and gave the history of each location and not only the location but the history of the area as well. They also take so much care as to make sure you are having a pleasant and fun time at each location, and even make sure you are going back to your starting location worry free. Then to go above and beyond they even email the next day. I recommend to everyone for a safe, friendly, welcoming and warm experience!!!!!!!! read more

My boyfriend and I went on a private wine tour in early October 2020 led by Martin and Christine. Throughout the experience, Martin and Christine were nothing but wonderful. They responded to my initial inquiry very quickly and crafted an itinerary comprised of three beautiful wineries (I requested nice views and they most certainly delivered). The van we traveled in had plenty of snacks, bottled water, and PPE (masks, hand sanitizer, gloves). Martin and Christine were very thorough with COVID-19 procedures (masks were worn by everyone at all times while in the van), which we certainly appreciated. Martin and Christine are very knowledgeable on the wineries in the region and were wonderful, charismatic hosts. We didn't have to think about anything because they took care of it all, from making the reservations at the wineries to driving us to each stop to storing the bottles we purchased to taking some adorable photos of us to coming into the wineries and getting us when it was time to go. We would most definitely not have been able to create such a lovely experience on our own. 100% recommend Martin's Gorge Tours -- worth the splurge!! read more

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We did a private waterfall and wildflower tour with Martin and Christine. Our first time hiking in the Columbia Gorge. They were knowledgeable about the history of the area and the wildflowers. Nice choice to hike to the Wahclella Falls, and the drive tour of the area was lovely. Snacks, water, mask and hand sanitizer was available. We are vaccinated, and the same with Martin and Christine. It was quite a lovely experience with Martin and Christine. read more

Martin and Christine were wonderful hosts and organizers of our recent corporate event. They worked with our schedule and our requests and formulated a customized day of team building that included hiking, waterfall tours, a vineyard tour and dinner. Comments from our group included "perfect" and "flawless". Their flexibility and willingness to assist with special requests was invaluable to me as a meeting planner. read more

Thank you Martin for the amazing Brewery/Distillery tour through the gorge. It was a surprise trip for my husbands 40th birthday with a group of buddies. He organized all the stops for tastings and they loved the narration along the drive. Thank you for helping make this an unforgettable trip! read more

We booked Martin for our wedding shuttle. We paid him a lot of money and have all our our agreed upon terms in writing. He tried to bail out on us three hours earlier than agreed upon and when we challenged him on it, he proceeded to corner the bride and groom and complain about having to stay. His rudeness and lack of professionalism was astonishing. We finally just had him drop off us at home two hours earlier than agreed upon because we were so uncomfortable with him. Martin and his company were the biggest disappointment on our wedding day. read more

Fun with Friends and Fine Wine We had a reunion with friends we hadn't seen in 4 years and booked Martin's Gorge Tours so we could see the sites and enjoy the wine. My husband is a geologist and Martin and Christine took us to see so many beautiful parts of the Gorge. It was a fabulous day filled with good fun and lots of memories. I highly recommend Martin's Gorge Tours if you want a relaxing day of sight seeing and wine! read more

Excellent trip! I couldn't have imagined a better day trip. We drove through the gorge and took in the beauty and received a ton of knowledge about the area. We then enjoyed some delicious beers on the river. read more

Martin was professional and easy to work with. I would not hesitate to recommend him to a friend or use his services again!

Daughter Lisa treated us to a guided tour with Martin, just us and we highly recommend his great tour of the Gorge. Picking out great vistas and trails including lots of wonderful waterfalls. A great guide and a really nice guy. We will definitely be back! A very enjoyable and interesting three hours well spent. Written by Eleanor Thompson. read more

Four of us made our first trip to Oregon in late August 2021 and the main interest was to experience and see the scenery of the state. We visited the Oregon Wine Country, Coastal Region, Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge and Portland. The highlight of our trip was the four + hours we spent with Martin Hecht of Martin's Gorge Tours. Martin Hecht is an expert guide. His knowledge of the area, experience as a guide, his delightful personality and patience gave all of us memories of a lifetime. Not all four of us were able to hike some of the trails of the numerous waterfalls that we took in that day but Martin accommodated all of our abilities. We highly recommend Martin's Gorge Tours if you want an in-depth and memorable time at the Gorge. Jeannie, Karen, Liz, Mary. read more

We absolutely loved our tour and our guide Christine. We toured the Gorge for 2 days in June 2021 with friends and could not have been happier. We saw many more sights than we could have ever covered on our own in 2 days. We combined breathtaking sight seeing in the morning with wine tours in the afternoon. Martin Gorge Tours tailored the tour to our preferences and it was perfect! We saw lots of beautiful water falls and learned the history of the Gorge. The van was large and extremely clean, we were provided snacks and water and cleaning supplies. And Christine knew all the best locations for photos and was an excellent photographer for our group. She also did a great job selecting wineries to tour based on the types of wine we like. She knew all the vineyard owners and they were super attentive. There is so much to do and see in the Gorge. We are already looking forward to our next trip to Hood River and will definitely book another tour. I highly recommend this company as well as Christine. read more

We had a great tour!! Christine was the perfect guide for us. She kept us on track for time/location without us feeling rushed. She interacted perfectly with our group of 10! We even got a special treat of yoga in the garden at the White House--such an amazing unparalleled experience. Also the van was roomy and comfortable. The customer service was excellent. Definitely recommend a wine tour with Martin's Gorge Tours. read more

Words cannot describe the beauty of the Columbia gorge. A must do and experience at any time of year! Martin provided us a personalized tour with awesome service. He was able to rearrange his schedule at last minute notice. He was more of a friend then a tour guide. It was a memorable experience that we will treasure our entire life. read more

We had the best time with Martin on our tour today. Even with so many attractions being closed due to Covid he was able to show us some amazing sights, he is very knowledgeable on local history, and we were in awe of the locations he brought us to. The van was clean, he had sanitizing materials for us, and we felt very safe on this trip. We highly recommend Martin's Gorge Tours and plan to use him again when we have our of town visitors. read more

Great choices in wineries, wonderful information on the history of the area, and a great day overall. Thank you!

Martin is a great tour guide if you like: -- a tour to be well orchestrated and on time -- the tour guide to be interested making sure you are having a wonderful experience -- the tour guide to be knowledgeable about the Columbia Gorge including wonderful viewpoints and boutique wineries. -- Easy going style, not too intense or too talkative - just the right balance. Portlanders - you already know that the gorge is an amazing place to visit. I'm local too - but when my family from Connecticut came to town - it was so much more fun to be chauffeured about from one winery to the next rather than be the designated driver. Locals - I guarantee that you will have a lot of fun if you partake and the bonus is that Martin knows the best places to go - This was so worth it! read more

Martin & Christine accompanied us on our first Columbia Gorge winery tour. They know the people who make the wine personally, called ahead and never rushed us. We greatly appreciated the personal touches and treatment on our tour. Thank you for the lovely memorable day. Which happened to be our first wedding anniversary. read more

Martin took my wife, her father and me on a wine tour. He is extremely knowledgeable of the area - from Portland to the entire gorge. Martin is very personable and we enjoyed our conversation. Besides wine and brewery tours, Martin also does sightseeing plus hikes of various difficulties. If you're looking for something fun to do while in Hood River or the surrounding area, Martin can definitely put together a memorable experience. He brought us to three places that incorporated our input ahead of the tour. All three wineries were perfect for our tastes. All of the winery staff seemed to know Martin well. We had a great time. Highly recommended. read more

Amazing team at Martin's. Very attentive, every stop they made sure to let them know we were there and what our wishes were for our visit. We will definitely use Martin's again and recommend. read more

This is one of the best wine tours Christine is the best extremely personal and such a fun person. She designed our day for us it was a great great day Thank you so much Christine and Martin fun fun fun read more

Do yourself a favor and take one of Martin's tours. I was up in the Columbia Gorge area for a 3-day meeting and our group scheduled a hike with Martin. It was at the Eagle River/Punchbowl Falls area and Martin was simply amazing. He's super knowledgeable about everything in the area, really professional and he made the hike very enjoyable. He's like you and me except an expert in the local history, foliage, landscapes and best-practices for hiking the Gorge area. I was very impressed and had a great time! read more

Martin took our group on a hike up the Colombia River Gorge. He was kind enough to bring plenty of water and even a cooler so we could drink our beers in the parking lot after the hike. read more

Martin gives great tours! He is knowledgeable, personable and has created amazing itineraries. He is overflowing with all kinds of wonderful factoids and is a wealth of information when it comes to the Columbia River Gorge. Whether it be the geography that you're interested in or wine tasting, he covers all the bases! I highly recommend touring this beautiful region with Martin as your guide. read more

Martin took a group of 15 women for a bachelorette party this past weekend and it was a fabulous tour. He made a great effort to learn everyone's names and make casual conversation. He was also very flexible when we decided to change up our original plan. His knowledge of the wineries, his relationship with all of the owners, and the ability to help keep 15 women on task and on time amazed me. I would totally go on a tour with him again. Thank you Martin! read more