surrey

There are lots of options in Surrey, but I have put together the below itinerary to include the most visitor friendly spaces that do not require strict reservations for tours. Tours and timings may be seasonal, so I recommend checking these before planning your day. I have based the below on travelling on a Saturday. I have added in details if travelling by train, but there is also plenty of parking at each stop if you are driving.

START (9.30 am)

Start your journey around 9.30am from London Waterloo and take the train to Guildford. From here, you can either take a (7 minute) taxi direct to Greyfriars, or release your inner bus w*nker and take the number 65 bus from Guildford bus station (stop B) to Greyfriars house and walk the remaining 15 minutes (perhaps catch an earlier train if you do this). You’re not going to have food for a little while, so I would buy something at Waterloo station to eat on the train to keep you sustained for the morning.

Stop 1: greyfriars (10.15 am)

Greyfriars Vineyard, The, Hog's Back, Puttenham, Guildford GU3 1AG

Arriving around 10.15am, start at their cellar door shop to pick up a map and go for an adventure to find the first ever Greyfriars plot. What started as a hobby vineyard in 1989 planted by two veterinary surgeons called Bill and Phil, has now progressed under the hands of the Wagstaff’s to being one of England’s highly regarded sparkling wines. On your return, CELLAR DOOR?

From here, take a 25 minute taxi ride to your next stop. You may want to call in advance to book one.

Stop 2: have a wildlife wander At ALBURY, and maybe a little vermouth (11.30 am)

Albury Vineyard, Vineyard Silent Pool, Albury, Shere Rd, Albury, Guildford GU5 9BW

Arriving around 11.30am, start your visit virtuously with a wildlife walk at this family-run organic and biodynamic vineyard (before you destroy your virtuous vibes with vermouth). On your walk you will see bat and barn owl boxes, bee hives, wildflower meadows, a pond - all of their surrounding contribute to the eco-system of their vineyard. You may also spot a huge bench shaped as a cow horn. There is a reason the bench is shaped as a cow horn - please ask them to explain this to you to learn more about bio-dynamics…

After your walk (which should take around one hour), rehydrate at their cellar door for your first drink of the day. They also make an off-dry vermouth from distilled Sauvignon wine blended with Pinot Noir and botanicals. 

You’ll no doubt be hungry now, so its time to take a (25 minute) taxi to the next stop…

Stop 3:  dine at denbies expansive plot (1.30 PM)

Denbies Wine Estate, Bradley Ln, Dorking RH5 6AA

Denbies is England’s largest vineyard, sprawling across 265 acres of rolling North Downs near Dorking so this is an essential stop on your tour of the Surrey Hills. Given its size, I recommend this is where you spend the most time on your day as there is a lot to explore. In 2025, Denbies Wine Estate earned one of the UK’s highest business honours, the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.

Arriving at 1.30, I would start with lunch at one of their FOUR dining venues (I said it was large…). Not all are open all day so I would plan in advance which one you wish to eat in and make sure you arrive in time. During lunch enjoy your first taste of their wines. My favourites from their expansive range are their Pinot Gris and their Orange Solaris - the latter is a wine made with white (Solaris) grapes but vinified in the style of a red wine. It gives such texture to the wine and is definitely one not to be missed on your visit.

After this, you can relax in their grounds with a glass of wine or take a wander around the expansive estate. Once a year this is home to the Bacchus run, a 10k or half mile race through the vines with wine stops along the way, much like Bordeaux’s famous Marathon du Medoc.

They also run indoor (the winery) and outdoor (on a train!) tours, which you may wish to book in advance of your visit if you want a more in depth experience to learn about winemaking grape to glass. Before leaving, don’t forget to browse their well stocked gift shop to treat yourself after a hard days vineyard hopping.

home time (5 pm)

Denbies vineyard is a 20 minute walk to Dorking station (or five minutes in a taxi) where you can catch a train back to London Victoria satisfied you have explored a chunk of the Surrey Hills.