Monticello Heritage Experience
This one-of-a-kind Charlottesville experience rolls out the red carpet and combines the area’s most unique experiences and popular attractions – Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, Potter’s Craft Cider, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and the Oakhurst Inn – offering a memorable, seamless and informative “Insider’s” experience of Jefferson’s influence on Charlottesville.
The Monticello Wine Tour & Coach Co team picks up you and your group in a Mercedes Sprinter Van at your accommodations in Charlottesville, provides transportation between locations, and coordinates the experience and reservation at each stop. Through this one-of-a-kind offering, we are able to offer exclusivity to guests while also providing safety in the comfort of private groups. All you have to do is book the Jefferson Heritage Experience, and we’ll handle the rest!
Begin the tour experience at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards where you’ll be greeted with a glass of bubbly while enjoying a guided Kitchen Garden Tour, led by a member of the Pippin horticultural team. Following the garden tour, you’ll sit down for lunch at The Vintner’s Table – the ultimate local culinary celebration that features a 4-course pairing of Pippin Hill’s award-winning wines with Executive Chef Ian Rynecki’s seasonal farm-to-table inspired dishes.
Pro-Tip: Purchase a bottle of Blanc de Blanc to keep the celebration going even after you arrive home!
Following lunch at Pippin Hill, you will depart for Potter’s Craft Cider at 3pm. Housed within the soaring stone walls of Neve Hall, a former church turned artist’s residence, Potter’s tasting room is every bit as visually stunning as it is comfortable and accessible. Guests will enjoy a tableside tasting flight featuring heritage ciders styled after Jefferson’s own cider production.
Pro-Tip: Try the Pippin Cuvée – it’s made from 100% Virginia-grown Albemarle Pippin apples, barrel fermented and bottle conditioned.
You’ll then culminate your adventure with an exclusive evening tour at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Upon arrival, you will bypass the gates and proceed directly to the house where you’ll meet your private guide and experience Monticello both after-hours and behind the scenes. See the full house, including the upper floors. Learn about Thomas Jefferson and the times in which he lived, and all the people, both enslaved and free, who lived and labored at Monticello.
This exclusive pass allows guests to privately explore the mountaintop after the regular closing time, providing peace and quiet for reflection that differs from the activity of a day visit. Following the ~1.5 hour tour, our driver will gather your group and transport you back to your accommodations.
Pro-Tip: Its on-site restaurant Oakhurst Inn Café is one of the best brunch spots in town!
Pro-Tip: Ask your driver for dinner suggestions! There are many great restaurants on the Downtown Mall and in the Downtown Belmont area!
Oakhurst Inn
Upon making a reservation, you will receive a 25% off promotional code for booking your stay at the Oakhurst Inn – a boutique hotel centrally located steps away from the University of Virginia’s historical academical village.
Common House
With your purchase of the Monticello Heritage Experience, your group will receive group access to the Common House social club for the day. Enjoy the rooftop for dinner & cocktails, or sit by the fireplace reflecting on the day.
Please note:
Not Accessible
Children must be able to climb and descend stairs unassisted by an adult. These tours are recommended for adults and children 7 and older.
Not Accessible
