Picton Tours

If you’re planning to hike in the Marlborough Sounds, this local boat service ensures easy round-trip transport from Picton to the Queen Charlotte Track. Choose from three self-guided walks of varying length and challenge. Hop on the boat in the morning to the start of your route at Ship Cove, Endeavor Inlet or Torea Bay, then be picked up at the other end of your hike in the late afternoon. Enjoy complimentary coffee and tea on board as you take in the natural beauty of Queen Charlotte Sound. 

The sunken river valleys, forested cliffs, and sandy bays of the Marlborough Sounds are one of the best places in New Zealand to spot dolphins in their natural environment, but increased tourism can often put wildlife at risk. This 4-hour cruise from Picton is run by certified Department of Conservation operators, allowing you to interact with dusky, bottlenose, and orca dolphins in a safe, fun, and eco-friendly way.

Tour the western end of Queen Charlotte Sound on a half-day paddling adventure from Picton. Settle into your sea kayak and follow an expert guide from the waterfront to sheltered coves and remote beaches. Search the waters for eagles rays, cormorants, little blue penguins, New Zealand fur seals and dolphins while you learn about the natural history of the Marlborough Sounds. Numbers are limited to ensure a small-group experience.

Visit the remote communities of Queen Charlotte Sound aboard a working mail boat. This scenic 4-hour boat cruise departs Picton in the afternoon and makes New Zealand Post rural delivery service along different routes each day of the week. Experience the lifestyle of the Marlborough Sounds firsthand as the boat captain shares regional history and stories of these isolated hamlets. Enjoy complimentary tea and coffee on board and disembark for a 15-minute stop at Ship Cove (1st Oct to 30th April).

Combine sea kayaking and self-guided hiking on this full-day outdoor adventure in the Marlborough Sounds. Paddle from the Picton waterfront to the western end of Queen Charlotte Sound and search the azure waters for marine life such as eagle rays, cormorants, little blue penguins, New Zealand fur seals and dolphins. Encounter secluded beaches along the shoreline before an independent hike on the Queen Charlotte Track, from Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay. Lunch and return transfer by water taxi are included.

Take advantage of InterIslander daily ferry service from Picton to Wellington. Swap New Zealand’s South Island for the North Island, crossing Cook Strait to the capital city. The Picton-to-Wellington ferry departs one way, gliding over the serene waters of Queen Charlotte Sound on a 3-hour cruise that offers stunning views of both islands — the perfect entry to the colonial port city.

When your cruise ship docks in Picton, take the opportunity to go wine tasting on a tour that visits some of Marlborough’s award-winning wineries. Visit up to five wineries in Blenheim for tastings and vineyard tours, discovering both internationally famous wines and lesser-known New Zealand gems. You’ll also stop for lunch (own expense) and sample locally made chocolates as you head back to Picton at the end of your tour.

Benefit from the wildlife-spotting skills of marine biologists on this small-group ecotour from the Picton waterfront. You’ll cruise to Motuara Island, a bird sanctuary in the Marlborough Sounds, and search the sheltered waters for wild dolphins along the way. See rare seabirds, marine mammals, and endangered land birds protected in their natural environment.

Take in the sights of Queen Charlotte Sound and visit Ship Cove on a morning boat tour from Picton. The 3.5-hour journey follows a network of waterways as your captain narrates the highlights of the Marlborough Sounds. During free time while anchored at Ship Cove, see Maori wood carvings and a Captain Cook memorial, and explore the sheltered beach. Be on the lookout for marine life and other natural features of this breathtaking region while you sip complimentary tea and coffee on board.

Discover the natural beauty and fresh seafood of the Marlborough Sounds during a 3.5-hour cruise from Picton. Travel by luxury catamaran through the sheltered waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound, located at the top of New Zealand's South Island. Taste fresh seafood served on board and paired with a glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. You'll also learn about aquaculture in the Marlborough Sounds, check out a salmon and mussel farm, and get great photo ops of the region.

Visit several wineries in the Marlborough wine region on a half-day tour from Picton. Enjoy wine tasting at each location, and learn about New Zealand's prolific wine industry from your guide on this comprehensive wine tour.

See the exquisite Marlborough Sounds from the water during a full-day adventure by sea kayak. Depart from the Picton waterfront and prepare to be wowed as you paddle past secluded coves along the western end of Queen Charlotte Sound. Your knowledgeable guide points out marine life such as eagles rays, cormorants, little blue penguins, New Zealand fur seals and more. Stop at a sheltered beach for a delicious lunch with locally sourced ingredients. Numbers are limited to ensure a small-group experience.

Swap the cruise port for a Marlborough wine tour on this shore excursion to a half dozen boutique wineries or more. When your ship pulls into Picton, travel by minivan through this notable wine region in the South Island, sipping award-winning New Zealand wines and sampling delectable chocolates. Opt for extra time to taste wine and purchase a seasonal gourmet lunch on this small-group tour, limited to 11 people for an intimate experience.

Search for rare seabirds and several species of marine mammals, such as Hector's, bottlenose and dusky dolphins along with New Zealand fur seals, during a half-day sightseeing cruise in the Marlborough Sounds. Cruise to Queen Charlotte Sound and take a nature walk on Motuara Island, where a predator-free landscape allows for plentiful birdlife. Listen to commentary from enthusiastic marine biologists, and treat yourself to tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cookies.

Marlborough is New Zealand’s largest wine region, famous for its Sauvignon Blanc and scenic Marlborough Sounds. Discover both on this full-day small-group tour as you visit several Marlborough wineries, indulge in expert-led wine tastings, tuck into lunch at a waterfront restaurant (own expense), then set sail on a cruise through the Marlborough Sounds, accompanied by a delicious seafood tasting platter.

An information pack will be provided filled with facts and info including a detailed map of the Queen Charlotte Track as well as a suggested itinerary, making your walk as easy and accessible as possible. We collect you from your accommodation in Picton, have a 30 minute briefing and give you your packed lunch for the day and drop you off at the water taxi which will be there when you return to take you back to your accommodation at the end of your walk. The Queen Charlotte Track which takes in 70 km's of beautiful, unique New Zealand coastline is walked over 4 or 5 days. All our our packages include, private ensuite rooms at each lodge, daily overnight luggage transfers, the boat trip to the start of the track at Ships Cove as well as return water taxi from the end of the track back to Picton.

Take in the sights of Marlborough's wine country scenery and taste some of the region's best offerings on this full-day tour from Blenheim. Make several stops at different wineries and taste Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Noir as well as some lesser known varieties from the area. Round-trip transportation from hotels in Picton, Blenheim, or Havelock included.

Slip into Marlborough Sounds for a swim alongside pods of wild dolphins, with certified guides to help find the dolphins and ensure the tour is dolphin-friendly. Watch for dusky, bottlenose, common, orca, and Hector’s dolphins, and if conditions allow, you’ll have the chance to view the dolphins from inside the water. This dolphin tour includes wetsuits with hoods and booties, as well as hot drinks on board the boat, and round-trip transport from the Picton waterfront.

The Coastal Pacific is one of the ‘Great Journeys of New Zealand’—a scenic train route that runs between Picton and Christchurch on the South Island. On this tour, enjoy a hassle-free experience with prepaid tickets and soak up the scenery on the one-way railway journey. Along the way, listen to the audio commentary, order refreshments from the on-board café (own expense), and admire views of the Pacific Coast, Kaikoura, and Canterbury Plains.

Taste some great New Zealand wines on a half-day tour of the Marlborough wine region. Visit various vineyards, learn about the region's distinct terroirs, and go wine tasting at four wineries from Picton or Blenheim. Tastings, transportation, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included on this small-group tour limited to 11 guests.

Cruise Queen Charlotte Sound to Motuara Island and Ship Cove on a 4.5-hour boat tour from Picton. Search for birdlife and marine mammals, such as Hector’s dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, as your captain details the region’s natural and cultural history. Spend time exploring Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary, home to endangered native birds including the South Island saddleback, king shag, little blue penguin and kiwi. Enjoy complimentary tea and coffee on board, with free time ashore in Ship Cove.

When you have limited time, a delivery cruise is an ideal way to get around the Marlborough Sounds. Get an up-close look at remote homes and resorts while your boat delivers supplies to hidden coves and tucked-away bays. Learn about the ever-popular Queen Charlotte Track and relax while exploring miles of wild coastline.

Combine a tour of Marlborough wine country with a visit to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, with round-trip transportation in between, during this half-day shore excursion from Picton. Wine tasting, all entrance fees, and round-trip transportation are included. This small-group tour ensures personalized attention and an intimate experience.

The best experience in Marlborough. This tour offers an amazing, fully-guided experience wildlife. A small-group tour to view some of New Zealand’s spectacular scenery and wildlife. Visit Motuara Island and cruise the calm waters of the majestic Queen Charlotte Sound. Water, wilderness and wildlife. You will have the opportunity to see multiple species of wildlife, including rare sea birds, marine mammals and endangered land birds. Led by enthusiastic and fun Guides, you will be given the possibility of viewing five different species of dolphins, little blue penguins, seals, seabirds and land birds. Enjoy the only daily service fully-guided walk on Motuara Island, seeing and hearing the amazing bird life where Captain Cook planted the first flag and claimed New Zealand. The view is spectacular from the lookout all the way to the North Island. On the return enjoy complimentarily hot drinks and chocolate biscuits and in the afternoon tour local wine and muscles. The Ultimate Cruise.