Marlborough wine tasting from Picton: Private minivan tour

Taste Marlborough's wines and local flavors at your own pace

A private minivan tour from Picton port through the Marlborough wine region for up to 11 passengers, with wine tastings at award-winning wineries, gourmet platters, and a chocolate boutique visit. Your driver-guide meets you at the Picton Visitors Centre and times your return to the ship's departure. The tour runs 4 to 6 hours and includes bottled water, snacks, basic wine tasting fees, and a complimentary shuttle between the port and your vehicle.

Step-by-step itinerary

Marlborough wine region tasting tour

• Meet guide at Picton Visitors Centre
• Travel scenic route to Blenheim
• Taste specialty wines with local cuisine
• Visit winery with lake view café
• Enjoy award-winning Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
• Stop at chocolate boutique for tastings
• Flexible drop off at port

The experience

A comfortable 11-seat minivan picks you up from the Picton Visitors Centre with a complimentary shuttle from the port, then heads inland through the Wairau Valley toward Blenheim. Your driver-guide shapes the day around what interests you: stop at award-winning wineries to taste Marlborough's Sauvignon Blanc and other varietals, or choose a mix of venues. Whitehaven Wines, Roots Gin, Golden Mile Beer on tap, or a specialty winery run by a talented family of winemakers. Each stop is built around tasting, not rushing.

Between tastings, you'll sit down for a gourmet platter (local cheese, cured meats, seafood) in a winery garden café or overlooking the Wairau Valley and vineyard hills. A chocolate boutique visit rounds out the afternoon before the drive back. Bottled water and snacks travel with you. Alcoholic drinks are available to purchase at each stop. Lunch is at your own cost, so you can eat when and where you want, or skip it entirely.

The tour is built around cruise ship schedules: you provide your ship's name, docking time, and re-boarding time at booking, and your driver ensures you're back at the port with ample time to spare. If your ship is delayed and you can't attend, you get a full refund. If the unlikely happens and your ship departs early, the operator arranges transport to the next port-of-call.

What’s included

• Transport in a comfortable 11-seat minivan with your driver-guide.
• complimentary shuttle from Picton port to your vehicle and back.
• basic wine tasting fees at the wineries.
• bottled water and snacks throughout the day.
• complimentary chocolates.
• gourmet platters of local cheese, cured meats, and seafood available for purchase at winery cafés.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00Last departure this season: 30 Apr 2027

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (15 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 14 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Pamela March Trading As Your Local Chauffeur

Is this one for you?This is a private tour for groups of 7 to 11, so you travel with people you know and your driver adjusts the stops and pace to suit your interests: ideal if you want to linger at a favorite winery or skip one entirely. The flexible return timing is built around your ship's schedule, so you never rush back to the port.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 17 years); Child (4 to 14 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What wineries will we visit on this tour?

The tour includes stops at award-winning wineries like Whitehaven Wines and a specialty winery run by a family of winemakers, plus options to visit Roots Gin, Golden Mile Beer brewery, or a café with wine and food pairings overlooking a lake and vineyard hills. Your driver-guide can adjust the stops based on your interests.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

Lunch is at your own cost due to varying appetites, but you'll have time to eat at a winery garden café or choose from the gourmet platters of local cheese, cured meats, and seafood available at the stops.

How does the tour work if my cruise ship is delayed or leaves early?

At booking, you provide your ship's name, docking time, disembarkation time, and re-boarding time. Your driver times the return to get you back to Picton port well before departure. If your ship is delayed and you can't attend, you receive a full refund. In the unlikely event your ship departs early, the operator arranges transport to the next port-of-call.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes transport in an air-conditioned minivan, your driver-guide, basic wine tasting fees, bottled water, snacks, complimentary chocolates, and a complimentary shuttle between the port and your vehicle. Alcoholic drinks and lunch are at your own cost.