Marlborough Wine Tour from Picton: Tastings & Sounds Views

Taste wine and chocolate in a sunny garden café with flexible ship drop-off

A private six-hour wine tour from Picton through the Marlborough region with a local driver-guide, including tastings at boutique wineries, chocolate and gourmet stops, and scenic views of the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds on the return. The tour is timed to get you back to your ship with time to spare, and you can mix the stops to suit your appetite and interests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Scenic Marlborough wine and seascape tour

• Meet guide at Picton I Site car park
• Travel through Blenheim wine region
• Taste local gourmet treats and coffee
• Visit boutique chocolate confectionery
• Stroll through rose and camellia gardens
• Taste local green-lip mussels and options
• Travel around Marlborough Sounds bays
• Stop for photos of Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sound
• Flexible drop off at ship

The experience

Your driver-guide meets you at the Picton I Site car park and takes you by air-conditioned minivan through the Marlborough wine region toward Blenheim. The route builds around tastings at local wineries where you sample the region's wines alongside cheese, meat and seafood platters overlooking the Wairau Valley. A chocolate boutique stop is famous for generous samples: people often go back for more. You'll also visit a gourmet tasting spot for Manuka honey and seasonal fruit, and a rose garden with 800 varieties where you can walk the grounds and watch the ducks.

After lunch in Havelock (at your own cost), the tour takes you around the bays of the Marlborough Sounds on the return to Picton. You stop for high viewpoints of the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sound before heading back to the port. The whole day is built around flexibility: you can skip stops, linger longer at wineries, or swap in different activities depending on what appeals to you that morning. The timing is locked to your ship's departure, so you'll have ample time to reboard.

Round-trip shuttle service between your ship and the departure point is included, along with bottled water and an English-speaking guide. Children from age four are welcome. Alcoholic drinks are available to purchase at the wineries and cafés.

What’s included

• Round-trip shuttle service between your ship and the departure point.
• bottled water.
• chocolate tasting.
• driver-guide for the full day.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan.

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

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

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?The tour runs six hours with a fixed schedule timed to your ship's departure, so all the wine tastings, chocolate stops and Sounds scenery fit inside a single port call without you managing the clock.

Traveler reviews

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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.

How does the timing work if my ship leaves at a specific hour?

At booking, you provide your ship name, docking time and re-boarding time. The tour is scheduled to end with ample time for you to return to Picton Port before departure. If your ship is delayed and you can't attend, you get a full refund. In the unlikely event your ship departs early, the operator arranges transport to the next port.

What stops are included and can I skip any of them?

The tour includes a gourmet tasting spot with Manuka honey and seasonal fruit, a chocolate boutique, a rose garden with 800 varieties, lunch in Havelock, and scenic stops around the Marlborough Sounds on the return. You can mix and match the stops to suit your interests, so you're not locked into the full itinerary.

Is lunch included in the price?

Lunch is at your own cost because appetites vary. You'll eat in Havelock, where options include local green-lip mussels and choices for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets.

What are the Marlborough Sounds like on the return journey?

The Marlborough Sounds are a series of scenic bays with steep forested hillsides. On the return, you travel around the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sound with stops for high viewpoint photos before heading back to your ship.