Top Picton Outdoor Activities

Visit Ship Cove on a morning boat cruise that explores the Marlborough Sounds, a broad network of waterways that makes up 20 percent of New Zealand’s coastline. Enjoy time to disembark at Ship Cove where you can see a memorial to Captain Cook, Maori wood carvings and the sheltered beach. Throughout your journey, marvel at breathtaking scenery and hear informative commentary from your knowledgeable captain about the marine life, cultural history, and natural features of this beautiful region Please note that this tour departs sharply on schedule at 9:00am Tea and coffee is available to purchase prior to your departure for $5 with a complimentary Keep Cup to take away with you.

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.

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.

The Mail has been delivered by boat for over 150 years in the Queen Charlotte Sounds, we are the only official licensed New Zealand Post Rural Delivery Service by water in the Queen Charlotte Sound making this a truly unique tour! Come along on the Mail Boat Cruise and share the excitement of Mail Day as the skipper delivers the Rural post bags, groceries and freight to the residents that call the Queen Charlotte Sound waterways home. If time allows the Mail Boat Cruise will take a short stop at one of the brilliant locations within the Queen Charlotte waterways, you route will shown upon check in. Available to purchase for $5 in the office before you depart are Beachcomber Cruises keep cups, we no longer use single use cups on board our vessels due the huge environmental impact. Upon purchase of a Beachcomber Cruises keep cup guests can enjoy tea and coffee onboard for the duration of the tour.

Spend half a day among the thriving wildlife of the outer Marlborough Sounds on a small-boat wildlife tour from Picton. Spot rare sea birds like penguins and shags, plus a couple of species of dolphin, in Queen Charlotte Sound. Set foot on Motuara Island, a kiwi nursery and bird sanctuary, and that holds significance to colonial New Zealand history. Your guides are deeply knowledgeable about this area, so make the most of them and ask plenty of questions.

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.

Taste the wines of the Marlborough region on a full-day tour from Picton. You'll visit six or seven wineries and a boutique chocolate factory, and have time to purchase lunch at a winery restaurant. Your tour includes pickup and drop-off from your accommodation in central Picton.

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.

Cruise from Picton Harbour to Motuara Island and beyond to see rare native birds and other wildlife on this 4.5-hour boat excursion. Spend time exploring Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary and Ship Cove, learn from your expert captain about wildlife and cultural history, and take in the gorgeous scenery of Queen Charlotte Sound. Look for endangered native birds including the South Island saddleback, king shag, little blue penguin and kiwi as well as seals and rare dolphins. Please note that this tour departs sharply on schedule at 8:00am Tea and coffee is available to purchase prior to your departure for $5 with a complimentary Keep Cup to take away with you. Tea and Coffee facilities after the Motuara Island pick up

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.

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.

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.

Explore the Marlborough Sounds on foot with one of the popular self-guided walks on the Queen Charlotte Track. Choose from three walks of varying length and challenge, with options that may include Ship Cove, Endeavor Inlet or Torea Bay. Round-trip boat service takes you to the start of your route and picks you up at the end. The day hikes offer a great way to experience the natural beauty of the Queen Charlotte Track within a shorter time frame. Please note that the return times to Picton and pick up times are on a set schedule, you will not return to Picton until between 5:30pm-6:00pm. Please advise us if you are visiting with a Cruise Ship as our boat timings may not get you back in time for the ships departure from Port.

Spend your day sea kayaking around Queen Charlotte Sound on a guided excursion from Picton. Paddle across the harbor and stop for morning tea at a remote beach, then continue into the Grove Arm of the sound and enjoy lunch in a tranquil bay. Keep an eye out for cormorants and other wildlife as you listen to expert commentary about the Marlborough Sounds from the guide.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Spend time at the EcoWorld Aquarium & Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre when your cruise ship pulls into port in Picton. You’ll see ancient reptiles called tuataras and get acquainted with little blue penguins rescued from the Marlborough Sounds. On-site staff take you behind the scenes to discover New Zealand’s conservation in action.

Combine some of Marlborough's classic activities on this full-day tour: cruising on Queen Charlotte Sound and tasting some of the area's world-renowned wines. Spend the morning out cruising aboard a catamaran, then go ashore to a winery for lunch and wine tasting. Continue the afternoon with more winery visits and tastings.

Set anchor at Ship Cove, a sheltered bay of Queen Charlotte Sound where Captain James Cook landed in the late 1700s. During this half-day nature cruise in the Marlborough Sounds, enthusiastic marine biologists point out wildlife including New Zealand fur seals and several species of dolphins: Hector's, bottlenose and dusky. Spot rare seabirds and learn about the history between Cook and the Maori people of Aotearoa while you’re treated to refreshments on board.

An air tour is an ideal way to see the vast area of the Marlborough Sounds, much of which has no road access. Many visitors only see the relatively developed Queen Charlotte Sound, but on this tour by light aircraft you’ll fly above all four sounds. Be amazed by the views of mountains rising out of sunken river valleys, and even land at a remote, pristine beach in the outer sounds for 20 minutes.

This air tour is the best way to see and experience the grandeur of the inner Marlborough Sounds, with views beyond to the Outer Sounds.