7 Shore Excursions in Picton Worth Booking

1.Picton Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Marlborough Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 165 reviews · from $155Our pick

From Picton’s i-Site, a guide such as Bruce, Lucinda, Lisa, or Marsley drives you through the Koromiko Pass to Marlborough’s vineyards. Expect tastings at up to five cellar doors, a vineyard stop, lunch at your own cost, and handmade chocolate. Groups are capped at 11, with careful timing for cruise departures.

“The tour itself was very good. Our guide, Mike, was very knowledgeable and organized. Unfortunately, we were delayed by passengers arriving on a different cruise which meant rushing a very nice lunch and skipping one winery. This was certainly not the fault of Jade Tours.”

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2.CRUISE SHIP DAY Marlborough Hop On Hop Off Wine Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 88 reviews · from $80

From Picton, ride an air-conditioned bus through Marlborough’s wine country, choosing stops at cellar doors, breweries, museums, cafés, chocolate makers and heritage sites. Drivers share local advice, and buses generally run about every 30 minutes. Tastings, meals and museum entry cost extra, so reserve popular wineries before you arrive.

“We had a great experience. The bus drivers were vey informative. The buses were comfortable and generally on time.”

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3.Shore Excursion Marlborough Wine Region Tour from Picton

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · from $148

Meet at Picton i-SITE for a five-and-a-half-hour minivan tour through Marlborough’s wine country. Visit four cellar doors, taste sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, stop at Makana Confections, and usually pause for lunch at your own cost. Guides such as Gavin, Phil, Keith, Paula, and Dean lead the tour.

“Pickton is lovely. We had a five hour wine tour, visited four local vineyards. Each vineyard had its own unique personality. And it’s own unique and entertaining stories as well as beautiful landscape. We were able to try some great wines that we will never again experience living in the middle of the U.S.”

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4.Picton Shore Excursion: Queen Charlotte Sounds Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 65 reviews · 1h 30m · from $50Best value

From Picton’s waterfront, you’ll join Beachcomber Cruises for a 90-minute sightseeing trip through Queen Charlotte Sound. Your English-speaking skipper points out bays, forested hills, seabirds, and possible dolphins, with time to feed fish. The cruise costs $50 per person and suits cruise-ship visitors with limited time.

“Beautiful nature along the Sounds and very nice crew. Unfortunately we only saw some small fish but would definitely recommend the cruise!”

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5.Marlborough Wine Tour – Picton Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $176

Meet your guide at Picton i-SITE for a 4 to 5-hour, adults-only wine tour through Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Visit about three to five wineries, taste local wines, stop at a boutique chocolate maker, and buy lunch. Guides may include Vic, Vicki, Bill, or Toni, with groups capped at 13.

“Fantastic wine tour. Visited 3 wineries and stopped at a spectacular place for lunch that also includdd a pairing with your meal.”

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6.CRUISE SHIP DAYS – HOP ON HOP OFF – Wine, Beer, Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 9 reviews · 8 hours · from $77

Use a hop-on hop-off bus to explore 26 Marlborough venues, including wineries, breweries, cafes, museums, shops, and restaurants. Choose your own stops and pace over eight hours. Tastings and meals cost extra and should be booked ahead. Start at the Picton i-SITE, with buses leaving from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.

“The initial reaction was chaos when we got to the office. Only one lady seemed to know what she was doing and the stress on her was horrible. She handled it well if not abruptly. We didn’t really know what we were supposed to be doing. Once we finally got to a bus things improved.”

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7.Private Shore Excursion: Explore Marlborough from Picton

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews

From Picton port, Pamela or another local chauffeur guides your private group through the Wairau Valley to Marlborough wineries, Makana Confections, and The Vines Village. You get wine tastings, chocolates, snacks, and bottled water, with time for galleries, gardens, food, or boutique drinks depending on your interests.

“We had an excellent experience with Pamela. She went out of her way to plan our tour so we could see the most possible in the few hours we had. Always helpful and full of knowledge of the areas, the scenery is beautiful and the vineyards are beautiful.”

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