The 12 Wine Tasting Shore Excursions in New Zealand That Earn Their Price

1.Picton Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Marlborough Wine Tour

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

From Picton, ride a comfortable minibus through the Koromiko Pass to Marlborough’s cellar doors. Visit four or five wineries when time allows, taste local wines, walk through a vineyard, stop for lunch at your own cost, and finish with handmade chocolate. Guides have included Bruce, Lucinda, John, Marsley, Lisa, Mike, and Chris.

“An absolutely wonderful day! Marsley picked us up at the Picton Isite which is where the cruise ship shuttle buses dropped us off. So very easy. The tour group is small, no more than 10 people. The van is comfortable and clean. Marsley gave us a clear plan for the day and off we went. It is about 35 minutes to the first Winery. We visited 4 Wineries with tastings at Spy Valley Winery, Framingham and Jackson. They were all beautiful and the wines very good. We had sufficient time at each to enjoy the tastings and the winery grounds. The fourth winery we visited, Allan Scott, was where we…”

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2.Shore Excursion: Napier/ Hawke’s Bay & Premium Wineries tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 93 reviews · from $96

Explore Napier’s Art Deco suburbs with guides such as Kirsty, Anil, Tere, and Mark, then visit Mission Estate Winery and another premium cellar door. The four-hour tour also includes Bluff Hill, Napier Reef Garden, and Arataki Honey. Pickup begins at the port, with drop-off near Marine Parade.

“A potentially good tour in sunny weather. Unfortunately it was raining constantly and very windy during this tour so we weren’t able to get to the lookout and enjoy the view. We stopped at 2 wineries for tastings and then drove around the city to try to see art deco buildings through steamed up windows!”

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 88 reviews · from $80

From Picton, air-conditioned buses connect you with Marlborough wineries, breweries, museums, cafés, and local shops. Choose your stops, pay separately for tastings and meals, and use the roughly 30-minute service to build your own day. Drivers share local information, but cruise passengers should reserve tastings and start early.

“Our driver offered great recommendations for venues and shared local knowledge. We were also lucky enough to score the same driver for the entire journey.”

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4.Marlborough Wine Region Tour from the Port of Picton

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 88 reviews · from $183

From Picton, join Pamela, Paul, Larissa, or another local guide in a minivan for a 4 to 6 hour visit to Marlborough wineries. Taste Sauvignon Blanc and boutique wines, stop for Makana chocolates, enjoy optional lunch, and take in Cloudy Bay and vineyard views. Groups are capped at 10.

“This tour was a highlight of our trip. Very personalized with the owner Pamela meeting us at the departure point and introducing us to Neill our guide for the day. He was excellent with his knowledge of the wineries and countryside on our trip. The chocolate tasting and cheese shop were enjoyable as was lunch at one of the wineries. We had plenty of time to rejoin our ship. A great day.”

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5.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 wine country. Visit four cellar doors, sample Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, stop at Makana Confections, and usually enjoy lunch at one winery. Guides such as Gavin, Keith, Paula, Phil, and Dean share local stories while keeping an eye on your ship schedule.

“This was a polished professional wine tasting tour closely integrated with 4 different “cellar doors” expertly organised and tied together by Keith. It was a glorious way to tour the Marlborough region. This was an onshore cruise day in PictoRead more”

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6.Marlborough Wine Trip Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 28 reviews · from $146

Meet your Jade Tours guide at Picton i-site, then ride an air-conditioned minibus into the Wairau Valley. Visit at least four cellar doors, usually a mix of large and boutique wineries, with tastings, snacks, water, and time for lunch at a vineyard restaurant. Guides such as Marsley, Bruce, Mike, and Chris lead the English-language tour.

“Our guide, Mike, was an amazing body of knowledge! He was our driver and guide and all the wineries knew him well and commented that he knew more than they did in many cases. We had THE BEST day, 4 wineries and 16 tastes of wines and the possibility to buy a scrumptious lunch. We cannot recommend this tour more highly!”

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7.Lyttelton Shore Excursion – Waipara Wine Tour With Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $117

From Lyttelton, ride in an air-conditioned vehicle to Waipara Valley for tastings at three wineries, including Waipara Springs, where lunch is served. Guides such as Andrew, Tania, Joseph, and Caroline provide local commentary, manage the timing, and return you to the port. The small group is capped at 20 people.

“Caroline was our driver and she gave good commentary all the way round On time with 3 stops and a lovely lunch Drive each way about 1hour Lovely day out”

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8.Lyttelton Shore Excursion – City Highlights & Waipara Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · from $139

This 7.5-hour small-group tour combines Christchurch sights with lunch and tastings at Waipara Springs, Torlesse Wines, and Georges Road Wines. Your guide, possibly Andrew, Rob, Carmen, Tania, Di, or another Leisure Tours driver, adjusts departure to your ship. Expect scenic hill views, earthquake history, country roads, and up to 18 people.

“Our Tour guide Tania was the best! And thanks to Lizzie for keeping us updated and for her patience and positivity!”

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

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

Use a hop-on hop-off bus to explore 26 Marlborough venues, including wineries, breweries, museums, cafes, restaurants, and shops. You choose the stops and pace, then follow the printed timetable back to Picton. Tastings and meals cost extra, and lunch and tastings should be booked ahead.

“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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10.Marlborough Wine Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4 reviews · from $144

Meet your English-speaking guide at Picton Information Centre for a five-hour small-group tour of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Visit four to five cellar doors, enjoy reserve wines or a DNA brewery flight with lunch, and possibly stop at Makana Chocolate Factory. Guide Bill has earned praise for his driving and wine knowledge.

“Couldn’t heard anything the driver was saying, just bad over all!!”

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11.CRUISE SHIP DAY LYTTELTON Hop On Hop Off Wine Tours to Waipara

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $80

From Lyttelton cruise port, ride an air-conditioned vehicle into North Canterbury and choose from more than 20 wine, beer, food, and shopping stops. Guides such as JJ, Warren, and Pete help you manage the timetable, while tastings and meals are purchased separately. The flexible route lets you build a short, personal Waipara day.

“This excursion was one of the highlights of our trip. We had such a fabulous time. Pete, our driver, was informative and fun. He really watched after us and made sure we were on time to every one of our stops. The wineries were outstandinRead more”

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12.Shore Excursion with Wine Tasting and Platter

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 3h 30m · from $101

Spend 210 minutes seeing Napier’s Art Deco center, Ahuriri fishing village, Ātea a Rangi Star Compass, and Bluff Hill. Finish with Hawke’s Bay wine and a New Zealand platter in an Art Deco building. Small groups, ship return guarantee, and guides such as Leanne make this a focused shore visit.

“Amazing! Leanne was a fantastic guide, and being in such a small group we were able to deviate slightly from the itinerary and saw so much more than planned, including an impromptu stop at the ice cream parlour and the gin distillery (to see the art deco interior). Would highly recommend!”

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