You reach Marlborough by ferry, by plane or by road, and how you arrive decides which tour fits your first day. Ferry and ship passengers land in Picton, where the Marlborough wine tours from Picton start. Everyone else arrives in or near Blenheim, among the vines.
The table matches each way in to the tours it suits, using the tours' own start times and warnings. Read it before you book a crossing or a flight.
| How you arrive | What fits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Interislander into Picton at 12.15pm | A tour the next day, or an afternoon tour that collects you later | The Marlborough Wine Tours afternoon tour says not to book it |
| Bluebridge into Picton at 11.45am | The Marlborough Wine Tours afternoon tour, from 12.30pm in Picton | From May to October that pickup is 12pm |
| A cruise ship in Picton | The shore excursions from the Picton i-SITE | Several Blenheim tours say their timings do not suit ship passengers |
| A night in Picton | The Marlborough Wine Tours full day from 9.30am; the afternoon tours from Picton | Hop n Grape charges NZ$20-55 to collect you |
| A flight into Blenheim | Any tour from Blenheim, once you have checked in | Plan the tasting for the day after an early flight |
| Your own car | Any tour: park it and let the tour drive | Whoever drives cannot taste |
Picton is the gateway from the North Island. The ferries from Wellington berth here, and the cruise ships call here. The town sits at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, 20 to 30 minutes north of Blenheim and the vineyards.
The Picton i-SITE, on The Foreshore, is the meeting point for the shore excursions and for ferry and train arrivals on one afternoon tour. A walk along the waterfront fills the wait, and things to do lists what is there.
Two ferry companies cross Cook Strait between Wellington and Picton: the Interislander and Bluebridge. The crossing takes about three and a half hours, much of it through the Marlborough Sounds.
Your arrival time matters if you want a tour the same afternoon. Marlborough Wine Tours tells you not to book its afternoon tour if you arrive on the Interislander at 12.15pm, and says the Bluebridge arriving at 11.45am should be on time. For any other sailing, check the ferry's own timetable against your tour's pickup.
When your ship calls at Picton, a free shuttle runs from the wharf to the Picton i-SITE. That is where the shore excursions meet you: in the car park by the pre-booked tours sign, or at a yellow flag at the end of a blue line.
The shore excursions are built around your ship's port times. They visit four or five wineries, most stop at the chocolate factory, and all bring you back before you sail. Several standard tours say their timings do not suit ship passengers, so book a shore excursion.
Marlborough Airport is Blenheim's airport, a 30-minute flight from Wellington. Wine Marlborough says three airlines fly direct to the region. From the air you see the vine rows laid out across the plain.
The airport is close to the vineyards, and New Zealand Winegrowers says you can be at a cellar door within minutes of landing. For a tour, stay in central Blenheim or Renwick, where the pickups are free.
By road, Marlborough is 1.5 hours from Nelson or four hours from Christchurch, Wine Marlborough says. Traffic is light and the roads are scenic.
If you are visiting from another country, read up on driving in New Zealand before you set out. Wine Marlborough links to the official advice for overseas drivers.
A scenic train runs between Christchurch and Picton, one of the most picturesque journeys on New Zealand's railways, Wine Marlborough says. Buses reach Marlborough too, which suits you if you have no car.
The train drops you in Picton. From there, one afternoon tour collects train arrivals at the Picton i-SITE, and the others start from Blenheim.
Wine Marlborough puts the drive at 20 minutes; New Zealand Winegrowers says 30. Either way, it is short, and several tours make it for you.
Marlborough Wine Tours and Sounds Connection collect you in central Picton. Hop n Grape charges NZ$20-55 per person for a Picton pickup, and Marlborough Tour Company sells it as a paid add-on. If your tour starts in Blenheim and does not collect in Picton, you need your own way there.
You can visit the cellar doors on your own. They sit close together, almost all within a ten-minute drive of each other. But whoever drives cannot taste, and Wine Marlborough's advice is plain: arrange a tour or a designated driver.
So most people leave the car at the hotel. A van tour does the driving, and a bike does the rest: the bike days start on Rapaura Road, among the vines. Compare the vans in Marlborough wine tours from Blenheim.
The travel times come from Wine Marlborough and New Zealand Winegrowers, and the ferry details from the two ferry companies. Each arrival warning comes from the tour's own booking page.
Four to six hours from the Picton i-SITE car park, where the free ship's shuttle stops: four wineries by small minivan, a chocolate tasting and the port pickup. Lunch is not in the fare.
From $173 per person
Check Availability
An afternoon from central Picton at 12.30pm or Blenheim at 1pm, half an hour earlier from May to October: four wineries, standard tasting fees in the fare, and no lunch stop, so eat first.
From $112 per person
Check Availability
Six hours from central Blenheim or the i-SITE at about 9.45am, or central Picton from 9.30am: cellar doors with the tastings in the fare, a walk in the vines, and a winery lunch stop at your own cost.
From $127 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: choose a base on where to stay, see the region on the Marlborough wine map, or compare every tour on Marlborough Wine Tours.