Picton Cruise Ship Shore Excursion: Marlborough Wine Tour
Recommended by 96% of travelers
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Picton, New Zealand
- 4 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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 several wineries in Blenheim for tastings and vineyard tours to see how the grapes are grown, discovering both internationally famous wines and lesser-known New Zealand gems. Also stop for lunch (own expense) and visit a boutique chocolate factory for samples and sales.
- Picton port pickup and drop-off ensure a seamless tour
- Sample some of New Zealand’s famous Marlborough wines
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
- Make the most of a short time on land with a well-planned tour
What's Included
- Wine tasting at 4 award-winning wineries
- Local guide
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Small group tour by minivan
- Chocolate tasting
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Lunch
- Personal expenses
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Free shuttle buses take passengers from the ship to the Picton i-site. Our Jade Tours vans and guides will be waiting in the i-site carpark. The usual start time for the tour is 9.30am. Please make an effort to get off the ship early to be at the carpark just after 9.00am. Some ships arrive later in the day and you will be advised of the tour departure time.
Start time.9:30 am
Itinerary
1
Waitohi Picton isite Visitor Information Centre
5 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum age is 18 years
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 184 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Long drive to get to wineries - so if you're in for that you might enjoy. Wineries were mediocre at best. Our guide was very knowledgeable just not that much to see and very winding roads.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Very sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your day. Picton is the only port that cruise ships can go to and it is 20 minutes away from the start of the wine region. We have 34,000 hectares of vineyards so there is always going to be some distance to travel.
Sorry also that you found our wines mediocre. We choose wineries that have excellent wines and have a story to tell. This gives a 'flavour' of the area. One of our wineries recently entered 10 wines in the International Wine Fair in London and, quite remarkably, won ten gold medals. Our region strives for excellence and I am very sorry you got us on an off day.
Our guide John was so informative and helpful. We had an amazing day and visited some fantastic wineries including one of our favourites Villa Maria.
Our lunch was sensational and it was so good to be able to be picked up from such a central location.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Really pleased you had a great day. That's what we strive for. We choose wineries with great wines and a story to tell. Villa fits the bill perfectly. Come back anytime.
The wineries are beautiful, and the wine was really good. Did not realize that we had a long drive from the cruise ship., As it is a 1.5 hour trip to our destination and the same amount of time back. Our tour guide Gary was fabulous and I would recommend him to anyone.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Glad you enjoyed most of the tour. The wineries we choose are known for the quality of their wine and that they have a story to tell.
The trip doesn't usually take that amount of time in travel from Picton to the wine region and back but we were experiencing extensive road works on the highway and that did slow things. A day with Gary is always fun so comeback and join us again anytime.
A wonderful day enjoying lunch at one beautiful winery, and then exploring three others. The added bonus of the chocolate factory was terrific. Our guide John was friendly, knowledgeable, and informative.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Glad you had a great day. We select wineries that have great wines and a story to tell so that's a good start.
I have to say I did enjoy my day with you!
Great day wine tasting with John as our
guide. Excellent tour! Bruce and his team
plan an excellent visit and our guide John made the day even more fun.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Bruce takes particular care on which wineries we go to. They must have excellent wine, a story to tell and love seeing new people.
As your guide, thank you for those kind words; it certainly was a fun day.
The wines were delicious. Lisa our driver did a great job giving us information about the area and wines.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We choose wineries with excellent wines and a story to tell. Throw Lisa into the mix and you're in for a great day! :-)
A fun experience with superb knowledgeable staff. We were tapped out after 3 wineries and really didn't properly appreciate the 4th stop, which was a shame, because they were awesome. The food at Spy Valley (charcuterie board) was top notch.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Glad you had a good day. We choose wineries with top wines and a story to tell and, sometimes, our endeavours to be hospitable can overload.
Spy Valley's lunch is sensational isn't it!
This is a perfectly timed excursion — a great experience and a stress free return to the ship’s shuttles. Marsley was a very well informed local guide who built an itinerary that got us to 4 wineries and a delicious lunch (on our own $$). We even had time for a stop at a chocolate factory before returning to the ship. The wineries were all smaller family-owned vineyards with long histories of winemaking in Marlborough. Each one had great wines and their own character or flair that make them special. We love the local history and storytelling that made Marsley a unique guide. You will not be disappointed on this excursion!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We choose wineries with excellent wines and a story to tell. Combine that with Marsley's personality and you are on a winner. Glad, but not surprised, that you enjoyed your day.
We had a very small group of 10 people that were very diverse. We all got to know each other and became friends. We went to four wineries and the chocolate factory. The third winery, they gave us a beautiful charcuterie board, which was lunch. The winery was very accommodating as some of the Group did not eat meat. The wines were very good.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We choose wineries that have great wines and a story to tell. Couple that with old fashioned service and we have a winner.
Bev is lovely isn't she. :-)
Lisa was full of information. The company chose four great wineries to visit with a fabulous lunch at Allan Scott winery. Short day and we were back in our ship in time for the all aboard.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Lisa knows her stuff! Glad you had a great day. We are tied by the times you need to be back on board so the day has to be trimmed to suit.
Good communication with the tour operator so finding the meeting spot was easy. Great tour with a knowledgeable guide Lisa who knew a lot about wine and the area in general
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Very pleased you had a great day. Lisa is fun to be on tour with. She knows her stuff and is a bubbly person to be around.
Excellent excursion! Beautiful scenery with some very good white wine. Very nice lunch at Allan Scott estate.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Glad you enjoyed your day. Come back anytime!
Scenic, informative and excellent winery picks. Would highly recommend and Bruce was an excellent guide and driver. Even snuck in an extra tasting for us.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Glad you had a great day. Bruce knows his stuff but don't tell everyone about the extra tasting - everyone will want it! :-)
We really enjoyed the tour and wineries we visited. Bruce was a good tour guide. Also on our return journey it was torrential rain. Really difficult driving conditions. But Bruce safely navigated.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Bruce is very knowledgeable and he thoroughly enjoys chatting with like minded folk. Glad you had a great day despite the weather
Our day with Bruce was terrific. Enjoyed the wineries he brought us to. Felt more local than commercial.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thanks for the lovely comments. We target local wineries with top wines and a story to tell. Bruce is top notch.
Good variety of wineries and one served a delicious lunch. Nice to start with sparkling wine from a french family. Guide was informative and engaging. Good way you see the geography of the area.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Really pleased you enjoyed your day. Thank you for responding.
Jade Tours provided an outstanding day! We were a small group and John was our guide. The wineries were all great and lunch was outstanding.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Glad you enjoyed our selection of wineries and your day out. It was fun having a great group.
Great informative tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Stoped at 3 wineries and another for lunch and if was fabulous. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks Roberta! regards Bruce.
Fantastic day all round. Bruce was great. Made sure we were back in plenty of time to get the shuttle back to the boat. Wines were very nice (as expected). Lunch spot was superb. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks Aaron..yes I thought we all had a very enjoyable day. I hope you got back home safe and sound. Best, Bruce
This is a great trip to the Marlborough wineries & our host, Marsley, picked 4 great wineries. We had lunch at a fantastic restaurant (on your own) and a last stop at a handmade chocolate company. The wineries were very welcoming and ready for our small group when we arrived. The day was well-planned by Marsley and I highly recommend Jade Tours.
Great choice of wineries were visited and our guide/driver Lucinda was very knowledgeable of the grapes and vineyards since she owns a winery in the area.
The group was small, we were travelling in a comfy minibus, the weather was sunny and just perfect for a tour around the vineyards and wineries. Our guide John was very knolegeable and with great sense of humour. He was strict on timing so we've been able to visit all the scheduled place and then back on time to the ship. It was brilliant experience with Jade wine tours.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks Aneliya. John is very happy you enjoyed your day so much :-) Yes, he is very good at time keeping, all with his sense of humour! regards Bruce
Our guide Lucinda was very knowledgeable and cheerful. She grew up in the area and owns a vineyard- so she was completely plugged in to what was happening in the area, and eager to share the information. Our small group was friendly and fun, which enhanced the experience greatly. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks Keith...Lucinda had a lovely day as well. As Guides, we get a lot of satisfaction knowing our guests had a lovely day. regards Bruce
Fantastic tour!! Our local driver/guide was awesome!! Lucinda was very knowledgeable of both the local area and everything associated with the wine making process. She also was very concerned with everyone’s comfort and well being. We started with a visit to a chocolate factory and then 4 wineries with lunch at one of them. Awesome tour!!!!
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks Roger. We are very pleased you enjoyed your day out and I know Lucinda enjoyed it as well! regards Bruce
Very interesting tour. We learnt a lot about the region, particularly the wine making industry. We visited four wineries and a chocolate shop. Our guide Lucinda was informative, well organised and fun! Highly recommend this tour.
We had a lovely day on this great winery tastings tour! Lucinda was a wonderful guide, the chosen wineries were all excellent, and the meal we had at the winery/restaurant was delicious. We were here from a cruise stop, and they were so conscientious to make sure we arrived back with more than enough time to catch a shuttle bus back to the ship. We also appreciated the small group size and now have new friends on the ship.
Beautiful wineries. Fabulous wine. Our tour guide Lucinda was pleasant, knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely book again.
Great tour, fantastic driver. We visited 4 wineries and a chocolate shop. The valley is beautiful. Highly recommended.
A great day in Marlborough. Bruce picked us up early and even rearranged the schedule a bit to hit the Chocolate Factory before it got busy. The Cellar Doors we stopped at were excellent and completely different from each other to show the diversity of the region. The cherry on top of the day, I think Bruce was more concerned about getting us back to the boat on time than even we were. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable day.
This tour was disappointing. Four or five winery tastings were advertised. Only three were provided. A complimentary subpar glass of wine was provided at a lunch we paid for so I guess that’s how they came up with 4. Unfortunately only one of the three wineries visited could be considered by someone who enjoys wine as an above average Marlborough vineyard. The other two lower tier wineries included an organic vineyard and a two acre vineyard winery in the hills outside of Marlborough valley. Disappointingly, this winery didn’t produce a Sauvignon Blanc which is what Marlborough is known for. The only better than average winery visited, the tour only provided the $15. (NZ $’s) tasting. The $25. Or $45. Tastings were not offered. The two subpar vineyards didn’t even list prices for tastings and no one ether customers were there at the time, so I can’t confirm if these tastings were completely complimentary for everyone. My guess is they probably were. This tour appears to rely on cruise ship customers who really aren’t wine enthusiasts. The tour providers appear to have chosen to maximize profit over providing a fair value tour. We rarely write negative reviews but thought this would be important to pass along to help other wine lovers avoid a disappointing visit to such a great wine region.
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