Martinborough Wine and Wild Coast Tour from Wellington
Description
Your expert local guide will narrate as you take a scenic drive over the Remutaka Ranges, where you will enjoy wine tastings at a selection of Martinborough wineries, on this full day tour. Lunch will be served at a vineyard restaurant before the tour heads to the south Wairarapa coast. Visit the rugged coastal village of Ngawi and the North Island's largest permanent seal colony as well as a drive by of the famed “Paths of the Dead” from Lord of the Rings, the Putangirua Pinnacles. Finally climb the steps to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse for epic sweeping sea views before heading to the Lake Ferry Hotel on the edge of Lake Onoke for dinner. This 10 hour tour takes in a variety of stunning landscapes in the greater Wellington region.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Cross the swing bridge to access a loop track through virgin native podocarp-hardwood forest including Kahikatea trees over 1000 years old. Optional visit to Rivendell LOTR film site also available.
Enjoy spectacular views from the summit of the Remutaka Ranges.
Visit C'est Cheese and sample some of their locally produced products (subject to seasonal availability)
Schoc Chocolate is a unique artisan chocolate studio located in a super cute colonial cottage on the Main Street of Greytown, next to Cobblestones Museum. Established by qualified chef and counsellor Murray Langham 14 years ago, Schoc has developed a reputation as offering customers an extensive range of premium chocolates with unusual flavour combinations. There are more than 80 different flavour combinations in the tablet range alone including the top three perennial selling flavours lime & chilli, sea salt and lemon & white. Enjoy a tasting of some of their tablet range!
Wine tasting and lunch experience at this beautiful boutique winery in Martinborough. Try a variety f their wines and have your favourite served with a vineyard platter lunch.
Drive by of the Putangirua Pinnacles in the Aorangi Forest Park.
Climb the 252 steps to the base of the Cape Palliser Lighthouse at the south eastern most point of the North Island of New Zealand. Enjoy the amazing views out over the Pacific Ocean, the Cook Strait and along Cape Palliser itself.
Enjoy a wonderful Kiwi dinner at this picturesque old hotel on the shores of Lake Onoke. Sample the best fish n chips in the world or another meal of your choice accompanied by a refreshing craft beer or locally made wine.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Zozo Travel will provide a scheduled pick-up time based on your selected hotel. Please remember to check your email or Viator messages for the details. Be ready in the hotel lobby or outside at the specified time to meet your driver-guide. For cruise terminal passengers, your driver-guide will meet you at the terminal with a Zozo Travel sign displaying your names. Please do NOT get on cruise shuttle buses! Please identify yourself to your driver-guide upon arrival.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- A moderate amount of walking is involved on uneven surfaces
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 18 years for wine tasting
- To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all guests, participants must be able to enter and exit our vans unassisted, using steps and grab rails. If this basic requirement cannot be met at the start of the tour, our guides reserve the right to decline participation. In such cases, a full refund will be provided.
Reviews(219)
Mike, our tour guide, made the trip fun and enjoyable. He is very knowledgeable about New Zealand and shared lots of interesting information along the way. We visited many great places and enjoyed tasting local cheeses, chocolates, and wines. We also got to see Rivendell, the lighthouse, and the seals at Cape Palliser. The tour was very comfortable, and the vehicle was clean and well maintained.
Great to hear! Thanks Diane.
This is an awesome, action-packed and highly efficient way to experience a huge amount of the natural beauty that the areas around Wellington have to offer. I would especially recommend it for solo travellers, particularly if you do not have a car/ your time in Wellington is limited and you are a little overwhelmed on what to do/ where to go. I could not believe how much I managed to see in just one day. You do not spend too long in each location, which means you are able to cover an enormous amount of ground. It makes for quite a full-on day, but when you look back on the food, the views and everything you experienced, you really feel you have had exceptional value for money. The seals were a wonderful surprise and definitely one of the highlights. Phil is very focussed on being respectful around the wildlife which is worth noting. I had no idea about the seals so when we got to see all the pups playing I was overjoyed. Watching the sunset from the lighthouse was stunning, and seeing the stars on the journey home was also incredibly special. Phil clearly loves where he comes from and the fact this tour is based off of his own interests and what he likes shines through. Phil was a fantastic tour guide. It was like being shown around by a very softly acerbic New Zealand version of James Acaster. I do not think he fully realises how unintentionally funny he is.
Thank you so much for your wonderful and detailed review. It was a personal pleasure to host you on tour, and you were a wonderfully engaging guest to spend the day with. I'm delighted to hear how much you enjoyed the experience and that we were able to help you make the most of your time in Wellington. The Martinborough Wine and Wild Coast Tour certainly packs a lot into a single day, so it's great to know you felt it delivered exceptional value and allowed you to experience so many different sides of the region. I'm especially pleased that the seals were such a highlight. Seeing the pups playing along the coastline is always a special experience, and we work hard to ensure wildlife is viewed respectfully so that both guests and animals can enjoy the encounter safely. It was a real pleasure sharing this part of New Zealand with you, and I appreciate you taking the time to write such a thoughtful review. Wishing you safe travels and many more great adventures ahead and hope to see you back in town next year!
Excellent tour. A tour not to missed if you are in Wellington and want to see beyond city. The rain forest, the cheese and unique choc, the seal, the lighthouse, and nice coastal scenery along the way. Phil is an excellent guide cum driver, very helpful and thoughtful.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re delighted you enjoyed exploring beyond Wellington city and experiencing the variety the tour has to offer — from the rainforest and rugged coastline to the local cheese, unique chocolate, seals and lighthouse. It’s especially great to hear your feedback about your host (me)! Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back on tour again in the future.
Phil was very welcoming knowledgeable and professional. He provided excellent information and insights into the local areas. His passion for the area was contagious. We covered a lot of places. The tastings and lunch were delightful and dinner was very special.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Monica. It was a real pleasure hosting you on our Martinborough Wine & Wild Coast Tour. I’m delighted you enjoyed the wine tastings, lunch, and especially the dinner experience. Sharing the stories, scenery, and flavours of this region with guests is something I truly love, so your kind words mean a great deal. We hope to welcome you back to Wellington again someday.
We traveled with my parents and kids, and it was an wonderful experience. The tour covered all the key highlights, so we were very satisfied. It was great comfortably visit areas around Wellington that would have been difficult to explore on our own.
Thanks, Hanna! It was my pleasure to show the whole family around the Wairarapa. Thanks for the review.
The knowledge the guide has is amazing. We enjoyed being the only two on the tour and had a great time with him.
Thanks, Zach! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Great to hear you enjoyed the day out in the Wairarapa
A splendid tour, with variety and quality. The locations we visited all had interest in many different forms. Natural beauty, geological fascination, history, some LOTR (of course), indulgence with cheese, chocolate and wine with a superb lunch at Poppy's and a classic pub dinner to round it off at the Laske Ferry Inn. Phil, our tour leader was full of information nad had a dry with to keep the laughs going.
Cheers, Alan. Glad to hear the full day out was so enjoyable. Thanks for the comprehensive review. It was my pleasure to host.
This tour is such a great way to see the natural beauty around Wellington. I had a fabulous day exploring some of the surrounding towns, wine region and the natural beauty of the mountains and coast. Phil was a fantastic host and very knowledgeable about the region. Thanks zozo travel for a super day exploring the region.
Thanks very much! A pleasure to host and always happy to receive such great feedback. Cheers
Great small group tour with Phil as our guide. Phil navigated road closure/delays professionally and got us on our way without missing a beat!! We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and highly recommend. We had 6 days in Wellington (travelling from Canada) and this tour was a highlight!
Thanks, Paul! Glad we were able to get you all out and about despite the weather delays. Thanks for taking the time to leave your review.
This was an excellent introduction to the area beyond Wellington. Zozo Tours did a wonderful job of organizing unique experiences: cheese, chocolate, and wine tastings; great lunch and dinner, outstanding drive along the coast. The small number of guests (7 in our group) also made for a fun day.
Thanks for the great detailed review and taking the time to leave your thoughts!
