Nelson Travel Guides (Updated September 2026)

The wine was excellent. The food was delicious. And we were quite surprised at pickup to be the only two on the tour, which made it all the better. And we had the most wonderful guide....Sonia was so much fun, so knowledgeable and just a delight to share the day with. We felt like we were spending the day with a new friend. Sonia knew the area, the wines, the vineyards as well as the staff and owners. On its own, this was a great tour. With Sonia as our guide, it was outstanding and highly recommended.

Theo was an excellent pilot and guide. Flying us comfortably to and from the location. He filled us in on the wider region of Nelson and of course the filming location we were visiting. Complete with reference video, anecdotes and photo opportunities. Well worth it. The visit was about an hour and a half in total, which was more than enough to take in the breathtaking beauty of the nature reserve.

An amazing experience with great operators and in a gorgeous part of the world! We’d recommend this to anyone looking a for a great time.

Great fun and amazing scenery. So was our guide and café staff.

Excellent trip great weather. More enjoyable than mail boat cruises as slower pace. Coastline amazing. Good length of time. Took us to have 2nd look at split apple rock so got amazing photos because of suns position.

Was a fabulous experience thanks to Sonia our guide

We took this trip at the very beginning of March and it was one of the best experiences of our entire six week trip to New Zealand. Wonderful scenery; amazing views, delightful walks, beautiful beaches (morning coffee and snacks on one) and lunch in Takaka. What made the trip so memorable was Sonia, our guide/driver, whose knowledge and attention to detail was exceptional. Thank you, Sonia. Very highly recommend this trip.

Great itinerary, excellent guide/driver (Sonia) and boatman (Alan) fab lunch and wonderful ‘winter’ sunshine and flat sea.

We booked the “Great Day Out” option and it was unreal, we absolutely loved it. We got to see the entire coastline, and on the way out we travelled on the big boat, which was perfect as it was a bit chilly in the morning. It was nice to be able to sit inside, stay warm, and enjoy the views.After reaching the end, we were dropped off at Tonga Quarry and walked through to Medlands Beach. The track was soo beautiful, with lots of ferns, trees, and native birdlife along the way. Bark Bay was an absolute stunner, and we spent quite a bit of time there before continuing on to our pickup point.On the way back, we got picked up in a small boat. Boarding was super easy, didn't have to take our shoes off, the captain was very friendly, funny and it ended up being a great experience. We actually loved the faster smaller boat ride back, especially since we’d already taken in the coastline views from the big slow slower boat that morning.Highly recommend this trip!!Thank you so much! :) Evie & Shane, Australia

Great place, amazing bike trails, helpful staff.

Stunning helicopter ride to the iconic filming location. Pilots and staff made it an incredible experience. A must do in Nelson!

Great tour. Very knowledgeable guide and lasted a full 3hrs.

We did the 7 hour Beaches, Bays and Seals Guided Kayaking trip and it was incredible! I'm not the most confident in open water, but I felt so safe in the kayak and our guide Mo was fantastic. The scenery was breathtaking and seeing the seals and Dolphins was spectacular. My favourite trip of our honeymoon!! Thank you!

Well organised and the guide (Paddy) was friendly and gave lots of local information. Would recommend.

We LOVED our 3 days with Wilsons. Our total group had 18 people, 12 of which did the guided walk (the other 6, whom we saw for meals, did the kayak or self-guided walk). We were the only Americans in the group, which we loved as it was fun to talk to get to know travelers from Australia, NZ, and Europe. Our guides were very knowledgable and kind. All of the logistics of the trip were very well managed. The food was very good. The lodges were attractive and quite comfortable (but not super luxurious) with absolutely amazing beach front locations. We did 30 miles of walking across 3 days and had a lovely boat ride back at the end. The pace of walking was good for us (we are 4 fit outdoorsy people in our early 60s). I really don't have any complaints at all and I would like to do this walk again with my adult kids, although I'd probably try the kayak/walk combo next just for the variety. Do know that most of the walking is in the forest, not along the beaches, although each day you do spend time on the beaches and there are some great views. But it is mostly a forested hike. Also, our weather was absolutely fantastic, which had a big impact on our experience. I know weather cannot be predicted, but do schedule this trip when it is likely to be dry. We went the 3rd week of March.

I went with my 78 year old mother on this exceptional tour. The cruise was great and we were lucky to have great weather that day. It was off peak season, so the boat wasn't crowded. We were also the only two people on this guided tour. Our guide, Michelle was wonderful. She paid special attention to mum especially when I got distracted by the beautiful landscape, she was always there to ensure mum was looked after. You will need to walk up a steep bridge to get on and off the cruise boat. There is some walking to do during the tour of the Golden Bay area where the ground is slightly uneven but certainly manageable for most people. Lunch that was provided in a quaint little cafe was scrumptious and we were provided with morning tea as well. All round, a beautiful way to see and enjoy the Abel Tasman.