Attraction Tours in Nelson and Golden Bay
The organised outings around Nelson fall into three lengths: a couple of hours in town, a half day on the water, and a full day that needs an early start. This page sorts them that way. Prices are in New Zealand dollars (NZD), and the figures taken from resellers are marked “about” because operators set their own rates by date.
Two hours or less
Nelson Classic Car Museum is at 1 Cadillac Way, Annesbrook, and opens daily from 10:00 to 16:00 except Christmas Day. The World of WearableArt museum that once shared the site closed in 2020, and the cars reopened under their own name in August 2020. Tickets:
- Adult 20, senior or New Zealand student 15
- Child aged 5 to 15 is 8, and under 5 is free
- Family of one adult and two children 30, two adults and two children 50
- Annual pass 30
Sunny Nelson Tours offers a guided city walk, listed at 48 for adults. Operators quote 1.5 to 2 hours, and some resale listings say up to 3. The meeting point differs between listings and the walk is listed for January to June and October to December, so confirm the start with the operator.
Cellar doors in Upper Moutere suit a flexible hour or two. Neudorf Vineyards is at 138 Neudorf Road, and Gravity Winery and Cellar Door is at 243 Old Coach Road. Opening times differ between sources, with daytime hours most common in season, so phone ahead. Neudorf’s number is 03 543 2643.
A half day on the water
Three companies run boats along the Abel Tasman coast, and each is booked direct:
- Wilsons Abel Tasman leaves from Kaiteriteri. Prices start at 120 for the Vista Coastal Cruise (the full park return), 104 for the Anchorage Beach Explorer cruise and walk, and 120 for the Bark Bay Waterfall Trail.
- Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles also works from Kaiteriteri. In summer its bus from Nelson and Motueka to Kaiteriteri is sold only with a boat booking, and it must be booked the day before.
- Abel Tasman AquaTaxi departs from Marahau, at 275 Sandy Bay-Marahau Road. It took over Marahau Water Taxis. Marahau is the AquaTaxi departure point, not a Wilsons one.
Abel Tasman Sailing Adventures sails from Kaiteriteri on day tours priced from about 98 to 190.
A full day
Farewell Spit Tours is based at 6 Tasman Street, Collingwood. Visitors without a guide can walk only the first 4 km of the Spit. Beyond that, vehicles enter on concession tours alone. The operator runs the Farewell Spit Tour (Cape Farewell, Fossil Point and the lighthouse), a Gannet Colony Tour and a Wader Watch Tour. The main tour takes roughly 6.5 to 7 hours, leaves between 6am and 4pm depending on the tide, and costs around 200 for adults through resellers.
Collingwood is a long way from Nelson. Takaka Hill alone takes about 2 hours, so many visitors stay a night in Golden Bay before the tour.
Booking tips
- On the Abel Tasman coast, choose the boat first, then fit a walk around its pick-up time.
- Check the tide table. Tour times on the Spit and walking options on the coast both depend on it.
- Carry cards. Nearly every operator accepts them.
Read more: day trips from Nelson and sightseeing . Pair this with the South Island 3 day itinerary .
Compare organised outings on Viator . Operator pages: Nelson Classic Car Museum , Wilsons Abel Tasman and Farewell Spit Tours .