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Experience the best of Picton

Picton is a small ferry port at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, gateway to the Marlborough Sounds' bays, bush walks, mussel farms and wine country.

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Picton lies at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, with green hills rising straight from the harbour. Ferries cross Cook Strait from Wellington, and the waterfront is busy with boats, cafés and a small foreshore. The Edwin Fox Maritime Museum shelters the hull of the Edwin Fox, built in 1853, one of the oldest surviving merchant ships in the world.

The Marlborough Sounds are a maze of drowned valleys, with bays reached by boat and water taxi. The Queen Charlotte Track follows the ridges and shores for 70 kilometres through native bush, past Ship Cove, where Captain Cook anchored several times in the 1770s. Dolphins, seals and blue penguins live in the waters. To the south, the vineyards of the Wairau Valley around Blenheim are within easy reach, and the scenic road west leads to Nelson.

Greenshell mussels from the farms of the Sounds, king salmon and crayfish appear in the harbourfront restaurants, with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to drink. Winters are mild, summers are warm and sunny, and the town is quietest in winter.

  • Free cancellation on 96% of experiences
  • 4.6 across the top 24

Top experiences in Picton

Day trips from Picton

12

Cruises and boat trips in Picton

5

Guided tours in Picton

7

Food and drink experiences in Picton

5

Shore excursions from Picton

9

Go beyond Picton

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