Martinborough Wine And Wild Coast Tour From Wellington

This trip was great. It was a lovely mix of active hiking and nature with wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting. Happy to hold the record for guessing every flavor of chocolate correctly! I loved the fur seal colony and the lighthouse. Gary was a great guide who was a wealth of knowledge. Highly recommend!

This is an outstanding tour and should not be missed!!! Not only a gourmet food and wine experience but incorporating this region’s beautiful nature, rainforest, wildlife and the east coast takes it to another level. Phil, our guide, was brilliant - so knowledgeable, friendly, professional and helpful. Great value for money. Every stop was a standout!!!

The best tour with the best guide. We saw beautiful landscapes, tasted wine, had good food and got the best guidance. Learned a lot about New Zealand.

We had yesterday the best tour. We saw beautiful places, learned a lot about New Zealand and the area where we traveled, had great food and tated wines. Most exciting was beautiful Wairarapa coast and cape Palliser with their wild life. Phil is the best guide. Very informative, friendly and funny.

We thouroughly enjoyed our tour with Phil. The viewpoints were amazing and while we were not looking for a cheese or chocolate experience, Phil managed to make those interesting. The Poppies winery tasting was good as was the associated lunch. The drive out to Ngawi and Cape Palliser was long but the rugged terrain, sea surf and fur seals made it worth while. If you are like me, a turtle, you may want to skip the stair climb up to the lighthouse (253 steps) and wonder down toward the surf. Phil has a very varied background and was an enjoyable guide. You will not regret the tour. Oh, last note: the roads tend to be very winding and if you are prone to motion sickness take your dromamine before heading out.

I’m a solo traveler and enjoyed this tour immensely. Phil from Zozo Travel was a fantastic tour guide and very informative. I enjoyed his sense of humor. The trip was very packed, but I didn’t feel rushed; everything was timed efficiently. The tour included a walk in the rainforest, cheese & chocolate sampling, wine tasting, fur seal encounters, see the beautiful coast with the lighthouse and top notch lunch & dinner included, just to name a few. Thanks for a fabulous experience!

Zozo communicated excellently beforehand, as we needed to change the day, and this continued on the day when the driver was stuck in traffic. The tour was excellent, with Phil, the owner, showing excellent knowledge and a well-paced itinerary that was jam-packed but didn't feel rushed. The highlight for me, likely with the excellent weather, was the trip down the coast to see the Pallister Lighthouse, a climb not for the faint-hearted, and a few surprise seals to boot. Well worth the money, and the dinner was excellent!

This is our most memorable moment in New Zealand. Philip is an excellent guide and surprised us time after time with the itinerary. The nature walks, chocolate shop and wine tastings were epic. Lunch and dinner were both exquisite. We were especially enamored with Moy Hall with the quality of the food and wine. I highly recommend this tour and the Zozo Tour company.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The knowledge the guide has is amazing. We enjoyed being the only two on the tour and had a great time with him.

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.

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.

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!

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.

This tour was great for the four of us, two mid 60’s couples visiting Wellington. There was nothing too strenuous, apart from the 250 odd steps up to the lighthouse. The guide/driver/owner Phil was fantastic, knowledgeable without being overbearing. The stops were well timed and interesting and the lunch and wine tasting at Poppies was delicious. A long but delightful day touring the region and the south coast of the north island.

This is a great trip - excellent winery (Poppies) in Martinborough - great nature at Cape Palliser. An amazing day on so many levels. A fantastic day with excellent guide Michael.

Mike did a great job showing us the highlights of the area, particularly the Wild Coast.

We had an absolutely amazing day with ‘magic Mike’ lol and a lovely group of fellow travellers from across the world. This tour combined cheese, chocolate, a vineyard visit with a platter of amazing food, a walk through a forest, 255 steps up to a Lighthouse if you want to do it, seals, fantastic scenery and ending with a lovely meal. I can see why others give this trip 5 stars as it deserves 5 stars as a minimum. Only advice is take some water, a hat and sunscreen as the weather is very changeable. Thanks again for a memorable day.

Phil provided a great tour with stops for chocolate tasting, trying local cheese and of course wine. The lunch stop was excellent, Phil order lunch family style, so we got to try several dishes. The coast of Wellington was beautiful, it was fun to see the seals up close and to climb up to a lighthouse.

Our tour to Martinborough with Phil exceeded our expectations. Every aspect of the day was beyond memorable....a walk in a beautiful rain forest, watching baby seal pups play on a remote rocky beach, and driving through gorgeous mountain passes and along the.stunning shore line. And then there was the food! A wonderful wine tasting and lunch at Poppies in Martinborough, the best fish and chips we ever had at The Lake Ferry Hotel, a cheese tasting, and a most enjoyable and unique chocolate tasting. In all aspects, Phil went above and beyond. We loved every minute. Highly recommend!

Tour contained a lot of different experiences from tasting artisian cheeses and chocolates, wine tastings and scenic tours of the landscapes and coasts near Wellington. Highlight was seeing the seal colony. Phil provided a lot of information and tour was well paced

A great way to see many sights on the way to Cape Pallister. We enjoyed it all: the foodie bits with a wine tasting stop at a top-rated vineyard, the chocolate tasting challenge, and a tasty meal for dinner on the way back. The scenery through the mountain range is breathtaking. The stop at a quasi rain forest was educational and a welcome stop. The fur seal colony and the Cape Pallister lighthouse are definitely highlights of this tour, imho.

Excellent trip. Amazing scenery and wine at Poppy’s winery. Phil is a fantastic guide and very safe driver.

Great Tour with Michael. Excellent wine tasting and lunch at Poppies and dinner at The Royal Hotel. Enjoyed the seals, lighthouse and views along the beach.

Breath taking vista's. From rainforest to lunch in a vineyard, dinner oveooming a lake and the wild coast for the seal colony. Sample cheese and oh the chocolates. Wear walking shoes and enjoy the day.

Had a great time. Pleasant small group - good size to be able to chat with people. Nice variety of activities. Loved ending up with dinner on the water.

There was a wide variety of landscapes, delicious wine, and local food options. The sea lions and light tower were amazing.

Hands down, best tour I’ve taken in Wellington. Scenic drives, wine and cheese tastings, chocolates, really nice lunch at the winery. Dinner on the coast was fun and laidback. Alistair was very informative and kept us engaged. He did a great job explaining things, as well as being personable which we appreciated. Good job!

What a wonderful day trip! Terrific balance of nature and culture with a short walk in the woods and suspension bridge, cheese, chocolate, lunch and wine tastings, lovely views and coastal visit, seals, and more. Philip is a terrific, knowledgeable guide and a fantastic source of information and tips about the community and the city.

The tour was great and I highly recommend it. The start time is very reasonable, and yet we covered lots of ground. The tour is well planned and Phil was great at time-keeping without making the group feel too rushed. The lunch (Poppies) and dinner (Lake Ferry Hotel) were really good. Poppies made great effort to ensure all dietary requirements are catered for. I even got cheese without animal rennet. C'est Cheese also had many cheese options with no animal rennet. The chocolate tasting was fun too. The amazing views along the way and stop to see fur seals were highlights for me. Even though the stairs to the lighthouse were tough (I'm not very fit), the views from the top were so worth it. Also, I'm often anxious about bathroom stops, but Phil made sure we had enough stops and even advised on expected cleanliness, especially in the more remote areas. Overall, it's a good day trip to get a lot done!

I highly recommend this trip with Zozo. Amazing itinerary executed meticulously and with kind care. We visited the most beautiful sites that represent this region. Our tour guide/driver, Phil, was extremely knowledgable, shared lots of detail and stories about the sites we visited and passed by. Phil was well organized, supportive and kind. Lots of fun and memories. Thank you!

We had an excellent experience with this tour. I would highly recomend this tour to anyone visiting Wellington.

Excellent full day tour with diverse activities. Went to a rain forest, cheese shop, chocolate tasting, lunch at a winery with tasting, drive to the coast to see seals and dinner. Phil provided lots of information and picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel. Interesting and tasty day.

A perfect way to see the area surrounding Wellington. Phil is very knowledgeable and his disposition made for a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Lunch, dinner, wine, cheese and chocolate tasting were wonderful and the views at the fishing village and seal colony were spectacular.

A brilliant day with Phil - a wide range of experiences, wonderful food, expert information, just the right amount of talking (Phil didn't feel he had to fill every silence as some tour guides want to). We loved climbing up to the lighthouse, seeing all the seals, quick walk through the national parks, seeing rugged coastlines . . . . and did I mention the beautiful local produce . . . . thank you for giving us this memory.

We had the most amazing experience on our tour with Mike! He went above and beyond, even stopping at a WETA cave after the tour had officially ended just to show our kids. It was such a special and unexpected moment that made the day truly unforgettable. Our kids loved it so much that they immediately asked if we could go on another tour with Mike. Best experience ever – highly recommend!

Very nice Tour High recommended. The Guide is super nice and explain all the places that you will visit. Best tour regards south coast

Phillip did a great job in not only providing great history but taking us to the most amazing and beautiful places. We did chocolate and wine tasting. Took a ride along the beautiful coast. Took in breathtaking views from the lighthouse. But my favorite part of the tour was the fur seal colony. Great tour!

Great tour. Phillip took us around the coast, cheese and chocolate tasting, lighthouse and the most amazing fur seal colony and so much more. We had a great lunch at a winery, as well as a delicious dinner watching the sunset on the coast. Phillip gave us great recommendations and was very knowledgeable about the history of New Zealand. Loved this tour.

booked a wild coast tour with phil, and could not have had a better time. everything from wine and cheese to sunsets and fur seals, was expertly curated to fit into one perfect day. i’d recommend the trip to anyone who values the balance of food as culture and beautiful scenery. thanks again!

This tour was the perfect mixture of exploring nature and enjoying good food. Absolutely fantastic tour. Highly recommend!

Selected this trip on the basis of the outstanding reviews and we were not disappointed!! Our driver and leader Phil provided a great description of the history and geography of the diverse areas travelled through. Loved seeing so many seals, so close! Lunch platter at Poppies winery was a highlight along with the seafood dinner. In all a wonderful experience. Booking direct with Zo Zo travel was simple and efficient.

We had a fantastic experience on Zozo Travel's Wine and Wild Coast tour! From start to finish, the day was packed with a wide variety of activities that made it truly memorable. We reall enjoyed the wine tasting at Poppies Vineyard, where we sampled some exquisite wines, paired perfectly with a delicious lunch. The cheese and chocolate tasting was another highlight—each offering was a treat for the senses, and the variety kept things interesting. The views on the journey were breathtaking, especially when we arrived at the Cape Palliser Lighthouse. The lighthouse perched on the dramatic coastline was simply stunning. Our guide, Phil, was exceptional—his knowledge of the local area and its history was impressive, and his friendly, engaging personality made the day so enjoyable. He truly went above and beyond to make sure we were all comfortable and having a great time. I highly recommend this tour !

So much more than I expected! It was an adventure, seeing many things,. Love the chocolate Tasting! The food was gourmet! The one winery was excellent!

Wow! What an incredible day. Phil was a great host and really showed off the highlights of the area. The chocolate shop tasting was so fun and lunch at Poppies was incredible. The drive along the coast was gorgeous and we even got to see a pod of dolphins! Would highly recommend this tour. It’s good for both solo travelers and groups.