--- title: "Picton Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/picton description: "New Zealand's gateway between two islands" --- # Picton πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ Β· New Zealand Β· Australia & New Zealand > "New Zealand's gateway between two islands" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 8.9h - **Visiting Sailings:** 46 - **Cruise Lines:** 5 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Feb (11 sailings), Mar (11 sailings), Dec (11 sailings) ## About Picton Picton sits at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound on New Zealand's South Island. The town is small, with a waterfront lined with cafΓ©s and a few shops. Ships dock at Waitohi Wharf or anchor and tender in. Picton is the terminus for the Interislander ferry from Wellington, so it's a natural transit point between the two islands. The Queen Charlotte Track is the main walking attraction, a 70km trail along ridges above the sounds, though shorter sections can be done as a day walk with water taxi transport. The Edwin Fox, one of the oldest surviving wooden ships in the world, is preserved in a museum near the waterfront. Marlborough's wine region, centred on Blenheim about 30 minutes south, produces some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. Havelock, nearby, calls itself the green-lipped mussel capital of New Zealand. The NZ dollar is the currency. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** NZD (New Zealand Dollar) - **Language:** English, Māori - **Timezone:** Pacific/Auckland (UTC+13) - **Tipping:** Not expected; 10% for exceptional service ## Location Coordinates: -41.2816, 174.0072 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Picton/@-41.28162,174.00716,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Picton&ll=-41.28162,174.00716&z=13) ## Things to Do in Picton Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~9h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7ef6333c-40a5-40cd-a016-e91d82c05bfb.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (331) | 4h | βœ“ | €68 | Viator | | [Half day Sea Kayak Guided Tour from Picton](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ed499769-838c-41a2-a78c-2ad2201f58a4.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (165) | 4h | βœ“ | €62 | Viator | | [Half-Day Wine Tour from Picton](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0cae8d30-e15d-4a56-8e69-0e0b63162550.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (162) | 4h | βœ“ | €102 | Viator | | [Seafood Odyssea Marlborough Sounds Cruise from Picton](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/d18b88c2-fd65-4032-b632-697cb58b86df.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (135) | 3h | βœ“ | €77 | Viator | | [Marlborough Sounds Ultimate Cruise](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8fb0cd31-bac2-47ce-ae2e-0261f3276f52.md?via=markdown) | 4.6β˜… (145) | 4h | βœ“ | €90 | Viator | | [Coastal Pacific Train Journey from Picton to Christchurch](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/c716235f-6933-460c-a08a-4a6ea58cfe6d.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (362) | 5h 40m | βœ“ | €142 | Viator | | [Discover Marlborough Wine - Afternoon Marlborough Wine Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/9e555f9a-cee3-4118-bbec-31a7b9634e52.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (216) | 5h | βœ“ | €101 | Viator | | [Half-Day Cruise in Marlborough Sounds from Picton](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/88239aac-bd29-41cb-9c80-23a86edd7aab.md?via=markdown) | 4.3β˜… (155) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €62 | Viator | | [Motuara Wildlife Sanctuary Tour and Dolphin Cruise from Picton](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/33c16a82-5c79-423d-9212-1cd6a54d2c7a.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (213) | 4h 30m | βœ“ | €90 | Viator | | [Flight Experience our Water and Wilderness Scenic Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/34459f24-35bb-4e2d-b847-7aeaf3e12849.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (63) | 1h 15m | βœ“ | €154 | Viator | | [Marlborough Sounds Greenshell Mussel Tasting Cruise](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ae1a0953-7d88-4bc7-99ea-db8bdab09e88.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (55) | 3h | βœ“ | €77 | Viator | | [3.5 Hour Marlborough Sounds Delivery Cruise](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/54e54528-3415-4a5a-8cc3-7f32a9a91989.md?via=markdown) | 4.5β˜… (72) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €57 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Wellington](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/wellington.md): 35 nm - [New Plymouth](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/new-plymouth.md): 134 nm - [Lyttelton (Christchurch)](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/lyttelton-christchurch.md): 151 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/gilded-fjord-crossing-auckland-picton-lyttelton~PCL-RP-20261205-13.md)** - **Price:** €1,057 per person (€2,114 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [Royal Princess](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises/royal-princess.md) - **Duration:** 13 nights - **Departure:** 2026-12-05 - **Itinerary:** Gilded Fjord Crossing – Auckland, Picton & Lyttelton ## Featured Cruises from Picton Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Gilded Fjord Crossing – Auckland, Picton & Lyttelton](https://cruisello.com/cruises/gilded-fjord-crossing-auckland-picton-lyttelton~PCL-RP-20261205-13.md) | Royal Princess | Princess Cruises | 2026-12-05 | 13 | €1,057 | | [Southern Latitude Drift – Auckland, Timaru & Fiordland](https://cruisello.com/cruises/southern-latitude-drift-auckland-timaru-fiordland~PCL-AP-20270201-14.md) | Grand Princess | Princess Cruises | 2027-02-01 | 14 | €1,480 | | [Southern Swell Odyssey – Sydney to Auckland](https://cruisello.com/cruises/southern-swell-odyssey-sydney-to-auckland~HAL-NOORDAM-20270117-14.md) | Noordam | Holland America Line | 2027-01-17 | 14 | €2,459 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Picton](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=picton) (46 sailings) ## Browse - [Australia & New Zealand cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)