"Very nice, he picked us up and dropped us off at our hiking spots. Everyone went to a different place. Very friendly, informative of the history and scenic. I would definitely do it again."
Check in on Kaiteriteri Beach · a cruise up the coast, then a walk of 7 to 10.5 km · DOC fees included · from about $75
Abel Tasman National Park: Water Taxis, Walks, Sailing and Kayaks Compared
A sea shuttle takes you past Split Apple Rock and a fur seal colony, drops you at a beach, and picks you up further down the Coast Track. Here is how that day compares with the cruise-only, sailing and kayak options, and Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles' combo rated 4.6 from 783 reviews.
From
$75
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.6 / 5 783 reviews
- 60 km Coast Track, Walked in Sections (DOC)
- 1 day Cruise Out, Walk, Boat Back
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Sea Shuttle and Walk Day Includes
In Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles' own words: the cruise, the seals, the beaches and the walk. Lunch is not included, so bring your own.
In the Operator's Own Words
- See New Zealand’s most-photographed rock & learn about the myths & legends.
- Visit the fur seal colony at Adele Island & watch the seals playing on the rocks
- Discover the stunning golden sand beaches and secluded coves of the area
- Enjoy a day with Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle
What's Included
- All Department of Conservation fees (EAF)
- Water taxi transfers
- Commentary
- Sea shuttle book
Good to know: Bring a light day pack with water and sunblock · All walks are on easy and comfortable terrain
How the Sea Shuttle and Walk Day Works
Four steps, from the booking office on Kaiteriteri Beach to the boat that collects you at the end of your walk.
Check In on Kaiteriteri Beach
Check in at the Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles booking office, midway along Kaiteriteri Beach between the Waterfront Restaurant and the Kaiteriteri Store. Bring a light day pack with water, sunblock, warm clothing and a packed lunch.
Cruise Up the Coast
The boat heads into Abel Tasman National Park with commentary on the way, past Split Apple Rock and the fur seal colony at Adele Island, and along the golden beaches and coves of the coast.
Walk Your Chosen Section
You are dropped at the start of your walk. Option A: Apple Tree Bay to Anchorage, 7 km in about 2.5 hours. Option B: Medlands Beach to Anchorage, 10.5 km in about 4 hours, past the Falls River swing bridge and Cleopatra's Pool. Option C: Awaroa to Medlands Beach, 9.1 km in about 3.5 hours, with a steep climb from Tonga Quarry.
Pick-Up and the Boat Back
A water taxi collects you at Anchorage or Medlands Beach and returns you to Kaiteriteri, arriving at 4:20 PM, or 5:45 PM on the later pick-ups that run in peak summer only (1 December to 31 March). Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Photo Gallery
The Abel Tasman Coast in Photos
Photos from Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles' own listing on the booking platform.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. The listing's terms: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Three Abel Tasman Days Compared
A sea shuttle and walk, a sail with a walk back to Marahau, and a guided kayak with a walk, compared from each operator's listing: where you start, what is on the water, how far you walk and what you eat.
| Feature | OUR PICK Sea Shuttle Cruise and Walk (Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles) | Sailing and Self-Guided Walk (Abel Tasman Sailing Adventures) | Kayak and Walk (Abel Tasman Kayaks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From about $75 per person | From about $78 per person | From about $146 per person |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 from 783 reviews | 4.8 / 5 from 268 reviews | 4.8 / 5 from 141 reviews |
| Length of Day | 1 day; back in Kaiteriteri at 4:20 PM, or 5:45 PM on peak-summer pick-ups | 8 hours; a 2.5-hour sail, then a walk of about 3.5 to 4 hours | 1 day; about 2.5 hours guided paddling plus the walk, by guests' accounts |
| Start Point | Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles booking office, midway along Kaiteriteri Beach | Bus shelter at the National Park car park, Marahau, 8:30 AM; van to Kaiteriteri to board | Abel Tasman Kayaks in Marahau |
| On the Water | Scenic cruise with commentary past Split Apple Rock and the Adele Island fur seal colony | Half-day skippered sail on a catamaran from Kaiteriteri, past Split Apple Rock and the fur seal colony | Guided paddle in a double kayak past the Astrolabe Islands; the trip may run in reverse |
| The Walk | Your choice: 7 km (2.5 h), 9.1 km (3.5 h) or 10.5 km (4 h) on the Coast Track | Self-guided from Anchorage back to Marahau, about 3.5 to 4 hours | Unguided walk from Observation Beach back to Marahau on the Coast Track |
| Food and Drink | Not included; bring a packed lunch, water and snacks | Tea and coffee; lunch not included and there are no cafes or shops in the park | Lunch included, on Observation Beach |
| Included | All Department of Conservation fees, water taxi transfers, commentary | Skippered sail, toilets on board, free morning transfer from Marahau if selected | Double kayak, buoyancy vest, paddle, spray skirt, paddle jacket, dry bags, guide |
| Good to Know | Option C has a steep climb from Tonga Quarry; free cancellation up to 24 hours before | Leave your car at Marahau and walk back to it; not for people with limited mobility | Small group, limited to 10; not for children under 12 |
| Best For | A first visit: cruise, seals, beaches and a walk sized to your legs | Walkers who want a sail and the longest section, ending at their car | Paddlers who want a guide, lunch on the beach and a walk back |
| Check Availability | See the Sail and Walk | See the Kayak Day |
Five More Abel Tasman Days
Other Ways to See the Abel Tasman Coast
A cruise that stays on board, three sailing days and a guided kayak with a walk back to Marahau. Titles are the operators' own; prices are the booking platform's.
CRUISE ONLY, NO BEACH STOPSAbel Tasman National Full Park Scenic Cruise
A cruise of about three hours from Kaiteriteri Beach along the whole park coast to Totaranui, with commentary and DOC fees included; you stay on board, and lunch is not included.
SAIL OUT, WALK BACK TO MARAHAUAbel Tasman National Park: Sailing and Self-Guided Walk
A van from the Marahau car park to Kaiteriteri, a half-day skippered catamaran sail to Anchorage, then a self-guided walk back to Marahau; tea and coffee included, bring your own lunch.
GUIDED KAYAK, MAX 10Marahau: Abel Tasman Kayaks Kayak and Walk
A guided small-group paddle in a double kayak from Marahau, with safety gear, dry bags and lunch on Observation Beach included, then an unguided walk back on the Coast Track.
FULL-DAY SAIL, LUNCH INCLUDEDAbel Tasman National Park: Day Sailing Adventure with Lunch
A full day under sail from Kaiteriteri Beach with a skipper, past Split Apple Rock and the fur seal colony, with an hour on Anchorage Beach and lunch, tea and coffee included.
WATER TAXI, SHORT WALK, SAILAbel Tasman National Park: Cruise, Walk & Sailing Tour
A water taxi from Kaiteriteri Beach to Anchorage, a self-guided walk on the Pitt Head loop to Te Pukatea Bay, then an afternoon sail back; tea and coffee included, lunch if selected.
Choosing an Abel Tasman Day
Which Abel Tasman Day Is Yours?
What the park is, Kaiteriteri or Marahau, how the six tours differ, the season and the tides, and who each one suits.
Abel Tasman National Park works best as a day on the water and a day on foot at once. A boat takes you up the coast, drops you at a beach, and you walk a section of the Coast Track to the next pick-up point. Our pick is Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles’ cruise and walking combo, from $75 and rated 4.6 from 783 reviews. It leaves from Kaiteriteri Beach, gives you three walks to choose from (7, 9.1 or 10.5 km), and includes the water taxi transfers and all Department of Conservation (DOC) fees.
See dates for the sea shuttle and walk →
What the park is, and why it counts as quieter
DOC describes Abel Tasman as known for its golden beaches, sculptured granite cliffs and its coast track. It is New Zealand’s smallest national park, about 23,000 hectares between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay, set up in 1942 on the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman’s visit.
The Coast Track is one of DOC’s Great Walks: 60 km one way between Marahau and Totaranui or Wainui, usually 3 to 5 days. Water taxis stop at the main beaches, which is why every tour here walks it in sections rather than end to end.
It is not empty: DOC says the track is busiest from October to April. But in GetYourGuide’s catalogue in October 2026, Abel Tasman (with Marahau) had 24 tours and 2,622 reviews, against Queenstown’s 336 tours and 40,459 reviews and Milford Sound’s 97 and 24,329. More places like it: quieter alternatives to Queenstown and Milford Sound.
Kaiteriteri or Marahau
The tours start from two beach settlements south of the park. Four of the six leave from Kaiteriteri Beach: the sea shuttle combo, the scenic cruise, the full-day sail and the cruise, walk and sail day. Two start from Marahau, the track’s southern gateway, which DOC puts 67 km from Nelson: the kayak and walk, and the sailing and self-guided walk, which meets at the National Park car park at 8:30 AM, drives you 30 minutes to Kaiteriteri to board, and lets you walk back to your car. Check the meeting point before you book.
The tours compared
| Tour | From | Rating (reviews) | Length | What’s included | Start point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea shuttle cruise and walking combo | $75 | 4.6 (783) | 1 day | DOC fees, water taxi transfers, commentary | Kaiteriteri Beach |
| Full park scenic cruise | $67 | 4.4 (969) | 3 h | DOC fees, commentary; lunch not included | Kaiteriteri Beach |
| Sailing and self-guided walk | $78 | 4.8 (268) | 8 h | Half-day skippered sail, tea and coffee, transfer from Marahau; lunch not included | Marahau car park |
| Kayak and walk | $146 | 4.8 (141) | 1 day | Double kayak, safety gear, guide, lunch | Marahau |
| Day sailing adventure with lunch | $157 | 4.9 (123) | 6 h | Skipper, lunch, tea and coffee | Kaiteriteri Beach |
| Cruise, walk and sailing tour | $119 | 4.7 (116) | 6 h | Transport, tea and coffee, lunch if selected | Kaiteriteri Beach |
Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Walking. The sea shuttle combo lets you pick your section. Option C, from Awaroa, includes what the operator calls a steep climb from Tonga Quarry that needs a reasonable level of fitness. The sailing and self-guided walk drops you at Anchorage around 12:30 PM for the walk back to Marahau, a 12.4 km section by DOC’s figures. One guest from Canada wrote: “Do your own research on the walk as they give the walkers nothing in terms of track info.” The cruise, walk and sail day keeps the walk short: the Pitt Head loop to Te Pukatea Bay, about 1.5 hours.
Staying on board. The full park scenic cruise goes as far as Awaroa and Totaranui, but the listing is plain: “you do not get off the vessel”. It also runs the route the walkers use, so expect stops in the bays. A New Zealand guest described “Dipping in and out of the bays to pick up or drop off walkers.” Its 4.4 is the lowest rating in this section, from the most reviews; one guest from the United Kingdom advised seasickness tablets because “it was a little rough going out”. It is the cheapest way to see the whole coast; for beach time, take the combo.
Sailing and kayaking. Abel Tasman Sailing Adventures runs three of these days; its full-day sail leaves Kaiteriteri at 10 AM, returns at 4:30 PM, and gives you an hour for lunch on Anchorage Beach. Abel Tasman Kayaks’ day is the only small group here, limited to 10: a guided paddle in a double kayak, lunch at Observation Beach, then an unguided walk back to Marahau. It is not for children under 12.
Book by the day you want:
Cruise and walk
Abel Tasman: Sea Shuttle Cruise and Walking Tour Combo
A cruise from Kaiteriteri past Split Apple Rock and the seal colony, then a 7 to 10.5 km walk of your choice, with DOC fees included.
Check dates →Guided kayak
Marahau: Abel Tasman Kayaks Kayak and Walk
A guided paddle in a double kayak from Marahau, lunch on Observation Beach, and an unguided walk back on the Coast Track.
See this tour →Lunch included
Abel Tasman National Park: Day Sailing Adventure with Lunch
A skippered sail from Kaiteriteri, 10 AM to 4:30 PM, with an hour for lunch on Anchorage Beach and tea and coffee all day.
See this tour →Season, weather and tides
The sea shuttle combo marks some departures as summer season only (15 October to 30 April) and its later pick-ups as peak summer only (1 December to 31 March). DOC says winter on the track is quieter. A guest from the United States on the kayak day in May wrote: “Beautiful calm area since it was low season.”
The weather turns. A guest from Germany on the sea shuttle combo wrote that because of “very heavy rain and truly awful weather, we were informed in advance and were able to easily rebook.” Every tour here has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. There are no cafes or shops in the park, so bring lunch unless your tour includes it.
The tours time the boats for you. If you walk on your own, DOC says the Torrent Bay and Bark Bay estuaries can be crossed within 2 hours either side of low tide, with all-tide tracks around them. Awaroa Inlet has no track around it: cross only in daylight, from 1.5 hours before to 2 hours after low tide.
Who it suits
The sea shuttle combo suits most first visits: a cruise, seals, beaches and a walk sized to your legs. Walkers wanting a sail and the longest section should take the sailing and self-guided walk; non-walkers the scenic cruise or the full-day sail; paddlers the kayak day.
Abel Tasman sits at the top of the South Island, so it pairs with the West Coast glaciers heading south, or with Arthur’s Pass on the way to Christchurch. The South Island hidden gems itinerary puts it in order.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.6/5
from 783 verified guests
"Abel Tasman is beautiful!! Although the weather wasn’t great, I still thoroughly enjoyed the day tour."
"It was a wonderful excursion, and I saw and experienced a lot. At the end of my wandering, I went for a swim at Anchorage."
"We had the tour with the 5 islands, verry impressive, only the time table is strikt, we nearly managed the boat gorbthe return"
"Very friendly staff. Due to very heavy rain and truly awful weather, we were informed in advance and were able to easily rebook. With the original plan to walk to the next beach, it would probably have been our best day. We had to shorten our tour to be picked up earlier. It was still really lovely. We all enjoyed the long boat trip. Highly recommended."
"I had an amazing time on the Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle Cruise and Walking Tour Combo. The cruise itself was beautiful even though it was a bit rainy we got to view the lush coastline which made the journey feel just as special as the destination. It’s such a stunning part of New Zealand, and seeing it from the water was unforgettable. The walking section was a real highlight too. The track was well marked, peaceful, and full of incredible views. I loved having the freedom to explore at my own pace while still feeling supported by the structure of the tour. Everything was well organised, relaxed, and easy from start to finish. It was the perfect way to experience the best of Abel Tasman in one day, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting the region."
"Relaxing boat cruise, golden sand beaches, blue/turquoise to transparent waters and 2 sting rays spotted - what more could you ask for? It was suny but if you sit on the deck of the boat, follow the recommendations and wear warm clothes. I did the short walk of 7 km and had enough time to do the walk to the meeting point at Anchorahe beach, with few little stops to take nice pics. The walk requires a minimum of fitness so take comfortable shoes and be ready for an enjoyable walk along the coast. Abel Tasman National Park is really worth a visit if you pass by the area or stay in Nelson. I was picked up at my hotel in Nelson by the shuttle, everything was well organised, xlear instructions provided and nice driver/guide. Highly recommend this tour, no matter what option you choose, you won't be dissapointed."
"Great way to see a lot of the park on the boat tour, then experience the natural beauty of the park by walking the track."
Read all 783 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle and Walk
A scenic cruise from Kaiteriteri past Split Apple Rock and the Adele Island fur seal colony, a walk of your choice on the Coast Track, water taxi transfers and all Department of Conservation fees included, rated 4.6 by 783 guests on the booking platform. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from $75 per person.
Check Availability & BookCan't Make These Dates?
Browse More Available Options
More tours here from the booking platform. Each listing states its own cancellation terms.
Abel Tasman FAQ
The questions people ask before booking a day in Abel Tasman National Park, answered in the first sentence. Tour details come from each operator's listing; park and track figures from the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Most leave from Kaiteriteri Beach; the kayak day and the sailing and self-guided walk start in Marahau. The sea shuttle combo, the scenic cruise, the full-day sail and the cruise, walk and sail day all meet on the Kaiteriteri waterfront. The sailing and self-guided walk picks you up at the National Park car park in Marahau at 8:30 AM and drives you to Kaiteriteri to board. The sailing and self-guided walk ends back at your car.
DOC gives it as 60 km, one way, usually walked in 3 to 5 days. It runs between Marahau and Totaranui or Wainui, and it is one of DOC's Great Walks. Water taxis stop at the main beaches, so the day tours here walk one section of 7 to 12.4 km and take a boat for the rest. Check dates for the sea shuttle and walk.
Yes: a water taxi drops you at one beach and collects you at another. The sea shuttle combo offers Apple Tree Bay to Anchorage (7 km, about 2.5 hours), Medlands Beach to Anchorage (10.5 km, about 4 hours) or Awaroa to Medlands Beach (9.1 km, about 3.5 hours). The last includes a steep climb from Tonga Quarry. The sea shuttle and walk combo lists the pick-up times.
Yes: the full park scenic cruise and the full-day sail with lunch. The scenic cruise runs about 3 hours from Kaiteriteri and you do not get off the boat. The full-day sail leaves Kaiteriteri at 10 AM, returns at 4:30 PM and gives you an hour on Anchorage Beach for lunch. The sailing operator does not recommend its days for people with limited mobility. The day sail with lunch includes tea and coffee all day.
At 4.4 from 969 reviews it is the lowest-rated tour in this section, and the listing is clear about its limits. You stay on board the whole time, and the boat is the route walkers use, so it stops in bays to drop off and collect them. One guest from the United Kingdom suggested seasickness tablets because it was a little rough going out. It is also the lowest price here. The full park scenic cruise lists what it includes.
The operators list a chance to view New Zealand fur seals, but no sighting is promised. The sea shuttle combo visits the fur seal colony at Adele Island, the sailing days name the fur seal colony, and the kayak listing mentions opportunities to spot a seal. The kayak and walk paddles close to the shore.
Not on a tour, where the boat times are set for you; yes if you walk further on your own. DOC says the Torrent Bay and Bark Bay estuaries can be crossed within 2 hours either side of low tide, with all-tide tracks around them. Awaroa Inlet has no track around it and can be crossed only in daylight, from 1.5 hours before to 2 hours after low tide. The South Island hidden gems itinerary helps you plan the days.
A day pack with lunch, water, warm layers, a windproof jacket, sunscreen and swimwear. The sailing listings note that there are no cafes or shops in the park, so bring lunch unless your tour includes it; the kayak day and the full-day sail do. Insect repellent and comfortable walking shoes are on the walking lists. Check dates for the sea shuttle and walk.
Still have questions? Email us at info@southislandhiddengems.com