Tramping in Abel Tasman national park, Abel Tasmam Coastal track, New Zealand, Great Walk
crossing a bridge hiking abel tasman national park
Women hiker on a beach
Onetahuti beach at Abel Tasman national park in New Zealand
Anapai Bay beach in Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
Einsamer Sandstrand und Bucht im Abel Tasman Nationalpark auf Neuseelands Südinsel mit tropischen Wäldern und türkisem Meer.
Weka, oiseau endémique du parc Abel Tasman, Nouvelle Zélande
Beach hike
Waterfall along the coastal trail of the Abel Tasman National park on the north end of the South Isalnd of New Zealand
Turquoise tidal estuary between forested coastal hills
Creek in Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
Canopy of Abel Tasman national park in New Zealand
View onto Otuwhero Inlet in Abel Tasman National Park during sunset and low tide on a clear summer day (South Island, New Zealand)
Suspended bridge in Abel Tasman National Park
Weka, oiseau endémique du parc Abel Tasman, Nouvelle Zélande
wooden footbridge at the beginning of Abel Tasman Coast Track in Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand
Native fern in forest in the Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
Abel Tasman Track sign with red-billed seagull
Voilier dans la baie du parc Abel Tasman, Nouvelle Zélande
Traditional ancient red wooden Maori sculpture figure in Abel Tasman National Park Tasman South Island New Zealand
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Abel Tasman and Queen Charlotte Self-Guided Walk

9 days / 8 nights

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New Zealand

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The two classic coastal walks at the top of the South Island in one trip: beaches and a lodge inside the park first, then four lodge-to-lodge days along Queen Charlotte Sound.

Starting Point

Mārahau

Finish Point

Picton

Fitness Level

3/5

Technical Level

2/5

Season

From October to April

Accommodation Level

Comfort

Tour Type

Inn-to-Inn

Daily Distance

6 – 15 mi

Daily Elevation

591 – 2493 ft

Highlights

  • Walk two classic coastal tracks in one trip, about 110 km with a day pack
  • Wade the Awaroa Inlet at low tide and sleep two nights at the lodge beside it
  • Cross from Nelson to Picton on the one day you do not walk
  • Start the Queen Charlotte Track by boat at Ship Cove, where Cook anchored
  • Follow the ridge between two sounds from Punga Cove to the Portage
  • Finish on the Picton wharf with the ferry to Wellington across the strait

What’s included in the price?

Self-guided

Are you looking for a good adventure and limitless flexibility? Then you should try out a self-guided tour, perfect for independent explorers who want to set their own pace. Without the need to stick to a group schedule, you’re free to linger at scenic viewpoints while the logistics are taken care of in advance.

INCLUDED

8 nights in a B&B, a hotel and lodges, private room with own bathroom; breakfast on the four Abel Tasman nights
Every boat on both walks
Shuttle from Nelson airport to Mārahau, and the transfer between the walks on day 5
Your bag moved by boat from lodge to lodge on both walks (one bag per person, up to 15 kg)
Queen Charlotte Track land pass
Digital guidebook with itinerary, route instructions, tide times and practical information
GPS navigation with an easy-to-use app
Tour design and organization, and support during your walk

NOT INCLUDED

Lunches and dinners, and breakfast at the three Queen Charlotte lodges
The ferry or flight out of Picton
Accommodation levelComfort

Carefully selected B&Bs, hotels and lodges, all with private en-suite rooms. Breakfast is included on the Abel Tasman nights; on the Queen Charlotte Track every lodge has its own restaurant and bar, where meals are paid on the spot.

These are examples of the type and standard you can expect. Actual properties may vary depending on availability.

What to bring to the tour

  • Hiking shoes/boots
  • 25 to 45-liter backpack
  • Base layer
  • Sports T-shirts
  • Hiking shorts
  • Hiking water-repellent pants
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Midlayer
  • Sports socks and underwear
  • Leisurewear for evenings
  • Down jacket
  • Gloves
  • Shade hat/cap
  • Warm headwear
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Headlamp
  • Hiking poles
  • ID card or passport
  • Snacks
  • Cash
  • Water bottles or hydration pack
  • Sleeping liner
  • Toiletries
  • Toilet paper
  • Small first aid kit

The top of the South Island has two famous coastal walks an afternoon apart, and most people only get to one. This trip does both. Abel Tasman first: three days of golden beaches and forest between Mārahau and Tōtaranui, with a water taxi to each day's start and two nights at Awaroa Lodge inside the park. Then the Queen Charlotte Track: four days from Ship Cove to Anakiwa along the Marlborough Sounds, a lodge with a restaurant at the end of each.

The two halves suit each other. The first week is easy, warm and short on climbs, with a swim at every bay; the second is longer, two days of it over 20 km on the ridge between two sounds. By then your legs are ready.

Between them is one travel day. The noon boat out of Awaroa, a shuttle to Nelson, and the road over the hills to Picton, where the next boat leaves early the following morning. We book every leg.

Bags go by boat on both coasts, so you walk the whole 110 km with a day pack. Each night has a bathroom of your own and a restaurant or a village within reach; the lodges sell out months ahead in summer, which is why we hold them before anything else.

Distances and climbs here are approximate, measured on our own route lines and rounded. The one fixed appointment is the Awaroa Inlet, which you cross on foot at low tide on day 4, at the hour in your guidebook.

Fly into Nelson, walk out to the Picton wharf, and take the ferry across Cook Strait to Wellington. Two coasts, no car.

Frequently Asked Questions

The first week is easy: 14, 22 and 9 km on a flat coastal track. The second week is the Queen Charlotte Track with two long days, about 24 and 21.5 km, seven to eight hours each. Both tracks are wide and well made. Fitness 3 of 5, technical 2 of 5.

On day 5. The midday boat lands you in Mārahau, a shuttle takes you to Nelson, and a bus or private car crosses to Picton in about two hours. All of it is booked and included. You sleep in Picton and start the Queen Charlotte Track the next morning.

No. Water taxis carry them on Abel Tasman and the track boat on Queen Charlotte. You walk with a day pack every day.

Breakfast on the Abel Tasman nights. On the Queen Charlotte Track the lodges serve breakfast and dinner in their restaurants and sell packed lunches; you pay on the spot. Every night of the trip has a restaurant or a village within reach.

Late October to the end of April, when all the lodges on both walks are open. December to March is best. Awaroa Lodge, Furneaux Lodge and Punga Cove sell out months ahead in summer.

The order is Abel Tasman first and Queen Charlotte second. It fits the boats, the tides and the airports: fly into Nelson, ferry out of Picton. Reversing it is possible as a custom trip; ask us.

Shorter: end the Queen Charlotte Track at Torea Bay after day 8 with a boat to Picton, eight days in all. Longer: a night in Nelson between the walks or a rest day at the Portage.

Yes. Both tracks are busy in summer. Solo walkers pay a single supplement for the rooms, and the Queen Charlotte lodges ask solo walkers to sign a short waiver.

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from 2.545 € /person