With a soundtrack of bellbirds and a backdrop of the beautiful Marlborough Sounds, set off on an unforgettable hike along New Zealand's Queen Charlotte Track. Over five days you'll join a local leader on walks to secluded bays, coves and native forest, learning about the region's rich Maori history as you go.
Venture through Nelson Lakes National Park, explore the Abel Tasman coast by foot and water taxi, and walk the Queen Charlotte Track to a tucked-away lodge at Lochmara Bay. Each day finishes at cosy lodge accommodation, the perfect way to recharge before the next stretch of trail.
Days
- 5 days, 4 nights
Age
- 15+ — under 18s must travel with an adult
Group size
- Small group
Start / finish
- Christchurch / Christchurch
Return
- See itinerary for details
Accommodation
- 4 nights in lodges, including a secluded lodge at Lochmara Bay.
Transport
- Overland travel with a local leader, plus water taxis from Marahau to Anchorage, Picton to Anakiwa, and out to the Kaipupu Sanctuary.
Meals
- Four breakfasts. Every other meal is at your own cost.
Route
Included experiences
- Lewis Pass — Conical Hill walk
- Nelson Lakes National Park — Mt Robert Circuit and views over Lake Rotoiti
- Abel Tasman National Park — coast track from Anchorage to Marahau
- Queen Charlotte Track — Anakiwa to Lochmara
- Kaipupu Sanctuary — loop walk
- Kaikoura — fur seal colony
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
5.0
Based on 14 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 14 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the combination of spectacular scenery in the Marlborough Sounds, the quality of the accommodation and meals provided, and the professionalism with which the tour is organised, noting that having all logistics arranged allows them to focus entirely on walking and enjoying nature. The most distinctive aspects of the tour are the diverse wildlife encounters, including birds, dolphins, seals and stingrays, and the well-designed itinerary that balances challenging walking with comfortable places to rest. The primary caveat is that day three presents a notably long and demanding walk of 24 kilometres, requiring a reasonable level of fitness, and one traveller noted that the lodges would benefit from fans during warmer weather.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
Gorgeous walking through native bush and around the bays, and we struck great weather. The final day asks a lot of you but pays it back. Lexi kept us laughing, put everyone at ease, nudged us along, and could explain the birds and plants we passed.
Our host was excellent and the route we followed worked really well. It all ran smoothly, and the people putting us up each night were lovely. Worth doing.
This is a great trip. The track is rockier than I thought it would be and it's challenging, especially the 24 km on day three, so a good level of fitness helps. The accommodation is very upmarket and the meals are excellent, though expensive. Really enjoyed this trip.
Absolutely loved this trip - the scenery was just gorgeous. The walk itself was challenging enough but still very enjoyable, and the accommodation was fantastic, great places to relax after the walk each day.
If you love everything New Zealand has to offer for hiking, definitely consider this trip. The scenery was spectacular, the length of the hike was enjoyable, and the small group of 12 was great. Our guide was knowledgeable and supportive. Highly recommend.
An incredible trip with a well paced itinerary and very comfortable accommodation. Our leader Mel was terrific and made the whole experience even more enjoyable.
A stunning, beautiful three day hike through the Marlborough Sounds. The accommodation is warm and cosy, the boat transfers are easily done, and you leave with a much greater appreciation of how utterly serene New Zealand is. So many birds to see, too!
Jef led our group and was warm, easy company - we could talk to him about almost anything, and he was funny with it. My wife and I picked up a lot along the way. If he were leading another trip, we'd sign up.
An excellent walk that felt pretty manageable - day three is quite long but definitely doable. You get a great range of scenery and it's totally hassle free. Would 10/10 recommend.
An organised tour with Intrepid was a great way to hike the Queen Charlotte. Having a guide gave me confidence, as it had been a while since I'd done any multi-day hiking. Accommodation, transport and some meals were all sorted, so there was nothing to do but turn up and walk.
Breathtaking views paired with a well executed itinerary made for an uplifting and unforgettable experience.
Intrepid offer the best group tours all over the world, and our Queen Charlotte walk did not disappoint - as wonderful as all the others I've done. Good value, good accommodation, good sized groups and fantastic guides. Their tours always run smoothly.
This trip offers the best of the NZ outdoors, walking in the spectacular Marlborough Sounds. Birdsong in the forest, and dolphins, seals and stingrays to watch or even swim with - from a nature point of view it has it all. Add in top-notch accommodation, stunning views everywhere you look, excellent food and wine, and what more could you ask for on an Intrepid trip.
It all ran to plan, and 'Snowy' was good company who made a point of talking to everyone. Nice mix of people, too. Plenty of effort in the walking but never uncomfortable, and we slept well. One complaint: the lodges need fans once the weather warms up.
