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Private South Wairarapa Day Tour: Cheese, Chocolate, Wine and Scenic Cape Palliser Lighthouse Visit
5.0
28 Ratings
Wellington
Experience the best of South Wairarapa on a private day tour. Indulge in artisan cheese and chocolate tastings, visit wineries, explore Cape Palliser Lighthouse, and enjoy a delicious dinner.
Experience the best of South Wairarapa on a private day tour. Indulge in artisan cheese and chocolate tastings, visit wineries, explore Cape Palliser Lighthouse, and enjoy a delicious dinner.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- New Zealand Parliament Buildings - Explore the renowned structures within the Parliamentary Precinct, including the Executive Wing known as ‘The Beehive’, Parliament House, and the Parliamentary Library Building.
- Kaitoke Regional Park - Nestled in the foothills of the Tararua Ranges, Kaitoke Regional Park offers a walk through native…
- New Zealand Parliament Buildings - Explore the renowned structures within the Parliamentary Precinct, including the Executive Wing known as ‘The Beehive’, Parliament House, and the Parliamentary Library Building.
- Kaitoke Regional Park - Nestled in the foothills of the Tararua Ranges, Kaitoke Regional Park offers a walk through native rainforest, showcasing the impressive Kahikatea trees, the tallest in New Zealand. Visit the enchanting location used as Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and walk where Elves Arwen and Elrond once did.
- Remutaka Hill - Pause at the Remutaka mountain summit, standing 555 meters above sea level, to enjoy breathtaking views and see the Remutaka Crossing monument, honoring the 60,000 New Zealand troops who journeyed from Featherston’s military camp to Wellington’s Port between 1915 and 1918.
- C’est Cheese - Delight in tasting exquisite local cheeses, including those made on-site at Remutaka Pass, alongside a selection of international cheeses.
- Schoc Chocolates - Indulge in sampling award-winning, artisan-crafted chocolates. Be warned: the temptation to purchase Schoc chocolate is irresistible!
- Poppies Martinborough - Enjoy tasting up to five wines at one of Martinborough’s most picturesque wineries. The Poppies Rosé is highly recommended!
- Cape Palliser Lighthouse - After lunch and wine tastings, head to Cape Palliser, the North Island’s southernmost point. Climb the challenging 253 steps to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse for stunning views of the South Pacific Ocean and the South Island.
- Cape Palliser - Once you’ve caught your breath, take a short drive to the Cape Palliser Seal colony. Exercise caution and maintain a distance of at least 20 meters from the seals.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Entry fees
- Tasting fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Complimentary photos and tour summary emailed to guests after tour
- Customer gift
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Private transportation
- Entry fees
- Tasting fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Complimentary photos and tour summary emailed to guests after tour
- Customer gift
- Lunch
- Bottled water
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
This tour is exclusively yours! No mixed groups are allowed!
Enjoy the luxury of having a dedicated Driver/Guide and ‘Memory Creator’ throughout your entire tour.
Delight in a 9-hour private guided tour exploring the stunning South Wairarapa region. The day includes Artisan Cheese and Chocolate tastings, visits to two wineries with tastings and lunch, a…
This tour is exclusively yours! No mixed groups are allowed!
Enjoy the luxury of having a dedicated Driver/Guide and ‘Memory Creator’ throughout your entire tour.
Delight in a 9-hour private guided tour exploring the stunning South Wairarapa region. The day includes Artisan Cheese and Chocolate tastings, visits to two wineries with tastings and lunch, a scenic drive to Cape Palliser lighthouse (the southernmost point of the North Island), a visit to the local Seal Colony, a tour of the charming fishing village of Ngawi, and dinner at the iconic Lake Ferry Hotel or a local Martinborough restaurant.
Please note that parts of this tour are not available for individuals under 18 years of age (wine tastings).
For cruise ship passengers: This tour operates on a modified itinerary. Visits to C’est Cheese and Schoc Chocolate are not included.
- For children under the age of 7 an approved child restraint seat must be used and be supplied by the customer. If an approved child restraint seat is not available the tour cannot proceed.
Location
New Zealand Parliament Buildings
Museum Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(28 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Karenoy432qj
Jan 29, 2026
Worth every penny! - I can only echo the other 5-star reviews here--our private guide, Tom, was just brilliant! His friendliness, professionalism and obvious love for his job made our day really special. He tailored the tour to our particular interests and brought us to some unique and wonderful locations and local businesses that we never would have found on our own. We may have begun the day as strangers, but left feeling we'd make a new Kiwi friend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mortyatport
Nov 22, 2025
A phenomenal day with an exemplary host! - My husband and I did the private guided full day South Wairarapa tour with Tom as our guide. We have done many excursions and day trips in many countries and I can honestly say that this is one of the best we have ever been on.
And the key ingredient that Tom brings? Connection. From our very first meeting, he made us feel very comfortable and he is so genuine and down-to-earth that you feel an immediate connection.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day and Tom ensured that we were well taken care of the entire time.
The various stops along the way were wonderful. Lots of opportunities for photos. We think it is a very special touch that Tom takes many pics as well and then emails them to you later on. I’ve never seen that done before.
The wine tasting and lunch at Poppies in Martinborough was outstanding. The charcuterie was unique and exceptional.
The tour to Cape Palliser offered astounding views and I was impressed that Tom braved the 253 steps to the top with us. I could go on because there were so many small details that Tom injected into the day. All I can say is thank you Tom , it was amazing!
Bill and Lise
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tommr6546am
Aug 25, 2025
Great South Wairarapa tour - Tom gave me a super tour to Martinborough and Cape Palliser. I can thoroughly recommend this day out- great advice, explanations, historical knowledge and a great photographer to boot! He even arranged for the sun to come out for us as we walked up to the lighthouse.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leanne_s
Jan 9, 2025
Great tour - Great guide in Tom, excellent & tasty sharing plate lunch at Poppies & great views at Cape Palliser.
Review provided by Viator
Jfalkner1
Jan 4, 2025
Kaewa tours rocks! - If you want first class service please choose Kaewa tours!! We spent 2 day’s touring the Wellington area and had a fabulous time, they sure know how to provide a great experience and know the top places to visit in Wellington. Everything was planned and executed perfectly!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P2797yzbryane
Dec 24, 2023
Kaewa Tours - Martinborough Wine Tour - Earlier this year my wife and I went on this wine tour. Absolutely marvellous! Tom was the perfect host, picking us up from our hotel In Wellington and looking after us superbly throughout the day. We were in New Zealand - visiting from the UK - for several weeks and there were lots of highlights but the Martinborough Wine Tour was right up there - a truly memorable day!
We started the tour at C’est Cheese in Featherston and then on to the Le Gra Vineyard in Masterton - run by Brian and his lovely family - excellent wine and excellent food! After this we went to Greytown Honey - wonderful tasty honey and we couldn’t resist buying some. Then on to Poppies Vineyard in Martinborough - a different experience and some lovely wines. We went back to Wellington via Kaitoke Regional Park where the Rivendell scenes from the Lord of the Rings films were shot. Stunning!
We had a wonderful day that we will never forget. If you are planning to be in the Wellington area for any time at all we strongly recommend that you contact Tom at Kaewa Tours for a memorable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G5110ywrebeccae
Dec 9, 2023
Amazing day - Amazing. Beautiful scenery with a variety of stops to interest many. The food was wonderful. I was traveling solo and felt very comfortable as a single female traveler. Wonderful day. Worth adding to your trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Connie_g
Dec 5, 2023
Stunning views and landscape. Great tour guide!!! - Had a wonderful day with Tom @kaewatours. Very knowledgeable and excellent guide. Would highly recommend this all day adventure. We’ll worth it!!!
Review provided by Viator
Patriciaen2770zc
Oct 16, 2023
Patti and daughter Maddie’s wedding crew! - It was a fantastic day! The views while driving were amazing and Tom pointed out so many interesting things. There was a bit of everything. A relaxing lunch at a winery, a lighthouse and seal colony, and a small trek into a park to see a Lord of the Rings filming site. It was a wonderful way to relax and enjoy how awesome New Zealand is!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Congrongw1
Sep 5, 2023
Highly recommended - My wife and I had a wonderful day trip with Tom exploring the beautiful Wairarapa region. Tom is super friendly, knowledgeable and well-organised. We tasted the delicious local cheese, honey, chocolate and wine, observed the seal colony on the way to cape palliser and walked up to the lighthouse to enjoy the spectacular view of the southernmost point of the North Island. On the way back to Wellington in the evening, Tom managed to lead us check the Lord of the Rings' scenes in Kaitoke Regional Park as the weather was not good in the morning. Knowing we're still in Wellington the day after, Tom offered us a complimentary drive to the top of Mt Victoria. I highly recommend Tom and Kaewa Tours if anyone plans to spend one or more days in and around the Wellington area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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