5-Day Queen Charlotte Sound Cruise | 18-Guest Yacht | Helicopter & Coach Transfer | Walking, Zodiac Cruising & Kayaking | Ship Cove, Tory Channel, Queen Charlotte Walkway, Motuara & Blumine Islands | Wildlife, History and Local Cuisine Included

Join us on this unforgettable Queen Charlotte Sound cruise, a 5-day walking adventure built for active travellers. It’s the best way to explore this scenic sound on foot and by sea.

This Queen Charlotte Sound cruise aboard an 18-guest expedition yacht combines daily walks with Zodiac cruising and kayaking. We trek sections of the iconic Queen Charlotte Track and explore the whaling history of Tory Channel. We also visit the conservation islands of Motuara and Blumine. Expert Kiwi naturalist guides join you throughout. For a broader voyage covering more of the Marlborough Sounds, our 7-Day Marlborough Sounds Cruise also explores Pelorus Sound and d’Urville Island.

Sounds Carved by Ice and Discovered by Cook

A system of submerged valleys formed the Marlborough Sounds, carved out following the last ice age around 10,000 years ago. This scenic playground encompasses some 1,500 kilometres of forested coastline and sheltered inlets and bays, many of which are only accessible by sea. Three main bodies of water make up the Sounds: Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus. Together they hold more than 50 Department of Conservation-managed reserves, including several predator-free wildlife sanctuaries.

Abel Tasman first sighted this coastline in 1642. He was sheltering his ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen from a storm near d’Urville Island. Captain James Cook later set foot here aboard the Endeavour, during his five visits to Ship Cove between 1770 and 1777. He named it Queen Charlotte Sound, and it served as his New Zealand base. These waterways remain rich with history, alongside more recent conservation milestones.

A Walkway Rich in Coastal Views and Conservation Success

The Queen Charlotte Track began life as a network of pioneer bridle paths. Today it ranks among the country’s most diverse coastal tracks, taking in peerless coastal views, native bush, historic bays and endless skyline ridges. On Blumine Island, WWII military ruins sit alongside thriving native species. Conservationists translocated the once widespread Orange-fronted Parakeet here between 2011 and 2012. It’s now also home to the South Island Saddleback, brought back from just 36 birds rescued in 1964.

Motuara Island has been predator-free since the early 1990s. It now shelters Saddleback, South Island Robin, Yellow-crowned Parakeet and Maud Island Frogs, and also serves as a crèche for Rowi Kiwi. A scenic loop track leads walkers to the island’s summit. From there, 360-degree views take in the surrounding islands, Cook Strait and, on a clear day, the North Island.

If you’d prefer to explore other parts of New Zealand’s coastline, please take a look at all our New Zealand cruises below.

• 10-Day Fiordland Expedition Cruise – All the Fiords
• 7-Day Marlborough Sounds Cruise: Explore New Zealand’s Sounds Up Close
• Fiordland Explored: 5-Day Cruise of Doubtful Sound & Dusky Sound
• 13-Day Expedition Cruise Around the New Zealand Coast
• 7-Day Northern Fiords Cruise: Expedition Through Fiordland’s North
• 7-Day Southern Fiords Discovery: A Deep Exploration of Fiordland’s Southern Fiords
• 9-Day Top of the South Cruise: Explore Beyond Marlborough Sounds
• 5-Day Dusky Sound Cruise: Explore Remote Fiordland
• 6-Day Fiordland & Stewart Island Explored
• 5-Day Queen Charlotte Sound Cruise: Walking & Sailing Tour
• 8-Day Stewart Island Cruise: Wilderness and Wildlife Adventure

You can experience this firsthand on any of the following upcoming voyages:

14 Dec 2026
29 May 2027, 10 Dec 2027, 14 Dec 2027