Discover Nelson

Nelson is an artistic seaside city at the top of the South Island. With high sunshine hours and a temperate climate, the Nelson Tasman region has attracted talented food producers and creative thinkers for generations. Surrounded by national parks and the sparkling waters of Tasman Bay, the people here have a natural connection with nature and a strong sense of community. For visitors this means a warm welcome, great food and wine, and a wide range of outdoor activities to enjoy in picture-perfect landscapes.

About our flights to Nelson

Air New Zealand operates daily non-stop flights to Nelson from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, with connections across the domestic network. With all our New Zealand domestic airfares you can choose seat, seat+bag, flexichange or flexirefund fare types. Flexichange gives you the flexibility to change your flight with no change fees while flexirefund is fully refundable. Find out more about our New Zealand domestic seat options.

Abel Tasman National Park promises blissful one-day and multi-day kayak and hiking adventures, complete with golden sand beaches, wildlife and native forest.

Hike in beautiful national parks

There are three national parks less than 1.5 hours by car from Nelson city. The Abel Tasman National Park offers one-day and multi-day kayak cruise and hiking adventures in a beautiful coastal setting with golden sand beaches, granite cliffs, wetlands, wildlife and native forest. There are guided and self-guided tours to choose from, with bookable campsites and hikers' huts or the option of fully-catered lodge accommodation for luxurious overnight stays. It's easy to see why the Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks.

Nelson Lakes National Park has a more alpine setting, with trails that range from short lakeside walks through native forest to multi-day mountain treks for experienced hikers. The popular network of easy tracks around Lake Rotoiti delivers enchanting views across the water to pristine mountain landscapes. Deep in the alpine back country, spectacular scenery awaits at Lake Angelus and Lake Rotomairewhenua, the clearest lake in the world.

Kahurangi National Park is New Zealand's second largest. Stretching from near Golden Bay to the rugged West Coast, it features easy to advanced tracks providing access to wild rivers, coastal native forests, craggy mountain landscapes and alpine herb fields. The most well-known trail is the four-to-six day Heaphy Track, another one of New Zealand's Great Walks.

Discover local art and artisans

Nelson has always been a creative hub. It's home to longstanding cultural enterprises such as the Theatre Royal, the Suter Art Gallery and the Nelson Centre for Musical Arts. It's also where the internationally recognised World of Wearable Arts event began. And if you're looking for a magical experience, Nelson is where you'll find jeweller Jens Hansen, who created the One Ring for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Maybe you can find your own ring of power?

If there's room in your luggage for some souvenir shopping, there's a fascinating range of locally-produced art, fashion and home décor accessories to discover. Galleries and craft shops are dotted around the region and the Nelson Market and Motueka's Sunday Market feature an irresistible selection of fresh foods, creative products and vintage objects. Visiting a market will put you in touch with the melting pot of cultures and strong community spirit of the Nelson Tasman region.

For peanut butter lovers of all ages, Nelson Tasman offers you the chance to visit the home of Pic's Peanut Butter. You can take a tour of the factory and have a go at making your own peanut butter to take home as a souvenir. Alternatively, you can find the full Pic's Really Good Peanut Butter range from their red and yellow striped marquee at the Nelson Market.