Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise

Overview

Available languages

English

4 hours

Mobile ticket

The Mail has been delivered by boat for over 150 years in the Queen Charlotte Sounds, we are the only official licensed New Zealand Post Rural Delivery Service by water in the Queen Charlotte Sound making this a truly unique tour!

Come along on the Mail Boat Cruise and share the excitement of Mail Day as the skipper delivers the Rural post bags, groceries and freight to the residents that call the Queen Charlotte Sound waterways home.

If time allows the Mail Boat Cruise will take a short stop at one of the brilliant locations within the Queen Charlotte waterways, you route will shown upon check in.

Available to purchase for $6 in the office before you depart are Beachcomber Cruises keep cups, we no longer use single use cups on board our vessels due the huge environmental impact. Upon purchase of a Beachcomber Cruises keep cup guests can enjoy tea and coffee onboard for the duration of the tour.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Specialized infant seats are available

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks to consume on board

Closed-toe walking shoes suitable for walking are recommended

Not accessible for motorized wheelchairs

Please Note: The stop at Ship Cove only occurs during Summer months of 1st Oct to 30th April

We are not able to pick up / drop off at the Cruise Ship Terminal - you must make your way to our booking office

Please note that this tour departs sharply on schedule at 1:30pm

The boat used for the tour can vary from a smaller 9 seater to a 99 seater catamaran and is not guaranteed

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Commentary on board

Restroom on board

Food

Hotel pickup and drop-off

What To Expect

Queen Charlotte Sound

Cruise through the tranquil waterways of the Queen Charlotte Sound, see wildlife and native flora and fauna along the way

Admission Not Applicable

Options

Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise

Reviews

4.68

285 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

228

Worth taking the cruise!!!
C1057WUfrankb,
Nov 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Ticket office very easy going and helpful. Some 4h of cruise. Pilot very easy going with really good commentary too. Comfortable seating in open or covered. Hot water with tea / coffee but you must take your own receptacle ☕️. Views spectacular!
Awesome experience, highly recommend
yabbie60,
Nov 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I had the best day the most amazing experience being on board whilst the mail was delivered to boat access only locations. Initially I thought the price was a bit high, but when I heard that tourists help to continue the mail run, I thought it was value for money. The skipper was knowledgeable but did not over talk. The dolphins 🐬 were an absolute treat as was one of the locals feeding the blue cod. I understand about the coffee cup situation & you are advised when you book it. I would absolutely recommend this to friends that are travelling to this region.
Stunning scenery
D5103OPannettea,
Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was great. So nice to see so much of Queen Charlotte Sound. Our skipper was very good, very knowledgeable. We saw dolphins too which made my day!
Definitely worth the money!
Andy1961ajw,
Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our mail man/guide was very informative and interesting, telling us about various properties and industries as we cruised into several bays delivering mail, checking out some amazing scenery and watching dolphins and seals play I would definitely recommend
Mail run
mariehT3511UJ,
Oct 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
Bit overpriced but was an interesting trip. Very hard to hear the commentary. windows extremely dirty so hard for viewing.
Excellent trip on the sound
JenniC1960,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Dillon our “mailman” was very informative in his commentary and very welcoming on the boat. Even though the weather wasn’t great, the boat was a very smooth trip. As we had time, we were taken to Ship Cove which was not part of original itinerary- very interesting place and got to see our first Weca in NZ. Lots of wildlife on the way, including dolphins, seals and lots of birds. On the way back into Picton we diverted to help a stranded yacht, and Dillon was excellent in assisting and towing the yacht back into port. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon
Interesting.
Fearless63605383616,
Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
It was enjoyable. We saw dolphins & birdlife. The commentary was ok but could have been more in depth. Coffee and tea were available however only if you had your own cup which we were not told about. It was a wet , windy day so it would've made it more enjoyable if they had provided disposable cups. No toilets available for 4 hours either.
A lovely half day out on The Sounds
billlH7524VS,
Sep 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A really lovely experience, we were blessed with calm, sunny weather and were able to visit many different coves and eventually, out into the heads. We saw several pods of Dusky Dolphins, a couple of seals and learnt about the industry in The Sounds. Well worth it and good value for money.
My birthday outing
Mark M,
Aug 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
My partner & I enjoyed the cruise. The day started off cloudy in the morning but it was lovely & sunny for the afternoon cruise. It was good to go to different bays/coves delivering the mail with good commentary too. Took a lot of nice photos & videos of the beautiful scenery
A wee disappointing
JohnM18627,
Jul 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
The commentator could have provided more details on the history of the Mail run and despite being told to bring our coffee mugs which we did they did not provide any milk for coffee-tea for the 3 hour trip.The cost of $120 per person was expensive and not worth it