Blenheim to Kaikoura

(Return Day Trip)

Price: 

• Adult Return Trip NZ$179
• Child (3-14yrs) Return Trip NZ$89
• Family Pass (2 adults & 2 children) NZ$ 449
• Infant (free) sitting on a lap

Includes:

• A RETURN trip Blenheim - Kaikoura - Blenheim on the Train
• Approx. 8 hours duration
• Includes 1-hour of leisure time in Kaikoura

The Journey:

Enjoy a heritage train experience from the heart of the Marlborough winelands to the coastal town of Kaikoura. Your journey is powered by the vintage red and white, classic Da1431 locomotive to haul our original renovated Victorian carriages.

Departing from Blenheim, traverse the rolling southern hills of Marlborough, carving a line through the Dashwood Pass and bursting onto the beautiful Awatere Valley with the peak of the majestic sentinel, Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku standing guard at the rear. Continue across the historic Awatere River railroad bridge to the quintessential country town of Seddon.

Beyond Seddon, the landscapes then open up to greet the Pacific Coastline for the journey to Kaikoura, a town acclaimed for its abundant marine wildlife, famed resident sperm whale population and dramatic mountain backdrops. Towering over Kaikoura, the ‘Guardians of the Seas’ - the mountains of the Southern Alps, rise majestically from the deep trenches of the Southern Ocean with the railway line wedged in between.

Of particular interest is the remnants of the 2016 Kaikōura 7.8 magnitude earthquake which has left clear evidence of its sheer power and destructive capabilities, along this breathtaking stretch of shoreline. This is equally matched by the impressive and incredible engineering solutions that restored the state highway and railway in record time.

The train has the advantage of balconies at both ends of each carriage which enables passengers a convenient viewing position along the scenic journey.

TOUR DURATION & TIMES: Approximately 8 hours return.

Train departs from Blenheim Railway Station @ 08:40am; Train arrives in Kaikoura @ 11:10am; Train departs Kaikoura @ 12:10pm; Train returns to Blenheim Railway Station @ 15:20pm.

DATES:

2025/26 Schedule to be announced soon.

Note: 

• Carriage seating is pre-allocated. If you would like to be seated with friends or family that are not included on your booking ie. they have booked separately, then please add their names in the Note section when completing your booking.
• Only fully collapsible, smaller sized baby strollers, or walkers, can be transported on board the train.
• Mobility: due to the heritage nature of our carriages, we unfortunately do not have the ability to accommodate fixed wheelchairs or electric wheelchairs or electric scooters, however we can accommodate fully collapsible zimmer frames and walkers (and they must be fully collapsible). Passengers using collapsible zimmer frames, or walkers, should have the ability to board the train, unaided.