Private Abel Tasman Day Trip from Nelson
Golden sand and clear water at the top of the South Island, with a private driver connecting Nelson to Kaiteriteri and Mārahau.
Current day-trip rates
The pickup point chooses the rate card
Auckland & Christchurch
Starts within the Auckland or Christchurch service area
- Half day
- 4 hours · 100 km
- from $299
- Full day
- 8 hours · 200 km
- from $499
- Out of town
- 10 hours · 400 km
- from $799
Everywhere else
Regional North Island and the rest of the South Island
- Half day
- 4 hours · 100 km
- from $399
- Full day
- 8 hours · 200 km
- from $699
- Out of town
- 10 hours · 400 km
- from $999
Prices vary by season and vehicle. If no vehicle is based near the pickup, driver travel is shown as a separate line before payment.
Why book this one privately
- Kaiteriteri and Mārahau, gateways to the national park
- Water taxi and kayak connections
- Motueka and the Tasman fruit country on the way
- Track drop-off and pickup for walkers
About this day
The Abel Tasman is New Zealand's smallest national park and probably its friendliest — golden beaches, clear water and a coastal track that runs the length of it.
Most visitors start from Kaiteriteri or Mārahau, either on a water taxi, a kayak trip or the coast track itself. A private driver gets you there for the departure and is waiting whenever and wherever you come out.
The drive from Nelson through Motueka and the Tasman orchards is a pleasant part of the day in its own right.
A private driver, not a group tour or a shared ride
Highway 1 Tours & Transfers is a New Zealand owned private transfer company with NZTA-licensed, P-endorsed drivers. Everything here is a private hire: your own vehicle and chauffeur for the day, an agreed fixed price rather than a meter, and a plan you can change on the road. It is a calmer, more flexible alternative to a taxi or cab for the day, a rental car, or a seat on somebody else's schedule — and the same drivers handle airport transfers, intercity point-to-point trips and multi-day private touring anywhere in the country.
Return day or one-way? Both work — decide before you book
A private day tour does not have to finish where it started. You can do a return day, back in Nelson that evening with the same accommodation waiting for you — or a one-way day, where we collect you and your luggage in Nelson, sightsee along the way and drop you at your accommodation in the next town. Auckland out to Rotorua, or Christchurch through to Queenstown, are two of the most popular one-way days we drive.
Either way it is one private vehicle, one driver and one fixed price agreed before you travel. Just tell us on the booking form where you want the day to start and where you want it to finish, and whether your bags are coming with you.
Frequently asked questions
Other private tours nearby
- Private Nelson and Tasman Day Tour
Nelson's craft studios, breweries and the Waimea wine country, with a private driver for a relaxed day around the Tasman region.
- Private Marlborough Wine Tour from Blenheim and Picton
The home of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, with a private driver between the cellar doors of the Wairau and Awatere valleys.
- Private Day Tours from Christchurch
Canterbury reaches from the Pacific to the main divide. Every trip here is a private vehicle with a driver for the day, door to door.
- Private Day Tours from Wellington
The capital is hemmed in by hills and coast, which makes for short drives and big changes of scenery. All private, all door to door.
Other services we offer
A private transfer is only part of what we do. The same NZTA-licensed drivers and vehicles cover tours, hourly hire, airport and cruise work, corporate travel and group bookings throughout New Zealand.
Private, luxury & multi-day travel
Private touring, chauffeur hire, honeymoon travel and a driver for your whole New Zealand trip.
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Driving on the left, kilometres to miles, money and tipping, the seasons, and travelling without a rental car.
Read visitor infoAirport shuttle alternative
Private airport transfers instead of a shared shuttle — your group alone, direct to the terminal, price agreed first.
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A fixed-price private car instead of the taxi rank — city-by-city guides across New Zealand.
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Keep the same driver for the day and shape the route around what you'd like to see nationwide.
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A driver and vehicle held for a block of time — best when your travel starts and finishes in the same town.
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Flight-tracked pickups and drop-offs at every main New Zealand airport, door to door.
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Multiple vehicles on one booking for larger parties, or a driven alternative to hiring a car.
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Plain answers on what moves the price of an airport run in New Zealand, and how a fixed total compares with a meter.
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Ride there and ride home for the big nights — concerts, festivals and events across New Zealand.
Event transport
Please note: by-the-hour driver hire is only suitable when your travel starts and finishes in the same town. If you're finishing somewhere else, book a private transfer or a day trip so your fare covers the driver's travel.