Nelson is surrounded by mountains on three sides with Tasman Bay to the north-west. The city serves as the gateway to three national parks, all within 60-90 minutes of the city.
The popular Abel Tasman National Park entices visitors with its clear sheltered coastline, and the Abel Tasman Coast Track – one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks.”
Nelson Lakes National Park to the south offers an alpine landscape with majestic mountains and lakeside walks.
The diverse landscape of the huge Kahurangi National Park to the west of the region offers remote adventure in a pristine environment, including another of New Zealand’s “Great Walks”, the Heaphy Track.
Nelson is a centre for both ecotourism and adventure tourism and offers a wide range of visitor experiences.
The following list and the map above are intended to give you some ideas of what to do and where to go and help you plan your activities in Nelson.
We are pleased to provide more information, including brochures, advice based on personal experience and booking services for the various activities in the wider Nelson area.

Nelson is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson region. Established in 1841, it is the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island. Nelson City has a population of around 46,437 ranking it as New Zealand’s 12th most populous city and the geographical centre of New Zealand.

Nelson is well known for its thriving local arts and crafts scene. Each year, the city hosts events popular with locals and tourists alike, such as the Nelson Arts Festival.

The annual Wearable Art Awards began near Nelson and a local museum, the “World of Wearable Art” now showcases winning designs alongside a collection of classic cars.

Nelson is also famous for its mild Mediterranean climate and many people believe Nelson has the best climate in New Zealand, in that it regularly tops the national statistics for sunshine hours, with an annual average total of over 2400 hours.