Home / For American travelers
For visitors from the United States
New Zealand wine country, arranged for American travelers.
Hawke's Bay is New Zealand's oldest wine region. We meet your flight, drive on the left so you never have to, and plan each day around what you like to drink.
Electric Executive is an owner-operated private chauffeur and wine tour company in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Hosted wine tours cost from $225 NZD per person, a private chauffeur costs from $240 NZD per hour per vehicle, and airport taxis cost from $90 NZD. Every price is in New Zealand dollars and includes tax.
Most American itineraries run Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and out. The travelers who add three days in Hawke's Bay find a warm, dry, coastal wine region, one of the most complete Art Deco cities in the world, golf on the cliffs at Cape Kidnappers, and cellar doors where the winemaker often pours for you personally.
We hold the Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Award for Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices for 2026 and 2027, and Qualmark Silver as a Sustainable Tourism Business. We are the preferred provider to Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, Craggy Range, Porters Boutique Hotel and Mangapapa Hotel, and the Official Air New Zealand Taxi Partner for Hawke's Bay.
This page answers the questions American visitors ask us most. If yours is not here, write to us at info@elecexec.co.nz and we would be delighted to answer it.
What it costs
New Zealand dollars · GST (sales tax) included · no service charge
- Hosted wine tour, 4 hoursGreat Wine Capital Discovery, per person, party of seven. $540 per person for a party of two$225NZD per person
- Private chauffeur by the hourPer vehicle for up to 7 guests, two hour minimum$240NZD per hour
- Airport to Rosewood Cape KidnappersPrivate transfer on arrival, per vehicle for up to 7 guests$520NZD per vehicle
- Airport taxi to NapierFixed fare, up to 3 guests and 2 cases$90NZD per vehicle
We do not publish a US dollar figure because exchange rates move daily. Your card issuer converts the New Zealand dollar amount on the day.
Where Hawke's Bay is, and how you get there
Hawke's Bay sits on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's three centers are Napier on the coast, Hastings inland, and Havelock North at the foot of Te Mata Peak.
By air. Hawke's Bay Airport, airport code NPE, is about ten minutes by road from central Napier. Air New Zealand flies direct from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The flight from Auckland takes approximately 1 hour 5 minutes. No international flights land here, so every visitor from the United States connects through Auckland.
By road. Hawke's Bay is approximately five hours by car from Auckland and approximately four hours from Wellington. Most American guests fly.
We meet every flight. We track your flight number, adjust for delays, and meet you at the arrival gate by name. We also drive guests onward to Taupo, Wellington and Auckland at fixed fares.
Do I need a rental car in Hawke's Bay?
No, and most of our American guests are glad they skipped it. Three reasons come up every time.
- New Zealand drives on the left. Adjusting to that on unfamiliar rural roads, jet lagged, is not how anyone wants to start a vacation.
- Hawke's Bay is a wine region. Someone has to not drink. New Zealand enforces strict drink-driving limits.
- The distances are short. Cellar doors sit ten to twenty minutes apart, and the drive from Hawke's Bay Airport to Havelock North takes approximately 25 minutes.
Many guests take a chauffeur for their wine and golf days and walk everywhere else. Napier and Havelock North are both easily walkable.
Pricing, stated plainly
What a day in wine country costs.
All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST, New Zealand's 15 percent goods and services tax. We add no tax at the end, no service charge and no fuel surcharge.
| Service | How we price it | From |
|---|---|---|
| Great Wine Capital Discovery, hosted tour, 4 hours | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $225 NZD |
| Great Wine Capital Signature, hosted tour, 5 hours | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $445 NZD |
| Great Wine Capital Reserve, hosted tour with lunch, 10:00 to 16:30 | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $730 NZD |
| Private chauffeur by the hour, two hour minimum | Per vehicle, up to 7 guests | $240 NZD per hour |
| Airport to Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, arrival | Per vehicle, up to 7 guests | $520 NZD |
| Airport to Havelock North, private transfer, arrival | Per vehicle, up to 7 guests | $360 NZD |
| Executive taxi, airport to Napier | Per vehicle, up to 3 guests and 2 cases | $90 NZD |
The "from" tour prices apply to a party of seven. The per-person rate rises as the party gets smaller, to $540 NZD per person for two guests on the Discovery tour. A five hour day with a private chauffeur, planned entirely around your own choices, costs $1,200 NZD per vehicle, and you pay tasting fees and lunch directly to each venue. See every rate and surcharge.
Tipping in New Zealand
New Zealanders do not expect tips, and we add no service charge to your fare. We pay our chauffeurs properly, and none of their income depends on a gratuity.
American guests often ask this before they arrive, and often want to tip anyway. You are welcome to, and your chauffeur will receive it graciously. Nobody will think less of you for not tipping. The same applies in restaurants and at cellar doors.
How you pay
We take payment in the vehicle by Visa, Mastercard and American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Card payments carry a 3.5 percent surcharge. We invoice travel advisors, hotels and destination management companies by arrangement.
New Zealand time runs between 16 and 21 hours ahead of the continental United States, depending on your time zone and the season. Email is usually faster than phone, and we answer every one. We state every pickup time in New Zealand time.
What there is to do
Wine, golf, Art Deco and the people who grow things.
Wine
Hawke's Bay has made wine since 1851. The region is known for Syrah, Bordeaux-style reds and Chardonnay rather than the Sauvignon Blanc most Americans associate with New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is one of eleven Great Wine Capitals of the world, alongside Bordeaux, Verona and San Francisco and Napa Valley.
Three sub-regions matter. Gimblett Gravels is a former riverbed of stony, heat-retaining soil that produces the region's most serious reds. Bridge Pa Triangle sits alongside it. Te Mata and Havelock North hold the region's oldest vineyards on the limestone hills. Our hosted wine tours cover all three.
Golf
Cape Kidnappers sits on a headland of cliffs above the Pacific, and golf publications consistently rank it among the best courses in the world. We transfer guests and their clubs from the airport, from Napier and Havelock North hotels, and from Rosewood Cape Kidnappers itself. Our large covered trailer takes up to 12 sets of clubs and 6 large cases, so a group and its luggage travel in one vehicle. See Cape Kidnappers golf transfers.
Art Deco Napier
An earthquake destroyed Napier in 1931, and the city rebuilt in the architecture of the moment. The result is one of the most complete Art Deco streetscapes anywhere. A private transfer on arrival includes a hosted Napier city Art Deco tour and sightseeing stops on the way to your hotel.
Food producers
Hawke's Bay grows a large share of New Zealand's apples, stone fruit and vegetables. Our Artisan Producers Full Day takes guests to the growers and makers directly, which very few visitors find on their own.
Cruise calls
Napier Port takes cruise ships from roughly October through April. We run private shore excursions planned around your ship's all-aboard time, stated in New Zealand time, and we return you at least 60 minutes before it.
When to come
December through February is New Zealand's summer and Hawke's Bay's peak. Warm, dry, long evenings. We book out first in this window, so contact us as early as you can.
February and March is harvest. The vineyards are working and the fruit is on the vine. It is our own favorite time to show visitors around.
March through May is fall. Vine color, settled weather, fewer people.
June through August is winter. Cool rather than cold, and the quietest time to visit. Cellar doors stay open, and you will often have them to yourself.
Napier's Art Deco Festival runs in February and fills accommodation across the region. Confirm the dates before you book flights.
How we travel
Our fleet is electric-first. Where an electric vehicle can do the job, it does.
- Mercedes-Benz eVito, fully electric, seats 7.
- BYD Atto 3, fully electric, seats 3.
- Tesla Model Y, fully electric, seats 3.
- Mercedes-Benz V-Class, diesel, 5 individual captain's chairs.
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, diesel, premium specification, seats 11.
We say electric-first rather than fully electric because two of our vehicles are diesel. The Sprinter and the V-Class carry larger groups and longer distances than our electric vehicles currently cover in a day. Every vehicle carries Wi-Fi, chilled glass-bottled water, refreshments and device charging. Wine you buy travels securely in the vehicle and comes back to your accommodation with you. See the fleet.
Why an electric-first operator matters here
New Zealand generates most of its electricity from hydro, geothermal and wind, so an electric vehicle driven here produces far lower emissions than the same vehicle on a fossil-fueled grid.
Future Proof Projects, an independent specialist, measures our greenhouse gas footprint. We charge off-peak from 22:00 New Zealand time, return soft plastics through the New Zealand Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme, and recycle tires through Tyrewise. Qualmark, New Zealand's official tourism quality assurance program, awarded us Silver under its Sustainable Tourism Business criteria in November 2025.
We partner with Ātea a Rangi Trust at Waitangi Regional Park, supporting the Ātea a Rangi star compass through funding, employment and cultural education. Read our sustainability commitment.
Accessibility
Our vehicles are spacious, and we train our chauffeurs in adaptive communication and consent-based assistance. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has a powered mobility assistance step and doorway grab handles. We adapt itineraries to guest needs. Please tell us what you need when you book, and we would be delighted to accommodate it.
Travel advisors and concierges
We work with 5-star concierge desks, travel advisors and destination management companies throughout New Zealand, and we prefer to deal with your advisor directly. See our trade and concierge partners page, or have your advisor write to info@elecexec.co.nz.
Questions
What American visitors ask us.
Do I need a rental car in Hawke's Bay?
No. New Zealand drives on the left, Hawke's Bay is a wine region where someone has to not drink, and the distances are short. Many guests take a private chauffeur for wine and golf days and walk everywhere else, because Napier and Havelock North are both easily walkable.
How much does a private wine tour cost in Hawke's Bay?
Hosted wine tours cost from $225 NZD per person for a party of seven on the four hour Great Wine Capital Discovery, and $540 NZD per person for a party of two. A private chauffeur for a day you plan yourself costs $240 NZD per hour per vehicle for up to 7 guests, with a two hour minimum. All prices include GST.
Do you tip in New Zealand?
New Zealanders do not expect tips, and we add no service charge to your fare. We pay our chauffeurs properly. You are welcome to tip if you wish, and nobody will think less of you for not tipping. The same applies in restaurants and at cellar doors.
What currency are your prices, and do they include tax?
All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST at 15 percent. We add no tax at the end and no service charge. Card payments carry a 3.5 percent surcharge.
How do I get to Hawke's Bay from the United States?
Fly to Auckland, then connect on Air New Zealand to Hawke's Bay Airport, code NPE. The flight from Auckland takes approximately 1 hour 5 minutes. We track your flight and meet you at the arrival gate by name.
How far in advance should I book?
For December and January, as early as you can, because those dates book out months ahead. For the rest of the year, two to four weeks is usually comfortable. If your dates are close, ask anyway.
Do you carry golf clubs to Cape Kidnappers?
Yes. Our large covered luggage trailer carries up to 12 sets of clubs and 6 large cases for $180 NZD, so a group and its luggage travel in one vehicle. A private transfer from Hawke's Bay Airport to Rosewood Cape Kidnappers on arrival costs $520 NZD per vehicle for up to 7 guests.
Is a private chauffeur only for large groups?
No. We price transfers and hourly hire per vehicle, so a couple pays the same as a party of seven in the same vehicle. Many of our guests travel as two.
When is the best time to visit Hawke's Bay wine country?
December through February is summer and the region's peak. February and March is harvest. March through May is fall, with vine color and settled weather. June through August is winter, cool rather than cold, and the quietest time to visit.
Plan your visit
We would be delighted to arrange your time in Hawke's Bay.
Tell us your dates, your party size and what you like to drink. We reply by email, usually within a few hours between 04:00 and 23:00 New Zealand time.