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For visitors from the United Kingdom
New Zealand wine country, worth the flight.
Hawke's Bay is New Zealand's oldest wine region: Syrah, Bordeaux blends and Chardonnay, an Art Deco city and cliff-top golf, all within twenty minutes of each other.
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 a private airport arrival transfer to a Napier hotel costs $300 NZD per vehicle. Every price is in New Zealand dollars and includes GST.
Most British itineraries run Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and out. The travellers who add three days in Hawke's Bay find a warm, dry, coastal wine region making Syrah and Bordeaux-style reds, 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 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 what British visitors ask us. If yours is not here, write to info@elecexec.co.nz and we would be delighted to answer it.
What it costs
New Zealand dollars · GST included · no service charge
- Hosted wine tour, 4 hoursGreat Wine Capital Discovery, per person, party of seven. $540 per person for two$225NZD per person
- Private chauffeur by the hourPer vehicle for up to 7 guests, two hour minimum$240NZD per hour
- Airport to your Napier hotelPrivate transfer on arrival, per vehicle for up to 7 guests$300NZD per vehicle
- Airport to Rosewood Cape KidnappersPrivate transfer on arrival, per vehicle for up to 7 guests$520NZD per vehicle
We do not publish a pound sterling figure because exchange rates move daily. Your card issuer converts the New Zealand dollar amount on the day.
Getting here from the United Kingdom
By air. There are no direct flights from the UK to New Zealand and none into Hawke's Bay, so the journey runs London to a New Zealand gateway with one stop, then a domestic connection. Air New Zealand flies to Hawke's Bay Airport, code NPE, direct from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and the Auckland leg takes approximately 1 hour 5 minutes. The airport sits about ten minutes by road from central Napier.
Build in a night. After twenty-odd hours in the air, most of our British guests take a night in Auckland or Wellington before the domestic leg. We meet the flight whichever way you do it.
We meet every flight. We track your flight number, adjust for delays, and meet you at the arrival gate by name. A private transfer on arrival includes a hosted Napier city Art Deco tour and sightseeing stops on the way to your hotel.
NZeTA, time and money
NZeTA and the visitor levy. British passport holders need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority before travelling. It is valid for two years, allows stays of up to six months at a time, and Immigration New Zealand asks you to allow 72 hours for a decision. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZ$100 is normally paid at the same time. Apply through Immigration New Zealand rather than a third party, and confirm the current fees on their site.
Time. New Zealand runs 11 to 13 hours ahead of the United Kingdom, depending on daylight saving in both countries. We state every pickup time in New Zealand time, and email is usually faster than the phone.
Money. All our prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST at 15 percent, New Zealand's equivalent of VAT. 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. Tipping is not expected here and we add no service charge.
Published fares
What a day in wine country costs.
All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST. Transfers and hourly hire are priced per vehicle. Hosted tours are priced per person, and the per-person rate falls as the party grows.
| Service | How we price it | From |
|---|---|---|
| Great Wine Capital Discovery, 4 hours | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $225 NZD |
| Great Wine Capital Signature, 5 hours | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $445 NZD |
| Great Wine Capital Reserve, with lunch, 10:00 to 16:30 | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $730 NZD |
| Artisan Producers Full Day, 8 hours | Per person, private party of 2 to 7 | $720 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 |
| Hotel to Cape Kidnappers golf, each way | Per vehicle, up to 7 guests | $300 NZD |
The "from" tour prices apply to a party of seven. See every rate and surcharge.
Do you need a hire car?
You drive on the left at home, so the side of the road is not the problem. Two things still argue against a hire car here.
- It is a wine region, and someone has to not drink. New Zealand enforces its drink-driving limits with regular checkpoints, and a tasting day is exactly when a chauffeur earns the fare.
- Jet lag. Rural roads after thirty hours of travel are not how anyone wants to start a holiday, and the distances here are short: Hawke's Bay Airport to Havelock North takes approximately 25 minutes, and the wineries sit ten to twenty minutes apart.
Many guests take a chauffeur for wine and golf days and walk everywhere else. Napier and Havelock North are both easily walkable.
When to come
December through February is the New Zealand summer and the region's peak, which lands neatly in the British winter. Warm, dry, long evenings. We book out first in this window.
February and March is harvest, and our own favourite time to show visitors around.
March through May is autumn: vine colour, 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.
What there is to do
Wine, golf, Art Deco and the people who grow things.
Wine
Hawke's Bay has made wine since 1851 and is one of eleven Great Wine Capitals of the world, alongside Bordeaux and Verona. Syrah, Bordeaux-style reds and Chardonnay across the Gimblett Gravels, the Bridge Pa Triangle and the limestone hills of Te Mata. Our four hosted tours cover all three.
Golf
Cape Kidnappers sits on a headland of cliffs above the Pacific and is ranked among the best courses in the world. We carry players and their clubs, and our large covered trailer takes up to 12 sets. See golf transfers.
Art Deco and food
An earthquake destroyed Napier in 1931 and the city rebuilt in the architecture of the moment. Add the growers and makers on the Artisan Producers Full Day, and cruise calls from October through April.
★★★★★
"Duncan provided exceptional service from start to finish. He made the entire process incredibly easy, from booking to being flexible with timing. He even had snacks and water ready for the drive."
Questions
What British visitors ask us.
Do UK citizens need a visa for New Zealand?
British passport holders travel on a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority rather than a visa for a holiday. It is valid for two years and allows stays of up to six months at a time. Immigration New Zealand asks you to allow 72 hours for a decision, and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZ$100 is normally paid with the application. Apply through Immigration New Zealand and confirm the current fees there.
How do I get to Hawke's Bay from the UK?
Fly London to Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch with one stop, then connect on Air New Zealand to Hawke's Bay Airport, code NPE. The Auckland leg takes approximately 1 hour 5 minutes. There are no scheduled international flights into Hawke's Bay.
How far ahead of the UK is New Zealand time?
11 to 13 hours, depending on daylight saving in both countries. We state every pickup time in New Zealand time and we answer email through the New Zealand day, 04:00 to 23:00.
How much does a private wine tour cost in Hawke's Bay?
Hosted 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.
Is GST the same as VAT?
In practice, yes. GST is New Zealand's goods and services tax, charged at 15 percent, and every price we publish already includes it. There is nothing to add at the end and no service charge.
Do you tip in New Zealand?
Tipping is not expected and we add no service charge. You are welcome to tip if you wish, and nobody will think less of you for not tipping.
How far in advance should we book?
For December and January, as early as you can. For the rest of the year, two to four weeks is usually comfortable. If your dates are close, ask anyway.
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.