5 Boat Tours in Dunedin That Repay the Detour

1.Albatross, seals, and sea birds-Wildlife Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 189 reviews · from $105Our pick

Join Rachel on a 1.5 to 2-hour wildlife cruise from Port Chalmers or Portobello. Her small custom-built boat carries up to 14 people through Otago Harbour toward Taiaroa Head, with a heated cabin, open deck, binoculars, identification sheets, and commentary on albatross, seals, penguins, seabirds, ships, and local history.

“Captain Rachel is an excellent and skillful captain. The boat is cozy and the group is small which is a big bonus. Rachel is very knowledgeable about wildlife in the area as well as the harbor and the history. We saw a northern albatross, fur seals, cormorants and lots of other birds. It was a great value and an easy walk from our cruise ship. Afterwards we had time to explore Port Chalmers.”

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2.Cruise Dunedin City and Castle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · from $121

From Port Chalmers, explore Dunedin’s Octagon, railway station, university area, and Baldwin Street before crossing the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle. Guides James, Kylie, and Oli lead small groups of up to 16 in an air-conditioned vehicle. Allow six and a half hours, including castle gardens and return ship transfer.

“Best excursion for us. Horizon tours was informative, stopped shared current and history of areas. Made stops for us to explore. Again the best excursion. Thank you.”

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3.Dunedin Wildlife Cruise-Albatross, seals and harbour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 115 reviews · from $105

Join Rachel from Port To Port Cruises for a 90-to-120-minute wildlife cruise through Otago Harbour. From Port Chalmers or Portobello, you’ll look for albatross, seals, sea lions, penguins, shags, and dolphins while learning about local wildlife, harbor history, and shipwrecks. Binoculars, warm jackets, and an onboard restroom are provided.

“Rebecca is an experienced, careful cruise pilot who knows "the ropes" about finding the best places to find wildlife and in some cases they come to you such as the albatross that loved hanging around our boat. I was wishing I had a fish to throw to him.”

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4.Monarch – One Hour Wildlife Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · 1 hour · from $41Best value

Drive 45 to 60 minutes from central Dunedin to Wellers Rock Wharf for a one-hour Monarch cruise. Your English-speaking crew explains local wildlife, geology, and military history as you pass Aramoana Beach, Taiaroa Head, the royal albatross colony, and fur seal rocks. Dolphins and blue penguins are possible sightings.

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5.Dunedin City to Sea Wildlife Cruise + Peninsula Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $74

Set out from central Dunedin at 4 pm for a 3.5-hour land-and-sea outing with Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours. You’ll cruise toward Taiaroa Head, look for royal albatross, fur seals, dolphins, penguins, and seabirds, then take a guided Peninsula bus tour between October and April. Jackets, binoculars, hot drinks, WiFi, and a restroom are included.

“Seeing the baby albatross on the hillside, seeing the wing span of the adult albatross, totally amazing. We loved the bobbing blue penguins in the sea and the flight of the cormorants. We found the crew on the launch to be extremely friendly and helpful.”

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