All Dunedin & The Otago Peninsula Tours & Excursions in 2026 - page 2

Discover Dunedin and the spectacular Otago Peninsula on a relaxed guided small-group tour (max 10 guests) away from crowded bus tours. Highlights include: • Dunedin Railway Station • Baldwin Street – the world’s steepest street • Explore Larnach Castle Gardens (castle interior entry not included) • Sandfly Bay coastal scenery, beaches, cliffs, sheep & cattle farmland • Look out for New Zealand sea lions along the coastline • Visit the Royal Albatross Centre area (observatory tour not included) • Scenic Otago Peninsula coastal drive • Friendly local guided commentary throughout the journey Designed for cruise passengers, nature lovers, and travelers seeking a more personal Dunedin experience.

Historic homes can be difficult to appreciate without context, but this guided tour of Olveston Historic Home makes the experience more meaningful. Join a guide to explore the 35-room mansion with ease, and listen to insight into early 20th-century life in Dunedin. Learn about the home’s Jacobean-style architecture, fine art, and period furnishings, and discover the story of one of the city’s most prominent families.

Time your visit to the Otago Peninsula so you can see hundreds of little blue penguins returning home to roost after a day at sea. The 90-minute evening tour begins with a walk through the penguin reserve, where you’ll learn about the penguins and their environment. Then, watch them waddle up the beach from your hidden spot. This is a must-do tour for nature and bird enthusiasts.

Discover the Otago Peninsula by land and sea on a half-day tour that includes a scenic drive and wildlife-focused boat cruise. Hugging the coast on the cruise to Otago Harbour is a chance to get dramatic and unobstructed views of landmarks like Taiaroa Head lighthouse. Provided binoculars to search for Southern Ocean marine wildlife such as fur seals and southern royal albatross.

Bird and wildlife enthusiasts shouldn’t miss this cruise in the Otago Harbour. You don’t have to travel far from the city to get out into the wilderness, as the Otago Peninsula is home to a vast array of wildlife. Spot royal albatross, fur seals, sea lions, blue penguins, cormorants, and more, and learn all about them and their habitat from the crew. Dress warm, as the weather is often cold and blustery here, but this is good wildlife-spotting weather, as the albatross in particular like the wind.

This is an educational tour where we dive into the human history of New Zealand. Discussing how Polynesians (Māori) navigated to New Zealand with pin-point accuracy from Islands thousands of kilometers away. We explore all the key sights of Dunedin on a modern, comfortable mini bus on this small group tour. Starting at the Octagon, we pass several iconic buildings as we leave Central Dunedin including St Paul’s Cathedral, Otago Boys High School, First Church and the Dunedin Railway Station before arriving high up on the Otago Peninsula for scenic viewpoints. We venture to St Kilda and St Clair surf beaches where we break for a light lunch. Then it's past the botanic gardens to visit Baldwin Street, the World’s steepest street. Our final stop is the University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest university, where we take a guided walk around a collection of beautiful old iconic buildings.

Take a heritage-focused tour of Dunedin with a local historian and learn about the city’s fascinating colonial past. Visit the magnificent Dunedin Railway Station, learn about the amazing historic buildings in the ‘Octagon’, see historic Tennyson Street featuring Otago Girls High School, and much more. Your guide will tell fascinating stories about the city that will help you understand the lives of its citizens, past and present.

Experience the enchanting Otago Peninsula on this 4.5-hour evening tour, where the highlight is witnessing the return of the Little Blue Penguins after a day at sea. Departing from the Octagon, you'll travel along the picturesque Highcliff Road and Hooper's Inlet, with opportunities to spot local wading birds and albatrosses. Enjoy some leisure time before the penguin viewing, perhaps grabbing a hot drink or browsing the souvenir shop. As the sun sets, prepare for a unique wildlife experience as the smallest penguins make their way back to shore.

Explore the highlights of historic Dunedin, second-largest city on the South Island, on a varied 5.5-hour tour. Check out the record-holding steepest street in the world, the University of Otago, and Dunedin Railway station, before heading to the windswept Otago Peninsula. Then, visit Larnach Castle, New Zealand's only castle, with garden access and optional guided castle tour.

Make the most of a travel day—and avoid the hassle of self-driving—on a well-planned 1-way tour from Dunedin to Queenstown. Travel the first leg of the journey on the historic Taieri Gorge Railway, passing deep river canyons and high bridges. From Pukerangi, continue the journey through Central Otago by road. Admire the mountainous landscapes without the distraction of watching the road, and be dropped off at your hotel in Queenstown.

The Seasider is one of New Zealand’s most scenic coastal train journeys, travelling between Dunedin and the charming seaside towns north of the city. This relaxed half-day rail experience reveals breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, rugged coastal cliffs and sweeping beaches — all best seen from the rails. Departing from the iconic Dunedin Railway Station, the journey follows Otago’s dramatic coastline through ever-changing landscapes. Whether you’re visiting from a cruise ship, exploring Otago, or looking for a memorable local experience, The Seasider offers a unique and comfortable way to see Dunedin from a new perspective.

We offer a small group tour of the highest quality, exclusive experience where your itinerary is fully customized to your interests. Our private tour ,unlike group tours, offers flexibility in timing, and allows more time to enjoy the breathtaking views of Otago Peninsula and Dunedin. We have been providing Dunedin and South Island private Tours since 2015 and committed to customer satisfaction. You will enjoy personal attention from local guide, access to hidden spots, and freedom to move at your own pace. We are professional, friendly and reliable and happy to meet new customers from around the world.

Try to keep your jaw from dragging on the ground as we walk through the inner city hearing the dark yet true crime stories from the 19th century. Dunedin, being a gold rush town, brought characters in from all over to exist together in this isolated city at the bottom of the world. We will briefly touch on why and how Dunedin was settled for context then we will walk the main areas of the inner city seeing such landmarks as the favourite little Fairlie steam engine, the old victorian era, gothic revival prison, the Flemish Renaissance style railway station, Anglican Cathedral, the newly refurbished main street, George Street ending with the utterly depraved story of murder and attempted suicide in the one of many notorious lanes that still exist. See the best of Dunedin while hearing the worst.

This Dunedin city highlights tour is ideal for time-poor travelers as you fit in many landmarks into a short space of time. Starting from central Dunedin’s Octagon, check out St. Paul's Cathedral, the Robbie Burns Statue, the University of Otago, Baldwin Street (the steepest street in the world) and much more, and still have time for other activities during the rest of your day.

Like most New Zealand cities, Dunedin has a colonial history filled with exchanges between the Māori people and Western settlers. Discover dark tales of murder and shipwrecks, as well as stories of the influential people who shaped the city’s culture on this half-day small-group tour of several of Dunedin’s most popular tourist spots, including Larnach Castle and gardens.

Enjoy a mini-cruise while getting from one side of Otago Harbour to the other on the handy ferry from Portobello to Port Chalmers. Avoid the long road journey around the harbor with this short 10-minute crossing. Listen to the informative live commentary on the way and look out for birds, wildlife, and other points of interest in the harbor.

There’s more to brewing beer than meets the eye, and more to brewery tours than tastings. Learn about beer-brewing history at one of Dunedin’s most iconic breweries—Speight’s Brewery—while a guide takes you through on an interactive tour. As you tour with a small group, there are plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Beer lovers and anyone interested in local culture and history will enjoy this tour.

Escape the crowds and experience the wild side of Dunedin on a small-group wildlife cruise with a maximum of just 18 passengers. Venture beyond the Otago Harbour entrance, where the open ocean meets the dramatic coastline, giving you the opportunity to watch majestic Northern Royal Albatross soaring overhead and resting on the water in their natural environment. Along the way, encounter New Zealand fur seals, sea lions and a remarkable variety of seabirds, with penguins, dolphins and even whales making occasional appearances. Enjoy fascinating live commentary from your local skipper throughout the journey and take in panoramic views from the elevated flybridge or relax in the comfort of the enclosed cabin. With more space, a personal atmosphere and access to spectacular wildlife and scenery, this is an authentic Otago Peninsula experience you'll remember long after you've returned to shore.

Private Transport option with a flexible itinerary to suit your interests - SEE THE BEST SPOTS OF YOUR CHOOSING!

Join us for a three-hour artisan food walk through Dunedin – a delicious deep dive into the city’s culinary soul, rich heritage, and vibrant streetscapes. Explore the historic heart of the city and its emerging foodie suburbs on foot, with a beautiful stroll that weaves through the city’s most charming corners, from heritage architecture to waterfront renewal. Taste your way through Dunedin’s extraordinary food scene: Sample golden, crispy delights at New Zealand’s oldest – and some say finest – fish and chip shop Bite into the country’s most celebrated pies, handcrafted by local butchers with a cult following Sip on botanical gins from the nation’s most sustainable distillery Try a traditional haggis, a nod to the city’s proud Scottish roots – this is the Edinburgh of the South, after all This is more than a food tour – it’s a flavour-filled celebration of Dunedin’s past, present, and future.

Wanting to get to Portobello or Quarantine Island/Kamau Taurua? Ride with us on "Adagio" the coolest ferry on the harbour. Sit upstairs on the flybridge for the best views while travelling across the harbour. Our Dunedin Bike Ferry is the best option for crossing the harbour while cyling Te Aka Otakou, the Otago harbour cycleway. We have a flexible schedule, the best boat with an elevated viewing deck, and the cheapest fares.

The tour includes a historic city tour, allowing you to explore Dunedin's colonial landmarks and architecture. It also offers the chance for Otago Peninsula wildlife viewing, where you can observe penguins, seals, and albatross in their natural habitats.

Expanding on the incredible opportunities of the Wildlife & Penguin Tour, this tour provides the unique opportunity to experience the reserve at sunset. The magnificent light casting over the landscape as the sun sets on the reserve is breathtaking. At points throughout the year, this time of day provides the greatest opportunity to view hoiho | Yellow-eyed Penguins in the wild as they return from a day foraging at sea, as well as opportunities to view other unique wildlife from fur seals, sea lions, shore and land birds, native fauna, and more await you within our private reserve. Best of all, by taking a tour you are joining our work, as tour operations directly fund the conservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and education initiatives at The OPERA.

Whether you’re into science, history, machinery, or (most likely) beer, the Emerson’s brewery tour is a must do in Dunedin. The tour gives you a behind the scenes look at our state-of-the-art 5000L brewery, and 1200L workshop. We take you through every step of the brew process, from the malt room, right through to the fermentation, bottling, and most importantly, the tasting. And as if that’s not enough, you get to do it all in an attractive, high-visibility waistcoat.