Dunedin Shore Excursion: Taieri Gorge Railway & City Sightseeing
Dunedin & The Otago Peninsula, New Zealand
- 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make the most of a day on land by exploring Dunedin’s beautiful landscapes and cultural highlights on a shore excursion. After a pickup from Port Chalmers, board the Taieri Gorge Railway at the neo-gothic Dunedin Railway Station for a half-day journey on the historic railway. After, take a comprehensive city tour, seeing the University of Otago, Dunedin Botanical Garden, stately homes, and more before returning to port on time.
- This combo tour makes it easy to fit Dunedin highlights into one day
- Includes handy round-trip port transfers and all transportation
- Cross century-old viaducts in the scenic Taieri Gorge
- Tick off one of New Zealand's top railway journeys for tourists
What's Included
- Round-trip tour on the Taieri Gorge Railway
- Dunedin city sightseeing tour
- Professional guide
- Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
- Port pick-up and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Beach Street Wharf46C Beach Street, Port Chalmers, Dunedin 9023, New Zealand
Meeting instructions are: The tour will depart from the Visitors' Building on the ship's wharf at 8.45AM. The Driver / Guide will meet you inside by the Private Tours area. Look out for our sign "Welcome LEISURE TOURS" Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour departure
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
After pickup from Port Chalmers, you’re transferred to the Dunedin Railway Station for your 4-5 hour Taieri Gorge Railway journey to Pukerangi. Admire the neo-gothic style of the station, built in 1906, and get settled comfortably in a historical train carriage.
The Taieri Gorge Railway covers a distance of 28 miles (45 kilometers), following the course of the Taieri River. As the train hugs the steep-walled Taieri Gorge and crosses wrought-iron viaducts of a bygone era, soak up the panoramic views. You’ll pass through nearly a dozen tunnels and stop several times for photo ops of the magnificent landscape.
Have lunch in Dunedin (own expense) before your city sightseeing tour in the afternoon. Take a seat aboard the coach and learn about Dunedin’s history via insightful commentary about the hilly city and its volcanic bay from your live guide.
Discover New Zealand’s first university—the University of Otago—as well as 19th-century buildings, including ornate homes, churches, theaters, banks, and the town hall. Enjoy views of the Otago Peninsula, drive along the steepest street in the world, Baldwin Street, admire the tree-lined landscape at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens, and see St. Clair Beach and Esplanade before drop-off back at Port Chalmers.
The Taieri Gorge Railway covers a distance of 28 miles (45 kilometers), following the course of the Taieri River. As the train hugs the steep-walled Taieri Gorge and crosses wrought-iron viaducts of a bygone era, soak up the panoramic views. You’ll pass through nearly a dozen tunnels and stop several times for photo ops of the magnificent landscape.
Have lunch in Dunedin (own expense) before your city sightseeing tour in the afternoon. Take a seat aboard the coach and learn about Dunedin’s history via insightful commentary about the hilly city and its volcanic bay from your live guide.
Discover New Zealand’s first university—the University of Otago—as well as 19th-century buildings, including ornate homes, churches, theaters, banks, and the town hall. Enjoy views of the Otago Peninsula, drive along the steepest street in the world, Baldwin Street, admire the tree-lined landscape at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens, and see St. Clair Beach and Esplanade before drop-off back at Port Chalmers.
Port Chalmers Wharf (Pass By)
1
Taieri Gorge Railway
4 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Dunedin Railway Station (Pass By)
Dunedin (Pass By)
St Clair Beach (Pass By)
Dunedin Botanic Garden (Pass By)
Baldwin Street - World's Steepest Street! (Pass By)
University of Otago (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Should your cruise ship timetable be indicating that you will be berthing in Dunedin (Port Chalmers) at 9.00am or later, this does not preclude you from booking these tour options., however, the itinerary maybe adjusted to accommodate the later arrival of the cruise ship.
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.2
based on 309 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Bette_L, May 2026
In the beginning was ok. As time went by was getting toooo long. Scenery was a lot of farmland and not so good sights.
Response from Host, May 2026
So sorry the train ride did not live up to your expectations. It is an historic ride through a gorge and normally gets rave reviews.
Rocco_T, Jan 2026
This tour was well worth the time and expense. Our ship was late coming in, but the guide waited patiently for us at the wharf. We were driven to the train and took a scenic two hour ride through some of New Zealand's most beautiful scenery.. There is food and beverage available for purchase on the train. Afterwards, our guide Alberto and our driver Warren brought us around the town of Dunedin and showed us some interesting sites on the way back to our ship. My partner and I would definitely recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Great review thank you - and thank you for highlighting Alberto and Warren. The Taieri Gorge Train is a real treat.
Ron_V, Jan 2026
Vicator canceled the tour. I rebooted with the railroad and it was great. Now to see if I get my money back.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thanks for your review.
We do not cancel tours lightly but when we don't have enough numbers we refund the money and encourage clients to book directly with the railway.
Jeffrey_C, Nov 2025
This should be a round-trip train tour. However we only experienced a single trip due to the late arrival of the tour guide and the driver.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
I was made aware of this as this was happening and a list of contributing events including unscheduled roadworks created big delays. We have liaised with the local authorities to ensure this does not reoccur. My apologies.
Gary_L, Mar 2020
First of all, the scenery is gorgeous! But what they don’t tell you is that you see the exact same thing going back as you are in the same seats. You also have to pay for a light lunch. If you have difficulty with steps you will have a difficult time getting on and off the train. Please keep this in mind. The tour of the city was informative. It’s a pretty long day.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Thank you for the positive review, Gary. I'm happy you enjoyed (for the most part) your Taieri Gorge Railway and Sightseeing Tour from Port Chalmers. Regarding some of your comments, I would just like to address that had you read the full itinerary of your tour you would know that it's not misleading at all. Firstly, we make it clear that the railway tour is a return journey and that food and drinks are not included and at own expense. Also, the departure and return times (along with the tour duration) are also stated on your itinerary.
Wing_L, Feb 2020
The train ride was gorgeous. The driver had us waiting and looking for him when we finished. Company was called Go Now tours.
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Thanks for the review! I hope get to visit Dunedin again soon.
Robert_V, Feb 2020
The Taieri Gorge Railway certainly passes through some spectacular scenery. Unfortunately, a few minutes of great views is simply not enough to offset the five hours of discomfort on the train. The train itself was cramped and uncomfortable and only few of the carriages offered good photo opportunities from the seat. Ideally, you need to travel in one of the old wooden carriages where the windows open; in the more modern, metal carriages, photography from the seat is impossible through the scratched and dirty windows.
Be careful about the choice of seat. If you have a choice (we did not), make sure that you sit on the left-hand side on the train going out because virtually all of the spectacular views are from this side. The train does not turn, so passengers enjoy the same views on the return journey. Many passengers on the right-hand side resorted to playing games on their mobile phones to relieve the tedium of a five-hour journey in which the best views could only be seen across the heads of other passengers.
There is very little else to do on the journey except eat from the buffet car. There were absolutely no facilities - no proper toilets, no cafes, no shops - at the two stops and neither stop had good views. The buffet car itself was inadequately stocked and maintained: the cheese rolls had sold out by 11:00 and all the sandwiches by 12:00. The coffee machine broke down at regular intervals.
If you are a railway buff, I suppose that this trip would be a must. To the average tourist, however, it was an endurance test that would be best avoided.
As opposed to the morning on the Railway, the afternoon tour was excellent. The drive around the Dunedin provided an appreciation of this elegant city which was greatly enhanced by the knowledgeable and helpful guide.
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Thank you for taking the time to submit your review. We understand all reviews are subjective and everyone has different tastes and opinions , so please read the other reviews to fully appreciate just how good this product actually is. This shore excursion was awarded the TripAdvisor People’s Choice Award in 2018, only one of ten awarded annually in Australasia.
michelledanicek, Jan 2020
The tour was run very well. Cruise came in at 9:00 am, so we were a bit law to the station, but the train was held. Received a two hour of Dunedin after train ride and Billy made every effort to show us everything in the town that he thought was interesting. However, if you are a world traveller, the reality is, there just wasn’t that much to see. (eg. the local university, churches that are 80 years old, etc), and the gorge has about 8 minutes of interesting vistas.
Response from Host, Jan 2020
It is disappointing to learn that you were underwhelmed. However, as everyone is aware these reviews are very subjective and all of the reviews for this product should be considered. The majority of reviews for this excursion are constantly 5 stars. Furthermore this excursion has been awarded the People's Choice award by Tripadvisor. What maybe underwhelming for some will be an absolute highlight of their cruise for others.
Sharon G, Jan 2020
Train ride is long, especially when you see the same scenery going up and back down, since only the engine changes . Due to some computer glitch we spent 1 hour on the tracks waiting to get into the station and there fore were too late for bus tour of town. Barely had time to get back to the ship, about 30 min drive or more to harbor.
Response from Host, Jan 2020
Thank you for taking the time to submit your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you felt the train ride was too long, this is an unusual comment compared to all of the other excellent feedback we receive with regard to this excursion. The excursion is always return to port in plenty of time prior to the ships departure.
aawk55, Jan 2020
Great trip...ruggared landscape and train commentry was good. Well organised. Seated tickets was welcomed.
Response from Host, Jan 2020
Thanks for the great review of your Taieri Gorge Railway and Dunedin Sightseeing Tour. I'm glad you had a nice time. We hope you get to visit New Zealand again in the future!
Darryl_M, Nov 2019
Pickup from Port was as scheduled, easy to find the tour company & get going.
Bus trip from Port Chalmers to Dunedin Railway Station ok.
Train trip to Taieri Gorge was excellect, great views, memorable wood carriages. Stop over in Pukerangi was nice with locals putting on a small craft market.
Return trip was BORING, 50 odd miles of what we had already seen. Would recommend that if anyone offers a return by bus to take that instead.
On return to Dunedin, back on the bus with Peter, and downhill all the way from here. Peter is a retired butcher, never let us forget it, showed us where his old butcher shop used to be, described how he is a champion sausage maker.......
He took us to:
1. University to see where they have toga parties;
2. University student residences to see furniture they chuck on to the footpath as they leave so others can check it out;
3. lay down on the road and look up the supposed steepest street in the world;
4. Back to the University to see the "Roadies"??? Turned out to be Rhododendrons THAT WEREN'T THERE.
5. He was ready to take us to 2 other places??? obviously having forgotten the time we had to be back at the ship. All passengers made it clear we needed to return NOW!
Bus tour was CRAP. No other word for it. We would have been better off if we had have been taken to the Octagon and left to wander for a while, or back to Port Chalmers to check it out.
I feel so sorry for Dunedin if this is the best that they offer to tourists.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Peter only started driving for us this season, although he has many years experience as a coach driver.
We encourage our drivers to add their own life experiences into the tour as this makes every drivers tour & commentary more personal. But it seems that Peter has gone overboard with the “personal side” & forgotten to focus on Dunedin itself.
We’ll be discussing this with Peter & taking him out on a refresher famil to remind him of what he’s meant to be showing visitors & the commentary he’s meant to be providing.
As far as back tracking over the same places, we do have multiple road works & detours in place around the city which is making our normal tour route more difficult to follow. All our drivers are having to travel over the same path to get to the next location, as there’s often no other choice. This is adding more time onto the tour, often sitting in traffic.
Peter has used the word “Rhodies” as an abbreviation for Rhododendron, which is what the “locals call them” & there are certainly many Rhododendrons to view around the city. The city is a blaze with colour.
Most passengers are interested to see how the University students live on campus. Couches in the street (sometimes on fire) are one of the common sights to be viewed. Without the students, Dunedin would not be what it is today, a lively University city.
It’s not always pretty, but it is what it is.
I agree with this customer that the return trip via train is just repeating the same terrain & doing a one way train & returning by coach is far more interesting. It’s a shame that when you try to get people to book for a one way option, they don’t want to because they think they’re going to miss seeing something. I guess they have to experience it to understand the benefits of the one way train.
Coming off the train & already feeling bored was not a good start for the City Tour. If Peter had held things together better & focused on showcasing Dunedin, it would have saved the day. Unfortunately, we know this wasn’t the case.
Peter was well aware of the time he was meant to return to Port Chalmers being 4pm-4:15pm at the latest.
We apologise if Peter somehow lost track of time, this is unacceptable & does not normally happen.
This Tour option does not state that there is time in Port Chalmers for wandering through the settlement after the city tour.
The Train journey takes the lion’s share of the day & our target return time to Port is always 1 Hour prior to sailing.
William_J, Nov 2019
We really enjoyed this excursion. The train trip is quite enjoyable with very pretty scenery. On our excursion food was available for purchase on the train (that is, not included) and it was fine. You are asked to trade seats with the persons opposite you for the return train trip; this is a win-win and also only fair. The city tour after the train trip was unexpectedly thorough and informative. The Dunedin area is quite pretty and the tour guide was humorous and informative. We've done well over 100 shore excursions and this was one of the best.
Response from Host, Nov 2019
Thank you for such a positive review of the Taieri Gorge Railway Tour and City Sightseeing. It's great to hear that you rate this as one of your best shore excursion experiences! It's always great to hear such awesome feedback on this excursion, which won the Travellers Choice Award last year on TripAdvisor. And thanks for highlighting the Dunedin Sightseeing section as well. This part of the tour is often praised as an unexpected bonus for many travellers and it's great to hear you enjoyed it so much!
Thanks again for your review and we hope you get to return to New Zealand again soon!
Gabor_W, Nov 2019
This was a great way to spend our day in Dunedin. We did it October while on a Ruby Princess cruise. There were not issues at all getting to the bus on time to get to the railway. We did make sure we got off the cruise ship first thing. The train ride is a very enjoyable ride with great views. It was a great way to meet people and enjoy their company for the day. The scenery is worth the trip. The tiny town at the end was really more of a flea market, but the prices were great. I got a great deal on Stirling Silver earrings. It is a little repetitive because the train repeats the drive on the way back, but it was still beautiful. The sightseeing tour at the end was really just a drive around with one spot to get off and take some pictures. It was some great scenery and a beautiful drive through the hills with gorgeous homes. They could not do much else with the time restraints. Well worth the money.
Response from Host, Nov 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write such a positive and detailed review of your Taieri Gorge Train Journey from Dunedin. This particular shore excursion is one of our most popular and highly acclaimed tours we offer and it's great hear such nice feedback on it. With regards to the train repeating the trip back down to Dunedin, this is partly to give people sitting on the opposite side of the carriage a chance to see the stunning views of the Gorge. And you are correct in your assessment regarding the fact that this tour offers a lot of things to see in Dunedin and Otago within the time constraint with the cruise ship.
Thanks again for the nice review and I hope you get to visit NZ again soon.
Shaun S, Oct 2019
The advice given by Viator for the meeting of the tour operator was wrong. Firstly, the company we were supposed to meet subcontracted their work out to another and secondly we were supposed to meet the operator outside the port. In actual fact all tour operators meet their passengers inside the terminal. The misinformation by cost of was confusing.
The tour itself on the train is good
There viewing platforms on the front and rear only takes 4 people
.
The scenery is excellent but the train trip is long and whilst you get 20 minute break at the end of the track. You have to back down on the same route.
There are other tours being offered that take passengers up by train and back down by bus. This 8s a much better option.
The tour has a two hour tour around duniden but after a long train journey we just wanted to go back to ship.
Response from Host, Oct 2019
Thanks for the 5 star review Shaun. I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time on the train through the Taieri Gorge. The train does have some great viewing platforms, which offers some truly stunning scenery of the Otago countryside. With regards to your comments about the meeting instructions, we have updated this so that it is crystal clear for all passengers on this shore excursion on exactly where to meet. Also, regarding your comments on the length of the train ride, the time of 4 hours on the train is already mentioned in the itinerary for this tour. Many people enjoy the fact that they get to spend more time on the train as it is the highlight of this tour, but we also understand that the train times won't be for everyone - so to each their own.
Thanks again for the positive review and we hope you get to visit New Zealand again soon.
Patricia_L, Oct 2019
Unfortunately we were not able to take the railway excursion because there was a wreck with another train right before we were supposed to board. The city tour was ok but we were looking forward to the train.
Response from Host, Oct 2019
It is unfortunate that another train derailed,which meant the Taieri Gorge Train was unable to operate on that day. Events like this are extremely rare (this is the first time I have seen this happen) but when they do happen it can be disruptful for everyone doing excursions. I am happy you enjoyed the Dunedin City tour, but I do understand your frustration with the train. Please remember this was completely unforeseen and out of our control.
DennisJ_C, May 2019
What a great trip. Our ship was late and missed the train. A number of similar tours offered by other operators were cancelled. Our tour was simply managed by providing a bus to the top of the gorge and then returning on the train. We enjoyed two quite different journeys and we really appreciated the way this was managed. Everything went smoothly.
Linda U, Jan 2019
They told us to be prompt so we wouldn't miss the train. So we and about 50 other cruiser arrived early and were given bus numbers. We thought that we would get right on a bus to the train station. There were three buses that they pre assigned bus numbers to. So we had to wait until others on our buss arrived. So, all three buses were delayed because of delayed passengers. Those of us who arrived early had to wait for late passengers on our assigned bus. So we missed the train. What they should have done was load the buses as the passengers arrived and checked off our names. But, instead each passenger was assigned a specific bus and had to wait for the later comers. Let the late comers get on the last bus and they would clearly understand why they missed the train. But for us who arrived early had to suffer because we were on a predetermined bus and had to wait. Then we were stuck on a long bus trip to catch up with the train. Terrible experience. Because the train ride was amazing I will give this two stars. Rude people and very disorganized. The bus driver could not be heard in the back of the bus and apparently didn't care.
Robert_L, Jan 2019
Wonderful train ride. We were there in mid December and the hills were covered with yellow Scott Blooms. It was a spectacular sight. I was told that this only last a couple of months. So if you can time your visit, it will be great.
Tourist35890539119, Dec 2018
Had a wonderful day, enjoyed every moment of it. Our bus driver, Bill, was very knowledgeable about the area. Can highly recommend this tour.
ANNE F, Sep 2018
The railway tour was excellent and good value, it was a quick tour around Dunedin not a lot really to see
Kenneth O, Apr 2018
The following is the full review we have posted on TripAdvisor following our day out on the Taieri Gorge Railway.
Although we enjoyed the Taieri Gorge Railway, it wasnt as good as it had been built up to be.
We always attempt to give fair and honest reviews and realise and accept that there may be several factors for our reluctance in giving this adventure an excellent rating.
Firstly it was raining off and on which obviously reduced the long-distance visibility.
It was therefore a disappointment not to be able to enjoy the distant sights which we had been led to believe were fabulously scenic as the trip had been described by some people as one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world.
Added to that is the fact that we have been fortunate enough to have experienced some fabulous scenic railway journeys, so maybe we were with hindsight expecting too much.
In saying all of that, there were many positives to the day as we met some lovely people on the train including a Fireman and his wife from Adelaide, the pies and beer were really tasty, the commentary was entertaining, the history of the Taieri railway was fascinating and we are glad we did not miss the trip. In addition to all that we booked the trip independently through Canterbury Leisure Tours via Viator at a far lesser rate than what our cruise ship wanted.
We had a good day and hope this review doesnt put people off.
NatalieJ_L, Apr 2018
Train tour was great just very long....unfortunately the tour was cut short due to our train being delayed which cut our city tour.
Ken D, Apr 2018
great trip on the vintage train up a beautiful valley
Helen D, Apr 2018
Ship late arriving in Dunedin and by that time the train had departed. Not a problem the company Canterbury Leisure Tours had arranged a bus to take us up to where train turned around for return journey. It really was a better alternative and the route provided different scenery. Train ride back to Dunedin fantastic, cafe car provided good food, great day, well done to all involved.
Diane_C, Apr 2018
What a fabulous ride on this beautiful train. We enjoyed every minute on this lovely heritage train throu the beautiful Taieri Gorge. And at half the price as the same trip offered by the cruise ship it was also great value for the money.
camellia p, Apr 2018
this tour was every thing a tour should be every turn of the tour was a special moment and very eductionial it was beautiful worth the money the special touches like the old fashion train the people dressed in the old times Ihighly recommend this tour
Robert P, Apr 2018
If you really want to get a true sense of the country take this tour. Well narrated, interesting city and country reflecting thousands of years of history.
Rosemary_M, Apr 2018
The guide was very knowledgeable of the local area it was a pleasure to have a very passionate person driving our bus. Had us at the train station tickets purchased and on the train ready to go. The train trip was spectacular and our group of 12 was very pleased the trip was a little late on returning to the station but off we set and we had a tour of the town centre and time for shopping to buy souvenirs. Then off for drive to see the sights as stated in the itinerary had an opportunity to stop and take photos out of the bus was exceptional great value. We arrived back at the port in plenty of time to board. Highly recommend this tour.
Charles_R, Apr 2018
This was a very nice excursion with beautiful scenery and a cute old train that left from the beautiful Dunedin railway station. We met the representative at the dock and were bused to the train station in time to board our train. It did rain the day we were there and got wet trying to take photos from the outside area of the train but, well worth the gorgeous views. The train is just for sightseeing as you only make a couple of stops for a few minutes to change train directions. Only problem was we waited to eat lunch while on the train and when we went to eat, they had run out of sandwiches. Not a major problem but, there was also a 2 hour city tour so we were pretty hungry by the end of the tour. Had some granola bars which we ate instead. Very nice way to spend a day.
Terry_C, Mar 2018
We had a great day out. The coach picked us up on time, with a very competent and helpful driver. The Taieri Gorge Railway was something we had been wanting to do for a long time and did not disappoint. Finished with an interesting tour of Dunedin and got us back to the ship in plenty of time to spare. Great value too, especially compared to the identical Cruise Line Shore Excursion.
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